Montana Rape Case - Las Vegas Tribune

Transcription

Why people feel
free to heckle
President Obama
Arrowhead homicide?
Killing highlights
postgame fan violence
Montana rape case:
Was 31-day sentence
for teacher illegal?
PAGE 2
PAGE 4
PAGE 12
Volume 15, Issue 39
December 4-10, 2013
Ward 5 Chamber of Commerce Member
Melendez New
Hearing To Start
Joe Spencer delivering his complaints regarding Clark County School District Board Members Deanna
Wright and Erin Cranor to the Nevada Ethics Commission. (Las Vegas Tribune photo by Ken Small)
Ethics Scandal At School District
Widens, Includes More Officials, Staff
By Ken Small
Special to the Las Vegas Tribune
During the November 20, 2013
Nevada Ethics Commission hearing
where the plea bargain agreements
between Clark County School District (CCSD) Board President
Carolyn Edwards, and Chief Lobbyist (Associate Superintendent)
Joyce Haldeman were negotiated
behind closed doors, members of
the public were given three minutes
to speak before the deal was read.
During that time, Joe Spencer, a
parent activist, explained to the
Commission that he was filing a
new complaint against more school
board members. Joe’s complaint is
about the use of the same illegal
activities that Edwards and
Haldeman just admitted to. This
time he filed complaints against
school board members Deanna
Wright and Erin Cranor.
During the “investigation” of the
Edwards-Haldeman complaints
made by Michael Silbergleid, the
ethics commission failed to uncover
the widespread team of CCSD paid
staff and elected officials that participated in a widely televised effort to advocate for a CCSD tax increase using CCSD funded staff and
facilities. While most local television stations showed video of
school buildings and staff organizing the campaign to raise taxes, the
Silbergleid complaints centered
(See CCSD, Page 6)
By Rolando Larraz
Las Vegas Tribune
A local organization that favors
the Culinary Union Local 226
wants an apology from Nevada
Assemblywoman Michelle Fiore
for her criticism of the union’s despicable behavior during a demonstration in front of the Cosmopolitan Hotel.
During a Kevin Wall radio show
on KXNT Radio in Las Vegas the
week before Thanksgiving, the assemblywoman told the mouthpiece
for the Local 226, Yvanna Cancela,
that she and her family are from
Brooklyn, New York and that “the
behavior that you did in front of the
Cosmo would get you a bullet in
your head in Brooklyn, because that
is not the behavior that we want
here in Nevada.”
The Culinary Union Local 226
has been criticized by lots of people
in the restaurant and casino industry for verbally assaulting tourists
entering the Cosmopolitan while
they picket in front of the property.
For a very long time Local 226
has been using strong-arm and
union tactics against a few of the
hotels that have not signed a contract with the union, including the
Station Casinos and the Cosmopolitan.
Years ago Culinary Local 226
was a true representative of its
members when the organization
was an honest bargaining organization and was respected by both the
By Rolando Larraz
Las Vegas Tribune
A man doing time in a Nevada State Penitentiary is back in the
courtroom of the Honorable Jim Bixler, who last month allowed new
evidence that could prove the man’s innocence.
Manuel Melendez was accused by his ex-wife of molesting her
granddaughter after he tried to end their marriage.
The hearing is set for December 5, against the prosecution who
were unprofessional and out of control when Judge Bixler allowed
the new evidence to be presented.
When the child’s mother came back and found out what had happened, she started investigating and realized that the grandmotherdefendant-now-ex-wife had created the scenario when Melendez told
her he was leaving her and filed for a divorce.
During that hearing Deputy District Attorneys Danielle Piper and
Christopher Pandelis displayed a disrespectful attitude to the judge,
the court and the office they represent by laughing and carrying on
their own conversation while the judge tried to explain his reasons for
allowing the new evidence to be presented.
Piper was hysterical, jumping up and down and yelling, trying to
convince Judge Bixler that there was no need for a new hearing.
The defendant’s former wife and the child’s grandmother has a
pattern of accusing the men in her life of child molestation when they
were ready to end the relationship, according to court testimony of
her daughter and the mother of the alleged victim.
“My mother tried to make us believe that our father molested us
when he left her,” said the child’s mother on the witness stand while
the prosecutor made an effort to use the single mother’s police record
to gain the attention of the court.
That young single mother had turned her life around and is now a
productive member of society holding a good job and raising her chil(See Melendez, Page 6)
My Point
of View Culinary Union, Las Vegas Should Apologize, Not Fiore
By Rolando Larraz
Again, I have to bring up an issue that always has bothered me
during the holidays: the lack of respect from elected officials to the
citizens and the constituents of this
community.
Every time a holiday happens to
be in the middle of the week — or
as with this past Thanksgiving, on
Thursday — the elected officials
and their staff abuse the generosity
of taxpayers and always give the
same excuse when they are questioned by anyone, saying that sometimes they work extra hours doing
stuff for the community, like preparing for after-hours meetings or
giving away food on Thanksgiving,
toys at Christmas or American flags
on the 4th of July.
But let’s talk specifically about
last week. Thursday was a holiday
and automatically the next day is
taken as a holiday also, and perhaps
we have all grown accustomed to
accept that system even if Friday is
not a holiday.
For example, the banks were
closed on Thursday, but open for
business on Friday; and it was the
same with the post office, the telephone company, the power company, grocery stores and every other
normal business; and not only that,
they also were open the Wednesday
prior to Thanksgiving because
Thursday was the holiday, not
Wednesday and Friday.
However, every public office
from State, to County to City, plus
the judicial system, has the tendency to take three days off for one
single holiday. And they are allowed to, like they are above the
law and they are better than the rest
of the community.
WHY? Are they better than the
rest of the people who elected them
to sit on those boards, or in those
offices as heads of departments,
along with their hard-working “important” staff?
On Wednesday afternoon I
stopped by Family Court and I was
very disappointed to see that only
two judges were working the day
before Thanksgiving; the rest of the
courtrooms were locked up and the
hallways looked like a deserted airfield; not even a fly was seen in
those hallways and I assume that
Friday was the same picture.
Judge Ken Pollock and Judge
Cynthia Giuliani were the only two
(See My Point of View, Page 5)
MICHELLE FIORE
industry and the members equally,
but lately that is not the case.
A great number of the members
do not believe in the union any
more and the union, in its effort to
force the properties that have not
signed the contract to do so, has
crossed the line by verbally attacking and insulting the tourists, visitors and gamblers that come to Las
Vegas and help the economy of the
city.
Some of these non-union properties gave their employees a better medical and benefits plan than
what the union is offering now to
its members.
Some believe that the union has
become an obstacle to the Las Vegas economy by interfering with the
normal function of the hotels’ and
casinos’ everyday operation; the
union has even opposed the move
of a sports team owned by the Station Casinos’ owners that could
bring lots of jobs and revenue to the
(See Culinary, Page 6)
Judge Linda Bell Denied Justice For OJ Simpson
By Rolando Larraz
Las Vegas Tribune
Last Tuesday Judge Linda Bell,
after taking almost six months to
decide if OJ Simpson should have
a new trial, in a 101-page decision,
ruled against giving the former Hall
of Fame running back and Heisman
Trophy winner from USC the opportunity of a new trial despite the
fact that his previous trial was a
sham and a payback for the California case over a decade ago.
In 1995, Simpson was acquitted
in Los Angeles of murdering his
former wife, Nicole Brown
Simpson, and her friend Ronald
Goldman, and many people cannot
accept the jury’s decision; many
believe that his guilty finding in the
very disappointed with Bell’s decision, but that they will appeal to the
Nevada Supreme Court.
The attorneys say the case is far
from over: “Simpson could appeal
to the Nevada Supreme Court. If he
The Salvation Army
Feeling SNAP Cuts
OJ SIMPSON
Las Vegas courtroom was nothing
but a payback for the not guilty verdict.
In a telephone interview with a
member of Simpson’s new defense
team, Attorney Patricia Palm told
the Las Vegas Tribune they were
By Troy Wilde
Nevada News Service
LAS VEGAS — The Salvation
Army of Southern Nevada is feeding a lot more people after cuts to
the program once known as food
stamps took hold in early November. Benefits from the Supplemen-
COMMUNITY ALERT
During the Holiday Season Don’t
Get Caught At A DUI Checkpoint
By Ross C. Goodman, Esq.
During this holiday season know
your rights before entering a DUI
checkpoint. In general, police can
stop a person based only on
“articulable and reasonable suspicion” that the person “is committing, has committed or is about to
commit a crime.” However, DUI
checkpoints by their nature involve
suspicion-less stops of motor vehicles. This provides police an opportunity to determine whether a
driver has any signs of impairment
such as slurred speech, bloodshot
loses that, he could petition the federal courts to argue that his constitutional right to effective counsel
was violated,” said Palm.
In her decision, Bell said
(See OJ Denied, Page 6)
ROSS C. GOODMAN, ESQ.
eyes, or the odor of alcohol without possessing any articulable facts
traditionally associated with stopping a motor vehicle. As a result,
drivers may unnecessarily subject
themselves to standardized field
sobriety tests (“SFST”) and chemical testing of the breath or blood
even without the tell-tale signs of
swerving, speeding etc. generally
surrounding a DUI stop.
The conundrum facing most
drivers stopped at a DUI checkpoint
is whether to comply with police
(See Community Alert, Page 4)
tal Nutrition Assistance Program, or
SNAP, dropped by 5 percent.
Leslee Rogers, public relations
officer with the Salvation Army of
Southern Nevada, says the reduction is equal to $36 per month for a
family of four.
She says it may not sound like
much to many Americans, but it can
mean many lost meals to those
barely surviving.
“We saw an increase almost immediately to about 225 families a
day,” she says. “And then in the last
week, we’re looking at nearly 250
families a day. A year ago we were
seeing half that number.”
Rogers adds another cause for
the increased demand is unemployment benefits ending for many
Americans.
She says The Salvation Army
can make good use of all food donations.
“Peanut butter and jelly are
huge,” she says. “Canned proteins
like canned chicken, tuna, even
stews and things like that.”
The Salvation Army of Southern Nevada provides about 1,000
hot meals per day.
Page 2 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / December 4-10, 2013
Why people feel free to heckle President Obama
While numbers are elusive, President Obama seems to be the most-heckled president in a
long time — particularly from people on the left. Some might be trying to get him off script.
By Linda Feldmann
Christian Science Monitor
WASHINGTON — Heckling
politicians is as old as the hills, but
when a young man standing behind
President Obama began shouting at
him during an event Monday, that
seemed especially noteworthy.
After all, the man — a 24-yearold undocumented immigrant from
South Korea named Ju Hong —
was invited by the White House to
stand there as part of the “human
TRIBUNE
VOL. 15, NO. 39
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David A. Rifkin, Executive Vice President
Quote of the Week:
“I would like the angels of
heaven to be among us. I
would like an abundance of
peace. I would like vessels
of charity. I would like rich
treasures of mercy. I would
like cheerfulness to preside
over all.”
—Brigid of Ireland
wallpaper” often seen at presidential events. And yet even, or maybe
especially, in that privileged spot,
Mr. Hong felt compelled to interrupt Mr. Obama’s scripted remarks
on immigration and call on the
president to stop deportations.
Obama waved off the Secret Service, which was moving to escort
Hong from the room, and addressed
his complaint — denying he could
use his executive power to halt deportations.
To many observers, instances of
the president being heckled are on
the rise — particularly, in the case
of Obama, by those to his left —
though numbers are scarce. Even
Mark Knoller of CBS Radio, keeper
of myriad presidential statistics,
begs off: “Sorry, haven’t kept a
heckle count.”
Gregg Lindskog, a presidential
scholar at Millersville University
who has researched sociopolitical
disruption, feels certain that Obama
has been heckled more than his two
predecessors. “It would be hard to
debate that,” he says.
The question, then, is why?
Theories center on a general rise in
public incivility, Obama’s race,
growth of partisan media, and the
rise of political polarization and
political “cocooning” — people
choosing to live and associate with
people of like-minded views.
“We’re increasingly living in
this dichotomous American society,” says Mr. Lindskog. “When
you’re in those echo chambers,
there’s an incentive to be the most
liberal or the most conservative.”
When Rep. Joe Wilson (R) of
South Carolina shouted, “You lie!”
to Obama in 2009 during an address
to a joint session of Congress on
health care reform, members of
both parties condemned his action.
Congressman Wilson was formally
rebuked by the House, but his stock
rose among conservatives.
Obama’s legitimacy as president
has long been a source of debate on
the right, and that doubt may be
empowering some on the right to
challenge the president to his face.
Wilson himself questioned
President Barack Obama attempts to respond to Ju Hong (lower left),
who began to heckle him about anti-deportation policies Monday at the
Betty Ann Ong Chinese Recreation Center in San Francisco.
Obama’s birthplace in a radio in- wrote Ms. Rozum.
To Jarret Lovell, a political sciterview not long after he accused
entist at California State University,
the president of lying.
As eyebrow-raising as the Wil- Fullerton, there’s a central reason
son outburst was, it is the heckling why activists need to engage in acof Obama from the left that requires tivities that some might see as rude
more explanation. In his five years or disrespectful: the fact that everyas president, his speeches have been thing in politics is “scripted,” from
interrupted numerous times by public speeches, to political conpleas to reject the Keystone XL ventions, to congressional hearings.
“What we’ve been seeing with
pipeline, close Guant‡namo, end
drone strikes, free Army whistle- heckling, dating before Obama, but
blower Bradley (now Chelsea) especially with Obama, is this abilManning, and do more via execu- ity of activists to break the script,”
tive action for gays and illegal im- says Mr. Lovell, himself a progressive activist. “Heckling puts these
migrants.
There’s a pattern to how the dis- political leaders on their toes.”
Obama himself is partly to
ruptions unfold. Activists gain access to a presidential event, wait blame, Lovell says, because he has
until the president is well into his failed in his promise to be more
remarks, and then start shouting, transparent and accountable. Lovell
sometimes unfurling banners to sees short-term benefit in knocking
give the TV some visuals to go with the president off his TelePrompTer,
the audio. The president then responds respectfully, even if disagreeing with their point. Only
then, if the yelling still doesn’t end,
does security remove the disrupters. The hecklers are rewarded with
news coverage.
After interrupting a presidential
speech in Syracuse, N.Y., last August, Ursula Rozum explained her
actions in a column.
“President Obama was not going to see or hear our message from
the corner of Robinson Street and
Teall Avenue, three blocks away,”
and forcing him to speak from the
heart. But he worries that in the long
run, these episodes end up leaving
the hecklers in a negative light. Part
of it is, yes, the script that presidents
follow when they’re heckled.
“Politicians have their standard
response: ‘In America, we allow for
freedom of speech,’ ” Lovell says.
“They come across as generous.
Doing the right thing is somehow
generous.”
Martha Joynt Kumar, an expert
on White House communications at
Towson University in Maryland,
suggests that Obama might be
opening himself up to more disruptions because of how the White
House allocates tickets to events.
“When Bush was president, they
were very careful about who they
gave tickets to when he had an
event. It was not an open kind of
thing,” Ms. Kumar says. “It’s more
open with Obama, and therefore
you’re going to have more heckling.”
And when the president replies
respectfully to hecklers, that may
only encourage more. When first
lady Michelle Obama was heckled
at a private Democratic party
fundraiser last June by a gay activist calling for the president to address employment discrimination,
she threatened to leave.
“One of the things I don’t do
well is this,” she said. The protester
was escorted out.
There haven’t been reports of
Mrs. Obama being heckled since.
For activists, sticking with the
president is probably a better bet.
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December 4-10, 2013 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 3
CITY BEAT
‘Las Vegas Great Santa Run’ announces race day
fun in Downtown Las Vegas, Saturday, December 7
Two weeks left to preregister for Opportunity Village’s Ninth Annual festive fun run hosted by Grand Marshal Shania Twain
Santa Claus is coming downtown Saturday, December 7, as the
ninth annual Las Vegas Great Santa
Run raises funds and awareness for
Opportunity Village and its unparalleled programs. Las Vegans can
still register to be a part of history
as Grand Marshal Shania Twain
leads thousands of red-suited racers to the streets for a 5K run and
one-mile Kris Kringle Jingle walk
to support the beloved non-profit.
Now an official Nevada 150
event, the race course will begin
under the glowing overhead screens
of Fremont Street Experience and
continue throughout downtown,
passing a number of landmarks and
some of Las Vegas’ most captivating architecture. The 2013 race will
be bigger and better than ever as
local businesses join Opportunity
Village to spread the spirit of giving:
TEAM SHANIA: As Grand
Marshal, country superstar Shania
Twain will welcome participants
and announce the start of the race.
The headliner of SHANIA: STILL
THE ONE at The Colosseum at
Caesars Palace also is captain of
Team Shania, which fans are encouraged to join and raise funds to
reach the following incentives:
—$50 — Official Team Shania
T-Shirt
—$250 — Access to Team
Shania VIP Tent with complimentary breakfast; Team Shania T-Shirt
—$500 — Two tickets to
SHANIA:STILL THE ONE; access
to Team Shania VIP Tent with complimentary breakfast; Team Shania
T-Shirt
—$1,000 — Two VIP tickets to
SHANIA:STILL THE ONE; Meetand-Greet with Shania after the
show; access to Team Shania VIP
Tent with complimentary breakfast
on day of run; Team Shania T-Shirt
MUSIC: JERSEY BOYS star Jeff
Leibow will lend his vocal talents
to commence the race with a rendition of the national anthem. Additionally, creator of the Great Santa
Run theme song, George Dare, will
lead the crowd in belting out the
catchy chorus, “Run, Santa, Run!”
DJ Mikey P will get racers pumped
up spinning a variety of top hits and
Christmas classics.
DANCE: Participants of the
Great Santa Run will be treated to
an exciting appearance by the
world-famous dance crew,
Jabbawockeez, who will perform
pulse-pounding numbers from their
captivating show PRiSM at Luxor
Hotel and Casino. Opportunity
Village’s own OV Elvi, the
world’s only all Elvis dance
troupe, will bring the house down
with their interpretation of The
King’s greatest hits.
FOOD TRUCKS: A collection
of Las Vegas’ favorite food trucks
will satisfy the cravings of hungry
racers, including Chi-Town Hustler,
Lobster ME and several others.
SPONSORS: The Great Santa
Run’s sponsors will ensure that the
fun never stops throughout race day.
Zappos will warm cold hands with
free pairs of gloves for the thousands of St. Nick lookalikes. To
ease aching post-race muscles,
Massage Envy will offer complimentary massages. For a quick caffeine boost, runners can grab a cup
of coffee from Circle K Convenience Stores, which makes for a
perfect pairing with the 75 dozen
donuts to be donated by Krispy
Kreme. Racers will also find
smoothie samples from Jamba
Juice, protein shakes from Core
Power, hot cocoa from Team
NSTech and free swag from Yelp
LV and iDocUSA/Dr. Amel
Youssef Optometry.
REGISTRATION: Pre-register
for the Great Santa Run at
LasVegasSantaRun.org. Participants can register online as an individual racer for $40 or sign up as
an adult team for $35 a runner, or
sign up day-of for $50. Children can
join the festivities for $25; $35 on
race day.
The Las Vegas Great Santa Run
continues to fight for the reigning
title of “World Santa Challenge”
champion. This friendly competition takes place between various
“Santa Runs” across the globe, in
cities including Liverpool, Tasmania and Osaka, to see which race
can accrue the most participants.
During its nine years in existence,
Las Vegas has won the coveted
award eight times. In preparation,
Opportunity Village’s Associate
Executive Director, Linda Smith,
will travel across the Atlantic to
challenge Las Vegas’ Liverpool rivals, this weekend.
*****
Golden Gate toasts
to Repeal Day with new
name for its casino bar:
“Bar Prohibition!”
This Repeal Day, Golden Gate
Hotel & Casino will celebrate
eighty years since the dark days of
Prohibition by fittingly renaming its
original casino bar, “Bar Prohibition!”
On Dec. 5, 2013, Las Vegas’
original invites downtown celebrants to help toast to the bar’s new
name and decades of serving alcohol (legally, of course!) with an allnight party and classic drinks from
the Prohibition Cocktail Menu. Inspired by Golden Gate’s storied
past, the menu is highlighted by
creative takes on historic recipes
with unique libations such as the
“Flaming Side Car,” “The Prohibition,” and “Italian Kiss.” Each
cocktail on the specialty menu is
served in a discreet coffee mug —
a method employed by Prohibition
drinkers to elude lawmakers.
Throughout its long history, the
original bar has operated under
many guises, including a Wild West
watering hole on the last frontier, a
place for the wild women of the
roaring 20s to let loose, and a whiskey-washed hangout frequented by
Frank, Sammy and Dean during the
Rat Pack era. During renovations,
glass liquor bottles from the early
1900s were found tucked into the
hotel’s walls, perhaps hidden during a bygone era when the city of
Sin operated under a different set
of rules.
The Golden Gate has been partying since 1906 and Bar Prohibition! will continue the legacy that
spans more than a century.
*****
National Water Rights
Association 2014
Annual Conference
The NWRAAnnual Conference
targets water professionals throughout the state February 3-6, 2014 at
the Tuscany Suites and Casino. The
conference takes a multi-disciplinary approach to discuss current and
ongoing statewide water issues
critical to sustaining Nevada’s rapidly growing population and the
many competing interests.
The primary goal of the conference is to bring key issues to the
table for discussion and to provide
water managers, policy makers, environmental representatives, federal
and state agencies, private consultants, and the general public with a
more comprehensive understanding
of these issues; including the tech-
nical component and legal aspect of
each issue.
Workshops offered will include:
Water Rights and Advanced Water
Rights Seminars, National Water
Information Systems Workshop,
and Nevada Well Construction
Regulations Workshop. We will
have a tour of the Venetian and a
tour of Wetlands Park and the River
Mountain Water Treatment Facility.
There will also be poster presentations, a student poster competition,
technical sessions, and panel discussions. This is a perfect opportunity to congregate, communicate,
and collaborate with colleagues,
update the water community, and
exchange information about Nevada water resources issues.
For more information, or to register for the event, please visit our
website, www.nvwra.org/event-information, or call Tina Triplett at
(775) 473-5473.
*****
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.
Arrowhead homicide? Killing
highlights postgame fan violence
Arrowhead homicide investigation is focusing on a parking lot car break-in gone wrong. While stadium
security nationwide has increased, security in parking lots after big events has been largely ignored.
By Mark Guarino
The death of a man outside Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City,
Mo., Sunday after a Kansas City
Chiefs football game is heightening awareness of a what experts call
a gap in domestic security: parking
lots before and after major events.
For years, event producers and
venue owners have concentrated
their resources on providing security inside the venue, which is considered a much more controlled
environment, largely ignoring the
parking lots outside.
“They continue to ignore the
parking lot, which then can become
a no man’s land when it come to
safety and security. We see this constantly,” says Paul Wertheimer,
founder of Crowd Management
Strategies, based in Los Angeles.
Kansas City police say three
men are in custody following an
altercation involving a car break-in
gone wrong in the stadium parking
lot. On his Twitter feed, Kansas City
Police Chief Darryl Forte said the
“incident did not involve any fan
rivalry.” The death is being treated
as a homicide.
The increase in security mea-
Kansas City, Mo., police work a crime scene in a parking lot outside Arrowhead Stadium, in Kansas City,
Mo., after a person was killed Sunday.
sures at airports, shopping malls, lots, which attract tens of thousands miliar with venues. Plus, they ofand rail stations, has already raised of people, need to have camera ten lack the training necessary to
questions about whether Americans monitoring and regular patrols “be- “manage crowded parking environare sacrificing too many civil liber- fore, during, and after the event.” ments” or lines that form due to
ties for their own safety. But Mr. Too often, he says, security teams day-of-game giveaways or other
Wertheimer suggests that parking disperse soon after the event is over. promotions that are common at
Costs clearly come into the sporting events.
equation, he adds.
The death at Arrowhead Stadium
“It costs money and nobody is not an isolated one in Kansas
(Continued from Page 1)
wants to pay it,” Wertheimer says. City. Last December, Chiefs lineofficer’s requests to roll down the window and answer general questions
“It’s not that the live entertainment backer Jovan Belcher killed himself
absent any reasonable suspicion.
or professional sports [organizer] outside the stadium in front of his
That is, the courts in Nevada have ruled that persons detained are only
doesn’t know these things happen. head coach and other team officials.
required to provide their name. Specifically, a person is not compelled to
My assessment is they make a cal- Last September, a man shot and
answer any other inquiry which would logically extend to a stop at a DUI
culated decision that they don’t wounded a woman and then killed
checkpoint. As a result, police should allow a driver to proceed through a
want to spend the money.”
himself in the parking lot outside a
DUI checkpoint even after refusing to roll down the window, open the
According to “Spectator Vio- Kansas City Royals game.
door, or failing to answer any questions. This choice may frustrate the
lence in Stadiums,” a 2008 report
More recently, on Thanksgiving,
police officer’s ability to observe for signs of impairment preventing the
by the Center for Problem-Oriented
additional information needed to form reasonable suspicion to further a
Policing, a division of the U.S. DeDUI investigation. However, you should be aware it is a Gross Misdepartment of Justice, the four most
meanor for a person to disobey the lawful orders or directions of a police
common problems encountered
officer at a DUI checkpoint.
among stadium staff in incidents of
So, while refusing a police officer’s reasonable requests at a DUI
off-field violence are lack of “trainCheckpoint may be within your legal rights, another interpretation of what
ing, experience, presence, and comconstitutes a “lawful order or direction” may run afoul of this statute. To
munication.”
be safe, the better solution is to avoid a DUI checkpoint all together if
“In general, venues that employ
possible. Given today’s technology with news reports, texting, iPhone
staff with little training and experiapps and lights, flares and flashing signs displayingthe word “Stop,” there
ence, fail to provide an adequate
is sufficient advance notice to simply avoid a DUI checkpoint by taking
number of personnel, and do not
an alternative traffic route or making a U-turn before entering the DUI
provide personnel with clear direccheckpoint. Just make sure that by avoiding a DUI Checkpoint you do
tives and lines of communication
not create reasonable suspicion for police by failing to negotiate the Uare more likely to experience probturn or driving erratically while turning around.
lems with spectator violence,” the
Ross C. Goodman, Esq., is a native Las Vegan, and has received the
report reads.
highest awards by Martindale-Hubbell with an AV Preeminent Peer RePrivate security companies are
view Rating, Super Lawyers, and Top 100 Lawyers. In 2001, Ross C.
“less effective” than venue personGoodman, Esq. returned to Las Vegas after serving his tenure in the U.S.
nel because they are often hired to
Marine Corps Reserves as a Major to form a boutique law firm, Goodman
police single events and are unfaLaw Group, P.C., located at 520 South Fourth St., Las Vegas, NV 89101,
Phone 702-383-5088, website at: http://goodmanlawgroup.com/criminaldefense-in-las-vegas-nv/dui/
Analysis
a man was beaten unconscious outside AT&T Stadium in Dallas following a game between the Dallas
Cowboys and the Oakland Raiders.
In September, a Los Angeles Dodgers fan was fatally stabbed outside
AT&T Park in San Francisco; that
incident followed days after a man
received a severe beating outside
Candlestick Park where the San
Francisco 49ers played.
After the stabbing, the San Francisco Police Department announced
it would increase its presence at the
ballpark. “The rivalry needs to stay
out on the ball field, not in the
stands, and not on the street,” Sgt.
Danielle Newman told the local
ABC News outlet.
For obvious reasons, alcohol
consumption is often a focus, especially since tailgating takes place
hours before and after games.
“Unfortunately, a lot of fans
drink before they even arrive inside
the stadiumÖ most of the drinking
occurs in the parking lots,” says
Eloy NuÒez, a criminal justice professor at Saint Leo University near
Tampa, Fla., who served as the principal planner of security at Super
Bowl XLI in 2006.
Dr. Nuñez says even though
sports complexes try to cut down
on violent behavior by selling beer
in soft containers and stopping sales
early, “there is no foolproof way to
screen all intoxicated fans.”
Another problem, he says, is the
relative ease with which fans can
smuggle their own alcohol through
the gates. “That practice cannot be
stopped 100 percent without resorting to more invasive searches,
which is not likely,” he says.
Derailed New York train was going
82 m.p.h. in 30 m.p.h. zone, feds say
Raw data show the train that derailed in the Bronx borough of New York Sunday was going
much too fast, but investigators are still questioning the train’s crew to figure out why.
By Katherine Jacobsen
The commuter train that derailed
in the Bronx borough of New York
early Sunday morning was traveling 82 m.p.h. when it went hurtling
off the tracks in an area where the
speed limit was 30 m.p.h., said a
National Transportation Safety
Board official on Monday afternoon.
This discovery is part of an ongoing investigation by the NTSB to
find out why seven Metro-North
passenger cars and their locomotive
veered off track en route from
Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to Grand Central Terminal in New York City.
The board’s investigation team
used data recorders from the train’s
rear-mounted locomotive and front
car to help establish a timeline of
events, including the train’s speed.
Approximately six seconds before
the rear engine came to a stop, the
throttle went idle. One second later,
pressure in the brake pipe dropped
to zero, which resulted in max
breaking.
It is still too early to know
whether it was human or mechanical error that caused the crash, and
authorities were not yet sure what
caused the throttle to idle or the
brake pressure to drop, said Earl
Weener, an NTSB member during
An Amtrak train traveling on an unaffected track (top), passes a derailed Metro-North commuter train,
Sunday in the Bronx borough of New York. The Metro-North train derailed on a curved section of track.
Monday’s press conference.
Sunday’s accident is the second cause of two tight curves that come
On Monday, the NTSB began to on the Metro-North line in six in quick succession. In the area, the
interview the train’s engineer and months and occurred about 2,000 speed limit drops to 30 m.p.h., complans to speak with three other crew feet from where the previous crash
members during the next few days. happened. In July, a CSX freight
The train’s engineer, William train carrying tons of garbage deRockefeller, was injured and “is railed. The Metropolitan Transportotally traumatized by everything tation Authority (MTA), owned by
that has happened,” said Anthony the state of New York, runs the
Bottalico, executive director of the Metro-North commuter rail.
rail employees union, according to
The two crash sites both lie
the Associated Press.
along a curve in the train tracks
where the Hudson and Harlem rivers meet in the Bronx near Spuyten
Duyvil station. The MTA considers
or get out; no more of that “we are this area to be a “slow zone” beworking in chambers,” or “we are
reading cases to make decisions.”
If they want to “work in chambers,” they can do it on the weekends; if they want to “read cases to
make decisions,” they can do that
on the weekends by the pool if they
want to; but if they cannot put in at
least six hours on the bench, they
should not be reelected to the office they now hold.
If these judges have the idea that
having the husband of one of their
colleagues as campaign manager is
going to exonerate them from being voted out by their constituents,
they may have a surprise coming
because people are getting wise and
the 2014 election year may be a real
shock to everyone.
This “husband dearest” campaign manager believes that he can
fool everyone, but maybe he will
be the one that will be fooled to the
max — trying to find candidates to
run in every court where he wants
to oust the ones he doe not control,
which is a very unethical “solution”
to the legal problem that we now
may be facing at the Regional Justice Center and Family Court.
Any judicial candidate that is
running against a sitting judge or
not, a client of “husband dearest,”
should get in touch with the Las
Vegas Tribune to see how we can
help you to win this election.
Monopoly is against the law and
trying to control the court system
and the district attorney’s office by
playing campaign manager to all
those people is something that
should be looked into by the Ethics
Commission, the office of the Attorney General and maybe the Department of Justice — but more
important yet, by the voters of Clark
County who are looking for a judicial system that is transparent, clean
and honest. The system should not
be controlled by one man whose
political ambition is hiding behind
his campaign manager facade.
The last thing we all need right
now is to have a judicial system that
is controlled by a frustrated dictator-wannabe.
My name is Rolando Larraz, and
as always, I approved this column.
Rolando Larraz is Editor in
Chief of the Las Vegas Tribune. His
column appears weekly in this
newspaper. To contact Rolando
Larraz,
email
him
at:
[email protected] or
at (702) 699-8111.
My Point of View
judges on the bench. Judge
Giuliani, through her marshal,
threw me out of the courtroom.
I tried to explain to the marshal
that I was there to evaluate her performance now that she has someone running against her and he told
me that that was the reason that the
judge did not want me in HER
courtroom.
Is that her courtroom? I was under the impression that that is the
people’s courtroom and that she
only represents the people who
made the mistake of electing her to
the bench.
Later I had the pleasure to meet
with Judge Pollock, who was kind
enough to meet me by the receptionist and walk me to his chambers and chat with me for about
thirty minutes before going to meet
his parents; Judge Pollock shared
some chocolate candies with me
and stories from the old days, even
if he is not as old as I am.
Judge Pollock is also running
next year for reelection, but he has
always been very much a gentleman
and I hope no one tries to run
against him because he is a real
hard-working judge.
It was a shame to see all that
empty space that could have been
occupied by working elected officials that really wanted to serve the
community instead of being left
vacant by judges managed by another judge’s husband looking out
for his own best interests.
I think it is time to clean house
and what better time than the 2014
election year to do that. We need
judges who are not looking at their
wristwatches every five minutes,
don’t take two hours for lunch and
shut down the shop by three in the
afternoon.
Just a few days earlier, before
my trip to Family Court, I was at
the Regional Justice Center and
experienced the same thing as in
Family Court; all those fairly new
courtrooms on the third floor were
closed at three in the afternoon, all
but Judge Arthur Ritchie, who was
on the bench working as always.
I experienced the same results on
several other floors of the Regional
Justice Center, where even in the
middle of the week the place looks
deserted in the middle of the afternoon.
Now is the chance for the people
of Clark County to tell these judges
that enough is enough — go to work
pared with 70 m.p.h. for the track
well ahead of the curves, said Mr.
Weener. The wreck in the Bronx
came two years before the federal
government’s deadline for MetroNorth and other railroads to install
automatic-slowdown technology
designed to prevent catastrophic
accidents, the AP reported. But with
the cause of Sunday’s wreck unknown, it was not clear whether the
technology would have made a difference.
As the investigation continues,
the rail cars and locomotive, which
were repositioned onto tracks early
Monday morning, will be moved to
a secure location for more detailed
study, according to the NTSB.
The deaths of four passengers in
Sunday’s derailment are the first in
an accident in the MTA’s 31-year
history. The Metro-North train was
half-full at the time of the crash and
was carrying approximately 150
passengers when the incident occurred.
Report: Child Deaths
in Clark County
Continue Decline
By Troy Wilde
Nevada News Service
LAS VEGAS - Child deaths in
Clark County dropped 29 percent
from 2008 to 2012, according to an
annual report by the†Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and
Policy.
The numbers are down from 311
in 2008 to 222 last year.
Tara Phebus, executive director
at the Nevada Institute for
Children’s Research and Policy at
UNLV, says with 66 accidental
deaths last year, accidents remain
the leading cause of preventable
child death.
“Motor vehicle accidents,
drowning incidents, accidental suffocations — those are what makes
up that 66 number,” she explains.
In addition to accidental deaths,
the report shows that 127 children
died from natural causes in 2012,
and the others were homicide, suicide or undetermined causes.
Phebus credits the reduction in
child deaths to greater focus on
child safety education over the past
few years. She says a lot of it comes
down to parents keeping a close eye
on their kids.
“Overall in terms of injury prevention with kids is really just ensuring that appropriate and adequate adult supervision,” she
stresses. “Some of these things really could be prevented by that.”
The report recommends continued educational outreach centered
on safe sleep environments for infants, motor vehicle and pedestrian
safety and substance abuse prevention among young adults.
Melendez
dren in a decent environment.
The alleged victim also testified that her grandmother told her what to
say to the authorities and that is why she said that Manuel had molested
her, the young girl told the court while on the witness stand.
Melendez former defense attorney, Kalani Hoo, now a justice court
judge in North Las Vegas, was questioned by the defendant’s new attorney, Karl Potter, who proved the incompetence of the jurist while in private practice.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson rejected the opportunity of commenting on a Las Vegas Tribune front page article on October
16 pointing out that the two deputies could be putting the reputation of
his department at risk.
“I don’t have to respond to every comment that is made about my
office,” Wolfson told the Las Vegas Tribune a day before he announced
his intention to run for the job he now holds and was appointed to when
his predecessor, David Roger, quit unexpectedly three years before his
term expired.
Roger is now employed by the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, the police union that represents the rank and file of the Las Vegas
Metropolitan Police Department; he also joined a local law firm after he
resigned his elected job as District Attorney, ostensibly to “spend more
time with my family” and bond with his then newborn daughter. That,
while working two new stressful jobs.
Culinary Union
community.
Las Vegas Tribune tried to contact assemblywoman Michelle Fiore to
hear her side, but was not successful in time for this article; efforts to
contact the Station Casinos were also unsuccessful.
The union wants forty-hour work weeks, as most non-union properties already have, and job security that employees at the Station Casinos
told the Las Vegas Tribune they already have.
Local 226 represents a great majority of employees at hotels, casinos
and restaurants and has been verbally abusing the people that cross the
picket line; their union tactics have been recorded on camera when visitors have been the subject of name-calling as “losers” and “beached
whales” in an effort to discourage the tourists and visitors from entering
the hotel-casino.
CCSD
around such activities as Edwards sending out broadcast emails using the CCSD email system and
Edwards’ secretary.
State law says that it is illegal for public officials
to use taxpayer funding to advocate for or against
ballot items. During the 2012 elections, the taxpayers voted a resounding 2-to-1 No vote against increasing taxes for CCSD. During that election cycle
Edwards, Haldeman and (according to Spencer)
Wright and Cranor used money provided for education to advocate for the tax increase.
According to common knowledge among the
CCSD Facilities Department, the district pays about
$1 million per school to set up its email network.
Taxpayers also pay for numerous full-time staff to
maintain and operate the system, secretaries who
school board members delegate to send out emails,
and for software to make the system work. If these
board members had told CCSD staff to fire up a $300
million backhoe to build something per the Democratic Party platform, they would likely be in bigger
trouble now. But apparently no information indicating such magnitude was presented to the Commission prior to the settlement on the prior cases.
All four of the emails mentioned in these complaints clearly indicate the broader involvement of
many in the school district. Deanna’s email, sent out
by her secretary, said in part: “If you or anyone you
know would like to participate, please call Community and Government Relations at 799-1080 or go to
http://www.ccsd.net/district/capital-improvementplan/volunteer.php.”
This sentence alone clearly proves that the campaign was being run out of the CCSD Government
Relations Department, sometimes called the PR department. It also shows that the school district Internet
servers were being used for the same purposes.
According to public assertions by the school board
and the CCSD PR department, lack of parental interest and involvement are key factors why Nevada
is dead last in the nation for K through 12th grade
education. Given that criteria, Joe Spencer should
have been the parent that the school board was wishing for. San Diego County named March 26, 2012
as Joe Spencer Day. Joe’s student has only been attending school in Deanna Wright’s District A for
approximately one and a half years, and Joe became
an “involved parent” shortly after arriving. Joe
quickly became aware of what he believed were il-
Parent Activist Joe Spencer
legal activities of the board member and voiced his
first ethics complaint about Deanna Wright prior to
this complaint. Spencer’s October 2012 prior complaint, which the Ethics Commission refused to follow up on, was also about Wright’s unauthorized use
of email. In that case the Commission asserted that
Spencer failed to provide the evidence. This is interesting in this case because the commission has an
investigator. But if a citizen complains without doing their own investigation and obtaining evidence
for the commission, then apparently the commission
does nothing.
During the commission hearings, the complainant is not allowed to present his case. Perhaps these
procedural methods used by the Ethics Commission
have something to do with the reason few public
officials are found to be unethical.
Joe Spencer was the 2011 Santee, California Citizen of the Year. Now, as a recent arrival to Clark
County, what is his take on the school district? “The
school district has become an epic failure,” Joe said
in his October 2012 complaint to the Commission.
While the outcome of Joe’s complaint is outstanding, readers will at least understand that Joe is an
astute observer of the obvious.
This is the third part in a series of at least four
parts.
OJ Denied
Simpson did not prove that he was denied a fair hearing during his trial.
“Mr. Simpson alleges that his attorney labored
under an actual conflict, that he received ineffective
assistance of counsel from both trial and appellate
counsel, and that the state withheld exculpatory evidence,” the judge wrote. “All grounds in the petition
lack merit and, consequently, are denied.”
However, others believe that his Miami attorney
was a joke and represented Simpson in a very undisciplined way, looking only for the television cameras
and the spotlights. Simpson’s new lawyers argued that
he was merely trying to recover property that was
rightfully his. Simpson has said he didn’t know that
the five men who accompanied him to the Palace Station Hotel had guns.
He was convicted in the gunpoint robbery and kidnapping of two sports memorabilia dealers and the
two men with the guns were given a free pass by the
judge in the trial.
During the appeal hearing, Simpson told Judge Bell
“It was my stuff,” and “I followed what I thought was
the law. My lawyer told me I couldn’t break into a
guy’s room. I didn’t break into anybody’s room. I didn’t
try to muscle the guys. The guys had my stuff, even
though they claimed they didn’t steal it.”
Bell didn’t buy that argument, saying any errors on
behalf of Simpson’s attorneys were outweighed by the
facts in the case. “Given the overwhelming amount of
evidence, neither the errors in this case, nor the errors
collectively, cause this court to question the validity
of Mr. Simpson’s conviction.”
Attorney Patricia Palm told the Las Vegas Tribune
during the telephone interview that they are ready to
appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court and at the same
time they are preparing to argue the case in federal
court. “The appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court may
take about ninety days and then to the federal court if
necessary,” the attorney said.
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
The heck with the
jury’s verdict, we’ll
get OJ for sumthin’!
There is no doubt among the legal community that the
new attorneys representing OJ Simpson in his effort to gain
a new trial that would clear him of his 2008 conviction have
done a good job.
Patricia Palm, Osvaldo Fumo and Tom Pitaro displayed
a great deal of professionalism and dedication in representing the Hall of Fame running back and Heisman Trophy
winner from USC, Orenthal James Simpson, accused of
several gross misdemeanors that the Nevada judiciary turned
into several felonies to please former prosecutors and judges
that could now punish Simpson for being found not guilty
in the 1995 death of his former wife and her restaurant
worker friend.
We are not able to figure out why we have a jury system
if we only believe in the system when it rules as we would
like it to rule, and as we believe it to be the fair way.
Back in 1995, a public idol that many people loved to be
photographed with, to shake hands with, and to be seen
around town with, now have turned their back on because
of a charge and a trial — not a conviction. A jury of his
peers found him not guilty of a crime that he has claimed
all along he did not commit; those who disagreed with the
jury’s finding are infatuated with finding a way to keep
Simpson behind bars, regardless of how.
All along, the Las Vegas Tribune has maintained that OJ
Simpson had an offer on the table that could have ended the
ordeal of an all-too-publicized trial, but Simpson maintained
that he did not know anything about such an offer, which
led many to believe that the spotlight and the national attention and the television cameras were very important to
someone involved in the decision-making of the trial’s
preparation.
We already believe that former Clark County District Attorney, David Roger, was using the OJ Simpson trial the
same way that he used the Sandy Murphy and Richard
Tabish trial to advance his political career, but we cannot
find a reason for Judge Jackie Glass to use the Simpson
sentencing as an advancement to her career, unless she is
one of these who believe that Simpson should have been
found guilty a decade earlier of the charges he then faced.
A police report of the incident, or an officer’s report, was
never presented at trial and the recorded conversation between Simpson and the detective transporting Simpson to
the Clark County Detention Center was never presented at
trial.
That tape recorder and the tape of the conversation could
have changed the outcome of the arrest, the trial and the
sentencing, but someone did not want things to go any differently and did not want any obstacles interrupting the flow
of that trial and the sentencing of a human being that could
have been railroaded to make him pay for a decade-old crime
of which a jury found him not guilty.
The decision of District Court Judge Linda Bell was not
a surprise to anyone in this newspaper, taking into consideration her father — former Clark County District Attorney and former Clark County District Court Judge Stewart
Bell — and his relationship with David Roger, who worked
under DA Bell for a long time and during the Murphy/Tabish
trial during his term as Clark County District Attorney.
The relationship that could have taken place between
Judge Jackie Glass and Judge Linda Bell could also be taken
into consideration for Judge Bell’s decision to deny OJ
Simpson a new trial.
OJ Simpson is not an ignorant person when it comes to
legal issues after being in the center of the so-called trial of
the century.
When the Las Vegas Tribune learned of the offer made
to Simpson and saw him go to trial, we believed at the time
that he was too sure of his innocence and put too much
stock in his out-of-town attorney; but we learned that he
did not even know about the offer.
Everyone in Clark County is aware that people who go
to court here either go to prison if they do not accept the
orders of the prosecution, or walk out of court with a criminal record on their back, but the District Attorney’s Office
wishes and commands have to be accepted by the defense
attorneys, their clients and the judge seated on the bench.
In other words, it is the District Attorney’s Office, with
the blessing of the person sitting at the top; it is their way or
the highway to the penitentiary for the disobedient, but OJ
Simpson was not aware of either one, the offer or the Clark
County judicial system.
People have to remember only one thing about an old
saying about Las Vegas: It is very often true — Las Vegas
is a city where people come on vacation and leave on probation.
If anyone knows a case where the defendant in Las Vegas has been found innocent or even not guilty, we at The
Las Vegas Tribune would like to know.
Federal case out of arbitration
By Perly Viasmensky
I just love when people try to make a federal case
out of an arbitration, as is the case before the Judicial
Discipline Commission of Family Court Judge Steven
Jones and his supposed girlfriend, Lisa Willardson.
I can understand the resentment several people have
against Judge Jones for losing custody of their children because of his erroneous ruling in those cases. I
can understand if they continue reporting about his
federal grand jury indictment in what authorities
claimed was a $3 million investment fraud scheme,
using the power of his office to carry out the scheme
for more than a decade.
If it comes to light that he was in fact involved in
such a fraud, yes, he should be punished, but for having a romantic relationship with an attorney from the
District Attorney’s Office? Two people way over the
“legal age of consent.”
It might not be the most ethical situation, but it all
depends on the color of the crystal you are looking
through.
Not everyone would think about conflicts of interest as Rex Bell did when he became District Attorney
and his wife Kathy transferred to the Public Defender’s
Office to avoid ethical questions.
David Roger and his wife Susan Pate worked together (before and after their marriage) at the District
Attorney’s Office and nobody complained about their
romantic relationship. I heard a few attorneys gossiping about it, but that was as far as it went. It never
occurred to the two whistle-blowers, attorneys
Michelle Edwards and Janne Hanrahan, that it was
very unethical for Mrs. Roger to work under the supervision of her husband?
Even if she worked under another attorney, her
husband was everybody’s boss, including her immediate supervisor.
Nobody ever suggested that Susan Pate Roger
should be fired from the District Attorney’s Office.
Seventy-five percent of the judges and attorneys
that I know are married or having a relationship (or an
affair) with people of their same profession – secretaries, paralegals, and other attorneys associated with
the law firm. Even police officers are involved with
employees of the District Attorney’s Office. In my own
personal and humble opinion that is also a conflict of
interest, because those ladies could go home and discuss with their husbands or boyfriends confidential
matters of cases probably their “other halves” were
involved in, in the arrest of certain individuals.
For God’s sake, former President Bill Clinton did it
way worse by having a sexual relationship in the Oval
Office, under the same roof with his wife. He even
lied to the American people by saying, “I did not have
sexual relations with that woman.” Apparently in Mr.
Clinton’s dictionary, oral sex is not considered a way
of having sex. The majority of the people already forgot about his indiscretions.
The Judicial Discipline Commission should be more
concerned about Family Court Judges with such little
gray matter in their heads as to separate identical twins,
as if they were just plain objects, to get rid of the case
and believing that Mom and Dad happily would go
home, each with their own “trophy,” without thinking
of the psychological trauma they have created by separating two children attached by a very strong bond.
concerned about a Family Court Judge who allowed a
four-year-old child, the subject of a very heated custody dispute, to travel to Mexico with the mother,
knowing that neither mother nor child were returning
to this jurisdiction. It took the father 14 years to get his
daughter back.
concerned about a District Court Judge who sends an
innocent young girl to 35 years of incarceration just
for the pleasure to level with the desires of her former
coworkers, thus destroying the life of another human
being.
Those are definitely ethic violations and the most
important violations of the Nevada Code of Judicial
Conduct.
All the fuss for the relationship between a man and
a woman, probably instigated by a couple of jealous
women, is nothing but a waste of time and money.
*****
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
After thanks-giving, it’s all about the getting
By Maramis
help them wrest a coveted item from
Ever since the heavy-duty “offithe possession of an innocent quickercial” Black Friday more or less came
than-they-were BF’er.
into being in 2005 (there are allusions
Everybody likes a bargain. And
to it as far back as the ’60s, and some
apparently, “bargains” seem to have
dates in the ’90s are claiming “credit”
a stronger pull than giving thanks,
too), retailers have been vying with
since some retailers have decided to
each other in ever more enticing
get a headstart on the Black Friday
ways to lure in more customers than
crowd and offer PRE-Black Friday
their competitors — doing whatever
sales — on Thanksgiving Day. That’s
it will take to make a few more
right! But let’s not judge any of them,
centavos.
since one can give thanks for anyNot that there wasn’t some sort of
thing that is important to one. And
MARAMIS CHOUFANI
competition for the customer’s dolthere’s nothing like a good day of “the
lar BEFORE Black Friday, but it might have been family that shops together gives thanks together”...for
somewhat more civilized — and safer — to shop dur- claiming the best bargains before they’re gone! And
ing more or less “normal” hours, to buy things one there’s nothing like a good day of extra profit-making
intended to buy anyway at more or less “regular” sale from all those customers who will be happy to know
prices, or to wait to shop during those so-called “spe- you’re open for business when most other places are
cial” sales.
closed. Some will give thanks for the opportunity to
Competition, nonetheless, is a good thing. It keeps snare those great bargains; some will give thanks for
everyone on their toes insofar as quality, price and the extra profits they were able to generate by accomservice go. It has been said, however, that you can modating those shoppers. Amen.
usually only get two out of three: a good price for the
The official day of giving thanks generally has
best quality, but the service is lousy; or great service something to do with food, as well. But not everyone
and a good price, but mediocre quality; or the best has a family, or a large or small circle of friends with
quality and best service, but expect to pay dearly.
whom to spend the day and share a meal. And not evIf you, as the competitor, can offer something that eryone will even have a place to be for dinner, or food
at least resembles all three, it would seem to put you to eat. Granted, people will still want to eat, even if it
to the top of the list for where more customers would means taking their lone self to a McBurger establishbe willing to shop. Even in the middle of the night. ment or a pizza shack. Some places in the fast- or sortEven on a holiday. Even at the risk of bodily harm. of-inexpensive food-service department will probably
Even if your quality really isn’t that great, and your always have to be open on holidays to accommodate
service stinks, but the price is right!
those who can’t afford a restaurant meal, or haven’t
By now, we’ve probably all read various stories been fortunate enough to be invited to dinner (or were
about the customer-on-customer attacks to get the best “uninvited” at the last minute); or who don’t have any
Black Friday buys — even out of the hands of those food in the house for which they can especially feel
who have already claimed the item first. Even if it thankful. I can appreciate those who remain open to
meant using bodily force. Even if it might mean risk- offer their fare to those in need of some friendly, posing arrest. And unfortunately, some customers appar- sibly fast, but definitely affordable meals on a day on
ently were not even above pulling out a weapon to
(See Maramis, Page 9)
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.
“Conservageddon” Insurgency
Continues to Gather Steam
Ron Knecht wins the conBy Chuck Muth
troller race...
Under what presently
It’ll be a whole lot
passes for “leadership” in
tougher
for Gov. Brian
the Republican Assembly
“BS”
Sandoval
(R&Rcaucus, it will again be
Partners)
to
continue
raisimpossible for the GOP to
ing
taxes,
implementing
gain a Republican majorObamaCare, giving
ity next year; however, the
driver’s licenses to illegal
developing conservative
immigrants, and growing
uprising in Nevada —
government in general.
“Conservageddon!” —
But it’s at the state
could well result in a new
Assembly
level that Ne(and desperately needed)
vada
Tea
Party
and liberty
CHUCK
MUTH
conservative majority in
the Republican Assembly caucus.
movement conservatives are really starting
And who knows...
to flex their political muscles and could
If Senate Minority Leader Moderate have a ginormous impact at the ballot box
Mike Roberson is dethroned in his own next year depending on how some primaGOP primary next June to conservative Carl ries go.
Bunce, perhaps some wayward RepubliHere’s an updated run-down...
cans in the upper house — particularly
The following conservative and conserSens. Mark Hutchison, Greg Brower, Pete vative-leaning GOP incumbents are likely
Goicoechea and Scott Hammond (forget to hold onto their seats: Assemblywoman
Joe Hardy and Ben Kieckhefer; they’re Michele Fiore and Assemblymen John
hopeless RINOs) — will rediscover their Ellison, Ira Hansen, James Oscarson, Wes
“inner Reagans” and move back to the right, Duncan, Pete Livermore and John
as well.
Hambrick.
Indeed, if Roberson is ousted, Senate
It also looks like Assemblyman Jim
Republicans might even tap veteran con- Wheeler has successfully weathered his
servative State Sen. James Settelmeyer to recent “macaca” moment and is in position
be their new caucus leader. Rightwarrrrd, to hold onto his seat, as well. But even if
ho!!
he comes up short, his announced primary
And even at the state level, if Republi- opponent, Robin Reedy, is also a pretty
can Sue Lowden wins the lieutenant gov- solid conservative. So that makes eight.
ernor race...
In District 38, moderate Assemblyman
And Republican Barbara Cegavske wins Tom Grady is likely to be replaced by conthe secretary of state race...
servative Dr. Robin Titus. That’s nine.
And Republican Dan Schwartz wins the
Establishment moderate Assemblyman
race for state treasurer...
Randy “Kirner Tax” Kirner (RINO-Kirner
And Republican Adam Laxalt gets in, Tax) has drawn two conservative opponents
as rumored, and wins the attorney general — Lisa Krasner and Robb Archie. That
race (PLEASE!)...
could be ten if the two conservatives don’t
And former Republican Assemblyman
(See Chuck Muth, Page 10)
BEHIND THE MIKE
If I Had to Do Over Again...
By Michael A. Aun
played Strom Thurmond
The popularity of footHigh School from
ball is at an all-time high.
Edgefield, SC. I didn’t
Just look at the ratings for
even make it into the
the NFL. Moreover, colgame. I stepped in a hole
lege football is enjoying
while warming up and
unprecedented popularity.
broke the leg in five
I played football as did
places. This time I literall of my three sons, but if
ally heard it snap like a
I had to do it over again
stick.
I’m not so sure I would.
Coach Ingram and his
We didn’t know what
sidekick, E.T. “Charge”
concussions were back
Driggers, took me to the
when I played in the sixdocs the next day to get
MICHAEL A. AUN
ties. Don’t crack wise with
my overdue cast, but my
me; yes, we did have face masks in those football playing days were over, including
days.
an invitation to play in the prestigious North
A teenage acquaintance, Heyward Addy, Carolina-South Carolina Shrine Bowl game
played quarterback for my high school foot- for the state’s all-star players.
ball team, the Lexington High School WildIf I had it to do over again, I’m not sure
cats. I recall vividly how Heyward got his I would be as anxious to play today. All
clock cleaned one night. The concussion three of my sons played ball. I coached
test went something like this: Heyward, them in Pop Warner and followed them at
who are we playing tonight? Any answer every game and most practices.
resembling another team. he would be good
My twin sons Cory and Jason were five
to go for another half.
foot nothing and weighed a hundred nothIn fact, concussions have only come into ing. They never saw much playing time
focus (no pun intended) with the billions except when St. Cloud’s Bulldogs were
of dollars in lawsuits of late. The NFL just way ahead or way behind. Still they never
got off the hook for less than a billion and missed a day of school or a single practice
didn’t even have to admit liability.
in four years at St. Cloud. Cory now
When I played for Lexington, we didn’t coaches there.
have any such thing as platoons. In fact, I
My youngest, Christopher, who we lovnever came out of the game. I played cen- ingly call “Gutt,” was an All-Conference
ter, guard, tackle or fullback on offense and center and a pretty good one. The night he
linebacker or down lineman on defense. blew out his knee had me questioning my
Since I was also the place kicker and the wisdom in letting my boys play.
long snapper for the punter, I never came
I recently revisited all of this... the hard
out of the game.
way. I act as ball boy (the world’s oldest)
That was not unusual; all of our team- for the St. Cloud Bulldogs. As such, I’m
mates pretty much did the same thing. There right down on the field literally in the
were only six seniors on a team of 25 play- shadow of the sideline official.
ers. You had to play both ways and mulWhile playing Liberty High School retiple positions on each side of the ball. cently, five players all met for a mini-conThat’s how we did it in our day.
vention on my sideline. The ball carrier hit
I was running fullback my senior year me first, upending me. His tackler was
and I got my clock cleaned one night. Ac- holding on tightly and actually buffered my
tually, I was tackled by the biggest, mean- fall.
est defensive end in the state. He picked
The real damage was done by the other
me up by the shoulder pads, slung me three players who buried their helmets in
around like a sack of potatoes and my right my side and lower back. I ended up with
leg struck some poor fool’s helmet who three broken ribs and “multiple contuhappened to be running by.
sions,” whatever that means.
Turns out it was a hairline fracture of
If I had it to do over again... well, maybe
the fibula, but the coaches in those days this is why soccer has gained so much
dismissed it, if a bone wasn’t protruding. popularity of late.
My coach, J.W. “Whiney” Ingram said
*****
“Shake it off...” and he put me back in.
Michael Aun is a syndicated columnist
All the following week I practiced on a and writes a weekly column for this newsbroken leg tightly wrapped so as to act al- paper. To contact Michael Aun, email him
most like a cast of sorts. The next week we at [email protected].
Bikini Emergency Upheld!
By Mace Yampolsky
decide that Lahm’s bikini
Did falling bikini-top
top problem was, as the
‘emergency’ absolve disopinion puts it, “a sudden
tracted driver in fatal
and unforeseen emergency
crash? NY Appeals court
not of her own making.”
says yes. It’s the breast deOffensive conduct is the
fense!
breast defense (just like a
A trial judge got it right
good offense is the best
in the case of Pelletier V
defense!) — a young
Lahm, by allowing a jury
woman can’t be held reto decide whether a fallen
sponsible in a fatal crash
bikini top could constitute
because she faced a roadan “emergency” absolving
way emergency after a
MACE YAMPOLSKY
a distracted driver of negback-seat passenger unfasligence in a fatal crash, a Brooklyn, N.Y. tened her bikini top, exposing her assets.
appeals court has decided. The trial court
That was the ruling handed down last
must make the threshold determination that week by a Brooklyn appeals court, providthere is some reasonable view of the evi- ing the latest twist in the bizarre and tragic
dence supporting the occurrence of a ‘quali- case that unfolded after Manhattanite Britfying emergency.’Brittany Lahm, now 24, tany Lahm, 24, crashed on the Thruway in
took her hands off the wheel briefly to get July 2008.
her top back in place after passenger BranIn criminal law, there is a necessity dedon Berman pulled the strings and caused fense which excuses a violation of the law
it to fall, reports the New York Daily News. to prevent a tragedy: speeding when drivHe was killed in the 2008 crash that re- ing your pregnant wife to the hospital, drivsulted on the New York State Thruway, and ing under the influence to make it to the
others in the car were injured. All were 19 emergency room with a terribly hurt pasyears old at the time. However, based on senger, etc. In cases of DUI with death, the
her testimony, there is a reasonable view of fact that one was under the influence must
the evidence that her conduct was the prod- be the “proximate cause” of the death to
uct of a “sudden and unexpected circum- be convicted. So, it you are drunk but the
stance, in the case of Pelletier V Lahm.”
car driven by the decedent crossed the me“Brittany did not anticipate that he would dian, and hit your car head on, and caused
suddenly pull the strings on her bikini top, the accident, you are not guilty. So be carethereby causing the top to fall and her ful when you drive with boobalicious pasbreasts to be exposed,” the majority ex- sengers, Keep your eyes on bumps in the
plained in the Appellate Division opinion road, not the bumps in your car! —Mace
Mace J. Yampolsky is a Board Certified
last week, upholding a Rockland County
jury verdict that absolved Lahm of liability Criminal Law Specialist, 625 South Sixth
for another passenger’s injuries. Hence, the St., Las Vegas, NV 89101; He can be
appellate panel said, the judge was correct reached at: Phone 702-385-9777, fax 702to give an instruction allowing the jury to 385-300 or email to is www.macelaw.com.
Five Characteristics of
High Achieving Failures
By Doug Dickerson
High achieving
Failures are finger
failures know
posts on the road to
how to pivot
achievement. — C. S.
High achievers underLewis
stand that failures and setThe story was told in
backs happen. It is but one
Reader ’s Digest about
equation in the formula of
when Jim Burke became
success and high achievthe head of new products
ers understand it. While
division at Johnson &
others may be thrown off
Johnson. One of his first
their game when they
projects was the developmeet failure, high achievment of a children’s chest
ers welcome it because
rub. The product failed
they know they are one
DOUG DICKERSON
miserably, and Burke exstep closer to success.
High achieving failures
pected to be fired.
push the boundaries
When he was called in to see the chairHigh
achievers
learned a long time ago
man of the board, however, he met a surto
color
outside
the
lines. The boundaries
prising reception. “Are you the one who just
they
push
are
creative
ones and they will
cost us all that money?” asked Robert Wood
find
unconventional
ways
to achieve their
Johnson. “Well, I just want to congratulate
goals.
Many
people
misunderstand
them
you. If you are making mistakes, that means
and therefore underestimate their abilities
you are taking risks, and we won’t grow
because their workspace may not always
unless you take risks.” Some years later,
be tidy. These high achievers are not afraid
when Burke himself became chairman he to take risks because this is where they are
continued to spread that word.
most comfortable.
Failures and mistakes are an inclusive
part of leadership. While no one purposenever give up
fully sets out to make mistakes or to fail, it
High achieving failures have an Edison
is a part of the growing curve. How you like attitude that is characterized by his
handle mistakes in terms of lessons learned statement, “I have not failed. I’ve just found
and corrections made is what sets you apart 10,000 ways that won’t work.” These high
achievers know how to work through short
from the rest.
But on average, what is your company’s term setbacks to reach their long term goals.
reaction to failures and what is your per- They will pivot, they will push boundaries,
sonal reaction? Is it met with derision and they will do whatever it takes, but giving
demotion or is it seen as an opportunity for up is not an option.
potential success?
are naturally curious
In his book, It’s Not About the Coffee,
High achieving failures are not just conHoward Behar, former President Starbucks
cerned about ‘who,’ ‘what,’ ‘when,’ and
International, writes, “One of the things we ‘where,’ but want to dig deeper to underdon’t do enough of at Starbucks that most stand ‘how’ and ‘why’; it is just part of their
companies don’t do enough of, is celebrate DNA. Their curiosity will lead them to
our failures. Celebration of failures leads places and to conclusions most people
you to not give up and to try more things. It would never consider which is why you
certainly leads to more trust. People need need them in your organization.
to believe that they can make things hapWe owe a great debt of gratitude to high
pen and that they can try things, even if achieving failures such as Albert Einstein,
eventually they don’t work out, because you Walt Disney, Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs,
never know when the one thing you’re Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford, and
working on will be the one that will work.” many others whose creative genius shaped
This is the type of environment that breeds and developed the world we live in. The
success. Here are five habits of high achiev- key is to never be afraid to fail, always be
willing to try because it’s the only way to
ing failures for your consideration.
make progress, and when you get knocked
down the game isn’t over — get back up
are empowered
and keep working. The world needs more
Whatever else can be said about high
high achieving failures like you.
achieving failures this one is a given — they
What do you say?
are empowered to take risks. Failures may
Doug Dickerson is a syndicated columline their road to success but they would nist. He writes a weekly column for this
not get too far in their efforts without some- newspaper. To contact Doug Dickerson,
one believing in them and empowering email
him
at
ddickerson@
them to try.
lasvegastribune.com.
COMMENTARIES
Editors note: The views expressed are entirely those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Las Vegas Tribune.
Metro Police: Fighting A War
By Norman Jahn
Was Sharmel Edwards a ‘casualty’ of a war being fought by some
members of the LVMPD? Do officers who believe they are fighting a war place less value on the
‘sanctity of human life’? This language was incorporated into the
new Use of Force policy at Metro a
month after Edwards’ death...but
where would this mindset about a
‘war’ come from in the first place?
There is plenty of discussion about
the militarization of America’s police lately.
A CULTURE IS CREATED
A timeline of publicized events
involving Metro will give some
context to the shooting death of
Sharmel Edwards.
In December of 2010, the Review-Journal had a week-long series on the LVMPD training academy. The series was known as The
Making of a Cop (http://
www.reviewjournal.com/news/lasvegas/police-recruits-finally-areforce). There were references to
‘fighting a war’ in the series about
how difficult it is to successfully
complete Metro’s academy. I was
concerned so I wrote a Letter to the
Editor about the series. My letter
was entitled, Trust of Community
Key for Police. I wrote
To the editor:
The Las Vegas Metropolitan
Police Department may be “fighting a war” with regard to public
perception right now (and your recent series of “Cop 101” stories on
the police academy probably didn’t
help), but we are not “fighting a
war.” Professional American soldiers are fighting wars — professional civilian police officers must
keep their focus on serving and protecting our communities and taking
steps to maintain trust.
Yes, at times we do need to use
deadly force to protect citizens and
ourselves, but, thankfully, we have
had only three police officers killed
by criminals while on duty in Southern Nevada in the past 25 years.
Police training, tactics and equipment have improved. The overall
quality of our officers has probably
improved as well, and we will strive
to maintain our safety record as we
deal with criminals who are reported to be worse today than two
or three decades ago.
As police professionals, we need
to maintain the confidence and support of our community to move forward — and indoctrinating new officers to think that they are fighting
a war needs to be put into proper
NORMAN JAHN
context. We serve close to 2 million
law-abiding citizens who live in
Southern Nevada, and we need
them to trust us — and that includes
standing up to criticism. We can’t
expect that every police use of
deadly force is going to be accepted
by the community, or even by the
district attorney’s office.
I’m bothered, even embarrassed,
by some of the things I have read
and the way some things have been
portrayed in the “Cop 101” series
in the Review-Journal. I’ve been
through the Metro academy two
times (once in 1983 and again in
2004 when I was 43 years of age).
When I completed the entire police
academy for the second time, I had
already been a lieutenant for four
years and had been a sergeant for
four years before that. I had also
been a police chief for more than
three years before returning to Las
Vegas.
I’m proud to have completed
“Cop 101” both times because I
want to serve and protect this community. I also think it is critically
important for our safety as we go
on duty each shift that we maintain
the community support that we have
had in the past!
I’m very proud to be a member
of Metro, but I’m not fighting a war,
and I don’t think the vast majority
of experienced members of the department want our taxpayers and
supporters to think we are training
our officers to go to “war” in our
community.
In January of 2011, I was contacted by National Public Radio
through the LVMPD Office of Public Information. I was cautioned to
not get ‘baited’ into discussing the
controversial Coroner’s Inquest
process that had been in the news
at the time. I contacted NPR and
was interviewed for a segment they
called, Police Officer: Don’t Call
U.S. Gun Violence ‘War’ (http://
w w w. n p r . o r g / 2 0 1 1 / 0 1 / 2 7 /
133252049/police-officer-dont-
call-u-s-gun-violence-war). They
wanted to do an interview (NOT
about Metro’s Coroner’s Inquest
controversy) because there had already been 14 officers killed in the
U.S. in the first month of 2011. I
got feedback from friends and acquaintances and I learned that old
college roommates and others regularly listen to NPR. I was not a listener.
In February of 2011, I received
a letter from Professor Herman
Goldstein. He is a nationally known
advocate of Problem-Oriented Policing. He wrote, “I want you to
know that I was extremely proud of
you and what you had to say to a
national audience. You accurately
articulated, in very clear language,
the role of the police in a free society and, especially, the role of the
use of deadly force...” He went on
to refer to what is desperately
needed in policing, i.e. “operating
police officers at the street level
articulating the complex nature of
what is expected of them. We would
be so much better off if others followed your lead.”
I was thrilled to receive the letter but, as things turned out, I was
relieved of duty less than six
months later and my career with the
LVMPD ended when I was terminated by Sheriff Gillespie. I wasn’t
terminated for writing the letter or
doing the interview. I was terminated for having an opinion and
having principles that were not
aligned with the ‘culture’ that Sheriff Gillespie had established for
Metro. They call it ‘insubordination’ and ‘subversive’ when some
of us have ideas, and they didn’t
only come after me. They targeted
Lt. Hans Walters as well. He ended
up taking his life and the lives of
his wife and child in January of
2012.
So what does this all have to do
with the shooting of Sharmel
Edwards by five officers using a
rifle, a shotgun, and three handguns? The culture of an organization can be most profoundly influenced by its leader. The buck stops
with Sheriff Doug Gillespie with
regard to what is taught in the police academy, how offices are
trained after the academy, how Officer Involved Shootings are investigated, and when officers cross the
line when they use deadly force.
The sheriff can take corrective action even if the District Attorney
does not find a violation of the law!
Sheriff Gillespie has failed to address issues that were within his
power to address and I believe lives
could have been saved. The Department of Justice COPS report that
was released in September of 2012
addresses many problems. I am
unaware of anything that could
have prevented Sheriff Gillespie or
Metro from fixing problems (if they
had the professionalism and
COURAGE to fix them) BEFORE
the COPS report. Edwards was shot
nearly five months before the report
and Stanley Gibson was shot nearly
nine months before the report was
released.
More on the timeline...: In November of 2011, the Review-Journal series, Deadly Force: When Las
Vegas Police Shoot, and Kill was
released. Stanley Gibson was killed
in December of 2011. The Office
of Internal Oversight was created
February of 2012. Sharmel
Edwards was killed in April of
2012, In May of 2012, Metro announced their new Use of Force
Policy.
In September of 2012 the DOJ
report and recommendations were
issued. I was thoroughly impressed
by the discussion about analyzing
current incidents, sharing the facts,
and setting up reality-based training to better prepare all police officers to protect themselves - but to
also bring incidents to a conclusion
without the loss of life or serious
injury. What information did Metro
share, what training did Metro provide, or what policies did Metro develop between the December shooting of Stanley Gibson and the April
shooting of Sharmel Edwards. If a
supervisor had been empowered to
announce, ‘hold your fire’ over the
radio and designate one or two officers to use OPTIONS to stop any
lethal threat, then we probably
would not be dealing with a fatality; if anything, we might be learning whether the District Attorney
was even going to prosecute
Edwards if she was able to recover
from injuries sustained from a lowlethality shotgun, a Taser, or even
bullets fired from one or two handguns to stop her and get her to drop
her gun.
I actually had not read the 158page report, but I did scan the narrative and the recommendations
and found them to be very pertinent
and very powerful. The report addresses training—including realitybased training, record-keeping for
training provided, use of low-lethality shotguns, rifles, de-escalation,
and options to the use of deadly
force. The report contains Best
Practices from some of the finest
police departments and from the
most influential police leaders in
America. Why was the LVMPD not
progressive enough to look ahead
and implement changes before being forced to change by the media
and the DOJ? One reason: if you
speak your mind (or in my case,
speak AND email your ideas) you
don’t get praised, you get targeted
by your own agency.
COPS THAT DON’T TALK
One of the most troubling developments in policing in Las Vegas
is the issue of police officers who
refuse to speak with investigators.
Officers are only expected to give
a Public Safety Statement after a
shooting. This statement (to the first
supervisors on the scene) covers the
basics of the incident, but this is not
a descriptive ‘walk-thru’ by the officers or an explanation of why the
officer used deadly force.
When I was hired in 1983 I certainly expected that if I shot someone I would have to explain why.
When I was rehired in 2004, I expected that I would have to speak
to Homicide investigators and that
I would have the right to a union
representative and have assistance
from the Police Employees Assistant Program (PEAP) before I explained why. We didn’t have CIRT
or FIT or OIO then. I would have
never imagined at the beginning of
either of my two Metro careers that
I could refuse to speak to the POLICE (Homicide Detectives) who
needed to determine if my conduct
was justified under the law and I
accepted the fact that an ‘internal’
review of my conduct by Internal
Affairs (in the ‘old’days) or the new
CIRT or Office of Internal Oversight could be made.
Not one of the ‘shooting’ officers in the Sharmel Edwards case
spoke with the detectives. The
crime scene investigation had to
proceed without the benefit of a
‘walk-thru’ by the officers who
were involved—they merely had to
describe whether they had fired and
what direction they had fired and if
there were any outstanding
suspects...etc. The ‘internal’ investigators were able to speak with the
officers after 48 hours had passed.
The four-page Office of Internal
Oversight report did not address
any policy violations and did not
make any recommendations for
improvement. Metro did not ‘publicly’ announce any changes after
the Edwards’ shooting and even
(See Norm Jahn, Page 10)
“kisses” them on the forehead or
softly brushes on by. They need to
be reminded to mull over the things
in their life for which they might
feel grateful — and the less tangible
the “thing,” the harder it may be for
them to see the blessing — and having an official day on which to do
that “mulling” may make it easier
for them to feel what other grateful
people feel. Having a house and a
car and a good TV and the latest
computer or cell phone are all
things for which anyone can be
grateful, but how about noticing and
appreciating all the laughter in your
life; the fact that your friend has
always been there for you; the
beauty you see when you look out
the window — be it pine trees or
palm trees or pear trees, the wonder of a little mountain stream, or
the majesty of the snow-capped
mountain itself, miles away; and
maybe most of all, the love you
once had that opened your heart,
and the love that may be in your life
today.
So while I wouldn’t think of
criticizing shoppers or sellers, or
bargain-hunters or buyers, I feel that
considering — as people might say
— the real meaning of Thanksgiving (not the historical beginnings of
the day that may reflect deeds of
which no one could be proud) is
something that anyone can work
into their busy schedule. And if you
ARE that busy, maybe you could
be thankful you have a job, a family, work to do, people to help, a
house to clean, someone who needs
you to stop by and say hello, or activities to fill your life.
Yes, after Thanksgiving, it’s all
about the getting — but with all our
“getting,” let’s not forget to get a
little wiser than we are right now.
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].
Maramis
which they would prefer not to be
alone.
But wait! Don’t employees at
such places have families? Don’t
they want to spend the day with
them? Don’t employees look forward to at least having the holidays
of Christmas Day and Thanksgiving Day off? What’s an employee
to do, should he be commanded to
work on one or both of those very
days?
Well, at least one employee (a
manager) said something equivalent to “Heck no!” and refused to
open on Thanksgiving Day, saying
that all the employees were looking forward to their holiday off to
be with their families. He stood his
ground. He got fired. He still stood
his ground. The corporate office,
however, considered it carefully
and told the franchisee that — in
essence — you can’t fault anyone
for wanting the holiday off.
Although many of those franchi-
see locations are opening on holidays to go for those extra sales from
family shoppers or even just the eatout-alone diner, it’s still been up to
the individual locations to choose
to open or not.
“They just said it was a competitive decision and that everyone was
open, so we will be too,” said the
employee who would not open.
“Why can’t we be the company that
stands up and says we care about
our employees, and let them have
the day off?”
And so he took that stand —
with courage and kindness — and
made many people happy, for
which they were truly grateful on
that day of giving thanks.
And back we come to the different ways in which one might spend
the day of giving thanks. For me
personally, I’m glad we have such
a holiday in this country. Although
many people never take their blessings for granted, others don’t even
recognize a blessing when it
Norm Jahn
with all of the lip service regarding
transparency and accountability,
they reached a dead end when officers did not explain their actions.
The District Attorney prepared
a 30-page report which included the
following information:
“The District Attorney’s Office
has completed its review of the April
21, 2012, death of Decedent. It has
been determined that, based on the
evidence currently available and
subject to the discovery of any new
or additional evidence, the actions
of the officers were not criminal in
nature. This review was based on
all the evidence currently available,
but without the benefit of an inquest
proceeding.” The conclusion of the
D.A.’s report indicates: “Based on
the review of the available materials and application of Nevada law
to the known facts and circumstances, it has been determined that
the actions of the officers were reasonable and legally justified. The
law in Nevada clearly states that
homicides which are justifiable or
excusable are not punishable (NRS
200.190). A homicide which is determined to be justifiable shall be
“fully acquitted and discharged.”
(NRS 200.190)
“As there is no factual or legal
basis upon which to charge the officer, and unless new circumstances
come to light which contradict the
factual foundation upon which this
decision is made, no charges will
be forthcoming.”
Is anyone else concerned about
the language in this report? The
D.A. wrote about the ‘evidence’ and
‘circumstances’ at least four times:
1.) “...based on the evidence cur-
rently available and subject to the
discovery of any new or additional
evidence, the actions of the officers were not criminal in nature.”
2.) “This review was based on
all the evidence currently available,
but without the benefit of an inquest
proceeding.”
3.) “...based on the evidence currently available and subject to the
discovery of any new or additional
evidence” ... and then he wrote once
again...
4.) “...and unless new circumstances come to light which contradict the factual foundation upon
which this decision is made...” Is
the District Attorney expecting
some new evidence or new information regarding the circumstances
of this shooting? I found this to be
really weird; but then again, the officers did not explain to detectives
why they all fired and there was no
‘inquest proceeding.’ This is the
unfortunate state of affairs in
Metroland today and it has clearly
damaged the reputation of the police department and public perception of the LVMPD.
If I was sheriff, I would not hire
one more officer unless that officer
understood that it is a PRIVILEGE
to wear the badge and an HONOR
to serve the public. Officers will
agree that they have an obligation
to speak to investigators if they
want to keep their jobs. I do believe
in protecting the constitutional
rights of officers — if they are ‘in
custody and they are going to be
interrogated’ they have the right to
be read their Miranda rights and to
decline to speak to protect themselves from self-incrimination... but
things have gone way too far when
the POLICE don’t have to tell the
POLICE what happened!
Imagine your neighbor shooting
an intruder. You hear a few shots
and walk outside after police cars
start arriving. You watch and listen
as an officer walks up to your neighbor and asks, “What happened?”
Your neighbor responds, “I’m saying NOTHING — if you guys don’t
have to say why you shot someone,
then why should I?” Depending on
the circumstances of the shooting
(remember George Zimmerman
and Trayvon Martin — George
went out of his way to explain what
happened and to cooperate with the
police), how likely would it be that
your neighbor would be arrested or
at least taken in for ‘questioning’?
Would the District Attorney be impaired in his ability to determine if
a crime had occurred if the shooter
wouldn’t speak? Most importantly,
what level of damage is being done
to the PUBLIC TRUST IN THE
POLICE when cops refuse to talk?
NEXT WEEK: Shooter’s Guilt
(The suspect forced me to fire),
Modeling, Tunnel Vision, Muscle
Memory, and Sympathetic Shooting.
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.
an excellent chance to unseat
Democrat incumbent Assemblyman Skip Daly in this Republicanmajority district.
That would make 15... a solid
conservative bloc which would
have the power to stop any and all
efforts to increase taxes, including
yet another extension of those “temporary” sunsets that Gov. Sandoval
loves so much.
Remember then-Assemblyman
Bob Beers’ “Lean 15” from 2003?
Bring on the sequel!
Heck, with a conservative majority like that, maybe even establishment moderate Assemblyman
Paul Anderson will rediscover his
own “inner Reagan.” That’d be a
“sweet 16.”
But here’s the potential coup de
grace.
In District 25, moderate establishment Minority Leader Pat
Hickey has now drawn a serious
conservative opponent in the primary. If Hickey goes down in
flames to conservative Rick
Fineberg, we could not only end up
with a new conservative majority
in the Republican Assembly caucus,
we could end up with a true conservative opposition leader, as well!
No more table scraps! No more
table scraps!
Of course, a lot of things will
need to break the GOP’s way in November (hello, ObamaCare train
wreck!) and Republicans will have
to overcome their propensity for
never blowing an opportunity to
blow an opportunity. But the opportunities are definitely there for the
taking.
Conservatives challenging moderates in Republican primaries.
Just like Ronald Reagan vs.
Gerald Ford in 1976. Bring on
CONSERVAGEDDON!
So let it be written; so let it be
done.
Chuck Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, a non-profit public
policy grassroots advocacy organization. He may be reached at
[email protected].
Chuck Muth
(foolishly) split the anti-Gumby/
RINO vote and re-elect the Father
of the Kirner Tax.
In Clark County, Assemblyman
Cresent Hardy is running for Congress, and word on the street is that
moderate Assemblywoman Melissa
Woodbury will not run for re-election. Both are solid GOP seats that
could and should go to solid conservative candidates. That would
make twelve.
In District 22, the most liberal
incumbent Republican assemblyman, Lynn Stewart, will face liberty movement leader Richard
Bunce in the primary. That would
make 13.
In District 29, it appears Amy
Groves, a solid, pro-business conservative, will make a strong run in
this very competitive swing district.
That could make 14.
In District 31, if conservative Jill
Dickman wins her GOP primary
race against Bob Larkin, an establishment GOP tax-lover, she’ll have
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Sherman Frederick, a columnist with the RJ, used breast cancer as a
joke! He stated: “They are like the doctor who tells his patient that she
has breast cancer and then adds: “But that’s a good thing. Think of the
weight you’ll lose.”
I recently lost my beloved sister to breast cancer, after a hard fought 3
year battle. This was my comment to his statement:
“I lost my beloved awesome sister to breast cancer and you make a
statement joking about it: “They are like the doctor who tells his patient
that she has breast cancer and then adds: “But that’s a good thing. Think
of the weight you’ll lose.”
HOW DARE YOU? The battle to live, the roller coaster of emotions
of hope and despair, and the final days of life due to this horrific disease,
are NOTHING TO JOKE ABOUT! How dare you!!! Of all of the analogies you could use, you chose THIS ONE! How insensitive and disgusting can you get? My beloved sister is dead from this horrific disease and
you are ALIVE and joking about it. I am sickened.
This proves to me that you and your ideologies are so far right that you
have no understanding of the female body, yet want to control it with
laws! You owe all of us with loved ones fighting and dying, trying desperately to will themselves to live, an apology. The RJ owes women an
apology for allowing you to print that statement!”
He was so insulting! Accused me of faking the outrage and much more.
I certainly wish he would be exposed for the crass and ignorant person he
is. Oh, by the way, he is supposedly an Episcopalian minister!
Thank you!
Amy Kircher
Phone: (702) 699-8111
Open 24/7
702-369-6736
Licensed, Bonded, Insured • NV #758973
Crunch time for Obamacare.
Will it pass a major test?
By Nov. 30, Obama administration officials have said, HealthCare.gov should ‘work smoothly’for
the ‘vast majority’ of Americans trying to sign up for new health insurance under Obamacare.
By Brad Knickerbocker
Technologically battered and
politically bruised, the online signup procedure for the Affordable
Care Act faces a major deadline this
weekend.
By Nov. 30, the Obama administration has been telling the world,
HealthCare.gov would “work
smoothly” for the “vast majority”
of Americans trying to sign up for
new health insurance under
Obamacare.
“Work smoothly” and “vast majority” are open to interpretation, of
course. And you can bet that when
the Thanksgiving weekend feasting/football/shopping frenzy winds
down, the media and Obamacare
critics will be checking out the predictions of progress.
At the moment, the first thing
one saw at HealthCare.gov early
Saturday morning was this notice:
“The Health Insurance Marketplace online application isn’t available from approximately 1 a.m. to
5 a.m. EST daily while we make
improvements. Additional down
times may be possible as we work
to make things better. The rest of
the site and the Marketplace call
center remain available during these
hours.”
The challenge will be handling
the expected surge in applications
as the March 31, 2014, deadline for
enrollment in the Health Insurance
Marketplace approaches, so you
can see why the computer wizards
at HealthCare.gov are working
The Affordable Care Act signup page on HealthCare.gov. Officials say, HealthCare.gov should “work
smoothly” for the “vast majority” of Americans trying to sign up for new health insurance under Obamacare.
round-the-clock. The goal now is to
handle 50,000 applicants at once
and more than 800,000 a day.
“With the scheduled upgrades
last night and tonight, we’re on
track to meet our stated goal for the
site to work for the vast majority of
users,” Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services spokesman
Aaron Albright told Fox News, in
a statement.
Perceptions are important here.
It didn’t help the day before
Thanksgiving when officials had to
announce a one-year delay — until
November 2014 — in when small
businesses could shop online for
health-insurance coverage.
The initial roll-out problems,
and now this latest hitch, leave
many questions unanswered.
It’s one thing to enroll. But having the system actually connect individuals with insurance providers,
and then make sure coverage is established and paid for involves several more important steps with the
potential for glitches.
“The real tests are: Were my premium payment and subsidy accu-
rately calculated? Am I getting the
coverage I signed up for? If my income situation changes, will the
reconciliation occur in a timely
fashion?” Rick Howard, a research
director at technology consultant
Gartner, told Reuters.
In an interview with ABC’s Barbara Walters broadcast Friday night,
President Obama tried to put a positive spin on two months of rough
news about his signature legislative
accomplishment.
“The good thing about when
you’re down is that usually you got
nowhere to go but up,” he said. But
Obama also said he is still confident the Affordable Care Act was a
good idea.
“I continue to believe and [I’m]
absolutely convinced that at the end
of the day, people are going to look
back at the work we’ve done to
make sure that in this country, you
don’t go bankrupt when you get
sick, that families have that security,” Obama told Ms. Walters.
There has been evidence of some
success in micromanaging the traffic flow, the Huffington Post reports.
According to a 39-page ‘recess
toolkit’ put together by the White
House for Democrats in Congress,
the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services was able to invite
back, in clusters, nearly 275,000
consumers who had problems during the account creation process in
early October. Of those who returned to the site, 92 percent successfully created an account on
HealthCare.gov, according to this
report.
In the “war room” set up to repair Obamacare, officials say
they’ve fixed more than 300 bugs
so far. But they also know that more
are likely to appear. “You continue
to find glitches and bugs, and you
inevitably continue to upgrade on
the hardware front,” chief repairman Jeffrey Zients told reporters
this week. “But we have rapid-response teams on all those efforts,
and as additional problems come up
we’ll jump on them and fix them.”
‘Obamacare’ vs. ‘Affordable Care Act’: Does the name matter?
The Obama administration appears
to again prefer ‘Affordable Care Act,’
whereas previously, the president had
embraced the label ‘Obamacare.’
By Peter Grier
Does it matter what President
Obama calls his health-care reform
law? That question arises because
he’s seemed to shift his references
in recent days. Previously, he’d
embraced the label “Obamacare,”
saying it reflected the fact that he
did indeed care about uninsured
Americans. But as Politico notes,
that term now seems to have fallen
into White House disfavor.
Instead, the administration appears to again prefer “Affordable
Care Act” (ACA), which reflects
the law’s full name, “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.”
That’s how Mr. Obama has been
referring to it in public. Democratic
Party talking points now emphasize
the “Affordable Care Act” phrase.
“Calling it the Affordable Care
Act has advantages for Democrats
seeking to defend health care reform while still criticizing the
bungled White House rollout,”
Politico’s Reid J. Epstein wrote last
week.
Think this is just a minor tweak,
or maybe the media are reading too
much into the president’s rhetoric?
We’d say that’s highly unlikely.
Administrations poll voters on the
use of one word or another all the
time. Indeed, that’s a technique
used throughout U.S. politics.
“It’s a truism in politics that labels matter,” Gallup’s editor in chief
Frank Newport writes in his blog
on survey techniques.
To show this, Gallup ran a poll
that tested different ways to refer
to the health-care law. The results
showed that the name had at least a
marginal effect on respondents’
opinions.
Gallup’s test went like this:
Some people were asked whether
they approved of the Affordable
Care Act that had been signed into
law by Obama. Some were simply
asked if they liked the 2010 law that
had changed the US health system.
A third variant asked if respondents
liked “Obamacare.” A fourth asked
if they liked the “Affordable Care
Act,” with no mention of Obama at
all.
That last version polled the best.
Using that question, Gallup found
that 45 percent of respondents approved of the ACA and 49 percent
disapproved.
In contrast, the version that referred only to “Obamacare” polled
worst. Only 38 percent approved of
Obamacare per se, while 54 percent
of respondents disapproved.
“These results suggest that the
Obama administration’s decision to
shift to Affordable Care Act as their
label of choice and to avoid using
Obamacare would appear to be a
branding strategy that works in the
administration’s interest,” Mr.
Newport writes. “Clearly, all else
being equal, the words ‘Affordable
Care Act’ engender a modestly
more positive reaction than the term
Obamacare.”
This shouldn’t be that surprising.
Presidents can be polarizing. Lots
of political science research shows
that personal involvement on the
part of a U.S. chief executive makes
political opponents view an issue in
a more negative light.
We’d also note that even the
best-case scenario in that Gallup
poll shows that opinion of the ACA
is more negative than positive. That
probably reflects both the public’s
long-felt wariness about the law and
the continued negative publicity
from its problematic rollout.
Montana rape case: Was 31-day
sentence for teacher illegal?
Montana prosecutors are trying to increase the sentence for a teacher who pleaded guilty to raping a
14-year-old but served only 31 days in jail. The case points to the complexities of mandatory minimums.
By Mark Sappenfield
Montana’s attorney general has
asked the state Supreme Court to
further punish a teacher who served
a month in jail for raping a 14-yearold girl. The girl later committed
suicide.
The case drew national attention
not just for the short sentence, but
also for comments made by District
Judge Todd Baugh of Billings. In
explaining the sentence, Judge
Baugh said in August that the girl
was “older than her chronological
age” and “as much in control of the
situation as was the defendant.”
The appeal filed Friday by the
state attorney general’s office took
issue with Baugh’s reasoning, stating “there is no legitimate hypothetical that allows blame to be
placed on a 14-year-old student
who has been victimized by her 47year-old teacher.”
The document argues that Baugh
misapplied state mandatory minimum-sentencing laws and that the
Supreme Court should re-sentence
the teacher, Stacy Rambold. The
attorney general’s office suggests a
20-year sentence with 10 years suspended.
The case mirrors another in Ala-
This undated file photo shows District Judge Todd Baugh presiding at a hearing in Great Falls, Mont. He
sentenced a former teacher to just 31 days in prison for raping a student who later killed herself.
bama and sheds light on the complicated world of mandatory-minimum sentencing, where long sentences can, in some cases, result in
no jail time whatsoever.
In the Montana case, Mr.
Rambold was originally charged
Reporter Jana Winter
Fox News reporter
awaits N.Y. top court’s
decision on subpoena
By Latara Appleby
Special to Las Vegas Tribune
New York’s highest court is now considering whether the state’s strong
shield law will apply to a Fox News reporter subpoenaed to testify in a
Colorado court about her confidential sources in the James Holmes theater shooting case.
Reporter Jana Winter, who lives and works in New York, went before
the New York Court of Appeals to fight the subpoena requested by Holmes’
attorneys ordering her to reveal her sources in an exclusive story she published in 2012 about a notebook belonging to the alleged gunman. The
subpoena was issued in Colorado but had to be served on Winter in New
York, and the New York shield law provides greater protection for reporters than the Colorado law does. Winter is arguing that the New York
courts should apply New York’s protections.
“It doesn’t matter where the communication took place,” Winter’s attorney, Christopher Handman, told FoxNews.com after the hearing. “New
York’s shield law is designed to protect New York journalists when they
report on matters of public concern throughout the nation.”
The Reporters Committee wrote in a friend-of-the-court brief in August that the court was wrong not to consider New York’s shield law
when it applied to serving subpoena requests from out-of-state. The Reporters Committee had also filed an affidavit in support of Winter before
the Colorado court.
DO YOU NEED AN EDITOR?
Have you been embarrassed lately when someone pointed
out to you that you misspelled a word in your report, or maybe
had a whole sentence all messed up? Have you personally
felt that you could’ve done a much better job on that manuscript,
but just didn’t have the time?
Why put off doing what you know you should have done before:
call in an editor! As a word-, sentence-, and document-doctor,
she will fix what needs fixing by adding a little of this or that,
and taking out what shouldn’t have been there in the first place.
Give yourself the luxury of looking your best in print!
[email protected]. 702-706-6875.
with three counts of raping Cherice
Moralez, who was a student in his
high-school technology class in
Billings. In 2010, Cherice committed suicide while the case was still
pending. Without her testimony,
which was seen as crucial to the
case, prosecutors offered Rambold
a deal: admit to one count of rape,
which would be dismissed after
three years if he completed sex-offender treatment.
But Rambold violated his deal
by having relationships with
women that he kept secret, which
brought the case before Baugh. The
prosecution argued for 20 years, 10
suspended, but Baugh opted for 15
years with all but 31 days suspended.
Judges often have wide latitude
in sentencing, even under mandatory minimums.
“Why give so much discretion
to judges?” writes Danny Cevallos,
a legal analyst for CNN on the
CNN website. Citing Alabama,
he notes that sentencing rules “cite
skyrocketing costs associated with
actual confinement and call attention to prison overcrowding. That
prison overcrowding leads to uncer-
tainty: In other words, the judges
don’t know that the prison can even
accommodate their sentence, so
they might as well mete out a sentence that can actually be carried
out.”
Mr. Cevallos also makes another
point: “Like it or not, most sex offenders will eventually serve their
sentences and be back on the street.
Given the risk of repeat offenses,
rehabilitation of these felons could
be the most critical factor in protecting society.”
In Rambold’s case, he has had
to reenter sex offender treatment
and cannot have any contact with
minors unless they are with an adult
who knows about his conviction
and is approved by his probation
officer, Reuters reports.
According to the report, he can
go to parks, shopping malls,
schools, movie theaters, or other
places where children are likely to
gather only if he goes with an adult
chaperone and his probation officer
gives him permission. He also can’t
go on the Internet without approval.
Similar restrictions have been
placed on Austin Clem of
Alabama’s Limestone County, who
was convicted of raping Courtney
Andrews three times — twice when
she was 14 and once when she was
18. Mr. Clem was sentenced to 20
years in jail on a first-degree rape
change and 10 years each for the
two second-degree charges — all
to be served concurrently. But similar to Rambold, all that time was
suspended and Clem was required
only to serve three years in a community corrections program and
three years of probation. The result
was no jail time.
Also similar to the Montana
case, a local district attorney last
week appealed the sentence to the
state Court of Criminal Appeals.
Clem’s attorney told CNN that
the requirements for the community
corrections are so tough that they
amount to house arrest. The attorney says the relationship should not
have happened because Clem was
married and Andrews was a minor,
but it was consensual. Ms.
Andrews, now 20, was good friends
with Clem’s wife and kept going to
his house even after the initial attacks, he said.
“It doesn’t appear from her actions that she was saying ‘no,’ “ he
said.
But Andrews, who told a friend
to tell her parents after the attack
when she was 18, was “baffled” by
the sentence. At age 14, she told
CNN, she could not legally consent
to anything.
The Montana attorney general’s
office appears to be taking a similar view. “The circumstance of a 47year-old teacher having sexual intercourse with his 14-year-old student is precisely such a circumstance warranting a mandatory
minimum sentence,” the court
document said.
In response to the national outrage over his decision, Baugh, the
Montana judge, tried to change his
own sentence in September, but the
state Supreme Court ruled he could
not. The current appeal, the state
attorney general says, is the legal
way to amend the sentence.
The Supreme Court has not announced any schedule to take up the
appeal.
EarthTalk is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss
and is a registered trademark of E - The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to:
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Dear EarthTalk: I hear there’s
a greener form of fracking for
natural gas and oil that uses carbon dioxide instead of water to
access underground reserves. Is
this really better for the environment? — Jason Burroughs, Erie,
PA
Hydraulic fracturing (known as
“fracking”) is a method of causing
fissures in underground shale rock
formations to facilitate the extraction of otherwise inaccessible natural gas and oil. In a typical fracking
operation, drillers inject a mixture
of pressurized water and chemicals
underground to fracture the rock
and free up the gas and oil. Not
widely employed in the U.S. until
less than a decade ago, fracking has
quickly become a major player in
the U.S. energy scene. The resulting influx of cheap domestic natural gas — cleaner burning than the
oil and coal it has replaced — is at
least partly responsible for the fact
that the U.S. has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions to the lowest
levels since 1992.
Fracking has been good for oil
companies, the economy and even
our carbon footprint, but it doesn’t
come without environmental cost.
A typical fracking operation pumps
some five million gallons of water
and chemicals underground to
break up the shale. About half the
water is removed during the oil and
gas recovery process, leaving the
other half underground where it can
contaminate aquifers and degrade
soils.
Enterprising petroleum engineers have been hard at work trying to find ways to frack without
water. One promising alternative
involves using carbon dioxide
(CO2) to break up the underground
shale instead of water. “Fracking
with carbon dioxide has a number
of potential advantages,” reports
Kevin Bullis in the MIT Technology Review. “Not only would it
eliminate the need for millions of
gallons of water per well, it would
also eliminate the large amounts of
wastewater produced in the process.”
He adds that CO2 may also yield
more natural gas and oil than water, given the dynamics of how it
works underground. Also, CO2
used in fracking can be recovered
and used repeatedly. And once a
well is done producing, it can be
sealed up, sequestering the CO2
underground where it can’t add to
global warming.
A typical fracking operation pumps some five million gallons of water
and chemicals underground to break up the shale. About half the water
is removed during the oil and gas recovery process, leaving the other
half underground where it can contaminate aquifers and degrade soils.
There are many actions that individuals and communities can take to prevent pollution of waterways and to
clean up the messes already there. Pictured: Local community volunteers clean up the des Moines River.
Researchers at the University of native plants and natural fertilizers, ens or more volunteers.
Another way to get the ball rollVirginia estimate that fracked sec- and refrain from over-watering our
ing
is to sign up with American Rivlawns
and
gardens.
And
we
can
tions of the Marcellus shale in the
ers’
National River Cleanup proproperly
dispose
of
hazardous
prodeastern U.S. could store over half
gram.
Individuals, organizations
ucts
(that
is,
not
right
down
the
of all U.S. CO2 emissions from
and
anyone
interested in conductdrain),
wash
our
cars
at
professional
power plants and other stationary
ing
a
cleanup
on their local river can
carwashes
(where
there
are
proper
sources over the next 20 years, with
register
with
the program and get
wastewater
treatment
procedures),
other shale formations providing
free
trash
bags
as well as assistance
recycle
used
motor
oil,
and
use
nonsignificant additional storage.
with
media
coverage,
volunteer
toxic
alternatives
for
household
Right now CO2-based fracking
promotion
and
technical
support.
chemicals
whenever
possible.
is uncommon, given the abundance
The
program
has
helped
more
than
Of
course,
there
is
only
so
much
of water in our biggest fracking rea
million
volunteers
participate
in
that
individuals
can
do
on
their
own.
gions and the logistical challenges
thousands
of
cleanups
covering
While
preventing
pollution
at
the
in transporting a compressible gas
to well sites safely and cheaply. But source is important, many water- more than 244,500 miles of wateras fracking expands into politically ways have so much legacy pollu- ways across the U.S. since it began
charged areas, or arid regions where tion in them already that they need in 1991.
“These cleanups have removed
water is scarce, waterless fracking to be cleaned up directly—no small
more
than 16.5 million pounds of
job
and
typically
way
beyond
the
could become more common. Allitter
and
debris from America’s rivscope
of
a
few
individuals.
Some
ready, nearly half of the fracked
ers
and
streams,”
reports American
municipal,
county
or
state
governwells drilled across the U.S. in
Rivers.
2012
was
the most successments
might
be
inclined
to
help,
but
2011-2012 are in water-stressed arful
year
to
date
in
the history of the
getting
friends
and
neighbors
ineas, according to the sustainabilityprogram,
with
400+
registered
volved
first
is
a
good
way
to
demoriented non-profit, CERES. And a
cleanups,
92,500
volunteers
nationonstrate
community
support.
Also,
recent study from the consulting
wide,
3.5
million
pounds
of
trash
local
businesses,
non-profit
groups,
firm Wood Mackenzie concluded
removed
from
American
wateryouth
centers
and
schools
are
often
that many of the countries with the
greatest promise for developing looking for ways to get people in- ways, and 39,000 miles of watershale oil and gas through fracking volved in community service way cleaned. The group is hoping
projects, so asking around town 2013 will turn out to be another
suffer from water shortages.
Bullis says that one of the larg- might be the best way to enlist doz- record year for the program.
est shale gas resources in the world
is in China underneath 115,000
square miles of desert. “Piping in
water would strain already tight
supplies,” he says, but adds that
China’s major use of coal-fired
power plants means the country has
plenty of CO2 it could be capturing and using.
*****
Dear EarthTalk: Is there a way
to get local communities involved
in cleaning up waterways, like rivers, lakes, streams and creeks? —
Rebecca, via e-mail
Indeed, many of our local waterways have seen better days,
thanks to decades of pollution. And
cleaning them up and preventing
further damage can be challenging,
since much of the contamination
has accumulated over time and results from what is known as “nonpoint source” pollution, which accounts for as much as 60 percent of
the water pollution in the U.S.
“When it rains, fertilizer from
lawns, oil from driveways, paint
and solvent residues from walls and
decks and even pet waste are all
washed into storm sewers or nearby
lakes, rivers and streams—the same
lakes, rivers and streams we rely on
for drinking water supply, boating,
swimming and fishing,” reports the
non-profit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “Also, improper handling of materials around
the house can lead to pollution.”
According to NRDC, each of us
can do our part to reduce this runoff pollution and thus help protect
local waterways. For one, we can
replace concrete and other hard surfaces around our homes with porous
materials, so that rainwater drains
naturally into the ground and not
into pathways that lead it into waterways. We can landscape with
ENTERTAINMENT
Celtic Woman and their Symphony Orchestra
Spoil Audiences for Other Christmas Shows
Celtic Woman appeared at the Venetian Resort
By Sandy Zimmerman
Las Vegas Tribune
Photos by Venetian Resort and
the Celtic Woman
Celtic Woman: Home for Christmas, the Symphony Tour, was more
than just another holiday show. It is
the embodiment of the holiday
spirit.
Most of these cherished songs
have been heard hundreds of times
over the years. Once you experience
this familiar holiday music backed
by a full symphony orchestra and
sung by Celtic Woman, this music
will never seem the same any other
way. They spoil audiences.
It is undeniably a most profound
experience.
Their production was a powerful rendition of Christmas and holi-
day classics with the enchanting
Irish music ensemble Celtic
Woman.
Celtic Woman features four
beautiful female vocalists- Susan
McFadden, Lisa Lambe, Chloí
Agnew and violinist Máiréad
Nesbitt.
The extraordinarily talented violinist, Máiréad, figuratively sets the
violin on fire as she dances and
moves to the music. She added a
sensation of emotion to the numbers.
Celtic Woman included a wide
variety of songs from the whimsical “Santa Claus Is Coming To
Town,” the warm hearted “The
Christmas Song” to the dramatic
“Drummer Boy,” a touch of Ireland
with “Danny Boy” and much more.
It was easy to see why Celtic
Woman has been such a phenomenal success. The group’s albums
and DVDs have gone multi-platinum, selling more than seven million units worldwide.
Like all of their albums, Celtic
Woman’s two 2012 releases, the acclaimed Believe CD/DVD and the
holiday-themed CD Home For
Christmas, both debuted at #1 on
Billboard’s World Music chart —
marking eight consecutive charttopping albums for the group.
Celtic Woman recently made
their soap opera debut as featured
guests in multiple episodes of the
CBS daytime drama The Bold and
the Beautiful.
The group’s uplifting mix of
timeless tradition and contemporary
craft has transcended national and
cultural borders to touch the hearts
of a devoted international fan base,
who’ve embraced Celtic Woman’s
hugely successful Public Television
specials and made their CDs and
DVDs into multi-platinum bestsellers.
The Venetian Resort’s large
stage was filled with the full symphony orchestra, two large Christmas trees and a brightly colored
ring design around the front of the
stage. Subtle yet in good taste, the
Celtic Woman are portrayed as
sparkling jewels performing in the
middle of this setting.
The Venetian Resort always has
a full schedule of resident shows:
“Soul2Soul” with Tim McGraw
and Faith Hill, “Rock of Ages,”
“Human Nature: The Motown
Show” and the new “Panda” open-
ing December 16.
Coming soon: Multi-Platinum
selling country star Clay Walker,
live in concert: December 6-7. Comedian Rita Rudner: December 910, 24-25.
*****
Award
winning
Sandy
Zimmerman has been involved in
producing television programs,
television commercials and travel
specials for more than 25 years.
Sandy is a syndicated Show Reviewer, 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 about
any of Sandy’s columns, contact
Sandy Zimmerman at: (702)-7355974 or visit her online at
[email protected]
All Eyes on Britney Spears
This Week
in Las Vegas
By Mike Kermani
By Mike Kermani
Las Vegas Tribune
Spanning 15-plus years of charttopping hits and fiery performances, pop diva Britney Spears
showcases her signature style and
energy in her highly-anticipated Las
Vegas show, “Britney: Piece of Me”
inside Planet Hollywood.
On Dec. 27, Britney performs
her infectious dance hits, along with
tracks from her eighth studio album.
Fans of Britney’s music videos can
rejoice: The Vegas headliner even
brings back her most popular,
iconic looks on stage.
Celebrating the pop star’s massive success, “Britney: Piece of
Me” couples a high-energy concert
with a pulsating, nightclub feel.
Planet Hollywood’s venue houses
the world’s largest indoor projection theater and offers an explosive,
theatrical experience. Show goers
can relive their favorite Britney
moments, all while dancing the
night away.
The award-winning superstar
sold 100 million albums worldwide
and garnered a string of hits including “...Baby One More Time,”
“(You Drive Me) Crazy,” “Oops!...
I Did It Again,” “I’m A Slave 4 U,”
“Toxic,” and “Womanizer,” among
others. Britney’s Las Vegas show is
slated for a two-year residency, with
the possibility of an extended run.
Britney will appear December
27, at 9 p.m., at the Planet Hollywood Resort.
*****
COUNTRY CHRISTMAS
HOLIDAY SHOW
Country Christmas is a live musical revue that will be wrangling
in the holiday spirit with free performances of some of the bestknown, favorite holiday country
classics including “Hard Candy
Christmas,” “Blue Christmas” and
“Redneck 12 Days of Country.” The
cast will also perform holiday
staples such as “Jingle Bell Rock,”
“Run Run Rudolph,” “Winter Wonderland” and “White Christmas”
amidst country hits including “All
Jacked Up,” “Redneck Woman,”
“Red Solo Cup” and more.
Country Christmas is a custom
stage show, produced specifically
for audiences at Fremont Street
Experience, that promises to be
both festive and entertaining, with
a touch of Downtown Las Vegas
appeal. Country Christmas is produced by Face Productions and choreographed by Melden Steele.
Country Christmas performs
nightly (dark on Thursdays) on Fremont Street Experience’s 1st Street
Stage through Dec. 25.
Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman
will help Santa light Las Vegas’ official Christmas tree. The 50-foot
tree will be decked with festive
decorations and shine brightly below the 12.5 million lights of the
Viva Vision canopy. Directly following the ceremony, the Country
Christmas show will perform a live
song and dance show to classic holiday country music hits. The official
Las Vegas Christmas tree will be on
display at the Fremont Street Experience through the Christmas
holiday. Mayor Carolyn G.
Goodman will light the Christmas
Tree on Dec. 11, at 5 pm. At the
Third Street Stage.
*****
VICENTE FERNANDEZ, JR
AT EASTSIDE CANNERY
The son of one of Mexico’s most
famous singers, Vicente Fernández
Jr. will perform at the Eastside
Events Center inside Eastside Cannery Casino & Hotel at 5255 Boulder Highway on Friday, December
6, 2013 at 8:30 p.m.
The Mexican music evening will
include Fernandez Jr. singing and
performing in traditional Mexican
attire with a Mariachi band.
Vicente Fernández Jr. was born
and raised on a horse ranch with a
family involved in traditional Mexican music for decades. Son of the
Mexican celebrity Vicente
Fernández (aka El Charro de
Huentitan) and brother of the popular singer Alejandro Fernández, he
began singing along with his father
and mentor at a very young age.
Vicente Fernández Jr. has performed all over the world with his
father and on his own and has
worked tirelessly to make a name
for himself. He has achieved international acclaim for his performances. www.eastsidecannery.com
*****
THE METROPOLITAN
OPERA AT THEATERS
The premiere of Verdi’s Falstaff
will appear in movie theaters across
the United States on December 14.
Encore presentation on December18.
The Met: Live in HD series continues on the big screen with Verdi’s
Falstaff. An undisputed master of
this work, Music Director James
Levine conducts Verdi’s opera for
the first time at the Met since 2005.
Robert Carsen’s production — the
first new Met Falstaff since 1964
—is set in the English countryside
in the mid-20th century. Ambrogio
Maestri sings the title role of the
blustery Sir John Falstaff, opposite
a marvelous ensemble that includes
Angela Meade, Stephanie Blythe,
Lisette Oropesa and Franco
Vassallo. The live transmission begins on December 14 at 12:55 p.m.
ET with an encore on December 18
at 6:30 p.m. local time.
This season, The Met: Live in
HD series will reach an audience
of approximately 3 million people
across 1,900 theaters in 64 countries, and offers subtitles in nine languages, including Swedish for the
first time. The 2013-2014 HD season continues with 6 other live
transmissions. For complete information on locations and tickets,
visit www.metopera.org/hdlive.
Verdi’s Falstaff Live in HD
(Approx. 3 hours 20 minutes). December 14, 2013 at 12:55 p.m. ET
and December 18, 2013 at 6:30 p.m.
local time (U.S. encore)
*****
ELVIS PRESLEY’S
RING AT AUCTION
Profiles in History, run by Joe
Maddalena, is proud to announce
that the King of Rock and Roll has
not left the building; he’s at their
Rock ‘N’ Roll auction on December 18. The highly coveted items of
Elvis Presley are detailed below.
Elvis Presley’s custom-made
diamond and platinum wedding
ring for his marriage to Priscilla
Ann Beaulieu. They married at the
Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas on
Monday, May 1, 1967. It is estimated to sell for $80,000-$120,000.
Elvis Presley’s Martin D-28
stage-used guitar with photographs
and video. During the 1970s Elvis
played this Martin D-28 guitar (serial number 296978) on and off
stage. This guitar was given by
Elvis to Norman Taurog at Elvis’
Beverly Hills home in the 1970s. It
comes with a signed letter of authenticity by Norman’s son,
Jonathan Taurog, and a DVD of a
home movie shot by Elvis’ record
producer, Felton Jarvis, showing
Elvis playing this guitar on stage
during a concert. Also included are
ten color photographs documenting
Elvis playing this guitar on stage.
It is estimated to sell for $40,000$60,000.
Elvis Presley’s ornate stageworn belt. This is Elvis Presley’s
custom made concert-worn costume belt worn with his black “Conquistador” jumpsuit in his November 1972 performance in Hawaii. It
is estimated to sell for $20,000$30,000.
Elvis and Priscilla Presley 1972
Marital Termination Agreement
signed by both. The document
stresses the fact that, “the parties
wish to avoid unnecessary litigation
and the emotional stress and expense which would accompany
same, and to resolve the matters of
child custody, child support and to
forever, finally and completely
settle all their rights to spousal support... this Marital Settlement
Agreement is intended to be a final, binding and non-modifiable
agreement between the parties.” It
is expected to sell for $15,000 $20,000.
A 1956 Elvis Presley handwritten signed letter to a fan written just
a week after recording “Heartbreak
Hotel.” Elvis Presley has handwritten in blue pen, in full: “January 18,
1956 / Hello Caroline / Thanks
loads for your flattering letter. I’ve
just come back from cutting my
next record in Nashville. It will be
released Jan 30th after my first appearance on Jackie Gleason’s TV
show — the 28th. I’ll probably sing
one side of the new release then. I
don’t think Bob [Bob Neal of the
William Morris Agency] has me
booked for Grand Ole Opry for a
long time yet. If you’ll send 25c I’ll
be glad to autograph and mail you
a picture as soon as a fresh supply
arrives. Have lots of mail to answer
so — bye for now — Elvis Presley”
It is estimated to sell for $15,000$20,000.
Elvis Presley signature custom
made “TCB” gold sunglasses. The
gold letters “TCB” boldly ornament
the temple stems on both sides.
“TCB,” stands for taking care of
business, a personal motto Presley
adopted in the early 1970s. They are
estimated to sell for $10,000 $15,000.
*****
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
Las Vegas Great Santa Run Downtown Dec. 7
By Jerry Fink
Las Vegas Tribune
Opportunity Village’s Las Vegas
Great Santa Run will be held Saturday, December 7, 2013 at the
Third Street Stage of the Fremont
Street Experience. Registration at
8 a.m. and entertainment begins; 10
a.m. — 5K run starts; one-mile Kris
Kringle Jingle walk immediately
follows.
Santa Claus is coming downtown Saturday, December 7, as the
ninth annual Las Vegas Great Santa
Run raises funds and awareness for
Opportunity Village and its unparalleled programs. Las Vegans can
still register to be a part of history
as Grand Marshal Shania Twain
leads thousands of red-suited racers to the streets for a 5K run and
one-mile Kris Kringle Jingle walk
to support the beloved non-profit.
Register
today
at
LasVegasSantaRun.org; individual
racers: $40, adult teams: $35/runner, children: $25.
Now an official Nevada 150
event, the race course will begin
under the glowing overhead screens
of Fremont Street Experience and
continue throughout downtown,
passing a number of landmarks and
some of Las Vegas’ most captivating architecture. The 2013 race will
be bigger and better than ever as
local businesses join Opportunity
Village to spread the spirit of giving.
*****
STATION CASINOS’
DECEMBER HOUSE
ENTERTAINMENT
Station Casinos entertains locals
with a number of new weekly acts
and shows at several of its properties in addition to its trademark
bands that the city has grown to
love. Tickets into the shows are free
unless otherwise noted.
Guests can enjoy incredible entertainment across Station Casinos
in December. Highlights include:
Nashville Unplugged at Sunset Station on Fridays; Sam Riddle at Sunset Station on Fridays; Ryan Whyte
Maloney at Sunset Station on Fridays; Josh Royse at Sunset Station
on Fridays; Impulse at Sunset Station on Saturdays; Josh Royse at
Green Valley Ranch Resort on Saturdays; UFC 168 viewing parties
at Red Rock Resort, Sunset Station
and Santa Fe Station on Saturday,
Dec. 28; New Year’s Eve entertainment across all properties on Tuesday, Dec. 31; Vegas Voice Afternoon Affair at Santa Fe Station on
Wednesday, Dec. 11; Josh Royse at
Red Rock Resort on Thursdays;
Elvis Monroe at Santa Fe Station
on Thursday, Dec. 5; Krystal Keith
at Santa Fe Station on Thursday,
Dec. 12; 2nd Wheel featuring Bryce
Soderberg of Lifehouse at Santa Fe
Station on Thursday, Dec. 19 and
Ryan Whyte Maloney at Santa Fe
Station on Thursday, Dec. 26.
Coming this month are:
Green Valley Ranch Resort
Every Sunday:
—Drop Bar — Ryan Whyte
Maloney performs from 7 p.m. to
11 p.m. Guests must be 21 years or
older.
Every Tuesday:
—Quinn’s Irish Pub — Guests
can enjoy Jeremy James from 8
p.m. to 11 p.m. Guests must be 21
years or older.
—Hank’s Fine Steaks & Martinis — Dave Ritz performs from 6
p.m. to 10 p.m. Rick Duarte performs on Dec. 10. Guests must be
21 years or older.
Tuesday, Dec. 31:
—Quinn’s Irish Pub — Welcome the new year with Darby
O’Gill & The Little People from 8
p.m. to 2 a.m. Guests must be 21
years or older.
—Hank’s Fine Steaks & Martinis — Nick Mattera performs from
6:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Guests must
be 21 years or older.
—Drop Bar — Kick off the New
Year’s Eve celebration with Jeremy
James from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Guests must be 21 years or older.
—Drop Bar — Dance the night
away with DJ Andrew B from 10
years or older.
—Lobby Bar — Celebrate the
New Year and dance the night away
with a live DJ from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Every Wednesday:
—Quinn’s Irish Pub — Tim
Catching Trio performs from 8 p.m.
to 11 p.m. Guests must be 21 years
or older.
—Hank’s Fine Steaks & Martinis — Rick Duarte performs from
6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Guests must be
21 years or older.
Every Thursday:
—Quinn’s Irish Pub — Franky
Perez performs from 9 p.m. to 11
p.m. Guests must be 21 years or
older.
—Hank’s Fine Steaks & Martinis — Dave Ritz performs from 6
p.m. to 10 p.m. Nick Mattera will
perform on Dec. 5. Guests must be
21 years or older.
—Drop Bar - Guests can enjoy
Jeremy James from 7 p.m. to 11
older.
Every Friday:
—Quinn’s Irish Pub — Guests
can enjoy the rock sounds of Speed
from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Guests must
—Hank’s Fine Steaks & Martinis — Guests can enjoy live music
while they dine, with Nick Mattera
from 6 p.m. — 10 p.m. Guests must
—Drop Bar –Rick Duarte performs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
away with DJ Andrew B from 10
years or older.
Every Saturday:
Quinn’s Irish Pub — Darby
O’Gill & The Little People take the
stage at 10 p.m. Guests must be 21
years or older.
—Hank’s Fine Steaks & Martinis — Guests can enjoy live music
while they dine, with Jeremy James
from 7 p.m. — 11 p.m. Guests must
—Drop Bar –Josh Royse performs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
away with DJ Toast from 10 p.m.
to 2 a.m. Guests must be 21 years
or older.
Santa Fe Station
Wednesday, Dec. 11:
—Chrome Showroom - Enjoy
the Vegas Voice Afternoon Affair.
Doors open at 12:30 p.m. and
guests must be 21 years or older.
Every Thursday:
—Revolver — Enjoy of rock ‘n
roll’s up-and-coming artists during
the “Rock the Saddle” weekly
acoustic rock concert series. The
December schedule features Elvis
Monroe on Dec. 5, 2nd Wheel featuring Bryce Soderberg of
Lifehouse on Dec. 19 and Ryan
Whyte Maloney on Dec. 26. Doors
open at 8 p.m. and guests must be
21 years or older.
Thursday, Dec. 12:
—Revolver — Enjoy the “Back
in the Saddle” concert series featuring some of country music’s upand-coming artists. The Dec.
schedule features Krystal Keith.
Doors open at 8 p.m. and guests
must be 21 years or older.
Red Rock Resort
Tuesday, Dec. 31:
—Onyx Bar — Josh Royse performs from 6 p.m. - 1 a.m. Guests
—Rocks Lounge — Zowie
Bowie, featuring Chris Phillips,
takes the stage with today’s hottest
dance music, Top 40 hits and hip
hop. Doors open at 10 p.m. Cover
is $30 at the door and guests must
Every Wednesday:
Onyx Bar — Jeremy James performs from 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. Guests
—T-Bones Chophouse — Dave
Ritz performs from 6 p.m. to 10
older.
Wednesday, Dec. 18:
—Rocks Lounge — Enjoy the
Vegas Voice Afternoon Affair.
Doors open at 12:30 p.m. and guests
Every Thursday:
—Rocks Lounge — Learn to
line dance from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Guests mus be 21 years or older.
—Onyx Bar — Josh Royse performs from 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. Guests
—T-Bones Chophouse —
Sophia Maria performs from 6 p.m.
to 10 p.m. Guests must be 21 years
or older.
Thursday, Dec. 5:
—Rocks Lounge — Enjoy Grey
Street as they perform the hits of
Dave Matthews Band. Doors open
at 8 p.m. and guests must be 21
years or older.
Thursday, Dec. 19:
—Rocks Lounge — Enjoy the
all-star lineup of Elvis Monroe, as
they perform Americana pop/rock
hits. Doors open at 6 p.m. and
guests must be 21 years or older.
Every Friday:
—Rocks Lounge — Zowie
Bowie, featuring Chris Phillips,
takes the stage with today’s hottest
dance music, Top 40 hits and hip
hop. Doors open at 10 p.m. Guests
Guests can dine and enjoy live music with guitarist and pianist Dave
Ritz, as he performs Top 40 hits
from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
—Onyx Bar — Daniel Park performs from 7 p.m. - 1 a.m. Guests
Every Saturday:
—Rocks Lounge — Ashley Red
performs from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Impulse will perform on Dec. 7, with
doors at 10 p.m. Guests must be 21
years or older.
—Onyx Bar — Daniel Park performs from 7 p.m. - 1 a.m. Guests
Guests can dine and enjoy live music with Dave Ritz from 7 p.m. to
11 p.m.
Sunset Station
—Rosalita’s Cantina — Ryan
Whyte Maloney performs from
8:30 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. Guests must
Wednesday, Dec. 4:
—Club Madrid - Enjoy the Vegas Voice Afternoon Affair. Doors
21 years or older.
Thursday, Dec. 5:
—Club Madrid - Enjoy the classic sounds of Jerry Tiffe. Doors
21 years or older.
—Club Madrid - Guests enjoy
the sounds of the Lon Bronson AllStar Band. Doors at 8 p.m. Guests
Every Friday:
—Club Madrid - Guests enjoy
Nashville Unplugged, featuring
hosts and singer/songwriters Brian
McComas and Aaron Benward,
along with special guests, who will
present “The Story Behind the
Song.” Doors open at 7 p.m. Cover
is $5 and guests must be 21 years
or older.
—Club Madrid - Guests can enjoy the country sounds of Sam
Riddle. Doors open at 9:30 p.m.
—Gaudi Bar — Ryan Whyte
Maloney performs from 7 p.m. to
11 p.m.
—Rosalita’s Cantina — Josh
Royse performs from 7 p.m. to 11
older.
Every Saturday:
—Club Madrid — Impulse performs the hottest mainstream hip
hop, top 40 and hot 100 favorites
in an electrifying, non-stop concertstyle performance, beginning Dec.
14. Doors open at 9 p.m. except the
Dec. 14 performance, which opens
at 10:30 p.m.
—Gaudi Bar — Ryan Whyte
Maloney perform from 7 p.m. to 11
older.
—Rosalita’s Cantina — Peter
Love performs from 7 p.m. to 11
older.
Texas Station
Tuesday, Dec. 31:
—South Padre — Celebrate the
New Year with Yellow Brick Road,
as the Las Vegas-based classic rock
tribute band takes on the entire classic rock/pop spectrum with an emphasis on details and inflections
Every Friday:
—South Padre — Guests can
enjoy the sounds of the 1980s with
Loveshack. Doors open at 8 p.m.
and guests must be 21 years or
older.
—A-Bar — Darrin Michaels
plays jazz from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Every Saturday:
—South Padre — Yellow Brick
Road (YBR) performs with doors
at 9 p.m. This Las Vegas-based classic rock tribute band takes on the
entire classic rock/pop spectrum
with an emphasis on details and inflections. Guests must be 21 years
or older.
—A-Bar — Darrin Michaels
plays jazz from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Boulder Station
Every Sunday:
—The Railhead — Guests can
enjoy Los Hermanos Padilla from
11 p.m. to 3 a.m. Cover is $5 at the
door and guests must be 21 years
or older.
Thursday, Dec. 12:
enjoy Boulder Blues with Wards
Envy opening up for Coco
Montoya. Doors open at 6 p.m. and
cover is $5 at the door. Guests must
Every Friday:
—The Railhead — Yellow Brick
Road (YBR) performs with doors
at 9 p.m. This Las Vegas-based classic rock tribute band takes on the
entire classic rock/pop spectrum
with an emphasis on details and inflections. Guests must be 21 years
or older.
—Kixx Bar — John Acosta performs from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m..
Every Saturday:
dance the night away Volume 1
from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. The show is
dark on Dec. 7. Guests must be 21
years or older.
—Kixx Bar — Reflection performs from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Guests
Palace Station
Every Thursday:
—Jack’s — Off The Record performs from 8 p.m. to midnight.
Every Friday:
—Jack’s - Guests can enjoy the
alternative rock sounds of Franky
Perez from 9 p.m. to midnight.
Every Saturday:
—Jack’s — Guests can enjoy the
classic rock sounds of Nuff Said
be 21 years or older
Fiesta Henderson
Every Friday:
—Coco Lounge — Route 66
Every Saturday:
—Coco Lounge — Route 66
Fiesta Rancho
Every Thursday:
—Club Tequila — Sherry Gordy
Presents Take the Stage — An Open
Mic Experience with doors at 7 p.m.
Cover is $10 at the door and guests
must be 21 years or older. No cover
on Dec. 5 and the show is dark on
Dec. 26.
Every Friday:
—Cabo Lounge — Guests can
enjoy a variety of Las Vegas’ most
popular showbands from 8:30 p.m.
to 12:30 a.m. with rotating bands
each week. The December schedule features: Volume 1 on Dec. 6
and 20, Frontpage on Dec. 13 and
Klique Band on Dec. 27. Guests
—Club Tequila — Guests can
enjoy Crossfire, as they perform
classic and modern rock hits. Doors
at 9 p.m. Cover is $5 at the door
and guests must be 21 years or
older.
Every Saturday:
—Club Tequila — Enjoy
Sabados de Fiesta with DJ Paco, as
he spins the best in regional Mexican music from 10 p.m. — 4 a.m.
Cover is $10. Ladies are free all
night. Guests must be 21 years or
older.
—Cabo Lounge — Guests can
enjoy an Old School Dance Party
from 8:30 p.m. to 12:45 a.m. with
rotating bands each week. The December schedule features: 24k Gold
Band on Dec. 7, Castano “Tribute
to Santana” on Dec. 14, Block Party
on Dec. 21 and Ricco Diamante
with special guest Tresure &
D’Lavance on Dec. 28. Guests must
*****
STATION CASINOS
ANNOUNCES NEW
EAST SIDE REVOLUTION
ENTERTAINMENT LISTINGS
Station Casinos is proud to announce the new East Side Revolution entertainment schedule at Sunset Station, featuring Nashville Unplugged, country star Sam Riddle,
“American Idol’s” Josh Royse, Impulse, Peter Love and Ryan Whyte
Maloney. Beginning December
2013, the “revolution” will include:
Every Friday:
—Josh Royse at Rosalita’s
Cantina from 7 p.m. — 11 p.m.
—Ryan Whyte Maloney at
Gaudi Bar from 7 p.m. — 11 p.m.
—Nashville Unplugged at Club
Madrid from 8 p.m. — 9 p.m. Cover
is $5 at the door.
—Sam Riddle at Club Madrid
from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Every Saturday:
—Ryan Whyte Maloney at
Gaudi Bar from 7 p.m.-11 p.m.
—Peter Love at Rosalita’s
Cantina from 7 p.m.-11 p.m.
—Impulse at Club Madrid from
10 p.m.-1 a.m.
The new East Side Revolution
entertainment schedule will take
place every Friday and Saturday
inside Sunset Station, beginning
Friday, Dec. 6, 2013. Guests must
be 21 years or older for all shows.
Nashville Unplugged performances
include a $5 cover at the door. Drink
specials include $5 margaritas at
Gaudi Bar and $5 mojitos at
Rosalita’s Cantina. For more information and a full schedule, please
visit www.sunsetstation.com. .
*****
HAVE A YEEHAW YULETIDE
THIS DECEMBER AT
FREMONT STREET
EXPERIENCE
Fremont Street Experience invites all cowboys, cowgirls and
country music fans to have a
yeehaw yuletide this December
underneath the Viva Vision canopy
in downtown Las Vegas. In celebration of the return of National Finals
Rodeo, Fremont Street Experience
will host several events throughout
the month of December including:
NASCAR FanFest and the 27th Annual Downtown Hoedown on Dec.
4; 12 Days of Country taking place
Dec. 4-15; and the 2nd Annual
Downtown Throwdown Barbecue
Championships taking place Dec.
13-14. To make the holiday season
extra country, Fremont Street Experience has put together a customstage production show Country
Christmas to keep audiences in the
yeehaw-yuletide spirit all month
long.
*****
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
Everything You Need To Know
About Cars Reality Program Review
By Sandy Zimmerman
Las Vegas Tribune
Photos by “Car Chasers”
television program
Reality shows are a genre of
television programs where real
people attend to their own businesses while others amaze us with
their talent.
The subjects cover nearly every
part of life as some reality shows
educate while others entertain.
“The Car Chases” is not a police chase drama. It takes the television viewers on a wild ride behind-the-scenes of the car business
with the people who know cars. Jeff
Allen jumps at any chance to find,
fix and flip classic cars.
One interesting program took
viewers to the farm to see a turnof-the-century 1925 Ford farm
truck. In the early days, this truck
rode across wagon trails but now it
still runs at 22 miles an hour.
Some of his other programs featured, “Cars that should have been
hits,” “The 10 greatest sports cars
of all-time,” “Movie Cars” and
more.
Viewers will enjoy many surprises as they watch Jeff wheeling
and dealing cars.
Jeff negotiates to buy low and
sell high while keeping a steady
flow of cars, customers and cash.
This is everyone’s wish but how
does he do it? You may even be able
to learn how to buy and flip your
own cars.
Watching Jeff’s television program shows how his mind works.
He is a first-class negotiator.
This business is challenging because Jeff may be stuck with a
lemon or bid too high.
Jeff and his crew travel to auctions and meet with people around
the United States to find cars.
With his trusty team, Jeff works
to restore these cars into dollars
signs. Jeff is all about strategy; buy-
ing low and selling high is the name
of his game, but deep down, Jeff
would gladly hold on to every car
he buys. Each one is a treasure and
that’s what makes him so good at
making deals. He values the cars
and brings that passion into the
deals.
Watch how “The Car Chasers”
do business every Tuesday at 10
p.m, on CNBC PRIME just for the
fun of it. They return this fall for a
second season.
Down in Lubbock, Texas, Jeff
made the town famous.
The cast is diverse in their specialties and talents with knowledge
of cars.
The members of the cast are Jeff,
the buyer and the owner of Flat 12
Gallery in Lubbock, Texas. Perry is
the fixer who performs all complex
bodywork, custom detailing and
engine modification. Meg is the
Office Manager, business partner
and financial adviser. Eric, the Assistant, knows the inner workings
of a car. Tom is the Round Man and
Jeff’s dad.
Award
winning
Sandy
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 about any of Sandy’s columns,
contact Sandy Zimmerman at:
(702)-735-5974.
PLACES TO GO
QUICK GETAWAYS
Watch Seals and Fish Through
Your Bottomless Glass Table
By Sandy Zimmerman
Las Vegas Tribune
Photos by Sandy Zimmerman
The historic Olde Port Inn Restaurant is nestled at the end of the
Harford Pier. This is one of the few
piers wide enough to take the quarter-mile drive to the restaurant.
Surrounded by water and wildlife, the Olde Port Restaurant is the
perfect setting for a romantic lunch
or dinner.
At night, their specially crafted
see-through bottomless-glass tables
become windows into the sea. The
sea life is active at night while you
watch the fish and seals swimming
down below.
This is the place to watch the
reflections of the sun as it sets
across the ocean. Guests have views
of the ocean from every table.
You will find fresh fish here.
David Whitestine, the Executive
Chef and General Manager, explained, “We buy locally and from
around the world. Our fish and
clams arrive overnight from New
Zealand and are still alive for a
week the way we keep them. The
halibut is sushi-grade. We do not
have frozen or old fish, everything
is always fresh.”
Many restaurants in central
California’s wine country are creative in designing their dishes.
The Olde Port Inn Restaurant
offers a menu with unique combinations.
Chef David describes some of
his creations. “The prawn appetizer
is stuffed with Monterey Jack
cheese, wrapped in bacon, then
lightly breaded and fried. They are
delicious with a little cocktail sauce.
Our rock cod fish taco is different because it is sautéed, not fried
like at the other restaurants. The cod
is fresh caught, not frozen. We sauté
the cod in olive oil with white wine,
onions, garlic, cilantro and a
squeeze of lemon juice.”
If you wish to taste various sea-
Entrance to the Olde Port Inn Restaurant.
food during your meal begin with
a Dungeness crab and Mexican
white prawn salad. This is a healthy
choice served with honey mustard
vinaigrette dressing and cocktail
sauce.
Next choose the Fisherman’s
Platter entrée filled with grilled
fish, large prawns, sea scallops,
cockle clams and deep-fried
calamari. Other fish can be substituted for he fried calamari.
Chef David advised, “If guests
are not in the mood for seafood, the
mushroom appetizer is prepared
with white wine, sherry, butter and
garlic. Our soy sauce adds more flavor for dipping into the sourdough
bread. This is a traditional dish with
a spin.
The Olde Port Inn is a restaurant, not an Inn. They are on the
Executive Chef and General Manager David Whitestine with Sandy Zimmerman
Guests watch the seals and fish through the special bottomless glass tables. (Photo by the Olde Port Inn)
The Fisherman’s Plate includes grilled fresh fish, large prawns,
sea scallops, cockle clams and deep fried calamari.
Harford Pier, in Port San Luis
Harbor, bordering to Avila Beach
village.
The Stewardship travel program
offers behind the scenes tours and
experiences around central
California’s wine country.
AIRLINES
There are two airports with direct flights from Las Vegas to Santa
Maria and Santa Rosa.
*****
Award
winning
Sandy
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 about any of Sandy’s columns,
contact Sandy Zimmerman at:
(702)-735-5974 or online at
[email protected]
The Dungeness Crab and chilled Mexican white Prawns salad.

Montana Rape Case - Las Vegas Tribune

Transcription

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