With 2014 won, GOP looking ahead to next race: `to turn this country

Transcription

Was Republican win in
Senate a stunning rebuke
to Obama? Sure was.
PAGE 2
Complete 2014
Unofficial Clark County
Election Results
PAGE 4
Volume 16, Issue 35
City Council honors
Las Vegas Tribune
lasvegastribune.net
PAGE 6
November 5-11, 2014
Ward 5 Chamber of Commerce Member
Election results:
What were they thinking?
By Rolando Larraz
Las Vegas Tribune
While the United States of
America and the State of Nevada
have good reason to celebrate after
the big election night victory — in
the U.S. Senate and Congress; in the
race for Governor, Lt. Governor, the
Legislature and Treasurer, in Congress 3 and 4 — but, unfortunately
(depending of course from which
side of the fence one is looking),
not all turned out sweet and bright.
The county election came out as
it was expected to, with Chris
Giuchigliani, Mary Beth Scow and
Susan Brager as the winners in their
respective races.
The judicial races were, with a
few exceptions, a complete disaster; and if anyone ever comes to the
Las Vegas Tribune to complain
about the family court judges, the
My Point
of View
By Rolando Larraz
Well, the election is over and
now we may be able to enjoy a few
days of tranquility, peace, and calm
before everyone starts complaining
again; and most likely, the complaints will come from those who
did not vote in this election, or did
not do their homework regarding
who to vote for.
One thing we can be sure about
is that the Latino community took
some words from Tony Montana’s
Scarface to send a message to their
favorite idol, Senator Majority
Leader Harry Reid, saying that “If
you f*** with us you are f***ing
with the best,” and replaced him as
Majority Leader for lying and playing political games with them on the
immigration issues.
Reid, who up to now has been
the Latino’s second God, has been
lying to them by promising them
immigration reform, amnesty and
many other promises that would
lead them (Latinos) to believe they
were going to be allowed to stay in
the country and get citizenship; he
has been playing political games
with the Latinos in every election
and now he gets the payoff for playing those games.
Every time I told the Latinos that
Reid and Obama were playing
games, they got really upset with
me and thought that I said that just
because I didn’t like Reid or I didn’t
like Obama or because I was probably a hardcore Republican, but
none of that is true.
I don’t like Harry Reid because
for a very long time, in my humble
opinion, he has been a hypocrite; I
am not going to call him a liar because as a senator and as Majority
Leader, he deserves respect, so I am
going to say– because it sounds
better and more polite — that he
didn’t tell the truth all the time.
I cannot say that I dislike
Obama; after all, the Las Vegas Tribune was the first newspaper in
Clark County to endorse Obama for
President, before the Culinary
Union and many other organizations, but when we were presented
with a picture of the Obama headquarters office in Houston, Texas
showing a picture of the Cuban Flag
and a picture of Argentinean mercenary Ernesto “Che” Guevara on
the wall, we immediately withdrew
that endorsement.
We tried to talk to the national
headquarters to get some sense of
why the picture of a socialist mercenary and the flag of a communist
(See My Point of View, Page 2)
Carolyn Ellsworth
newspaper will shut the doors on
them because they will have what
they deserve, if they did not pay
attention to all we’ve been saying
and if they did not take the time to
vote with an educated vote.
Re-electing Judge Vincent
Ochoa was in complete disrespect
to the human race. After all the bad
news and reports that were put out
there about Judge Ochoa, it is either the result of voter fraud or that
the people of Clark County like to
be abused.
Electing Richard Scotti over
John Watkins is the most inexplicable result that has ever been seen
in any political race. Scotti misrepresented himself with propaganda
and lies, and misled the voters all
along, and his winning the race for
judge over John Watkins is simply
unreal and inconceivable. But the
people of Clark County have spoken and now they have to accept
the consequences when his campaign manager, David Thomas,
starts telling him how to rule and
what punishment to impose on
Adam Laxalt
those who appear before him.
Voters can feel more optimistic
with the results of the election in
District Court Departments 4 and 5
where judges Kerry Early and
Carolyn Ellsworth retained their
positions, as well as Judge Adriana
Escobar in Department 14. However, in Department 8 of District
Court, with one of the most inhumane and vindictive judges in the
system, the people of Clark County
retained Judge Douglas Smith over
the challenger, Deputy Attorney
General Christine Guerci-Nyhus.
Department 8 is another department in District Court were justice
is not the operative word, but people
chose to retain the bad judge over a
new ethical and fair candidate; so
those who voted to retain Judge
Smith should not complain when
they get a bad ruling in his courtroom.
Department 19 is being taken
over by Judge William Bill Kephart
with 70 percent of the votes in that
race.
(See Election, Page 5)
With 2014 won, GOP looking ahead to
next race: ‘to turn this country around’
More than anything else, the 2016 presidential election will determine how Republicans
manage their new majority in the U.S. Senate and their even stronger grip on the House.
By Francine Kiefer
Christian Science Monitor
WASHINGTON — Now that
America has voted in Election
2014, it’s time to consider 2016 —
because more than anything else,
the next election will determine
how Republicans manage their new
majority in the U.S. Senate and their
even stronger grip on the House.
Republican Sen. Mitch
McConnell, the expected new majority leader, said as much in his
victory speech in Kentucky Tuesday night:
“The papers will say I won this
race,” he said, “but the truth is, tonight we begin another one... and
that’s the race to turn this country
around.”
Expect that race to compel the
GOP to show stark contrasts with
Democrats, in oversight hearings
and in sending to the president bills
that he is sure to veto — as happened with Republican President
(See GOP, Page 5)
Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R) of Kentucky, joined by his wife, former Labor Secretary Elaine
Chao, celebrates with his supporters at an election night party in Louisville, Ky.,Tuesday.
By Rolando Larraz
Las Vegas Tribune
Rhiannon Gonzales, a social
work student in Long Beach, CA
moved to Las Vegas in March of
2013 with her 3-month-old son, on
the advice of one of her professors,
to continue her studies at the University of Nevada. She had no family or close friends living in Las
Vegas; her entire base of support
was in Southern California. Her
daughter, Iyanna, remained with her
father so as not to interrupt her last
year of elementary school, with the
intention that she would join her
mother and brother in Las Vegas
over summer break.
Although Gonzales was able to
rent a much nicer apartment for
much less than she was paying in
Southern California, she was not
able to return to school or get a job
as quickly as she had anticipated,
as she had still not found anyone
that she felt comfortable leaving her
baby with. So she took an online
creative writing course in the interim.
Soon after daughter Iyanna’s arrival, she met a fun-loving creative
woman, Kyrene Williams, who was
CPR-certified and whose mother
and sister both worked for the Las
Vegas School District. Gonzales felt
that she then had met someone who
could care for her children and she
could look for a job and register for
classes.
(See Gonzales, Page 5)
The Rhiannon Gonzalez Story
Rhiannon Gonzalez, Iyanna and newborn Elgin
FROM THE DESK OF GORDON MARTINES
We have a new sheriff: Let the crying begin
By Gordon Martines
Normally, as the saying goes,
when something is broken and it becomes even more broken, that’s
when “It’s all over but the crying”;
but in this case, with the election of
“NO SHOW JOE,” Joe Lombardo
as our new sheriff, the crying is just
beginning, especially after his comment that Gillespie’s policies,which
he agreed with, will be followed
and adhered to, and that he will just
not have a direct hand in it, just like
his mentor, and will allow his managers to handle the day-to-day
workings of the police department.
So let’s see, there’s the no more
police officers responding to noninjury traffic accidents policy. This
policy is unusually bizarre and dangerous and can be compound an
already stressful and expensive incident. Let’s say such an incident
occurs between you and a stranger.
Both of you are going to argue that
it was the other person’s fault; it
may eventually end up being a
physical confrontation, involving a
serious injury or maybe even a
death, without the expected presence of a third party police officer
(See From the Desk, Page 6)
Page 2 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / November 5-11, 2014
Was Republican Party win in Senate a
stunning rebuke to Obama? Sure was.
There are very few American presidents who can say that they fell victim to two wave elections
in the course of their presidencies, and, make no doubt about it, this was a wave election.
By Doug Mataconis
Christian Science Monitor
In what can only be called a
sharp and stunning rebuke of President Obama and the Democratic
Party, akin to the results seen in
elections such as those in 1994,
2006, and 2010, the Republican
Party has taken control of the Senate, even though the outcome of
several races, and therefore the final balance of power, remains up
in the air.
Republicans wrested back control of the Senate on Tuesday by
TRIBUNE
VOL. 16, NO. 35
FOUNDER
Rolando Larraz
PUBLISHER
AND
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Rolando Larraz
GENERAL MANAGER
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PRODUCTION
Don Snook
MANAGING EDITOR
Maramis Choufani
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Colleen Lloyd
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
Kenneth A. Wegner
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adding at least seven seats to their
ranks, riding discontent and resentment about President Obama and
his policies and consolidating Republican power on Capitol Hill.
Republicans picked up the sixth
seat they needed with a win in
North Carolina, as Thom Tillis, the
State House speaker, defeated the
incumbent, Kay Hagan, a Democrat, according to projections by
The Associated Press. In Iowa, the
Republican Joni Ernst, a state senator, defeated Representative Bruce
Braley to win the seat vacated by
longtime Senator Tom Harkin,
who is retiring at the end of this
year.
Voters in Arkansas and Colorado also ousted the Democratic
incumbents Mark Pryor and Mark
Udall, and elected Republicans in
West Virginia, Montana and South
Dakota.
With several contests still too
close to call late Tuesday, unofficial results showed Republicans
emerging as winners in enough
states to claim victory. The party’s
leaders in Washington will now
control both chambers in Congress
as Mr. Obama struggles to fashion
an agenda in the remaining two
years in his term.
Six years ago, Mr. Obama
swept into office, carrying Democrats with him and using majorities in both chambers to push
through health care and economic
stimulus legislation. But two years
later, a Tea Party revolt gave Republicans control of the House and
Fox News reports Republican gains in the Senate in an empty White House briefing room, as poll numbers
begin to pour in on Election Day, Nov. 4, 2014, in Washington.
made Representative John A. conservative states where anger and
In Arkansas, Representative
Boehner of Ohio the House speaker. frustration at Mr. Obama made him Tom Cotton, the Republican candiMr. Obama returned the favor in unpopular. The president was date, defeated Mr. Pryor after ham2012, winning re-election and claim- largely unwelcome in almost all of mering the Democrat’s ties to Mr.
ing a new mandate for his agenda.
the Senate contests, where Demo- Obama in a state where the presiOn Tuesday, Republicans com- crats sought to distance themselves dent is deeply unpopular. Mr. Cotpleted a congressional takeover that from Washington and the ton, an Iraq combat veteran and a
will most likely elevate Senator president’s accomplishments.
first-term congressman, won deMitch McConnell of Kentucky to
In Colorado, Representative spite feverish campaigning by
become the chamber’s majority Cory Gardner knocked off Mr. former President Bill Clinton on
leader, deposing Senator Harry Reid, Udall in a state that President behalf of Mr. Pryor, according to
Democrat of Nevada.
Obama had won twice and where projections by The Associated
The outcome is a blow to Demo- Democrats had pointed to a strong Press.
crats, who struggled in vain to de- ground game that they said would
In West Virginia, Shelley Moore
(See Rebuke, Page 6)
fend incumbent senators in deeply hold off the Republican challenge.
My Point of View
(Continued from Page 1)
country were displayed in the
headquarters of a man running for
the presidency of the United States
of America, and no one ever answered our question, so we withdrew that endorsement.
I am not a Republican; neither
am I a Democrat. I believe that I
am a journalist with a mission to
clean out our government of corruption and eliminate police abuse
and end the police state system that
we now have; I believe that I am a
journalist with a dream to have a
judicial system equal to none with
judges that follow the law and do
not think that they above everyone
and every law.
I am the kind of person that on
many occasions gives the wrong
impression, and I know that; but I
believe that we are all entitled to
have the best government there is
and one we can be proud of.
I was not born in this country
but I have been in Clark County
more than half of my natural life
and I love Clark County, Las Vegas and the United States and I
want to turn the time around and
make this city the way it was in
the old days.
Sure, it was a time of favors;
there were friendships and there
may have been some “help” to
someone in need; but there were
no lies, no extortions, no slandering of one’s “non-friends” as there
are in the present day.
I remember one time a man I
used to know — who I am not going to name because he is already
dead — made a terrible mistake
that no one was allowed to make
in the gaming world; he had a very
high profile job in one of the best
— if not the best — casinos of the
time, and ended up driving a taxi.
I went to see the sheriff, Ralph
Lamb, and asked him for leniency
to allow him to go back to work in
what he knew.
Ralph Lamb told me, “Ask me
anything but that, please.” The
Sheriff did not BS me; he did not
tell me that he was going to think
about it; he did not tell me that he
would let me know in a few days;
he was straightforward, honest,
kind and polite — and humble
enough to see me when I was a
nobody, because that is the way the
people in power, the important
people in this community, used
to be.
I remember when Senator Floyd
Lamb used to go to my office at the
La Verdad newspaper; remember
that Floyd Lamb was at that time one
of the most powerful persons in
Nevada and some of the Spanish
people that happened to be there on
unrelated business could not believe
that the humble gray-haired man that
walked into my office was the most
powerful senator of the time.
Sheriff John McCarthy used to
visit me in my office or at my home
very frequently and people could not
believe that that single man, driving
his own car, was the number one law
man in our county.
On my wedding night, John
Moran and his wife Goldie were at
my home, and as always, they did
not come with empty hands; they
brought us a wonderful wedding
present that up to today I still have
and cherish as a sweet memory.
Please understand this: I am not
bragging about the people I used to
know; I am just comparing how the
people act nowadays even when in
reality they are not that important.
Notice that I am not using some of
the present personalities as an example, because that is what I would
call bragging.
If Reid and Obama would have
kept their promises to the Latino
community — in particular, the
Mexican community, which for a
long time and up to now have idolized the senator and today feel betrayed by both Senator Reid and
President Obama — there might
have been a different outcome.
I have always been a firm believer that many Latinos, when they
become American citizens, register
as Democrat because they may confuse Democracy with being a
Democrat; but that is a big mistake.
Tuesday night was a good example of what happens when someone politically betrays or doublecrosses a Latino — plain and
simple, they lose control of the U.S.
Senate.
Hopefully the new Republicans
at the Senate and the House will not
make the same mistake of double-
crossing anyone and do a good job
for the country; and hopefully the
new majority leader will not let his
new position go to his head as happened with his predecessor.
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.
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CITY BEAT
November 5-11, 2014 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / Page 3
Honor Ride Las Vegas Rolls onto The Strip on Saturday,
November 8, for Veteran’s Day Weekend Cycling Ride
To honor our nation’s healing
heroes this Veteran’s Day weekend,
Ride 2 Recovery will host Honor
Ride Las Vegas, a cycling ride that
starts on the Strip and rolls down
Las Vegas Boulevard for either 40
or 60 miles to raise money for Ride
2 Recovery, a 501(c)3 organization
that aids in the recovery of injured
veterans through individual and
group cycling programs at military
bases and VA locations around the
country. Generously supported by
Scott Yancey of Goliath Company
and A&E’s Flipping Vegas, and
Nudge. Honor Ride Las Vegas is a
self-paced, non-competitive cycling
event open to all veterans and the
general public.
—Ride 2 Recovery has
partnered with GE (General Electric) to provide help and support to
those who suffer from Traumatic
Brain Injury (TBI), including PTS
and depression.
—The public is invited to show
their support for veterans. SHARE
A “VETie” — a photo of yourself
with a veteran and include a short
message thanking them for their
service — and share it on Twitter
and Facebook with the hashtag:
#NoVetAlone.
—To make a contribution to
Ride 2 Recovery and their mission
to help veterans heal from the effects of TBI, PTS and other
wounds, text NoVetAlone to 41444
to make a donation.
—Donations will help the 1.64
million U.S. troops who were deployed to Operations Iraqi Freedom
and Enduring Freedom in Iraq and
Afghanistan, 1 in 5 of whom will
return home with TBI, PTS and
depression. Of those that have reported TBI, 57% had not sought
help or been evaluated.
Ride 2 Recovery helps injured
veterans heal through the challenge
of cycling, over a variety of distances, using hand cycles, recumbent cycles, tandems and traditional
road bikes. Ride 2 Recovery also
hosts seven long-distance challenge
events each year. Funds raised support these programs and the equipment donated to each healing hero
participating in the events, including bikes that require modification
due to injuries. Ride 2 Recovery’s
major national sponsors include
UnitedHealthcare, Heritage Bags,
Raleigh Bicycles, USO, United Airlines, U-Haul, Macy’s, Rudy
Project, Saris Racks and MGM
Resorts.
*****
Operation Homefront and
Dollar Tree Collect Toys
for Las Vegas area
Military Families
Operation Homefront, the national non-profit organization that
provides emergency financial and
other assistance to military families,
is joining with Dollar Tree to launch
its annual Holiday Toy Drive to
collect gifts for military kids. Operation Homefront is teaming up
with more than 20 Dollar Tree
stores in and around Las Vegas to
collect purchased toys between
Nov. 1 and Dec. 4 to be distributed
to the children of service members
this holiday season.
This year marks the eighth annual joint campaign by Operation
Homefront and Dollar Tree to support military families during the
holiday season. Anyone wishing to
make this year’s holidays brighter
for military families can go to their
local Dollar Tree store and purchase
Operation Homefront and Dollar Tree launched annual Holiday Toy Drive to collect gifts for military kids.
toys to be distributed to the children ecutive Director of Operation and wounded — to provide a fesof our service members.
Homefront Nevada. “For those tive holiday for their families.”
More information on the Holi- families with children, parents are
Thanks in large measure to the
day Toy Drive is available at often overwhelmed trying to fit the tremendous support of Dollar Tree
O p e r a t i o n H o m e f r o n t . n e t / expense of gifts into an already patrons, in 2013 Operation
HolidayToys.
stretched budget. Our Holiday Toy Homefront’s Holiday Toy Drive
OperationHomefront.net also Drive assists military parents in pro- collected more than 8.3 million toys
accepts online contributions for all viding presents to their children nationwide for military kids. Log
of Operation Homefront’s pro- during tough economic times. Your on to OperationHomefront.net for
grams to assist military families.
contributions to Operation more details on how to help mili“The expense of the holiday sea- Homefront’s Holiday Toy Drive — tary families.
son often impacts the budgets of our either through online monetary doParticipating stores include the
most junior enlisted members sig- nations or donations of toys — locations at Tropicana Centre,
nificantly,” states Annie Baca, Ex- helps our nation’s heroes — active Nellis Crossig, and Rancho Sierra
Center. Once the program ends,
Operation Homefront volunteers
will collect and distribute the gifts
to military children during the holiday season.
*****
Macy’s signature holiday
program that benefits
Make-A-Wish begins this
week with a special event
in Summerlin
On Friday, November 7, Macy’s
celebrates the holiday season’s
spirit of generosity and goodwill as
the retailer embarks on its seventh
annual “Believe” campaign benefiting Make-A-Wish. Now through
Dec. 24, “Believers” can bring their
stamped letters to Santa to their local Macy’s store, and for each letter received, Macy’s will donate $1
to Make-A-Wish, up to $1 million,
to help grant the wishes of children
with life-threatening medical conditions. New this year and as part
of the letter collection, customers
can also visit macys.com/believe
— online or via mobile device - to
email their letter to Santa.
This year, Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada plans to kick off the
Believe campaign with Bozarth
Elementary School, a “Kids for
Wish Kids” partner program
school. Two-hundred fifth-grade
students will arrive at the new
Downtown Summerlin mall to
deliver 1,000 letters from the school
in support of Make-A-Wish and the
Macy’s sets out to achieve GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for
the longest wish list to Santa as part of the annual Believe campaign
Believe campaign.
WHEN: November 7, 2014
WHERE: 2075 Festival Plaza
Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89135
Since 2006, Macy’s “Believe”
campaign has garnered support and
participation from customers across
the country, resulting in more than
$8.7 million donated to Make-AWish and helping grant the wishes
of kids everywhere, including
southern Nevada.
*****
Alpha K9 service
dog trainer wins
2014 French Ring National
Tierney Bagley, an Alpha K9
Service Dog Trainer, has won the
2014 North American Ring Association (NARA) Championship.
Alpha K9 is known for their work
with Veterans and providing PTSD
Service Dogs as well as Working
Dogs for law enforcement purposes. Now with Tierney joining
the Alpha K9 team we are pleased
to add sporting dog work to our roster of training services.
Alpha K9 as well as Tuscan
Natural Dog Food sponsored
Tierney’s trip to the NARA Championships this year in full support
of the talented training duo and their
goals. Our CEO was quoted, “This
is Tierney’s first National Championship as well as Alpha K9’s first
National Championship Dog Team.
Alpha K9 and I are extremely proud
of Tierney and her dog Trait.”
Alpha K9 is a Combat Disabled
Veteran run Non-Profit organization dedicated to the principle of
providing highly skilled PTSD Service Dogs and Working Dogs to
those whose lives depend on them.
Funding for our PTSD Service Dog
Program comes from Sponsors such
as Tuscan Natural Dog Food,
Lashers Elk grove Subaru and
Dodge, private donors and our
training services. We are very excited to have this team to help us
exceed our goals this year!
More information about Alpha
K9
can
be
found
at
www.AlphaK9.org
*****
’Tis the Season’ Arts and
Crafts Show coming to
the Center of Las Vegas,
December 6th
JNS Promotions has announced
the upcoming ’Tis the Season’ Arts
and Crafts Show taking place at The
Center of Las Vegas on Saturday,
December 6th, 2014 from 10AM to
3PM. The Center is located at 401
S. Maryland Pkwy, just North of E.
Charleston Blvd.
This indoor craft show features
many products including quality
handmade and handcrafted items
from talented Artisans for those last
minute gifts and holiday shoppers.
With an array of wonderful gifts
available there is something for everyone. There is plenty of free parking and easy access with free admission to the craft show.
Anyone interested in participating in this event, JNS Promotions
are still accepting vendor applications for the December 6, 2014
show at this time.
Inquiries can be made at
[email protected] or
by
calling
JanMarie
at
702.982.1416 or Samara at
702.655.6655.
At JNS Promotions is committed to supporting the community
through their local Artists and
Crafters that both benefit them and
the charities of Las Vegas. The company provides charitable donations
and helps those in need throughout
the Las Vegas valley.
For information visit website
www.designsbyjanmarie.biz
*****
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.
2014 Unofficial Clark
County Election Results
2014 GENERAL ELECTION
Unofficial Final Results
REGISTRATION & TURNOUT
822,922 Registered Voters
Voting Method Total
%
ELECTION DAY TURNOUT 147,549 17.93%
EARLY VOTE TURNOUT 171,284 20.81%
MAIL TURNOUT
22,342 2.71%
Total
341,175 41.46%
REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
DISTRICT 1
Precincts Reporting: 305 of 305 (100%)
Candidate
Votes %Total
IAP - Bakari, Kamau
1,624
2.02%
LIB - Charles, Richard ‘’Ricardo Carlos’’
2,612
3.25%
REP - Teijeiro, Annette
30,400 37.88%
DEM - Titus, Dina
45,618 56.84 %
Total
80,254
DISTRICT 3
DEM - Bilbray, Erin
52,615 36.12%
IND - Goossen, David
1,637
1.12%
REP - Heck, Joe
88,502 60.76%
LIB - Kimmick, Randy
1,563
1.07%
IND - St. John, Steven
1,344
0.92%
Total
145,661
DISTRICT 4
IAP - Best, Russell
2,131
1.95%
LIB - Brown, Steve
3,384
3.09%
REP - Hardy, Cresent
50,989 46.61%
DEM - Horsford, Steven 52,899 48.35%
Total
109,403
GOVERNOR
DEM - Goodman, Robert 97,097 28.75%
REP - Sandoval, Brian 223,434 66.17%
IAP - VanDerBeek, David 7,482
2.22%
None of These Candidates 9,675
2.87%
Total
337,688
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
DEM - Flores, Lucy
128,557 38.17%
REP - Hutchison, Mark 188,429 55.94%
IAP - Little, Mike
10,240
3.04%
2.85%
Total
336,821
SECRETARY OF STATE
REP - Cegavske, Barbara164,782 49.20%
DEM - Marshall, Kate
160,237 47.85%
2.95%
Total
334,907
STATE TREASURER
IAP - Cave, Kress K.
9,056
2.72%
REP - Schwartz, Dan
160,933 48.37%
DEM - Wallin, Kim
152,094 45.71%
None of These Candidates10,650
3.20%
Total
332,733
STATE CONTROLLER
Precincts Reporting: 1089 of 1089(100%)
IAP - Jones, Tom
15,023
4.53%
REP - Knecht, Ron
163,617 49.28%
DEM - Martin, Andrew 139,724 42.09%
None of These Candidates13,625
4.10%
Total
331,989
ATTORNEY GENERAL
IAP - Hansen, Jonathan J 15,944
4.75%
REP - Laxalt, Adam Paul 145,890 43.48%
DEM - Miller, Ross
164,632 49.06%
2.71%
Total
335,555
STATE SENATE DISTRICT 2
IAP - Baker, Louis J.
1,758 23.63%
DEM - Denis, Mo
5,683 76.37%
Total
7,441
REP - Farley, Patricia
16,205 57.03%
IAP - Kamerath, Jon
1,119
3.94%
DEM - Loop, Marilyn
11,092
39.3%
Total
28,416
REP - Harris, Becky
12,475 55.22%
DEM - Jones, Justin
10,116 44.78%
Total
22,591
DEM - Kihuen, Ruben
8,143 64.87%
LIB - Uehling, Ed
4,409 35.13%
Total
12,552
REP - Hardy, Joe
28,659 100.00%
Total
28,659
DEM - Lowry, Teresa
10,959 39.60%
REP - Roberson, Michael 16,714 60.40%
Total
27,673
DEM - Manendo, Mark
9,597 53.54%
REP - McGinnis, Ron L.
8,328 46.46%
Total
17,925
STATE ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 1
REP - Baum, Roger ‘’OZ’’ 4,986 40.50%
DEM - Kirkpatrick, Marilyn 7,325 59.50%
Total
12,311
REP - Hambrick, John
11,247 79.17%
IAP - Maimbourg, A.J.
2,959 20.83%
Total
14,206
DEM - Araujo, Nelson
4,381 55.90%
REP - Marquez, Jesus
3,456 44.10%
Total
7,837
REP - Fiore, Michele
9,090 62.38%
DEM - Hinton, Jeff
5,483 37.62%
Total
14,573
REP - Nelson, Erv
6,988 56.85%
DEM - Strasser, Jerri D.
5,304 43.15%
Total
12,292
DEM - Munford, Harvey J. 5,292 100.00%
Total
5,292
REP - Leavitt, Brent
3,030 33.37%
DEM - Neal, Dina
6,049 66.63%
Total
9,079
DEM - Frierson, Jason
4,147 49.76%
REP - Moore, John
4,187 50.24%
Total
8,334
REP - Gardner, David M. 5,630 52.10%
DEM - Yeager, Steve
5,176 47.90%
Total
10,806
DEM - Holder, Jesse
3,926 49.57%
REP - Shelton, Shelly M. 3,994 50.43%
Total
7,920
DEM - Diaz, Olivia
3,184 100.00%
Total
3,184
DEM - Ohrenschall, James 6,698 60.49%
IAP - Warren, Troy
4,375 39.51%
Total
11,073
REP - Anderson, Paul
9,493 62.38%
DEM - Kramar, Christine 5,726 37.62%
Total
15,219
DEM - Carlton, Maggie
3,685 60.48%
REP - Yarbrough, Matthew 2,408 39.52%
Total
6,093
DEM - Anderson, Elliot T. 4,691 60.44%
REP - Donlon, Benjamin 2,620 33.76%
LIB - Juarez, Roberto S.
450
5.80%
Total
7,761
DEM - Swank, Heidi
4,190 100.00%
Total
4,190
IAP - Little, Patricia ‘’Pat’’
580
6.38%
REP - Mendez, Patrick
3,522 38.76%
DEM - Thompson, Tyrone 4,985 54.86%
Total
9,087
DEM - Beaulieu, Amy
3,244 45.09%
DEM - Carrillo, Richard
3,951 54.91%
Total
7,195
REP - Edwards, Chris
8,503 65.10%
LIB - Hendon, Donald Wayne 659
5.05%
DEM - Zygadlo, James
3,900 29.86%
Total
13,062
REP - Linton, Carol
4,774 45.74%
DEM - Spiegel, Ellen
5,664 54.26%
Total
10,438
REP - Armstrong, Derek 6,033 50.22%
DEM - Eisen, Andy
5,582 46.47%
LIB - Sanacore, Adam-John 398
3.31%
Total
12,013
IAP - Lalley, Leroy T.
3,356 21.13%
REP - Stewart, Lynn
12,526 78.87%
Total
15,882
REP - Woodbury, Melissa 17,639 100.00%
Total
17,639
DEM - Flores, Edgar R.
3,388 100.00%
Total
3,388
DEM - Cohen, Lesley
6,171 45.23%
REP - Silberkraus, Stephen 7,474 54.77%
Total
13,645
REP - Seaman, Victoria
6,840 56.23%
DEM - Smith, Meghan
5,324 43.77%
Total
12,164
DEM - Healey, James
5,332 46.74%
REP - Jones, Brent A.
6,077 53.26%
Total
11,409
REP - Oscarson, James 3,579 100.00%
Total
3,579
REP - Duncan, Wesley 10,855 61.37%
DEM - Mackin, Gerald
6,362 35.97%
LIB - Pombo, Lou
470
2.66%
Total
17,687
DEM - Aizley, Paul
4,632 44.28%
REP - Dooling, Vicki
5,829 55.72%
Total
10,461
DEM - Bustamante Adams 4,417 63.72%
IAP - Scheff, Howard
2,515 36.28%
Total
6,932
COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT E
DEM - Giunchigliani, Chris 21,639 61.41%
REP - Thibodeau, Joe
13,596 38.59%
Total
35,235
COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT F
DEM - Brager, Susan
24,426 49.76%
IAP - Darrel, Lyal S.
966
1.97%
LIB - Smith, Jason G.
2,008
4.09%
REP - Tracy, Mitchell T. 21,689 44.18%
Total
49,089
COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT G
REP - Lake, Cindy
28,311 49.11%
DEM - Scow, Mary Beth 29,337 50.89%
Total
57,648
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
LIB - Duensing, Jr., Raymond James ‘’Jim’’
86,358 27.74%
DEM - Wolfson, Steve 224,920 72.26%
Total
311,278
COUNTY ASSESSOR
IAP - Barnhill, Brad Lee 38,825 12.78%
LIB - Hagan, Tim
72,064 23.72%
DEM - Shafe, Michele W. 192,875 63.50%
Total
303,764
COUNTY CLERK
DEM - Goya, Lynn
165,064 51.56%
REP - Hols, William
155,047 48.44%
Total
320,111
COUNTY RECORDER
DEM - Conway, Debbie 157,773 48.81%
REP - Hotchkiss, Don 144,594 44.73%
LIB - Johnson, Douglas 11,780
3.64%
IAP - Maclean, Shannon C. 9,105
2.82%
Total
323,252
COUNTY TREASURER
DEM - Fitzpatrick, Laura 181,640 56.21%
REP - Javornicky, Mike 141,485 43.79%
Total
323,125
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR
DEM - Cahill, John J.
170,600 53.14%
REP - Klapproth, Ed
150,446 46.86%
Total
321,046
CONSTABLE,
BOULDER TOWNSHIP
REP - Hampe, Steve
4,365 100.00%
Total
4,365
CONSTABLE,
BUNKERVILLE TOWNSHIP
DEM - Laub, Erik
270 100.00%
Total
270
CONSTABLE,
GOODSPRINGS TOWNSHIP
DEM - Derschan, Ken
203 39.65%
REP - Rogers, Gary P.
309 60.35%
Total
512
CONSTABLE,
HENDERSON TOWNSHIP
REP - Mitchell, Earl
41,289 65.55%
DEM - Watson, Terry
21,701 34.45%
Total
62,990
CONSTABLE,
LAUGHLIN TOWNSHIP
REP - Ross, Jordan
1,316 100.00%
Total
1,316
CONSTABLE,
MESQUITE TOWNSHIP
REP - Thurston, Duane L. 3,757 100.00%
Total
3,757
CONSTABLE,
MOAPA TOWNSHIP
REP - Leavitt, Gary L.
196 100.00%
Total
196
CONSTABLE,
MOAPA VALLEY TOWNSHIP
REP - Frei, Leon S.
1,889 100.00%
Total
1,889
CONSTABLE,
N. LAS VEGAS TOWNSHIP
DEM - Eliason, Robert L. 19,340 60.32%
REP - Martin, Jon
12,722 39.68%
Total
32,062
CONSTABLE,
SEARCHLIGHT TOWNSHIP
REP - Cochran, Jack
179 100.00%
Total
179
JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT
SEAT B
NP - Pickering, Kristina 213,407 75.56%
None of These Candidates 69,012 24.44%
Total
282,419
JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT
SEAT D
NP - Gibbons, Mark
221,704 78.38%
None of These Candidates 61,139 21.62%
Total
282,843
DISTRICT COURT JUDGE
DEPARTMENT 2
NP - Scotti, Richard
142,429
53.55%
NP - Watkins, John G. 123,566 46.45%
Total
265,995
DEPARTMENT 3
NP - Davidson, Michael D.103,105 38.25%
NP - Herndon, Douglas W. 166,465 61.75%
Total
269,570
DEPARTMENT 4
NP - Earley, Kerry Louise 173,213 65.61%
NP - Smith, Steve
90,784 34.39%
Total
263,997
DEPARTMENT 5
NP - Ellsworth, Carolyn 183,392 68.03%
NP - Horne, William C.
86,189 31.97%
Total
269,581
DEPARTMENT 8
NP - Guerci-Nyhus, Christine
116,601 43.97%
NP - Smith, Doug
148,576 56.03%
Total
265,177
DEPARTMENT 14
NP - Escobar, Adriana 189,304 70.71%
NP - Root, Michael
78,430 29.29%
Total
267,734
DEPARTMENT 19
NP - Kephart, William
187,636 70.93%
NP - Marcek, Cliff
76,918 29.07%
Total
264,554
DEPARTMENT 20
NP - Perrino, Nicholas Anthony
87,157 32.56%
NP - Tao, Jerry
180,555 67.44%
Total
267,712
DEPARTMENT 22
NP - Hafter, Jacob
66,047 24.75%
NP - Johnson, Susan
200,862 75.25%
Total
266,909
DEPARTMENT 23
NP - Friedberg, Craig
74,840 28.24%
NP - Miley, Stefany A.
190,152 71.76%
Total
264,992
DEPARTMENT 24
NP - Crockett, Jim
142,206 53.22%
NP - Hardy, Jr., Joe
124,975 46.78%
Total
267,181
DEPARTMENT 25
NP - Connell, Sean P.
96,245 36.74%
NP - Delaney, Kathleen 165,727 63.26%
Total
261,972
DEPARTMENT 28
NP - Bush, Susan
127,468 46.40%
NP - Israel, Ron
147,224 53.60%
Total
274,692
DEPARTMENT 30
NP - Rugg, Jeffrey S.
72,025 27.56%
NP - Wiese, Jerry A.
189,298 72.44%
Total
261,323
DEPARTMENT 32
NP - Bare, Rob
155,745 60.85%
NP - Tindall, Randall
100,201 39.15%
Total
255,946
DISTRICT COURT JUDGE,
FAMILY DIV. DEPT. B
NP - Marquis, Linda
162,675 62.73%
NP - Scalia, II, Joseph A. 96,670 37.27%
Total
259,345
FAMILY DIV. DEPT. C
NP - Burton, Rebecca 167,533 65.38%
NP - Howard, Jr., John Hall ‘’Jack’’
88,714 34.62%
Total
256,247
FAMILY DIV. DEPT. D
NP - Kurth Jr., Robert
115,203 45.47%
NP - Teuton, Robert W. 138,153 54.53%
Total
253,356
FAMILY DIV. DEPT. F
NP - Gentile, Denise L. 144,509 54.59%
NP - Gonzalez, William 120,211 45.41%
Total
264,720
FAMILY DIV. DEPT. H
NP - Lyons, Keith
109,664 43.23%
NP - Ritchie, Art
144,041 56.77%
Total
253,705
FAMILY DIV. DEPT. I
NP - Moss, Cheryl
164,670 63.42%
NP - Shetler, Travis
94,976 36.58%
Total
259,646
FAMILY DIV. DEPT. J
NP - Hughes, Rena G. 149,348 57.81%
NP - Pollock, Kenneth E. 109,006 42.19%
Total
258,354
FAMILY DIV. DEPT. L
NP - Elliott, Jennifer L. 157,138 61.16%
NP - Gaudet, Paul ‘’Mitch’’ 99,772 38.84%
Total
256,910
FAMILY DIV. DEPT. M
NP - Potter, William
165,127 65.33%
NP - Stuart, James
87,638 34.67%
Total
252,765
(See Additional Election Results
Continued on Page 5)
Election Results GOP
FAMILY DIV. DEPT. N
NP - Harter, Mathew
164,282 64.21%
NP - Levy, Monti Jordana 91,585 35.79%
Total
255,867
FAMILY DIV. DEPT. P
NP - Gibbs, Nathan
122,971 47.36%
NP - Pomrenze, Sandra 136,681 52.64%
Total
259,652
FAMILY DIV. DEPT. S
NP - Ochoa, Vincent
167,788 64.84%
NP - Stoffel, Jason
91,000 35.16%
Total
258,788
FAMILY DIV. DEPT. T
NP - Brown, Lisa M.
143,173 55.18%
NP - Maskall, Maria
116,273 44.82%
Total
259,446
REGENT,
STATE UNIVERSITY DISTRICT 2
NP - Blakely, Robert J.
13,031 47.16%
NP - Hayes, Trevor
14,600 52.84%
Total
27,631
REGENT,
NP - Hurst, Tom
11,247 40.64%
NP - Page, Kevin J.
16,425 59.36%
Total
27,672
REGENT,
NP - Lieberman, Sam
8,026 62.79%
NP - Spirtos, Nick M.
4,756 37.21%
Total
12,782
TRUSTEE, CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL
DISTRICT D
NP - Child, Kevin L.
9,916 52.25%
NP - Corbett, Steven
9,061 47.75%
Total
18,977
DISTRICT F
NP - Edwards, Carolyn 24,827 63.36%
NP - Krauss, Ralph
14,356 36.64%
Total
39,183
DISTRICT G
NP - Cranor, Erin Earlene 18,224 52.57%
NP - Spencer, Joe
16,442 47.43%
Total
34,666
BOARD MEMBER, MOAPA VALLEY
WATER DISTRICT, LOGANDA
NP - Carson, Scott Roy
497 48.44%
NP - Wheeler, Ryan N.
529 51.56%
Total
1,026
BOARD MEMBER, VIRGIN VALLEY
WATER DISTRICT, MESQUITE
NP - Ellestad, Barbara J. 2,491 26.58%
NP - Kepler, Larry John
1,133 12.09%
NP - Miller, Ted
1,554 16.58%
NP - Ramaker, Sandra
2,185 23.31%
NP - Smith, Robert
2,010 21.44%
Total
9,373
TRUSTEE, OVERTON POWER DIST. 4,
BUNKERVILLE
NP - Bunker, Robert
196 67.82%
NP - Wilson, Michael F.
93 32.18%
Total
289
MESQUITE
NP - Pugh, Jim
1,094 30.44%
NP - Young, Mike
2,500 69.56%
Total
3,594
MESQUITE
NP - Ballweg, David P.
1,751 48.60%
NP - Waite, Douglas P.
1,852 51.40%
Total
3,603
AT LARGE
NP - Hughes, Shawn Lyle 1,252 20.06%
NP - Hurd, Bill
2,093 33.54%
NP - Metz, Judy
2,140 34.29%
NP - Miller, Steven
756 12.11%
Total
6,241
SHERIFF
NP - Burns, Larry
147,065 48.84%
NP - Lombardo, Joe
154,046 51.16%
Total
301,111
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE LAS VEGAS
TOWNSHIP DEPT. 12
NP - Kamalani, Marian Kahoiwai
39,558 22.81%
NP - Sullivan, Diana L. 133,895 77.19%
Total
173,453
STATE QUESTION NO. 1
YES
188,241 57.24%
NO
140,595 42.76%
Total
328,836
YES
180,789 54.97%
NO
148,082 45.03%
Total
328,871
YES
78,899 23.46%
NO
257,401 76.54%
Total
336,300
BOULDER QUESTION NO. 1
YES
4,102 77.70%
NO
1,177 22.30%
Total
5,279
BOULDER QUESTION NO. 2
YES
3,737 70.63 %
NO
1,554 29.37%
Total
5,291
George W. Bush in his last two years in office, after Congress swung completely to
Democrats.
High on the list is repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Senator McConnell is also
interested in trying to roll back regulations,
particularly relating to carbon emissions, of
vital importance to the Kentucky coal industry.
At the same time, Republican leaders in
both chambers say they want to put forth a
mix of small- to medium-bore legislation that
can gain bipartisan support — to show voters that Republicans are capable of governing, and are not simply obstructionists.
“I do think we have an obligation to work
together on issues where we can agree,”
McConnell said of his relationship with President Obama. “Just because we have a twoparty system doesn’t mean we have to be in
perpetual conflict.”
How this works in practice remains to be
seen.
Even before the election, Senate and
House Republicans were considering legislation that could gain bipartisan support: tax
reform, rules that would ease the president’s
ability to negotiate a pan-Asian free trade
agreement, prison-sentencing reform, and
energy exports and development.
But some of the Democrats who supported
the Keystone XL pipeline, for instance, have
lost their races, including Kay Hagan of North
Carolina, and Mark Pryor of Arkansas. Mary
Landrieu of Louisiana is headed to a runoff
on Dec. 6 that polls show she is likely to lose.
And some Democrats will want to block
GOP efforts, just as Republicans blocked
Democrats.
“My guess is you are going to see an effort by some Democrats to sabotage,” says
McConnell spokesman Don Stewart.
But so may some Tea Party Republicans.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R) of Texas, a Tea Party
darling who is eyeing a presidential bid in
2016, has sharp elbows and hard-line positions. When asked by The Washington Post
whether he would vote for Mr. McConnell
as majority leader, he did not pledge his support.
In a Senate where it takes only one person to filibuster — and 60 votes to overcome
that filibuster — Senator Cruz alone can do
considerable damage.
“I think that Cruz is a particular problem,
because he more than [others] has decided
he’s going to break some crockery,” says Ross
Baker, a congressional expert at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J.
But the senator who led the partial government shutdown last fall is also on the same
page with the GOP leadership on many issues, including the repeal of the Affordable
Care Act.
McConnell’s spokesman, Mr. Stewart,
describes “a buffet” of options — from partial to full repeal, which his boss supports.
These actions would face a presidential
veto except, perhaps, for something like repealing a tax on medical devices, which enjoys some bipartisan report.
In a statement, Sen. Harry Reid, the outgoing Democratic majority leader from Nevada, said of Tuesday’s election: “The message from voters is clear: they want us to work
together.”
Political observers say the coming presidential election — in which Republicans will
have to show national appeal and defend Senate seats in blue states — will encourage some
modest dealmaking.
But it also will encourage clash, so that
the GOP can vividly show voters a choice.
The feeling was short-lived, however.
Upon her return one day, later than expected
because she had had some car trouble, she
learned that the baby had taken a fall at the
pool and bumped his head. Williams had
checked him out and he appeared to be fine.
Gonzales checked his pupils again and also
determined by his behavior that he was fine.
She understood that accidents do happen, so
although it made her uneasy, she did not lay
blame for the fall on Williams. But she did
notice that Williams was hanging around
much more than was necessary and that ever
since the day of the car trouble and money
wire for her expenses, had been asking her
for extra money on a consistent basis.
On July 13, 2013, baby Elgin’s father,
Eugene, came to visit bringing with him a
car for Rhiannon and his baby. He was not
as taken with Williams as Gonzales had originally been. That same weekend Williams
asked Gonzales if her boyfriend could stay
with her while she watched the children.
Gonzales was not comfortable with that request and decided that she would let Williams go. The entire relationship with Williams lasted about two-and-a-half weeks.
On Monday, July 15, Rhiannon let her
daughter sleep late while she worked on her
laptop and baby Elgin played in his walker.
When Iyanna did awake, she took her baby
brother out of his walker and placed him in
the corner of her lofted bed, unbeknownst to
Gonzales. Gonzales noticed that a mess had
been left on the floor after she had repeatedly told Iyanna to clean it up the night before, so she called her daughter out of her
bedroom to pick it up. There was a knock on
the door. It was Brittany Williams, Kyrene’s
sister, to collect Kyrene’s things. While
Gonzales and Williams were at the door,
Gonzales called Iyanna away from picking
up the mess to go get a purse and pillow that
Williams had left in her car. Afterward, they
heard a thump and Gonzales found her baby
on her daughter’s bedroom floor where he
had fallen from the elevated bed.
She scooped him into her arms to comfort him and Williams left. It soon became
evident that he was not right — his eyes were
rolling up into his head, his toes were pointing and his back was arching — he was stiffening up. They immediately called 911.
While they were waiting for help to arrive,
Gonzales was outside crying for someone to
help her.
Two neighbors came to her aid: Pamela
Isaacs, who brought the baby inside her apartment and laid him on her couch, and Remy
Samuel who had just arrived home and was
met in the parking lot by his girlfriend who
told him that there was a woman crying who
sounded like she needed help. Kyrene and
Brittany Williams also appeared in Isaacs’
apartment in response to a phone call for help
from Gonzales.
The baby was conscious by the time the
paramedics arrived and was rushed to
Children’s Hospital Nevada where he underwent a subdural hematoma evacuation to
drain the blood that had collected internally,
while Child Protective Services and the Las
Vegas Police Department were summoned.
Upon Neurosurgeon Jason Garber’s allegation that the baby had been abused,
Gonzales immediately turned to her daughter and asked her if anyone had touched her
or her brother. Before she could get an answer she was yanked away by LVMPD Neglect and Abuse Detective Monique Bulmer,
who would later go on to report that she observed Gonzales “coaching her daughter on
what to say.” Gonzales and her daughter were
ushered out of the hospital for questioning at
her apartment, although she offered to give
CPS and the Las Vegas Police the keys to the
apartment so that they could go investigate
on their own and she and her daughter could
remain at the hospital with their baby.
That was the beginning of Rhiannon
Gonzalez’ nightmare and a reality check that
many parents confront in Las Vegas where
Family Court judges enjoy taking children
away from the parent and giving them up for
adoption.
Recently, last September, Nevada Supreme Court Justice Nancy Saitta formed a
Blue Ribbon Committee to look into problems with the Clark County child welfare system and courts.
On October 2 of this year Las Vegas Tribune ran an article penned exclusively for the
newspaper by Parker Philpot where she
stated: “The pages of this newspaper and programs on RadioTribune.com have been filled
for years with articles covering the Division
of Child and Family Services and exposing
major problems and questionable rulings in
several cases that came before the family
courts. Accounts of families and children the
system not only did not protect, but who instead became targets of abuse and torment
or neglect, are proof that deeper investigation into the county’s system is warranted.”
That week, the Nevada Supreme Court
Justice Nancy Saitta and others have gone
on record vowing to look into and correct the
“shortcomings” and “deficiencies” in the
agency and systems overseeing children’s
welfare.
Philpot quoted Justice Saitta as stating,
“These children deserve better, and I get no
sense of urgency on the part of the system.
This committee will identify the most serious
issues in the child welfare system and work
with [county] officials to make sure they are
corrected quickly.”
However, the Las Vegas Tribune has heard
these words too many times and nothing new
ever happens and the newspaper does not
hang too much hope on the words of Justice
Saitta despite the fact that the Las Vegas Tribune has endorsed her in many elections.
Next week: Chapter 2, CPS workers and
Las Vegas Police separated mother and
daughter...
Gonzales
Election
In Department 20, the incumbent, Harry
Reid’s protégée, Judge Jerry Tao, doubled
the votes of his challenger, Nick Perrino, who
displayed his qualifications and experience
by putting up a good fight; but the voters
apparently did not know how to appreciate
those qualities — and won’t, until they have
to come face to face with an unfair judge.
In Family Court division, the results were
even more drastic and scary because the
families and children that know very little
of the judicial races most likely became victims of voter fraud — or at the least, voter
manipulation.
As we reported in the beginning of this
article, retaining Judge Ochoa is the biggest
voting crime anyone could commit, re-electing a judge that steals a little girl from her
mother for vindictive reasons, a judge that
does not know how to control his temper,
and a judge who lies. One would naturally
assume he would have been ousted, but now
those who will appear before him will suffer
the consequences.
Electing a woman to Department B of
Family Court who had the audacity to say
that she would win the election because she
has the money, is now a very sad reality.
Judge-elect Linda Marquis doesn’t even
know where Family Court is located and has
never practiced in Family Court — and yet
she won, based on the most ridiculous reason to elect anyone to a judicial position.
In the race for our new sheriff, the status
quo prevailed with Gillespie’s shouldertapped candidate emerging as the candidate
chosen, by a very small margin, likely because of his claim to a lifetime of experience and dedication to the community, according to his own words.
By 2 o’clock in the morning the race was
pretty much at a standstill with Joe Lombardo
2 percent ahead at 51 percent of the votes
counted compared to Larry Burns with 49
percent of the votes. It was the closest race
ever in Clark County; but still, as always,
the establishment took over and the community loses again.
Our sincere thanks go out to all the candidates who took the time and put in the effort to serve our community with the intention of making a change for the better.
From The Desk
to keep the peace. And this policy
will continue, right? The first death
or serious injury that occurs, I personally believe that the participants
would have a basis for a lawsuit
against the police department for
not duly responding and keeping
the peace. Why would we pay taxes
when we don’t get the proper police service? There are plenty of
traffic motor officers issuing nothing but traffic tickets who could
respond to a non-injury traffic accident to keep participants from
killing one another. And let’s not
forget the increase in non-injury
traffic accidents that will eventually
involve impaired drivers under the
influence of marijuana that is coming our way, to say nothing of those
non-injury accidents that have already involved those under the influence of alcohol.
The current policy which allows
for a fully commissioned police officer to suddenly not show up for
work (to be AWOL), and to remain
missing for a month without anyone investigating the reason, is the
same policy that then led to nothing being done when his severed
head showed up near Lake Mead,
in the desert, rotting away, STILL
with no follow up investigation or
even media coverage by anyone.
This all actually occurred in December of 2007, and the officer
whose head was found was
LVMPD Officer Kevin Scott
Dailey.
The current policy of converting
and tainting criminal evidence in
police officer involved fatal
shootings of citizens of this community, without any oversight or
review, even though other pertinent
evidence has resurfaced, which includes the involvement of the FBI
and Justice Department, and their
knowledge of this pertinent evidence, is still in full swing.
The current policy of tolerating
and condoning the criminal conduct
of “Special Individuals,” usually of
high ranking positions within the
police department, or just plain
“Kool-Aid Drinkers” — employees
destined to kiss the dragging robes
of the new sheriff while overlooking criminal acts such as murder,
rape, drug-dealing, malfeasance,
discrimination, nepotism, theft,
threats to life, false arrest, evidence
tampering, etc., is still in full swing.
How about the current policy of
censoring pertinent documentation
regarding the health and safety of
police employees that are subjected
to extreme hazardous conditions,
whereby they lose their lives in performing their duties, such as the
helicopter squadron and the censored after-action reports that were
withheld and redacted before being
given to the FAA?
How about the current policy of
using outside “reality TV shows” to
videotape actual police operations
and having the ability to redact, destroy, or hide the video when things
go terribly wrong and may show the
police department in disfavor?
And how about the logical
policy of not being able to campaign for the office of sheriff, on
duty, when it is obvious that “NoShow Joe” and his mentor were
City Council honors
Las Vegas Tribune
By Las Vegas Tribune Staff
Last Thursday, while an Open House party was taking place at the
new offices of the Las Vegas Tribune, Mayor Pro-Tem Stavros Anthony
walked in; after being greeted by the newspaper’s managing editor,
Maramis Choufani, and John Thomas, Radio Tribune’s general manager,
and after shaking hands with many of the attendees familiar with the Mayor
Pro-Tem, Anthony surprised everyone by presenting a package containing a beautiful plaque that the City of Las Vegas bestowed upon the Las
Vegas Tribune newspaper for a job well done during the last 16 years.
Stavros Anthony has been, for a very long time, a favorite friend of the
newspaper, one who has always had the support of the Las Vegas Tribune, but the plaque was a very pleasant surprise because it was totally
unexpected.
A retired police captain-turned city councilman, Stavros has been a
guest on Radio Tribune along with Mayor Carolyn Goodman, and has
always maintained a cordial relationship with the newspaper — in particular, with the founder of Las Vegas Tribune, Rolando Larraz.
“The management and the staff of the Las Vegas Tribune are grateful
for the recognition and express a warm “thank you” to the entire Las
Vegas City Council for their gracious gesture,” stated Choufani.
constantly campaigning on duty for
the benefit of NO SHOW JOE’s
Campaign for Sheriff.
And then there’s the policy of
hiding under the desk when constitutional violations are committed
against Clark County residents in
the form of armed aggression
against law-abiding citizens operating under the rule of law (Cliven
Bundy), or maybe even operating
under the 2nd Amendment and the
right to bear arms.
Yes, the crying is only beginning
in that almost fifty percent of the
residents believed that there should
have been a change for the better,
whereby the other fifty percent either didn’t understand, or were not
aware; or they too, were bought and
paid for by the rich and powerful.
At any rate, we are in for a rough
ride, which will actually be for the
betterment of the community. My
only hope is that nobody innocent
will get hurt by the continual cleanup, clean-out, and the necessary
purging of trash that is necessary
to bring Honor, Integrity and Ethics back to policing in the Las Vegas Community.
God help us all.
IN GOD WE TRUST
*****
Gordon Martines is a former
LVMPD detective who has served
in many capacities over his 39-year
career in law enforcement. He has
been a candidate for sheriff in 2002,
2006, 2010 and 2014, with the intention of bringing integrity and accountability back to the department,
and filed a federal lawsuit against
LVMPD in 2011. Martines now
contributes his opinions and ideas
to the Las Vegas Tribune to keep the
public informed and help improve
policing in Las Vegas. He has also
appeared on the Face the Tribune
radio program several times to
share his plan for a better LVMPD.
Rebuke
Capito, a Republican, easily defeated her Democratic opponent to replace Senator Jay Rockefeller, who is retiring after 30 years in the Senate.
Mike Rounds, a former Republican governor of South Dakota, won
the third pickup to add to the Republican gains, according to projections
by The A.P. And in Montana, Representative Steve Daines, a Republican,
won a seat that had been in Democratic hands for decades.
In an outcome that diminished the chances of the Democrats’ clinging
to the majority, the Republican businessman David Perdue defeated
Michelle Nunn, a Democrat, and avoided a runoff in Georgia’s Senate
race, The A.P. reported. Democrats had hoped that Ms. Nunn, the daughter of former Senator Sam Nunn, could grab a Republican seat.
And the Democrats lost their opportunity to pick up a Republicanheld seat in Kansas when Senator Pat Roberts, the longtime incumbent,
was projected by the news networks to be the victor over Greg Orman, a
businessman who ran as an independent.
In New Hampshire, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat and former
governor, beat back a challenge from Scott Brown, a former Republican
senator from Massachusetts, The A.P. projected.
Mr. McConnell of Kentucky handily won re-election, giving the Republicans the first victory.
The Washington Post, meanwhile, pointed to exit polls that seemed to
lay responsibility for the loss directly at the feet of President Obama:
The rapid-fire victories represented a repudiation of the president, who
rode into office on a mantle of change in 2008 and was re-elected in 2012
but whose second term has bogged down in problems ranging from crises
abroad to the arrival of Ebola in the United States. Throughout the hardfought the campaign, Obama was a target of Republican candidates and
in the end was reduced to campaigning only in secure Democratic bastions.
“We are heading to Washington.. and we are going to make ‘em squeal!”
a jubilant state Sen. Joni Ernst told cheering supporters in Iowa, where
she defeated Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley in the seventh GOP pickup
of a Democratic-held seat.
As polls closed in Arkansas, where Rep. Tom Cotton (R) captured
incumbent Sen. Mark Pryor’s Senate seat, Sen. John Boozman said the
results were more a “referendum” on the president than a statement about
the Republican Party and its agenda.
“Our party did better with its operation and it had better candidates,
but this election was about what was occurring in the country and the
world,” Boozman, the state’s incumbent Republican senator said in an
interview. “People are concerned about the Middle East, they’re worried
about what’s happening at home. That created this atmosphere for Republicans.”
The Republican-controlled Senate, which will take office in January,
is expected to complicate Obama’s agenda in ways large and small. Not
only will his nominees face tougher Senate scrutiny, his push for a sweeping international climate change agreement will face resistence. Republicans are expected to demand approval of the controversial Keystone XL
pipeline and to push to dismantle key pieces of the Affordable Care Act.
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
HOA Scam: Benzer still
trying to pull a fast one
If the room smells fishy, there must be fish in the room;
and the Home Owners Association scheme that federal
agents have dragged along for years may finally be coming to a close, but is no one going to be punished for Leon
Benzer’s scam?
A six-year-old investigation of the Home Owners Association fraud led by Leon Benzer has been in and out of
federal court with some defendants making deals, others
awaiting sentence after making deals for less time and cooperating with federal prosecutors, and others found dead
in different parts of the city; and there was one attorney
who was found on the street, beaten up, with his pants
down to his knees, who left town and allegedly hung himself at his brother’s home in California.
Authorities believe that none of the defendants’ deaths
looked like foul play, but many people and others in the
legal community are not as cynical as those involved in
the HOA fraud or investigation.
Six years have passed since federal agents and local
Metro detectives swooped down on the city serving search
warrants at several locations including Leon Benzer’s Silver Lining Construction Company near Arville Ave. and
Flamingo Road.
Benzer — a cocky Puerto Rican from New York who
likes to act like a mob-connected individual, — who many
times bragged to Las Vegas Tribune he has many judges in
his pocket; and who, in the minds of many close to the
investigation, is the only one responsible for the scheme,
is trying to work out a deal with federal prosecutors to
work his way out of a long prison term.
Attorneys for some of the defendants are asking for a
change of venue because all the publicity that the case has
generated in the last six years could be prejudicial to them.
Among those asking for a change of venue is Benzer’s
half-sister, Edith Gillespie, who is represented by local attorney Chris Rasmussen.
Perhaps what federal prosecutors should do is turn all
the defendants loose and concentrate only on Leon Benzer
— the only manipulator of the group with his “Godfather”
attitude, even now, as a taxi-driver for a local cab company.
We believe that Leon Benzer will con the federal agents
with some of his sleazy stories and walk out a free man —
or at least with fewer charges than he deserves.
We hope that the federal prosecutors will open their eyes
and not let Leon Benzer cause them to throw six years of
impeccable investigation into the trash.
Jaywalkers:
Stupid, lazy,
irresponsible
We all know how busy and fast the traffic on Charleston
Boulevard can be, but still many people cross out of the
crosswalk, risking their own lives along with the possibility of interrupting the lives of those driving, because they
are just too lazy to walk to the traffic light.
Every day we see it on the news — how people die while
crossing the streets of our city; just this past weekend four
people lost their lives for not walking to the crosswalk or
the traffic light.
From our office we have seen many of these cases: a
man in a wheelchair; a woman with a baby in a stroller; a
woman with two little children who decided to start playing in the middle of the street while crossing to the other
side; a man with crutches who could hardly keep himself
standing on his two feet.
Why? When will people learn? Are they in that much of
a hurry that they can’t spend a few more minutes walking
to the right place to cross the street? Are they so lazy that
they’re willing to risk their life for a shorter way to get to
the other side? We KNOW people are often tying to catch
a bus. How will that justify their behavior when they wake
up in the hospital — or someone identifies them in the
morgue? — to say nothing of the mental and emotional
pain left behind in the driver(s) who hit them because of
their own irresponsibility!
This time of year, with Thanksgiving, Christmas and
New Year celebrations around the corner, holidays can be
ruined by the stupidity and laziness of those not willing to
cross the street at the proper place.
Those who are even more arrogant are the ones with a
cell phone glued to their ears and when they see a car passing close to them or not stopping, they look at the driver as
if the driver is at fault.
We hope that these irresponsible and selfish people have
a little compassion for the rest of us during these coming
holidays and stop breaking the law — for their own sake
as well as ours.
Election mistakes take four years to fix
By Perly Viasmensky
Some time ago I heard someone promising the citizens of this country “Hope and Change.” We saw them
both — “hope” for a new life that never happened and
“change” for the worse.
During this election many of us wanted to see hope
and change come to be a reality. We got it! Republicans won the majority of the seats in the Senate and
the majority leader changed. Congress is all red also.
Mitch McConnell is now set to become Senate
majority leader.
The people of Kentucky, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Georgia, Iowa, North Carolina, New Hampshire,
Florida and Virginia have spoken.
In Nevada there was no surprise in the triumph of
Governor Brian Sandoval. It was expected from day
one, even though this time around, we hope our good
governor will instruct his staff that when a constituent
writes a letter to him it is not up to his staff to take it
upon themselves to throw the letter in the wastebasket. We elected him and we expect to hear from him.
The Lt. Governor race was a no-brainier. Lucy
Flores was not qualified for the position nor would
she be for the position of governor when the time
comes. She made a big issue during the campaign of
having a difficult childhood. As much as Senator Harry
Reid pushed her, her childhood was no qualification
for the position.
It was a great feeling to see Adam Laxalt taking the
reigns of the Attorney General’s office. Regardless of
all the low blow attacks from Ross Miller, he made it.
It was about time to have another Laxalt in Nevada
politics. And I am sure Paul Laxalt is very proud of
his grandson.
On the local level, the judicial races were a total
disaster. Other than Judge Bill Kephart, every other
judge elected is useless.
In Family Court every judge who has used and
abused litigants before them has been re-elected. I
personally wonder if all those people that have horrible experiences in domestic and child custody cases
have realized that their votes were more than imperative to remove all and every one of those judges. When
the time comes and people need to appear before one
of those judges, they can’t cry injustice if they voted
for them, because they got what they voted for.
The Sheriff race was a total disappointment. But
we just need to remember that everybody gets what
they deserve. The next time there is a drive-by shooting, a woman mutilated due to domestic violence, a
home invasion or an encounter with a trigger-happy
Metro officer such as Brian Yant, don’t come out begging for justice, because that is not going to happen.
The good men and women with Metro Police will
have to face and pay the consequences because the
morale of the department is not going to grow one inch
from what they have today.
Personally, I never saw the face of Lombardo until
very recently. He even had a TV ad interacting with a
little girl as if he cared.
Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and hope for
the best. I honestly hope he realizes that we already
had a couple of phantom sheriffs; the citizens of Clark
County don’t need another one. He would need to come
out from behind a desk and communicate with the community — yes, with the ones who did not vote for him
to prove that he means business and bring peace again
to the streets of Las Vegas.
The casino moguls that gifted him with the position are going to continue living in their glass houses
waiting for him to repay the favor. It is the common
and ordinary citizens that he needs to convince that he
means business differently. Time will tell; if not, every four years there is another election time.
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
Elections teach us many lessons
By Maramis
—Some people actually don’t
I am very much in favor of exerknow what the issues are, or why they
cising all my rights — as I need them
should vote Yes or No on them.
or as they come up — and voting is
—Some people are more or less
one of them that comes up fairly oftotally clueless about everything and
ten as we go through life.
wait for their book to show up to see
This particular year I learned
what’s what.
some things that I apparently did not
—Some people (this year) didn’t
know firsthand before, even though
even know who was running for sherI may well have been aware of them
iff.
on some deep subconscious level in
—Many people who do know the
elections past, or from others telling
names of the candidates haven’t a
me their personal experiences with
clue about why it might be better to
“voters they have known.” It has
vote for one over another.
MARAMIS CHOUFANI
been my good fortune to personally get to know many
—Many people who believe they know for whom
of the candidates this year, and to hear their platforms to vote cannot tell you why they are making that choice.
and work with them in some small way, and to dis—Many people who vote go to the polls with no
cuss the issues hither and yon. And I am ordinarily idea at all for whom to vote, but will check off whichnot considered a politically-involved person — which ever candidate strikes their fancy at the last minute,
is not to say I don’t care, or haven’t ever cared, about maybe because they like their name, like their ethnicity,
the issues. I care very much; I just chose to be in- or most usually, like their party.
volved in my own way, which was very much behind
—Many eligible voters want to be responsible votthe scenes. This year, probably because of the sheriff ers but just don’t get around to it.
race most particularly, I put a little more into it, mainly
—Some people let others make their choices for
because of all the information that came through our them to save them the trouble of actually learning anydoors, and onto our desks, and found its way onto the thing about the candidates.
pages of our newspaper, reminding us over and over
—Some people will just go with the candidate who
again why one candidate would be the better choice. has the most so-called “experience” for the job, rather
The sources were several, and reliable, and unmistak- than choosing the better or best candidate, who might
able, putting out the word why we ought to choose really make a difference for the better in this commuone candidate over the other. Yet if that candidate does nity. I have to remind them that “Practice does not
not find himself in the winners circle, what can we do make perfect,” it is “Perfect practice (doing the right
but get behind the new sheriff and hope with all our thing over and over) that makes perfect.”
hearts and all our might that he will really improve
—Some people are actually huffy when you sugeverything that needs improving and raise the morale gest a candidate for a particular reason, because they
that is currently so limp and sagging and practically would rather pick one they know nothing about just to
at Death’s door, as those in the know have shared with say they did it on their own, or choose the candidate
us that it is.
their family or friends suggest to choose.
I doubt if any of the things I mention here will shock
—Some people are gracious enough to listen when
readers, but it is rather surprising when you come face- you suggest a candidate for a particular reason, and
to-face with those who make it perfectly clear that they offer them a reasonable “argument” as to why that
are one of the “many” or the “some” in the categories would be the better choice.
below:
So, now that another election has come and gone,
—Many people haven’t a clue about who’s run- — and by the time anyone is reading this the winners
ning for what position.
(See Maramis, Page 10)
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.
The Buck Stops Here: I guess breaking up
Anatomy of a Smear is REALLY hard to do
But before we get to
By Chuck Muth
the molehill incident itIn the movie The Dark
self, let me first put this
Knight, there’s a scene
in some proper perspecwhere Alfred Pennyworth
tive by telling you a little
is talking about the nature
about the person who was
of The Joker with Bruce
attacked.
Wayne/Batman. Wayne
Principal Carrie Buck
says, “Criminals aren’t
is everything you and I
complicated, Alfred. You
would want in a public
just have to figure out what
school administrator. She
he’s after.”
insists on school disciTo which Alfred repline, sets high but
sponds that “some men
achievable goals for both
CHUCK MUTH
aren’t looking for anything
logical, like money. They can’t be bought, students and teachers, has an open-door
bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some policy for parents, and doesn’t whine about
men just want to watch the world burn.”
not having enough money from taxpayers
That scene came to my mind last night to get the job done.
as I listened to a woman named Tiecha
She got her start 23 years ago in an elAshcroft kvetching about recess at a meet- ementary school classroom. She is an ELL
ing of the Pinecrest Academy Charter (English Language Learner) specialist, as
School board in Henderson.
well as a Teacher Mentor and Instructional
Of all those who spoke before Ms. Coach.
Ashcroft took the floor — teachers at the
In 2006, Buck was appointed principal
school and parents of children who attend at C.T. Sewall Elementary School in
the school — every single one voiced sup- Henderson. Sewall, at the time, was deport for the school’s new principal, Dr. Car- scribed as being “in transition.”
rie Buck.
That’s PC-speak for “in the crapper.”
And by the time Ms. Ashcroft got halfThe building itself is the oldest in southway through her lone diatribe of discour- ern Nevada still in use. The student body is
aging words, it became abundantly clear... primarily low-income and minority —
She’s one of those people who just wants many for whom English is their second lanto complain. You can’t reason with her. You guage. The staff entrance figuratively concan’t negotiate with her. Some people just sisted of a revolving door. Morale stunk,
want to b*****.
as did the students’ test scores.
But I’m getting ahead of myself...
What Buck’s leadership was able to
Why would I be sitting in a board meet- achieve over the next seven years was nothing for over 90 minutes listening to parents ing short of miraculous.
and teachers (and one outstandingly articuTest scores soared. Math proficiency
late young lady who is a 5th-grader there) shot up from 36 percent to 89 percent, while
talking about a petty school brouhaha over English proficiency increased from 35 perrecess when I homeschool my own kids and cent to 83 percent.
have no involvement with the school in
Sewall went from one of the worst
question whatsoever?
schools in the state to one of the absolute
Because like the Caped Crusader I can’t best.
just stand idly by and watch good people
Indeed, the school’s reputation for acadoing great things for kids suffer the injus- demic excellence became so well know in
tice of being unfairly and unethically at- the community that a number of parents
tacked. Especially when it comes from a unlawfully established false residences with
conservative who’s supposed to be a pro- friends and family in the neighborhood just
(See Muth, Page 9)
fessional and certainly should know better.
The Makings of a
Jealous Leader
By Doug Dickerson
the issue jealousy caused
The jealous are troubleyou to act out in unbecomsome to others, but a toring ways. Jealousy creates
ment to themselves. — Wilstrife, not harmony.
liam Penn
Jealousy skewers
Dr. Gary Collins shares
your judgment
a story about Sir Walter
One of the unfortunate
Scott. For many years Sir
side effects of a jealous
Walter Scott was the leadleader is that your judging literary figure in the
ment becomes impaired.
British Empire. No one
Rather than looking at
could write as well as he.
situations objectively you
Then the works of Lord
now act out in ways that
Byron began to appear, and
speaks more of pettiness
their greatness was immeDOUG DICKERSON
and retaliation. When jealdiately evident. Soon an anonymous critic ousy is in your heart it will reflect in the
praised his poems in a London Paper. He decisions you make.
declared that in the presence of these brilHow to fix it?:
liant works of poetic genius, Scott could
Be honest with yourself
no longer be considered the leading poet of
Being honest about jealous feelings is
England. It was later discovered that the the proverbial first step in weeding it out.
unnamed reviewer had been none other than Don’t let pride be your downfall by refusSir Walter Scott himself!
ing to deal with it. We’ve all had a jealous
Jealousy is one of those emotions that moment or two in our lives, but we don’t
can cause much harm to your leadership and have to lead that way. You can’t build trust
one that you must keep in check. It’s also with your people if you are not honest with
an emotion that you must be willing to con- yourself.
front. Let’s be honest, at one time or anBe comfortable in your own skin
other we’ve all had a bout with it. So what
As a leader you don’t have to compare
happens when you allow jealousy to enter yourself to anyone. Don’t allow personal
into the DNA of your leadership style? insecurities to lead to your demise. Be conWhat are the consequences and how can fident in the talents and abilities you posyou stop it? Here are a few ways it might sess and do all that you can to inspire the
be impacting your leadership.
same in others. Recognize that the skills and
Signs of a jealous leader:
abilities you have will be different from
Jealousy makes you
those around you. See your colleagues not
feel threatened
as you adversaries but as allies. You win
Jealousy materializes when you can re- and succeed by getting along not by being
sent the success of your peers rather than jealous.
celebrate it. Instead of what is seen as a win
Be accountable to others
for the team is a threat to one — you. JealYour success as a leader is a work in
ousy has an unflattering way of revealing progress. Jealousy is a toxic emotion that
motives and exposing serious leadership can derail it. But if you will allow a trusted
flaws. Jealousy reveals your insecurities, confidant or mentor to hold you accountnot your strengths.
able it can save you a lot of grief in the fuJealousy causes divisions
ture. Leading others is an awesome responIf left unchecked, jealousy leads to di- sibility. Leading yourself takes some work.
visions and poses serious threats to the Accountability makes it all possible.
health and culture of your organization. The
What do you say?
triggers can vary — you were passed over
Doug Dickerson is a syndicated columfor a promotion that you thought was yours. nist. He writes a weekly column for this
You didn’t get the recognition you thought newspaper. Email him at ddickerson@
you were due. Rather than working through lasvegastribune.com.
Obsessive ex’s cyberstalking gets man fired, arrested
By Mace Yampolsky
with her. “She was aweShe should have lissome,” Good said. “I mean,
tened to the song from FroI’ve gone on a cruise with
zen and “Let it go.”
her and had a great time.
A St. Augustine, Florida
We went to Puerto Rico,
man is at ease now that his
had a great time.” But
scorned ex-lover is behind
Good said there were red
bars.
flags that something might
“I finally can breathe
have been off with
again,” Joe Good, 51, said
Blazejowksi. He said she
in an exclusive interview
would get upset a lot.
with ABC News’ “20/20.”
“The timeframe be“Now I don’t feel like evtween when she’d get mad
MACE YAMPOLSKY
ery time I see a police car
got shorter and shorter. It
that, ‘Oh, they’re coming for me.’”
escalated until finally she asked me, ‘Do
Good’s former girlfriend of three years, you want me to just go ahead and cancel
Tawny Blazejowski, 41, of St. Augustine, the vacation I’ve got planned for you?’ and
would stop at nothing to ruin his life after I said, ‘Yeah, sure, I’m tired of this,’” Good
the two broke up. Her web of lies eventu- recalled. “Immediately, the phone rang and
ally turned Good’s life into a really bad she [said], ‘Are you sure this is what you
nightmare. (Hell hath no fury like a woman want? Because I got everything lined up
scorned!)
that I’m going to ruin you.’”
She succeeded in getting him arrested
Less than an hour later, Good said he
three times and fired from his job at an in- received a text message notifying him that
surance company, where he had worked for his email password had been changed.
over 24 years. Blazejowski didn’t stop Blazejowski hacked Good’s personal email
there. She targeted several others in Good’s account and sent a pornographic photo of
life: colleagues, neighbors and even his new Good to his employer, but it was only the
girlfriend’s landlord.
beginning of Blazejowski’s wrath.
Blazejowski was sentenced to nine years
Police arrested Good on the night of
in prison last Friday for three counts of Oct. 19, 2012, he said. Blazejowski had
threats for extortion, four counts of aggra- gone to the sheriff’s office with a bloody
vated stalking and one count of false report face, accusing Good of domestic violence.
of abuse, child neglect or abandonment of “I ended up going to jail that night, because
16 people from Florida to Chicago to Cali- here’s the thing: The girl says a guy hit her.
fornia.
Most people think, ‘Wow, the guy hit her.’
Life wasn’t always bad. Good recalls They don’t think the girl’s lying,” Good
many good times with Blazejowski and said.
their combined six children, all from preBlazejowski then called the Florida
(See Mace, Page 9)
vious marriages. He says he saw a future
BEHIND THE MIKE
More Tips from the Masters
By Michael A. Aun
and waking up at the right
When you get old like I
times. Everyone’s bioam, you learn a lot about
logical clock is different.
life from others. You learn
—Put your daily to-do
some things the easy way
list on a post-it. If it won’t
and others... not so much.
fit on a post-it, it probably
So here are some tips I’ve
won’t fit in your day.
learned, some the hard way
—Handle paper once
and some the easy way.
and make a decision.
—Don’t text and drive
—When you wake up
because it may end your
every day fill in the
driving career.
blank: My purpose today
—What you post is peris:____.
manent.
—Make three people
MICHAEL A. AUN
—Be excellent toward
a day smile.
others.
—Life is too short to waste it hating
—Under promise and over deliver.
anyone.
—If you’re thinking about getting a dog
—Make peace with yesterday so it won’t
or a cat, do what Jesus would do- get a dog. spoil today.
Dogs have masters; cats have staff.
—Before you sleep tonight, fill in these
—Where there’s a will, be good enough blanks. Today I am thankful for _____.
to be in it.
Today I accomplished _______.
—Don’t hurt others even if it’s the last
—Be blessed, not stressed.
thing you want to do.
—Remember the big picture instead of
—When you agree with others, it doesn’t what you “must have” every moment. It
necessarily make you both right.
will change in the next moment.
—War doesn’t necessarily prove which
—Most things are not “needs” they are
side is right; it just who is left.
“wants”.
—Knowing a tomato is a fruit is knowl—Don’t loan money to people close to
edge; wisdom is not putting it into a fruit you. If they need it that bad make it a gift.
salad.
Unpaid loans strain relationships. Offer ten
—Why do they start the news with per cent of what’s requested and suggest
“Good Evening...” and proceed to tell you that they find nine other generous friends
why it isn’t?
like you.
—Look for a career not a paycheck.
—Write thank you notes by hand. It
—Find somebody to marry who is a shows you’re truly thankful.
whole lot nicer than you are.
—Be sensitive to people who lose pets.
—On applications where is says “In case Many people bond better and longer with
of an emergency” write“Call a doctor.”
animals than they do humans.
—It’s not always your fault, but they
—Slow down and enjoy a vacation, or
blame someone.
God will give you a permanent one.
—The only way women will be truly
—Read a book you’ve read before. It’s
equal to men is to go bald and grow a beer like connecting with an old friend.
belly.
—Find your passion and live it daily.
—Behind every successful man is a
—Conceive it; believe it; achieve it.
woman; behind the fall of every man is usu—Love your family unconditionally.
ally another woman.
—Life isn’t Disney World and the last
—The clearer your conscience, the thing you should want is a fast pass.
fuzzier your memory is.
—Life is a school room and you’re here
—You don’t need a parachute to to learn.
skydive. You need one to skydive a second
—Your job won’t take care of you when
time.
you’re sick. Your insurance and your friends
—Money doesn’t bring happiness, it will.
minimizes misery.
—Your fondest wish should be to never
—You’re never too old to learn some- have a disease named after you.
thing stupid.
How do you get a sweet little 80-year
—Going to church doesn’t make you a old woman to use the f-word? Have another
Christian any more than standing in an 80-year old woman yell BINGO!
emergency room makes you a doctor.
Michael Aun is a syndicated columnist
—Work eight hours straight without hat- and writes a weekly column for this newsing yourself.
paper. To contact Michael Aun, email him
—Learn whether you’re going to bed at [email protected].
COMMENTARIES
Editors note: The views expressed are entirely those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Las Vegas Tribune.
Adversity in policing: Lamplighters of the future
By Norman Jahn
Adversity in policing? Something is ‘adverse’ when it is marked
by misfortune, calamity, or distress.
Police officers sometimes face unfortunate events or circumstances
during their careers. Many of those
adversities are external. They are
thrown at us without the benefit of
prior planning or preparation.
For example, you work on a
squad that has a bad reputation for
excessive force or discourtesy complaints. One such squad existed
quite a few years ago. It got so bad
that suspects were being asked to
expose their genitals or to improperly dispose of drugs (swallow
them) in order to avoid arrest. This
probably seemed like ‘fun and
games’ to the instigators. I believe
one officer named William Stoops
lost his job. He was a field training
officer and news coverage indicated
that a female officer had complained about what had been going
on. Another officer (he was just a
NORMAN JAHN
‘rookie’ at the time) also lost his job.
He was actually ‘non-confirmed’
because he was still on probation.
It is likely that he will be the next
Metro Undersheriff if Joe
Lombardo gets elected. His name
is Kevin McMahill and now he
seems to be the ‘star’ in the organization, a ‘darling in DC,’ and he
represents all of the positivity and
hope for the future. He faced ‘adversity’ (which may not have been
caused by anything within his control) but isn’t it great that he also
got another chance and was hired
by the LVMPD a second time and
catapulted to the highest levels of
the organization? Maybe; maybe
not; it depends on what lessons
were learned.
I know stories of others who
faced adversity...being in the wrong
place at the wrong time. Sheriff
Doug Gillespie would tell a story
about a new officer who was assigned to work with some notorious Vice detectives when Charles
Bush died. Just how much is a new
officer expected to do when mistakes are made, rules are violated,
and a struggle ensues where you
just can’t walk away or stop the incident by yourself? Mike Campbell
had a successful career after facing
serious adversity (facing criminal
charges) ‘back in the day’ when
there was a whole lot less scrutiny
than there is today.
“Adversity” as used in a sen-
so their kids could be zoned to attend Sewell.
As such, the student body
swelled, straining the school’s limited resources
But rather than kvetch about
“under-funding” education, Buck
went out into the community and,
in her time at Sewell, raised “over
four million dollars in grants, private funds and donations that provided basic needs for students and
their families, as well as instructional supplies, facility improvements, academic enrichment, and
technology for the school.”
While not quite qualifying for
sainthood (yet), Buck has received
considerable recognition for her talents and achievements...
—In 1999, she received the
“Most Outstanding Educator” commendation from the City of
Henderson.
—In 2008, she won the prestigious Milken Award.
—That same year, she was one
of seven chosen for the national
ASCD Outstanding Youth Educators Cadre.
—Buck received Faculty of the
Month awards from the University
of Phoenix in 2002, 2003 and 2006.
—In 2011, she received the
Shining Star Award from the Mind
Research Institute for tremendous
student growth in math.
—In 2013, Buck was inducted
into the Clark County School
District’s “Excellence in Education
Hall of Fame.”
—And earlier this year Dr. Buck
was nominated for the Life Changer
Award from the National Life
Group.
A bona fide expert in her field,
Buck is a highly-sought after public speaker on education reform and
excellence. She and her success at
Sewell were featured in a March
2013 article for the National AfterSchool All-Stars Program. And in
2013, Sewell was chosen as a
Model Highlight School.
In January of this year, C.T.
Sewell was designated as a State of
Nevada Model School, as well as a
National Title I Distinguished
School.
One month later The Miracle
Worker left Sewell and accepted the
Principal position at Pinecrest
Academy after the school’s founding principal abruptly and unexpectedly left the position under a
cloud of circumstances not relevant
to this discussion.
Suffice it to say, Buck took over
Pinecrest under less than ideal circumstances eight months ago.
And just to prove the old adage
that no good deed goes unpunished,
Buck inherited Tiecha Ashcroft.
I explained earlier that the parent of a child at Pinecrest Academy
in Henderson, Tiecha Ashcroft, has
been complaining about all manner
of things at her kid’s school — in
particular a new recess policy —
and criticizing the school’s new
principal, the highly-regarded Dr.
Carrie Buck.
OK, fine. You can’t please ev-
erybody, right? And anyone who’s
ever been a member of a PTA
knows that cranks and malcontents
simply go with the territory.
So why am I writing about this
situation when I have no connection to the school whatsoever?
Because Ms. Ashcroft found a
blogger to unethically air Ms.
Ashcroft’s petty grievances on the
Internet — and the blog post has
caused serious, undeserved harm to
the reputations of both the school
and Dr. Buck.
And you’re not going to believe
who the blogger is!
No, it’s NOT Nevada’s #2 liberal blogger... though I can understand why the “unethical” reference
might have led you to believe otherwise. But I’ll get to that in a
minute. First a little about the
school itself.
The most important thing to
know is that Pinecrest Academy is
a CHARTER school. As such,
people CHOOSE whether or not to
send their kids there.
Which means if a parent doesn’t
like the way the school is being run
or thinks the principal is an ogre,
they are free to put their progeny
back in a regular public school, pay
to send them to a private school, or
take the option Gia and I have taken
and homeschool.
On the other hand, there is a
WAITING LIST of other parents
who would LOVE the opportunity
to send their kids to Pinecrest Academy but can’t get in because the
school is full.
So not only is Ms. Ashcroft making a nuisance of herself and disrupting school operations rather
than simply going somewhere else,
she’s denying another family of the
opportunity to get a great education
at a great school loaded with great
teachers and administered by a
great principal.
And why are so many families
dying to get into Pinecrest. Well,
take a look at some of the school’s
published expectations as outlined
in its operating manual...?
—We follow a school-wide vision that puts KIDS FIRST in all
we do!
—All decisions are based on
what is best for students
—We work together to get
things done for the benefit of all
children
—We work daily to improve
school climate and morale at
Pinecrest Academy
—Come to the table with solutions and be part of the solution and
not part of the problem
—Work hard and play hard
—Student and staff recognition
and celebration will be built in to
our daily schedules
—Mediocrity is not acceptable
—Open door policy
—School-wide reading and
math groups
If only ALL of our regular public schools followed such a model!
Pinecrest also has the additional
benefit of having hired an Educational Management Organization
(EMO)...
“ACADEMICA NEVADA provides Charter Schools with comprehensive service and support. We
ensure a professionally managed
and operated charter school that
meets the requirements of the
school’s contracts, local ordinances
and State and Federal Laws.
“Academica Nevada offers
guidance and resources to guide
Charter Schools from conception
onward. Most importantly,
Academica Nevada ensures the vision of a charter school Board of
Directors is faithfully and effectively implemented.”
Which brings me to the school’s
Board of Directors...
Just like the school’s principal,
teachers, administrators, curriculum, mission and EMO, Pinecrest’s
governing board is first-class all the
way.
BOARD
CHAIRMAN:
Candace Friedmann is a retired
CCSD teacher who taught first
grade for 16 years. She received her
BA from North Central College in
Naperville, Illinois with a major in
elementary education and psychology. She has a Master of Education
degree from Lesley University in
Curriculum and Instruction: Integrated Teaching through the Arts.
In 2006 she received an award for
Distinguished Elementary School
Educator in the Southeast Region.
BOARD VICE-CHAIRMAN:
Randy Walker is the former director of aviation for Clark County and
was responsible for the oversight of
McCarran International Airport,
one of the busiest airports in the
world. Prior to that, Walker was
assistant county manager for Clark
County, where he oversaw 12
county departments and provided
fiscal oversight for District Court,
Justice Court, and all of Clark
County’s elected officials.
The remaining members of the
board all come from a diverse background and bring something unique
in talent and experience that greatly
benefits Pinecrest Academy. Indeed, not one of these folks fell off
the turnip truck last night.
—So what we have here is a
charter school...
—To which parents CHOOSE to
send their kids...
—Which has a waiting list a
mile long to get in...
—That has an exceptionally talented and experienced principal...
—That has an exceptionally talented teaching staff...
—That has hired an exceptionally talented EMO...
—And has an exceptionally talented board of directors...
Oh, and Tiecha Ashcroft...
Who’s been bitchin’ about the
school’s new recess policy and
found a blogger willing to turn that
ridiculously petty molehill into an
internet mountain.
And seriously, you are NOT going to believe who the blogger is.
Chuck Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, a non-profit public
policy grassroots advocacy organization. He may be reached by email
at [email protected].
Muth
FRANK SERPICO
tence, “A friend will show his or her tall and knowing that you were just
true colors in times of adversity.” expendable at that time and place
I’ve got a feeling that Doug in the history of the LVMPD. If you
Gillespie influenced the outcome of were hired before the ‘truthfulness’
many incidents for his ‘friends’ dur- policy you may have survived, but
ing his career (both before and the policy wasn’t the problem; it
while serving as sheriff)...but where was the application of the policy
was he for the rest of us? He kicked once it went into effect.
I was always interested in the
far too many ‘salvageable’ cops to
the curb and showed his true story of NYPD officer Frank
colors...arrogant and indifferent. To Serpico because of the adversity
those who had their ‘second chance’ that he faced. The following are
and had their careers saved by Duh- excerpts that provide a concise deG — Congrats! To those who were scription of who Serpico was and
(and still are) DESTROYED by the why he stood tall in policing.
Frank Serpico was born on April
betrayal of your own agency... don’t
give up. Never, never stop standing
(See Norm Jahn, Page 11)
Mace
Abuse Hotline, accusing Good and his teenage son of operating a child
pornography ring. Good said it wasn’t true, but investigators didn’t believe him (they never do!).
It was total harassment,” Good said. “I did everything I could to stay
away from her. She was one step ahead of me the whole time.” No longer
satisfied with ruining Good’s life, Blazejowski began attacking people
she didn’t even know.
“She did a Crimestoppers tip to me, accusing me of allegations against
my kids,” Jenny Robor, Good’s former colleague at the insurance company, told “20/20.” “The things that are on there I can’t even repeat. They’re
so horrible.”
Blazejowski anonymously told Crimestoppers that Robor would deliver her young children to Good’s sex ring, none of which was true.
Blazesjowski even threatened Doug Duggan, the landlord to Good’s new
girlfriend. Duggan received anonymous letters through the U.S. Postal
Service.
“It was a big block letter, and it said, ‘If your tenant, Mariela Murphy,
is not out of that house within 30 days, I’ll burn down that house and your
house,’ and gave the addresses of both of them,” Duggan told “20/20.”
“[The houses] were really my entire net worth.
Good struggled to get investigators and lawyers to believe him. That
was when he turned to lawyer Bryan Shorstein for help. “You never knew
who would be the target of what it is she was doing,” Shorstein told “20/
20.” “Does anybody want to get involved with this thing?”
Once Shorstein was certain Good was innocent, he went to the sheriff’s
office to convince detectives that Good was no victimizer, but he was
actually the victim. After seven months, St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office
Dets. George Harrigan and Shannon Andrews began to finally cut away at
Blazejowski’s complicated web of deceit.
“It was hard to keep up with,” Andrews told “20/20.” “She was stalking faster than we could investigate.” When Good’s new girlfriend, Mariela
Murphy, reported an anonymous letter threatening her then-17-year-old
daughter, Blazejowski had finally taken it one step too far.
“It said, ‘This is what Erin will look like the next time Mariela sees her
if she sees or even talks to Joe Good one more time,” and attached was a
picture of... a girl’s mutilated body,” Andrews said. “She was the stalker
at one point, but when this happened, she became the stalked,” Det.
Harrigan told “20/20” of Blazejowski.
The detectives made a breakthrough in the case when they found out
the anonymous reports sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Crimestoppers originated from Blazejowski’s computer. Armed with a search warrant, the detectives searched Blazejowski’s
home. They discovered more than seven full notebooks containing explicit details of Blazejowski’s acts (at least she was OCD, so there was
evidence of what she did!). Hundreds of pages obtained by ABC News
details Blazejowski’s web of lies, extortion and stalking that carried on
over the span of seven months.
“This is as thorough as it gets,” Harrigan said. “Dates and times, places,
people, locations, and not only did she take these notes, carry these actions out, but she kept the notes.” Blazejowski was arrested that night,
charged with making threats to maim and murder. In the end, she pleaded
no contest to the eight felony counts against her.
“Not only did I hurt my own children, I hurt other children,” Blazejowski
said in court at her sentencing. “I am pleading with you, your honor, to
please grant me forgiveness. I ask my victims for forgiveness, and for
mercy, and for you to please not take me away from my children who
need me.”
Blazejowski’s lawyers argued that she has obsessive compulsive disorder and bipolar and that the disorders contributed to her crimes. St. Johns
County Criminal Court Judge Michael Traynor acknowledged her disorders, but said her clearly thought-out acts could not be ignored. In addition to nine years in prison, the judge also sentenced her on Oct. 10 to two
years of house arrest and 19 years probation. I wonder if she will make it.
She is in the county jail for now, until she is sent to prison. Blazejowski
declined multiple requests from “20/20” for an interview. With three arrests still on his record, thanks to Blazesjowski, Good is now making a
living with landscaping jobs. He is working toward getting his clean record
back. [I] just put one foot in front of the other and keep moving,” Good
said. “It’s all you can do. ”Asked what he would say to Blazesjowski if he
could tell her anything Good said, “Why couldn’t you just let go?” She
should have followed the advice in the song from Frozen, “Let it go, let it
go. You’ll never see me cry.”
She’ll have plenty of time to let it go in prison!
Mace J. Yampolsky is a Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist, 625
South Sixth St., Las Vegas, NV 89101; He can be reached at: Phone 702385-9777 or fax 702-385-300. His website is located at:
www.macelaw.com.
Killing for Peace
By Winslow Myers
Since 9-11-01, the United States,
by any objective assessment a
globe-girdling military empire, has
been sucked into an ongoing global civil war between brutal extremists (often fighting among themselves) and those, including us, they
perceive as their mortal enemies.
We are rightfully outraged by cruel
beheadings videotaped for Internet
distribution. The beheaders and suicide bombers are equally outraged
by our extensive military presence
in their ancestral homelands and
drone attacks upon weddings.
Meanwhile, though the government of our mighty empire can read
our emails and tap our telephones,
the worldwide nonviolent movement to bring about positive change
somehow flies completely under its
supposedly all-seeing radar screens.
The peoples of the earth are overwhelmingly against war, and they
want their fair share of the earth’s
resources and the possibilities of
democratic governance. Academic
studies (e.g., Chenoweth and
Stephan, Why Civil Resistance
Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict ) have proven that,
overall, nonviolent movements are
more effective for reaching such
goals than violent military ones.
Our media narrows discourse
and fans the flames by only allowing U.S. citizens to see through the
narrow lens of exceptionalism, polarization and violence. Fear mongers, legion in our culture, insist that
adherents of ISIS are hardly human.
But we should keep their humanity
in our hearts even as we abhor their
acts, just as we ought to abhor our
own descent into torture and extrajudicial killings. People do not do
what those ISIS fighters do without having been rendered desperate and callous by some painful
sense of injustice. As Auden wrote,
“Those to whom evil is done/do evil
in return.” The question for us is
WINSLOW MYERS
how we can best respond to evil
without rationalizing our own evil
behavior.
Setting aside the blurry distinction between the sadism of
beheadings and the supposed good
intentions of those who control the
drones, our side and theirs share the
conviction that the only solution to
this great conflict is killing. If ISIS
can kill enough of its enemies, a
Caliphate can be established from
Lebanon across to Afghanistan,
obliterating the despised arbitrary
borders created by the colonial
powers after World War l. Conversely, if the West can only assassinate enough terrorist leaders in
Afghanistan and Yemen and Syria,
moderate elements will emerge
from the slaughter to renounce the
vain and presumptuous notion that
Islam is destined to conquer a pluralistic world.
But the presumptions of both
present American empire and possible Muslim empire are equally
vain and closed-minded in their
separate ways. Continued mass killing by either side will never resolve
the underlying cultural disparities,
and so unless we think in new ways,
this planetary civil war will continue, multiplying recruits to terror
faster than they can be exterminated—a perpetual motion meatgrinder of violence.
We can’t just leave the various
will be known — I want to say that
those who did not achieve that lofty
level of being deemed “the winner,”
do not have to consider themselves
“losers.” They all stepped up to the
plate, which is no easy thing to do,
spent a lot of their own money, put
in days, weeks, months, and many,
many last-minute hours in an effort
to get out the word and make their
name more known and their platform more desirable to Mr. or Ms.
Voter, often taking away time from
their families and their work. True,
some may have done it for the perks
that go along with certain elected
positions, but I have to believe that
some still really care about this
community and the job they would
be called upon to do once in that
elected position. Those, of course,
would be the public servants as opposed to the blatant politicians.
Because at this writing I do not
know who will have won their particular races, I can still hope for the
best. Although I have my idea of
what that means, and my idea of
which candidates most likely would
Maramis
extremist groups to fight it out
among themselves. We have to lead,
but why not lead in a new direction?
Amid all the hand wringing about
least bad options, there is a good
option: change the game. Admit that
the U.S. occupation of Iraq led to
some unforeseen outcomes. Call an
international conference that includes representatives from as
many parties that are willing to consider how to contain and end the
violence. Agree to embargo the
arms pouring into the region.
The possibility that we are already fighting a third world war,
having forgotten the lesson of how
little anybody wanted or expected
to get into the first one, suggests the
need to call upon the spirit of figures like King and Dag
Hammarskjold, that world ambassador for peace. As we look down
the time stream, it becomes harder
and harder to guarantee who will
and who will not be able to possess
nuclear weapons. Even now some
disaffected Pakistani general might
be transferring a warhead to some
non-state actor with malign intentions. It is equally possible that
someone in the U.S. military could
go rogue with a nuke, initiating catastrophe.
Is a third world war leading to
total destruction the intention of
either the Christian God or the
Muslim Allah? The opportunity is
for all parties to accept this possibility and build agreements based
in a common desire for human survival—listening at last to the pleas
of millions around this small planet
who desperately want the madness
of endless war to cease.
*****
Winslow Myers is the author of
“Living Beyond War: A Citizen’s
Guide.” He serves on the Advisory
Board of the War Preventive Initiative, is a member of the Rotarian
Action Group for Peace, and writes
for Peacevoice.
bring that about, I cannot say that
my choices are automatically the
best. There could be much I do not
know, but I made my choices on
what I do or did know, and what I
do believe or believed at the time I
cast my vote. If I was wrong in any
of my choices, I can only hope that
the one I did not vote for who came
out the winner will truly be best for
this community. In my way of looking at the results of any election, it
is not important (to me) that all of
MY candidates win, it is important
to me that the candidates who DO
win do turn out to be good and even
the best for this community.
If every candidate who really
cared about what it was they set out
to do and didn’t make it to the winners circle could offer their best
ideas to those who made it, maybe
— if their ideas are really best for
this community — the winning candidate would take those ideas under advisement and give themselves
that much of a head start in their
new position by being “armed” with
those good ideas, ready for implementation for the good of all those
they will now be charged to serve.
Somehow, that doesn’t seem all that
likely though, does it?
There’s a lot I don’t know about
the world of politics, but we can’t
really be alive without learning a
little more each day about whatever
surrounds us, or whatever we find
ourselves involved in, in some way.
Life is our ongoing classroom,
and election time is one heck of a
teacher!
*****
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].
The Adventure Continues!
By The Duke of Fremont
Drones? No way! They are a total invasion of privacy and are a potential security threat and terrorist tool. They will be abused and currently
are almost totally unregulated. I have nightmares of opening my shades
in the morning and having those damn things staring into my eyes!
I predict that eventually technology will create them insect-sized and
they will be capable of entering our homes undetected. George Orwell’s
predictions in his novel “1984” were only off by timing!
One of my most cherished rights is my right to privacy. Since time
began man has created walls, barriers and boundaries to foil invaders of
every sort. I’m certain you’ve heard the old saying, “Your home is your
castle.” Well, not anymore. With this new development of modern technology, this notion of privacy will become extinct and archaic. I believe
the drone will add some of the final nails to the coffin lid, virtually killing
our coveted ability to maintain personal privacy.
As far as security goes, there have already been instances of state officials and private individuals being observed and almost attacked by these
annoying invaders. I do not want an invasion of my privacy, and my home
is my last bastion of privacy and security.
If an attacker or thief enters my home, I have the right to defend myself and my family. I apply that same belief in regard to any invaders,
including drones. I believe we, as Americans, have this right to privacy
and also believe we have the right to defend our homes. I believe these
devices should be stopped or destroyed if they threaten the homeowner
and his family in any way.
These devices have no business monitoring, threatening, and/or recording our private lives. I predict drones will be used by fanatics, terrorists and criminals in the very near future. They should be restricted, regulated and, in many cases, banned from our private air space immediately.
This is a clear case of technology outpacing legality. If you don’t agree
with my point of view now, you will once you or a loved one’s personal
privacy has been violated or once a terrorist or criminal uses one of these
invaders to commit a crime or to commit a violent terrorist act.
It does not require much of an imagination to see how this new platform of technology could be used against our society in multiple ways.
As you are well aware, the drone is already an indispensible weapon on
the modern battlefield. It is just a matter of time before it will fall into the
“bad guys’” hands.
A few years down the road, you, the reader, will look back with nostalgia at the Pre-drone World and consider it the good old days, the days
prior to our every move being monitored and tracked.
Email:[email protected]
Websites: www.IBuyCoins.com, www.TheDukeOfFremontStreet.com
Twitter: @DukeOfFremont
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Public Figure; The Duke Of Fremont Street
Telephone (702) 561-9431
CALL 311?
By Jerry Schafer
What an eye-opener this was!
This morning we discovered that a friend’s car had been broken into
last night — or early this morning — while parked in front of my house.
A few things were stolen from inside the car.
The thief or thieves broke the driver’s side window smashing it to
pieces. There was broken glass all over the drivers seat as well as in the
street alongside the car.
Being a law-abiding citizen, realizing that this was truly a non-emergency as the incident had already happened and the thief or thieves were
long gone... I called 311 to report this incident.
I held the phone for over fifteen minutes listening to recorded messages in both Spanish and English as I waited to report the incident. Finally an operator answered and I told her what I wanted to report. Hold
the line, she said. Once again I was on hold for approximately ten minutes
until finally another voice on the phone asked what I wanted to report.
I gave the information to the voice on the phone and was told that
Metro would not come to investigate this incident!
I was told that if I wanted to report this to the police, it would be
necessary for me to drive to a local police station and fill out a report.
Obviously this kind of report would lead to nothing more than giving
the person who rented this vehicle proof that the break-in occured, but it
was obvious that there would be no way the Metro Police would take the
time to follow up in any way, shape or form.
I can only say that hopefully our new Sheriff will change the current
policy in such a way as to give the citizens of this city the kind of service
they have come to expect from hearing the words “Protect and Serve” as
part of the promises put forth by Joe Lombardo in his quest to win the
election.
Concerning this event (or incident), protection was not possible but
service certainly was. At least a police officer could have taken a written
report of this crime at the scene and looked around to see if he could
discover any clue or evidence.
That’s not the deal anymore, just as Metro doesn’t respond to traffic
accidents any longer unless that is there are injuries. It seems our local
police are just too busy to respond to such things as auto accidents or the
kind of incident I’ve described above. All I can say is too bad for the
citizens of Las Vegas who want to rely on their police department to give
them some degree of protection and service.
As it stands right now, as we say here in Las Vegas, it isn’t in the cards!
[email protected]
Why did District Attorney
David Roger resign in 2011?
By Thomas A. Nagy
Part 18 in a Series
There are often, quite unfortunately, consequences of not prosecuting a murder case as soon as
evidence is collected to make an
arrest and pursue justice. Sometimes this leads to another heinous
crime. It has recently been brought
to my attention that unconscionable
failures of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Clark
County District Attorney’s Office
under David Roger, and the Clark
County Coroner’s Office under
Michael Murphy to act in relation
to the murder of Jason R. TurnerShenker in 2005, and that the collective failure of these public organizations resulted in the death of a
toddler on June 15, 2011.
This story begins in the summer
of 2009. Cynthia Turner was seeking justice for the murder of her
only child, Jason, who had been
murdered in his home a month after his 25th birthday. For nearly four
years she had been stonewalled and
lied to about an investigation. Then
on June 19, 2009, she obtained forensic toxicology results from a
prominent local expert often utilized by the district attorney’s office in Clark County. Her first instinct was to share the toxicology
report with all pertinent authorities
in hopes that its conclusion would
make a difference in the case. After
all, she had it in writing that only
one conclusion could be reached
based on that forensic evidence:
Jason Turner had been murdered
with an extremely high dosage of
liquid morphine.
The same report also concluded
that only one person could have
committed the murder, other than
the victim’s mother. But the latter
supposition was absurd, leaving
Norm Jahn
only the prime suspect and little
room for error or unusual circumstances. Yet, the LVMPD and the
district attorney’s office seemed to
expect that only the least probable
circumstances applied to this case,
and that the obvious suspect was
not worth pursuing. At least that is
what they indicated on the surface,
as if the authorities never get it
wrong, and never lie.
After leaving a large notebook
of paper evidence that Turner hoped
would make a difference to authorities with the LVMPD and the Clark
County District Attorney David
Roger, she attempted to confirm
with Roger that he would consider
that compendium of information.
As reported earlier, Roger
screamed into the phone that he
would not be pursuing justice in this
“high profile” case because he
could not afford to lose it, politically.
Going back to August 12, 2010,
Turner had met with Detective Matt
Gillis of the LVMPD about her
son’s murder case. She provided
him with forensic evidence and recorded a conversation with the detective, hoping that he would follow through on his promises. Seven
months later to the day, detective
Jon Scott told Turner that a polygraph test had been scheduled with
the prime suspect. But that was not
to take place for an inexcusable reason. Nothing was being done, and
lies were in the air regarding witness interviews taking place, or not,
and what was being said, or not. A
water wheel is more useful than a
dozen detectives and prosecutors;
at least it produces something rather
than merely spinning in circles.
On May 23, 2011 Turner filed a
complaint with the public integrity
office regarding handling of the
14, 1936, in Brooklyn, New York. He became a New
York City police officer in 1959 and served for 12
years. He reported and exposed corruption within
the department. In 1971, he testified before the
Knapp Commission. Disliked by fellow officers, they
did not come to his aid when he was shot during a
1971 drug raid.
After his retirement Serpico spoke out against
police corruption brutality, the weakening of civil
liberties, and corrupt practices in law enforcement,
such as the alleged cover-ups following Abner
Louima’s torture in 1997 and the Amadou Diallo
shooting in 1999. He provides support for “individuals who seek truth and justice even in the face
of great personal risk.” He calls them
“LAMPLIGHTERS,” a term he prefers to the more
common “whistle-blowers,” which refers to alerting the public to danger.
Among police officers, his actions are still controversial, but Eugene O’Donnell, professor of police studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice,
states that “he becomes more of a heroic figure with
every passing year.”
Frank Serpico was a LEADER even though he
did not have rank — certainly not enough rank to
fix problems himself. He saw wrongdoing and kept
trying to report it. He faced serious consequences.
His career only lasted 12 years. In reality, it seems
that it should be fairly easy to report CORRUPTION
— at least to those in a system that is professional
and has a focus on integrity. If you see a fellow officer shooting an unarmed subject and then ‘throwing down a gun,’ it should be easy to report this. If
you see a fellow officer taking money from a suspect after a drug bust, it should be easy to report
this FELONY conduct. If you see an officer being
paid to ignore some criminal enterprises (such as
Vice), this is another example of egregious conduct
that is criminal in nature.
Using excessive force (more than necessary) is
NOT necessarily a crime. Watching how ‘managers’ push for enforcement against certain offenders
while others are ignored (or how they target certain
officers within their own departments) may NOT
be a felony crime but it is an insidious problem. It
may take even MORE courage to address problems
in policing that are not so clear-cut and corrupt!
Who is likely to open their mouth about ‘administrative’ problems with hiring and promotions when
the sledge hammer is going to be swung back at
them? Who is going to advocate for tourists or citizens who are clearly not receiving effective police
service when chances are that the ‘messenger’ will
be damaged more than they are? Getting jumped
(beat down) on the Strip might cause a tourist to
suffer a bloody nose or other minor injuries, but an
officer who tried to focus some attention on the disorder and violence faces losing his job and all of
the humiliation that goes with being labeled ‘untruthful.’
Beyond the obvious examples of adversity facing police that are listed above, I believe that the
near future of policing will also involve challenges
never before faced by those who serve. I believe
public trust and maintaining ‘civilian’ police forces
will be a challenge. I believe that immigration will
MICHAEL ALAN LEE
case and persons involved. At the
same time, a relative of the prime
suspect was living with a young
woman who had a two-year-old
boy, whom he abused regularly.
Michael Alan Lee had been released
from prison the previous December,
in 2010. In February 2011 he met
an acquaintance of his sister, and
began dating her. After several
months he moved into her apartment in the Seven Hills area of
Henderson.
When evidence began to mount
that the young boy was being
abused, the prime suspect made
excuses to protect her relative. As
the story goes, she intervened with
explanations to excuse the toddler’s
fear of Michael Lee. Rather than
show concern that something might
be seriously and gravely wrong
with her sibling, she protected him
at the expense of everyone else, especially the suffering boy. Then,
three days shy of the two years after Turner obtained exceedingly
compelling evidence that a member of the Lee family had murdered
her son, this innocent toddler was
beaten to death by Michael Alan
Lee.
This “conversation” between
be a huge challenge — remember the immigration
marches a few years ago where huge crowds and
the powder keg of race/ethnicity could explode at
any time? If these types of protests are not handled
properly they could explode into violence and cause
long-term problems.
It is obvious that terrorism is a problem, but we
face more ‘targeted violence’ in the U.S. I don’t consider school shootings and other high-profile incidents to be ‘terrorism’ because the intent of the criminals is to inflict immediate and specific damage,
NOT necessarily to instill fear into those who survive or to terrify the general public.
Technology is another challenge (adversity) because it cuts both ways. The Internet has caused huge
problems in the areas of pornography, prostitution,
and destruction of privacy and our ability to protect
our families, but at the same time it has also assisted savvy police departments to identify and capture suspects. Technology would also include body
cameras and those cameras that are supposedly covering the Las Vegas Strip. Is anyone watching them?
Finally, is anyone planning to prepare for new
demands from the ‘customers’ of the police? How
much longer will police be able to ignore customer
satisfaction when there are other options emerging?
Those options include private policing — not just
‘rent-a-cops,’ but highly trained and skilled professionals who chose to start careers in non-public employment. It is almost certain that there will be different policing models in the near future. If voters
can’t sweep out self-serving regimes (such as those
that can become entrenched in county sheriffs’ departments like the LVMPD) then maybe they will
have other options such as de-consolidation or contract policing which provide greater responsiveness,
service, and trust.
AMERICAN policing will survive and meet the
challenges of the future if there are enough
LAMPLIGHTERS like Frank Serpico that seek the
job for the right reasons... striving for the ideal of
true JUSTICE. Future officers are preparing in colleges and universities and learning to have a larger
perspective on the role of civilian police... hopefully they can avoid watching too many TV shows
because ‘Rambo’ is fine for soldiering, but protecting and serving our communities is a different game.
LAS VEGAS policing is at a turning point (November 4th). I’ve heard that things got very dirty
right at the end of the campaign. Is that a sign of
desperation? What an astonishing ‘loss’ it would be
to the big money folks if a ‘regular’ guy named Larry
Burns got a chance to take charge and make changes!
If Larry wins, the future is bright. If Joe wins,
there will be a new type of adversity facing the
LVMPD... an organization that overwhelmingly
does NOT want to work for the new ‘King’ or all of
his ‘Knights’... and the Knights could be very dark
and very scary.
*****
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.
Cynthia Turner and David Roger
occurred approximately a year before this young boy, Brodie, was
murdered. David Roger had been
more concerned about losing a
“high-profile case” and his reelection to continue as Clark County
district attorney than he was about
obtaining justice. He won his coveted election.
About two weeks shy of a year
after that 2010 election, on October 25, 2011, Henderson police arrested Michael Lee for the murder
of that boy who died two years, six
months and sixteen days after his
birth. For a longer period than
Brodie was allowed to live, by
more than two of Brodie’s lifetimes, LVMPD officers and detectives and their compatriots within
the district attorney’s office had
done everything possible to avoid
pursuing justice in the murder of
Jason Turner. Had they stepped up
to the commitment of their oaths
of office, they would have prevented that toddler’s brutal murder.
Brodie’s mother would not have
had a relationship with Michael
Lee, had that young woman known
what had taken place in 2005 by
the hands of Michael’s relatives. If
Michael’s relative had been prosecuted for her crime, it’s probable
that Brodie would still be alive.
Had justice been pursued, all
that rhetoric we’ve heard during
this past election cycle would have
meaning. Both candidates for sheriff have sworn oaths to protect citizens and residents of Clark County.
Candidates for judgeships and ev-
ery public office all have said the
same thing, especially district attorney Steven Wolfson: I am here to
serve you and this community, for
your protection and safety. Sheriff
Gillespie had made the same promise during his election campaigns.
Police officers offer their oaths as
a lien on their property when sworn
into office, or taking on ranks and
privileges of their positions. The
lives of many of us depend upon
those oaths having substance rather
than being the mere empty pronouncements of liars.
Within six weeks of the arrest of
Michael Lee in October 2011,
David Roger announced his resignation as Clark County District Attorney. This announcement was a
surprise to many. His reason was
hardly credible on the surface: that
he wanted to spend more time with
his family. Now, given the information that we have recently gained,
it might actually make sense.
Brodie died unnecessarily as a consequence of the arrogance of power
and individual desires to be “important” in this community. Roger had
been infected with that social disease. Perhaps learning of Brodie’s
death made a difference, as it should
for all who have failed to pursue
justice when given that opportunity
and responsibility.
*****
Thomas A. Nagy is the author of
Cannabis Consumer Handbook
available at Amazon.com, and the
blog
ReGeneration
at
blogspot.com. Email direct at:
[email protected].
The Union Pacific Railroad Company is proposing to construct
a 60 foot PTC monopole tower and associated equipment at
35.941312N 115.213309W in Clark County, Nevada (E. Sloan).
The Union Pacific Railroad Company is seeking comments from
all interested persons on the impact of the proposed tower on
any districts, sites, buildings, structures, or objects significant
in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, or
culture, that are listed or are eligible for listing in the National
Register of Historic Places. All questions, comments, and
correspondence should be directed to Ms. Mary Cargill, at 520
South Main Street, Suite 2531, Akron, Ohio 44311, Phone #
330-572-3642, or [email protected].
35.879841N -115.231531W in Clark County, Nevada (E. Erie).
35.860895N 115.251906W in Clark County, Nevada (W. Erie).
36.000389N 115.240316W in Clark County, Nevada (W. Arden).
36.666489N 114.628424W in Clark County, Nevada (W.
Moapa). The Union Pacific Railroad Company is seeking
comments from all interested persons on the impact of the
proposed tower on any districts, sites, buildings, structures, or
objects significant in American history, architecture, archaeology,
engineering, or culture, that are listed or are eligible for listing
in the National Register of Historic Places. All questions,
comments, and correspondence should be directed to Ms. Mary
Cargill, at 520 South Main Street, Suite 2531, Akron, Ohio 44311,
Phone # 330-572-3642, or [email protected].
35.93411N 115.225052W in Clark County, Nevada (W. Sloan).
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:
[email protected]. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/
subscribe; Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.
Dear EarthTalk: I hear that
many school cafeterias have nutrition standards no better—even
worse — than those of fast food
chains. What can be done about
this? — Betsy Edison, Nashville,
TN
Americans have done a great job
making sure that our kids have
something to eat at school regardless of socioeconomic status, with
the National School Lunch Program
providing low-cost or free lunches
to upwards of 31 million students
at 92 percent of U.S. public and
private schools.
But that doesn’t mean the food
has been especially nutritious, and
public health experts say it’s no
wonder our kids are more obese
than ever when we feed them trans
fats, salts and sodas for lunch. Kids
get half their daily calories at
school, so what’s for lunch there has
a big impact on health and lasting
eating habits.
A 2008 analysis of school
lunches by the Institute of Medicine
(IOM) concluded that American
kids consume very few fruits and
vegetables in their cafeterias—with
potatoes accounting for a third of
all vegetables consumed. IOM also
found that kids were eating many
refined grains and too much saturated fat and sodium. A 2009 study
by USA Today found that meat used
by McDonald’s and Burger King
was tested for bacteria and unsafe
pathogens up to 10 times as much
as meat bound for U.S. school cafeterias.
In response to these stark findings, along with vigorous advocacy
by First Lady Michelle Obama,
things are starting to improve. In
2010, Congress voted to revamp the
nation’s school lunch program by
enacting the Healthy, Hunger-Free
Kids Act (HHFKA). The higher
standards in the new law seek to
align school meals with the federal
2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans by upping the availability and
portion sizes of fruits, vegetables
and whole grains (and requiring students to select a fruit or vegetable),
establishing calorie ranges, removing trans fats and limiting sodium
levels. The law also incentivizes
schools to take part with generous
meal reimbursement funds. The
new standards went into effect in
2012 and have been working their
way through school districts from
coast-to-coast and getting rave reviews in the process.
Researchers from the Harvard
School of Public Health who collected plate waste data among more
than 1,000 students in four schools
in urban, low-income school districts both before and after HHFKA
took effect found that fruit selection
increased 23 percent following
implementation: “Average per person fruit consumption was unchanged,” said researchers, “but
because more students selected fruit
overall, more fruit was consumed
post-implementation.” Also, per
student vegetable consumption
went up 16.2 percent.
But just because public health
researchers think the program is
going well doesn’t mean Congress
will keep it going. The Republicandominated House of Representatives has included waivers for
school lunch nutrition standards in
its fiscal-year 2015 Agriculture
Appropriations bill. “The provision
would allow schools with a 6month net loss of revenue to opt out
of providing the healthier meals
outlined by the HHFKA,” Dr. Jennifer Woo Baidal writes in the New
England Journal of Medicine. “A
deficit of any amount from any
cause could allow schools to return
to the same meals that the IOM
found in 2008 to be nutritionally
lacking.” Consumers interested in
protecting the new nutritional standards should weigh in by calling,
writing or e-mailing their Congressional representatives and speaking
up for healthier kids.
*****
Dear EarthTalk: What is cur-
About half of U.S. drinking water comes from groundwater sources. Regulation and enforcement of industry
and agriculture are important for protecting our limited supplies, but consumers must also play a role. USGS
scientists collected water-quality samples from 121 locations as part of two national-scale reconnaissance
studies on the occurrence of organic wastewater contaminants in ground water and untreated sources of drinking
water across the U.S. All of the samples were raw water, collected from sampling ports at wellheads for ground
water (A) or at intake structures for surface water (B) before any treatment or processing.
rently being done in the U.S. to en- ses to ensure that local supplies live gardens, and generally reduce
sure the wise use and safety of our up to the EPA’s expectations. These household chemical use. And leftnation’s groundwater? — Kevin laws work together to keep ground- over chemicals should be disposed
Orr, Baton Rouge, LA
water supplies safe, but environ- of at hazardous waste collection
Keeping fresh water safe and mentalists would like to see both sites (find one near you at
abundant is a challenge for all so- strengthened substantially in the earth911.com), not down the drain
cieties. In the U.S., about half of face of drought-inducing global or into the gutter.
the country’s drinking water comes warming and other threats.
Another way to help is to initiate
from groundwater sources. Many
While regulation and enforce- a Source Water Protection process,
rural areas derive all of their drink- ment of industry and agriculture are which involves locating local
ing water from groundwater, which important for protecting our limited groundwater sources and identifyalso provides 40 percent of the ir- groundwater supplies, consumers ing ways to protect and conserve
rigation needs of American farm- also must play a role. The Ground- them. Anyone interested in doing
ers. While underground aquifers water Foundation, a Nebraska- so can download the Groundwater
may at one point have seemed lim- based non-profit working to edu- Foundation’s free Source Water
itless, huge demand for water (es- cate people and inspire action to Assessment and Protection Workpecially in arid areas like the South- ensure sustainable, clean ground- shop Guide, which has detailed inwest) means that groundwater re- water for future generations, sug- formation about a number of source
serves are precious and need to be gests taking short showers, shutting water protection strategies and adcarefully managed with conserva- off the faucet while brushing teeth ditional information on areas where
tion in mind. Also, groundwater is and shaving, running full loads of the Safe Drinking Water Act and
easily contaminated by any num- dishes and laundry, checking for Clean Water Act intersect. Funding
ber of common man-made products leaky faucets and getting them for the guide was provided by the
like gasoline, oil, road salts, pesti- fixed, and watering plants and the EPA’s Office of Groundwater and
cides, fertilizers and other chemi- lawn only when necessary. Like- Drinking Water, which considers it
cals.
wise, the group advocates that con- a must-read for officials,
Management of specific water sumers recycle used motor oils, policymakers and activists delibersupplies is decentralized — local limit the amount of fertilizer and ating land use and water quality isand regional water authorities man- pesticides used on plants, lawns and sues.
age supplies for municipalities and
counties around the country — but
oversight comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), as mandated by the Clean
Water Act and the Safe Drinking
Water Act. Enacted in 1972, the
Clean Water Act addresses water
pollution in general and requires
everyone, but especially large water users including large industrial
and agricultural operations, to deal
with their water inflows and outHave you been embarrassed lately when someone pointed
flows in a responsible, non-pollutout to you that you misspelled a word in your report or maybe
ing manner. Meanwhile, 1974’s
had a whole sentence all messed up? Have you personally
Safe Drinking Water Act requires
felt that you could’ve done a much better job on that manuscript
the EPA to set standards for drinkbut just didn’t have the time?
ing water quality that the 150,000
public water entities across the
Why put off doing what you know you should have done before:
country must meet. Third party
call in an editor! As a word-, sentence-, and document-doctor,
laboratories provide detailed analyshe 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.
DO YOU NEED AN EDITOR?
Give yourself the luxury of looking your best in print!
[email protected]. 702-706-6875.
Speak Up!
If you have something
to say... say it on your
own radio show.
RadioTribune still
has one hour of
airtime available.
For more information,
call (702) 868-6398
ENTERTAINMENT
“The Magic Trio”
By Sandy Zimmerman
Las Vegas Tribune
Photos by Sandy Zimmerman
during the show
It was close-up, slight-of-hand
magic with a twist!
Not just ONE magician, but
THREE talented magicians performing together and by themselves.
The trio skillfully threw cards,
balls and other objects into the air
with a frenzy of magic tricks.
Chris
James,
Andrew
Goldenhersh and Jason Baney, each
performed at their tables then
joined the audience.
With perfect timing and quick
movements, each talented man kept
the show exciting with their own
slant of magic.
This was a chance to see magic
at its best and at its funniest!
There was an unforgettable,
emotional musical interlude with
Andrew at the guitar.
Britain’s Chris James is the only
magician in history to entertain The
Queen England and the United Nations in the same year. He’s performed since the age of 5, has a degree in Psychology, is an awardwinning magician and author. He’s
performed worldwide and in the
Hollywood version of “The Naked
Magicians.” Lance Burton called
him a “genius.”
Andrew Goldenhersh ranks
among today’s elite masters of
magic, drawing acclaims nationally
and internationally. He has received
accolades from the prestigious
Academy of Magical Arts and is the
only magician to have been nominated for both “Close-Up Magician
of the Year” and “Parlour Magician
of the Year” 12 years in a row. Winning the award in 2009 and 2010.
Andrew, who is based in L.A. has
entertained celebrities including:
Johnny Depp, Ringo Starr, Pink,
Rod Stewart, etc. Andrew is also
the creator of a piece in David
Cooperfield’s current show in Las
Vegas.
Las Vegas resident Jason Baney
is a creative manipulation artist and
card thrower. He starred in Sin
City’s longest running daytime
show “Viva Las Vegas,” co-starred
in “The World’s Greatest Show” for
three years and has performed for
fans of all ages throughout Europe
and Asia.
“The Naked Magicians” was
originally produced by illusionist/
writer/choreographer Charles Bach
in 2006 at the Hudson Backstage/
Comedy ” meets Strip Poker and
“The Full Monty” for an entertaining, funny, sexy show. Central theatre in Los Angeles. Charles has
combined the exciting, fun elements of Magic meets “The Rat
Pack” meets “Blue Man Group”
meets “James Bond” meets “Burlesque,” meets “Strip Poker and
“The Full Monty” for an entertaining, funny, sexy show.
The Naked Magicians appeared
for a limited engagement at the
Tommy Wind Theater on the strip.
Don’t miss the Naked Magicians
when they return to Las Vegas. Visit
www.nakedmagicians.com.
*****
Award
winning
Sandy
Zimmerman is a syndicated columnist featuring Show and Dining reviews, travel, health, spas, luxury
and more. Sandy is talk show host
of the Las Vegas Today Show programs and Discover the Ultimate
Vacation travel specials. If you
want to suggest topics for articles,
for information or to ask any questions about Sandy’s articles, call
(702)-731-6491.
The Naked Magicians — Jason Baney, Chris James and Andrew Goldenhersh
Winter daylife scene opens at Palms Casino
This Week
in Las Vegas
By Mike Kermani
By Mike Kermani
Las Vegas Tribune
Social media sensation, Jenna
Marbles kicked off the return of the
Las Vegas Winter daylife scene at
the season opener of Ghostbar
Dayclub inside Palms Casino Resort on Saturday (10/18) afternoon.
The energetic star who has taken
social media by storm with over
14,000,000 fans following her humorous videos on her was overcome with excitement upon arrival
to the popular day party.
“I heard that there’s a lot of
magical madness that happens so
that’s what I’m looking forward to,”
said Marbles. “It’s about to get so
weird and magical at Ghostbar
Dayclub. Opening day, opening
day!”
All eyes were on the bubbly
blonde who was greeted by hundreds of partygoers chanting her
name and giving her high-fives.
Marbles was in complete awe of the
dynamic party while posing for
photographs and signing autographs for all of her adoring fans
including one particular die-hard
young lady who had Jenna sign her
mini dress.
The social media celebrity
showed off her playful personality
while licking Bud Light from the
top of an oversized beer tube and
by jokingly kissing one of the
dayclub’s flabongos, a flamingo
shaped beer bong.
The party ignited when Marbles
hit up the DJ booth to take a selfie
photo with the crowd.
Marbles was smiling from ear to
ear when GBDC’s gorgeous go go
dancers rolled out a hot pink shopping cart covered in rainbow-colored rhinestones and lights filled
with a hundred cheeseburgers
which they passed out to excited
partygoers who had danced up an
appetite.
The afternoon bash proved to be
magical with GBDC guests reveling on Ghostbar’s patio, catching a
rare glimpse of a double rainbow
appearing over the Las Vegas Valley.
*****
VEGAS MUSIC SUMMIT
DOWNTOWN
The 2014 Vegas Music Summit
(VMS) will take place on Nov. 13
and 14 in Downtown Las Vegas
kicking off with Vans Warped Tour
founder Kevin Lyman appearing as
keynote speaker. The two-day event
will also host artist performances,
industry panels and special events
at multiple venues throughout the
area.
The conference will feature live
performances by dozens of notable
and emerging acts including Hot
Kevin Lyman
Water Music and The Flatliners,
and will host industry panels featuring some of the most influential
people from the music and tech industries. VMS participants include
music executives from major and
indie record labels, producers,
booking agents, promoters, managers, attorneys and music publishers.
Panels and showcases are included with paid registration and
will be located in Downtown Las
Vegas within the Fremont East Entertainment District and Downtown
hotel casinos. Participating venues
include: El Cortez Hotel, Backstage
Bar, Beauty Bar, Commonwealth,
Fremont Country Club and Park on
Fremont.
VMS takes pride in its unsigned
artist picks, providing a high quality pool of emerging artist talent for
attending A&R reps, producers,
promoters and bookers — at the
end of the ‘A&R at the Majors’
panel, reps from Virgin Records
and Hollywood Records actually
offered to listen to demos.”
Conference badges are $99 per
registrant and include access to conference panels, showcases and after parties. Live showcase wristbands are available for $25 and include all live music showcases at
all venues. Conference badges and
showcase wristbands are on sale
now
online
at
www.vegasmusicsummit.com.
*****
GENE SIMMONS AND KISS
AT HARD ROCK HOTEL
As KISS heads to The Joint for
its first residency, KISS Rocks Vegas, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
activates property-wide, band-inspired menus and merchandise,
Nov. 5–23.
KISS, comprised of Gene
Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy
Thayer and Eric Singer, is set to
take over The Joint with nine overthe-top performances from Nov. 5
to Nov. 23.
To welcome the entertainment
legends, the resort’s overall atmosphere has been revamped in true
rock style with limited-time menus
available at 35 Steaks + Martinis,
Culinary Dropout, Mr. Lucky’s
CafÈ, Pink Taco and all casino bars.
Additionally, John Varvatos and
KISS’s official pop-up shop B Side
will sell themed merchandise, and
Reliquary Water Sanctuary, Spa &
Salon will offer rocker-chic treatments.
35 Steaks + Martinis, the
property’s premier steakhouse,
heats things up with Smoke ($14),
a cold smoked Scottish salmon,
prepared in harmony with capers,
red onion, dill, cucumbers, buttered
crostinis, herbs and garlic cheese;
and Sweet Pain ($10), a sinfully
indulgent dessert complete with
creamy caramel apple mousse,
white chocolate cake, caramel popcorn ice cream and a syringe full
of fireball sauce.
Featuring a feast fit for rock ‘n’
roll royalty, Culinary Dropout presents a specialty Prix Fixe menu
($25 per person). The spread offers
a choice of Soft Pretzels and Provolone Fondue or a House Salad for
the starter; Fried Chicken or MaÖ
The Meatloaf!?! for the entrÈe; and
one Paper Bag Beer Special. Additionally, the soulful gastro-pub enhances its selection with an array
of their favorite cocktails, re-named
after the band’s most memorable
hits. Guests can wash down their
meal with cocktails on special for
the entire KISS residency.
The party continues at Pink
Taco, where patrons can reminisce
on iconic KISS hits with a tasty,
band-inspired fare. The restaurant
highlights iconic band achievements with Hotter Than Hot ($12),
a queso flameado con lobster and
flour tortilla combination; All
Hell’s Breakin’ Loose ($24), a sizzling molcajete for two, topped
with grilled shrimp, carne asada,
pollo asada, peppers and onions,
rice, ancho-tomato broth and radish; and Heaven’s On Fire ($7), a
sugar feign’s paradise, featuring a
flaming plantain tostada, sprinkled
with waffle crisps and topped
with a scoop of creamy caramel
swirl ice cream.
*****
NEON MUSEUM VINTAGE
NEON SIGNS ILLUMINATED
The Neon Museum Boneyard’s
collection of more than 150 vintage
neon signs will be illuminated with
a special, holiday-inspired palette
of lights — red, green, gold, blue
and white — beginning Sun., Nov.
28, through Thurs., Jan. 1.
All visitors taking night tours of
the Neon Boneyard will be able to
experience the seasonal lighting. In
addition, all nighttime visitors can
now see the recently restored and
electrified Jerry’s Nugget and
Liberace Museum signs, installed
in the Neon Boneyard this fall.
Families will enjoy the secondannual “December to Remember”
holiday ornament-making event,
which will take place Saturday,
Dec. 13 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the
Boneyard Park.
This event will be followed by
hot chocolate and caroling by Las
Vegas Academy choir in the Neon
Museum Boneyard from 5 to 6
p.m., during which time families
will also enjoy the dazzling atmosphere of the seasonally illuminated
Boneyard.
“December to Remember” is
part of the City of Las Vegas Cultural Corridor’s holiday festival.
This event is free and open to the
public; reservations are not required.
Night tours of the Neon
Boneyard are $25 for general admission; seniors, students, active
military and veterans and Nevada
residents are $22 (must show current ID upon arrival). For more information about tours and special
events at the Neon Museum, go to
www.neonmuseum.org or call
(702) 387-6366.
Founded in 1996, the Neon Museum is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to collecting,
preserving, studying and exhibiting
iconic Las Vegas signs for educational, historic and cultural enrichment.
In addition to an approximately
two-acre Neon Museum campus,
which includes the outdoor exhibition space known as the Neon
Boneyard, the museum also encompasses a visitors’ center housed inside the former La Concha Motel
lobby; the Neon Boneyard North
Gallery, a separate outdoor exhibition space which is open for educational programs, photography
shoots, weddings and special
events; as well as nine restored
signs installed as public art throughout downtown Las Vegas.
Public education, outreach, research, archival preservation and a
grant-funded neon sign survey represent a selection of the museum’s
ongoing projects. Both the Neon
Boneyard and the La Concha Visitors’ Center are located at 770 Las
Vegas Blvd. North in Las Vegas.
For more information, visit
www.NeonMuseum.org.
*****
GILLEY’S SALON
Gilley’s Saloon, Dance Hall &
Bar-B-Que features live country
music with a cover charge ranging
from $10 to $20 on select performance dates. For further details,
visit www.treasureisland.com.
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
Legends in Concert to honor
Veterans with complimentary show
By Jerry Fink
Las Vegas Tribune
Legends in Concert , Las Vegas’
longest-running live tribute show at
Flamingo Las Vegas, will honor the
military this Veterans Day by offering a free ticket to anyone with a
military ID for the 9:30 p.m. show
on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
A veteran himself, Elvis Presley,
portrayed by Bill Cherry, will perform a special patriotic song for the
audience in his signature Americana-fringed cape to pay homage to
both past and present members of
the military. Throughout the calendar year, Legends in Concert also
offers a buy-one, get-one free ticket
special for anyone with a military
ID.
The current cast has a range of
music legends, from contemporary
pop stars to classic icons. Guests
will be able to watch the stars align
in the Donny & Marie Showroom
available during the new show
times for November listed here:
http://www.legendsinconcert.com/
las-vegas-november# and the new
show times for December listed
here:
http://
www.legendsinconcert.com/lasvegas-december#.
For more than three decades,
Legends in Concert has proudly entertained more than 6.6 million Las
Vegas visitors and residents, produced over 18,500 performances on
the Las Vegas Strip and performed
to more than 30 million fans worldwide. Tickets are on sale at all
Caesars Entertainment box offices
or by calling 702-777-2782. More
information is available at
www.flamingolasvegas.com or
www.legendsinconcert.com.
*****
STARS OF THE STRIP
AND GRAHAM KNUTTEL
PROMOTE FUNDRAISING
GALA AT THE RIO
The Las Vegas Academy of the
Arts (LVA) will host its second annual fundraising gala at the Rio AllSuite Hotel and Casino on Monday,
Nov. 10, 2014 in the Pavilion Ballroom.
Festivities begin at 5:30 p.m.
with a silent auction and sideshow
followed by dinner, a live auction
and fabulous entertainment featuring stars from the Las Vegas Strip.
Master artist Graham Knuttel is
LVA’s 2014 Gala Honoree. Earlier
this year, Knuttel worked in collaboration with 13 handpicked students on “Fremont Street,” a landscape of characters and architecture
painted in bold strokes and vivid
colors that capture the essence of
Las Vegas.
A numbered and signed Artist’s
Proof will be auctioned off during
the evening’s festivities in support
of LVA. The canvas will be unveiled earlier in the week for the
first time at The Knuttel Gallery
with the artist and his protÈgÈs for
bidders to get a closer look. Furthermore, limited edition prints of “Fremont Street” will be available for
purchase with a percentage of the
proceeds from sales donated back
to LVA.
“Ringmaster” and Strip headliner Jeff Civillico will be joined by
Mark Shunock (“Rock of Ages”),
magician Mac King, Travis Cloer
(“Jersey Boys”), soprano Suzanne
Vinnik, Broadway musical director
Jack Gaughan and Elvis impersonator Brendan Paul, among other
performers and surprises under the
big top. In keeping with the LVA
tradition, entertainers will be joined
on stage by student performers.
For more information or to purchase
tickets,
visit
www.lasvegasacademy.net or call
702-875-1477.
ABOUT GRAHAM KNUTTEL
AND THE KNUTTEL GALLERY
Often referred to as the “Irish
Picasso,” Graham Knuttel gives us
disgruntled chefs, second-rate mobsters, melancholic worldly women,
frisky felines and sailors who smell
of rum, but smell more of the sea.
The humor is deep, dark and rueful. His work takes account of humanity, wherever it is located, in all
its durability and has attracted an
eclectic group of collectors including Sylvester Stallone, Colin Farrell
and Bono, to name a few.
The Knuttel Gallery, located in
the Grand Canal Shoppes at
Venetian|Palazzo Las Vegas, exclusively exhibits the work of Graham
Knuttel — including all of his new
paintings, sculptures, tapestries,
limited editions and items from his
Tipperary Collection. For all of the
latest news and information, visit
www.knuttel.com or follow on
Facebook or Twitter.
*****
CARLOS SANTANA
GEARS UP FOR
NOVEMBER RETURN
House of Blues Las Vegas at
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
together with Carlos Santana announce May 2015 performance
dates of An Intimate Evening with
Santana: Greatest Hits Live . Tickets for the May 2015 dates will go
on sale Saturday, Oct. 25 at 10 a.m.
Tickets for the November 2014 and
January 2015 dates are currently on
sale. All shows begin at 8 p.m.
2014 performance dates:
—November 5, 7–9, 12, 14–16
and 18
2015 performance dates:
—January 21, 23–25 and 28–3
—May 20, 22-24, 27 and 29–31
House of Blues Las Vegas at
Mandalay Bay has been home to
Santana’s live concert since 2012.
Fans have partied all night within a
few feet of the musical icon with
the La Zona Fiesta tickets. The
popular VIP packages will again be
available for purchase with
customizable experiences that include limited edition photos and
specialty dining/beverage packages
featuring stage-side dining.
Tickets for An Intimate Evening
with Santana: Greatest Hits Live
start at $99.50, plus applicable fees.
Tickets are available by visiting
House of Blues.com/Santana,
M a n d a l a y B a y. c o m ,
Ticketmaster.com or by calling
800-745-3000. For additional information, visit santana.com. A CITI
presale begins Tuesday, Oct. 21 at
10 a.m. The M life, House of Blues
and Live Nation presale begins
Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 10 a.m.
A portion of all tickets sold will
be donated to The Milagro Foundation. Milagro (“Miracle”) is a
charitable foundation supporting
underrepresented and vulnerable
children and youth in the areas of
arts, education and health. The
Milagro Foundation was created in
1998 by Carlos Santana and his
family to benefit children worldwide.
Another contribution will be
made to The International House of
Blues Foundation (www.ihobf.org)
which is dedicated to supporting
youth music and arts programs, creating performance and exhibition
opportunities for young and emerging artists and providing educational programs and resources that
draw upon the arts to teach youth
about history, culture and social
change.
*****
JUDAS PRIEST TO BRING
REDEEMER OF SOULS
TOUR 2014 TO THE PEARL
Metal legends Judas Priest announce Redeemer of Souls Tour
2014 including a stop at the intimate
Pearl Concert Theater inside Palms
Casino Resort on Nov. 14, 2014 at
8 p.m. with special guests Steel
Panther. Tickets start at $69, plus
any additional service fees.
Ever since it was announced that
metal icons Judas Priest would be
unleashing their 17th studio album
overall, Redeemer of Souls (out
July 8, 2014), their legion of fans
have been wondering if the band
would be launching a supporting
tour. And the answer is a resounding YES, Priest will be touring the
U.S. in the fall, with dates running
throughout October and for most of
November.
Comprised of Rob Halford (vocals), Glenn Tipton (guitar), Richie
Faulkner (guitar), Ian Hill (bass),
and Scott Travis (drums), Judas
Priest is responsible for some of
heavy metal’s all-time classic songs
including “Living After Midnight,”
“Breaking the Law” and “You’ve
Got Another Thing Coming” and
albums British Steel , Screaming
for Vengeance and Painkiller , to
name a few. And come this fall, the
mighty Priest will be ferociously
rocking the U.S. once more.
Doors at the Pearl will open at 7
p.m., show time is 8 p.m. The Pearl
Box Office is open daily from noon
until 7 p.m. with extended hours on
select event days. Follow The Pearl
on Twitter at @PearlatPalms for
concert announcements and event
information.
*****
2015 MISS NEVADA USA/
MISS NEVEDA TEEN USA
PAGEANTS IN NOVEMEBER
The search for the next Miss
Nevada USA and Miss Nevada
Teen USA has begun as the countdown for the 2015 Miss Nevada
USA Pageant has officially started.
With the competition taking place
on Friday, Nov. 21 through Sunday,
Nov. 23, young women from all
over the state of Nevada will compete for the crown and title.
The much-anticipated event will
take place at the Artemus W. Ham
Concert Hall on the University of
Nevada, Las Vegas Campus.
The two new winners will be
crowned by the previous titleholders, Miss Nevada USA 2014 Nia
Sanchez, who was recently
crowned Miss USA 2014, and Miss
Nevada Teen USA 2014, Alexa
Taylor. Since Nia’s Miss USA win,
there has been so much new and
positive energy surrounding the
upcoming pageant and we couldn’t
be more excited,” says Shanna
Moakler, Executive Director of the
Miss Nevada USA Organization.
“We cannot wait to start working
with our contestants.”
Hosted by Miss USA 2011
Alyssa Campanella and 98.5
KLUC radio host Chet Buchanan,
the beautiful contestants will be
judged in three areas of competi-
tion including interview, swimsuit
and evening gown, with the final
pageant occurring on the evening
of Sunday, Nov. 23. Singer and
songwriter Brett Young will return
to the Miss Nevada USA and Miss
Nevada Teen USA pageant this
year, entertaining guests with live
performances.
A new sponsor this year to the
Miss Nevada USA pageant is
Towbin FIAT of Las Vegas. “We are
thrilled to have Towbin FIAT as a
new sponsor,” says Moakler. “This
sponsorship is really going to transform the Miss Nevada USA Organization and take it to a new level.”
Throughout their reign, the
newly crowned beauty queens will
help give back to the community,
working with charities and becoming fashion icons while modeling
the latest fashions at red carpet
events. Both Miss Nevada USA
2015 and Miss Nevada Teen USA
2015 will win an exciting prize
package full of stylish attire, shoes,
travel and scholarships, including
special packages from sponsors including one year of hair care from
celebrity colorist Michael
Boychuck and an exclusive wardrobe provided by Jason Kim of
Double Zero Fashions. Additionally, the winners will receive a year
in the Nevada spotlight while preparing for the national Miss USA
and Miss Teen USA competitions.
The Miss Nevada USA organization is still accepting application
for the 2015 pageant. For more information and to apply to become
the next Miss Nevada USA, please
visit www.missnevadausa.com.
*****
THE IMPROV AT HARRAH’S:
NOV. 4–9
The world-famous Improv at
Harrah’s Las Vegas is the longestrunning comedy club on the Las
Vegas Strip. The Improv’s ability to
showcase young comedians, as well
as bring in big names, has attributed to its longevity and success.
Each week, The Improv showcases some of the funniest and
freshest faces in comedy, creating
a show that is always unique and
definitely funny. The comedians
who will perform Nov. 4–9 are:
Allan Havey: Allan Havey is
considered one of the best stand-ups
working today. With appearances
on television shows such as “The
Office,” “Seinfeld,” “Curb Your
Enthusiam,” “Louie” and many
more, Havey has made his mark in
the comedy world. In addition to his
many TV appearances, he has
worked on numerous films, featured on many comedy shows and
hosted “Night After Night with
Allan Havey,” which became a cult
classic.
Avi Liberman: Avi Liberman’s
quirky style has made him a favorite in comedy clubs from Los Angeles to New York. Liberman has
performed stand-up comedy on
CBS’s “Late Late Show” with Craig
Ferguson, on Comedy Central’s
“Premium Blend” and “Make Me
Laugh” as well as NBC’s “Friday
Night!” Liberman has appeared on
“Dave’s World,” “Boston Common,” “Andytown U.S.A.” and
“Movies At Our House.”
David Gee: An accomplished
performer, an uncanny impressionist and a master of timing and presence on stage, David Gee was
named “Best Comedian in a Production Show” by the Las Vegas
Review Journal 4 years in a row.
Most recently, Gee was a semi-finalist on ABC’s “The Next Best
Thing” and was featured on the
Showtime special “Rita Rudner and
3 Potential Ex-Husbands.”
Shows are at 8:30 p.m. and 10
p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Tickets are $29.05 or $44.95 (plus
applicable taxes and fees) for VIP
tickets that include special seating,
an Improv t-shirt and post-show
meet-and-greet with the comics.
Special two-for-one tickets are also
available for locals for the 10 p.m.
show.
Tickets are available at Harrah’s
Box Office (702-369-5223 and
online
at
www.harrahslasvegas.com.
*****
Jerry Fink is an entertainment
columnist for the Las Vegas Tribune
newspaper and writes a weekly column. To contact Jerry Fink, email
&
HEALTH LIFESTYLES
Film Review
Look Inside the Mind of a Mentally Ill Man
“Obsessive Compulsive, Major Depression Bipolar”
By Sandy Zimmerman
Las Vegas Tribune
Photos by Obsessive CompulsiveMajor Depression Bipolar film
There have been many films
written about mental illness but you
will find that “Obsessive Compulsive — Major Depression Bipolar”
stands out from all of them.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
(OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that
produce uneasiness, apprehension,
fear, or worry, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety, or by a combination
of such obsessions and compulsions. (Wikipedia)
It is realism to the nth degree,
the daily suffering of Bud Clayman,
a man who must live his life with
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
(OCD).
Bud is a real patient speaking
about his own mental illness. The
viewers are brought into Bud’s
world to see life through his eyes.
Bud describes his OCD as, “The
hell going on in my mind.”
Even participating in simple activities that most people take for
granted was difficult for him.
As the camera crew follows Bud
during his daily routine, the viewers are amazed that even taking a
bus could be a potential traumatic
experience. During the bus ride Bud
spoke about his thoughts. “Don’t
stare at anyone,” Bud repeated his
psychiatrist’s warnings and had to
remember the correct way to act in
public. One time Bud had a fight
because he stared at a man. Instead
of relaxing and looking at the scenery, Bud’s non-stop thoughts continually analyze every moment of
his trip. He has to learn to live with
his stream of consciousness and not
to react in a way that is harmful to
himself or others.
Throughout the film the viewers could understand the pressure
of these thoughts as he fights with
himself to gain control. In fact, Bud
must be in control of every situation. Bud’s family and the people
around him have to be careful about
the words they use when speaking
to him. If Bud perceives they are
ordering him to do something he
may have involuntary “intrusive”
thoughts that provoke his anxiety.
This is a film about a person who is
afraid he might act on these
thoughts.
Of course one of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder’s symptoms is
when a person continually washes
their hands or other compulsive acts
over and over again.
Bud Clayman faces a tough battle
with mental illness but there is hope.
He has a positive attitude, “I know
I’m going to make it!”
Bud Clayman’s voice is just another part of the realism of this film.
“The Obsessive Compulsive,
Major Depression, Bipolar” is a
Fisher Klingenstein film, starring
co-Director, co-Producer, coWriter, Narrator Bud Clayman.
The film’s website below tells
Bud Clayman’s story and has links
to mental health and mental illness
experts, treatment, family support,
advocacy, mental health laws, specific psychiatric disorders and recovery diaries.
If you wish to view this film or
for any information, please contact:
http://www.oc87.com
[email protected].
Award-winning
Sandy
Zimmerman is a syndicated columnist featuring Show and Dining reviews, travel, health, spas, luxury
and more. Sandy is talk show host
of the Las Vegas Today Show programs and Discover the Ultimate
Vacation travel specials. If you wish
information, have questions about
any of Sandy’s articles, call (702)
735-5974. SUGGESTIONS: Do
you have a favorite restaurant in
Las Vegas or around the world?
Please let us know and you may win
free show tickets or other prizes.
Send the name of the restaurant, the
reasons for your choice and your
telephone number. Information is
listed above.
Best Ways to Avoid
Holiday Weight Gain
By Sidney Wilson
With the holiday season approaching, many of us find ourselves surrounded by festive food
and the subsequent concern of
weight gain. Studies have shown
that the typical American may gain
two to seven pounds over the sixweek holiday season.
We may also find it harder to
maintain our exercise program with
all the holiday parties, shopping and
travel. In addition, many people
have much more stress during the
holiday period, which can result in
overeating as a “feel good” response.
The best way to avoid gaining
weight over the holidays is to eat
in moderation, keep a consistent
exercise program and try these 10
tips to avoid holiday weight gain.
1. Stick to a regular routine with
sleep and exercise. Many times
feeling tired or stressed is mistaken
for hunger.
2. Watch your alcohol intake.
Alcoholic beverages contain
“empty calories,” offering little to
no nutritional value and contributing to excess weight gain. Try having a seltzer with a lime twist or a
glass of water between alcoholic
drinks to help cut calories and remain well hydrated.
3. Eat a small, healthy meal before party time. It’s a common misconception that you will lose weight
by skipping meals. The truth is your
metabolism slows down causing
you to store body fat if calories are
too limited for too long. Another
negative result is that you are more
likely to binge later at night resulting in greater weight gains.
4. Don’t stand by the food at the
party. You will be less likely to partake in unconscious snacking all
night if you instead move, mingle
and socialize with friends.
5. If you’re hungry at the party,
reach for the vegetables (without
the dip), fruit or rye crackers. If you
do host a party have plenty of water and low-calorie snacks available.
Sidney Wilson
6. Eat slowly. It takes about 20 cross-training to keep things fresh
minutes for the stomach to register and fun. Seek out a professional to
a “full” sensation and signal the help you with your program if you
brain that it’s had enough. Slow need motivation.
down and listen to your body.
10. Always remain positive. If
7. Set goals and keep a food di- you do have a “bad” day, don’t
ary. Plan your weekly food intake worry or stress about it. Just get
and calorie count to include those back on track the next day.
treats or Christmas cookies in your
Maybe this can be the year your
diet — in moderation, of course. New Year’s resolution doesn’t inDon’t totally avoid sweets and holi- clude dropping those extra holiday
day food; just plan for it and eat pounds. If I can help you in any way
more fruit and vegetables during the with your fitness please let me
week to allow for this. With this know and I would be happy to help
plan you can also avoid the guilty you in any way that I can.
feeling afterward that can add to
Thank you and enjoy the holiyour stress level.
days ahead!
8. Eat protein. Quality protein
Sidney Wilson is a Las Vegasincludes lean meats, seafood, based celebrity fitness trainer and
chicken, turkey, eggs, yogurt and lifestyle coach dedicated to providlow-fat cheeses. Protein will help ing his clients with the tools needed
you feel full and control your ap- to “Get Vicious.” Through rigorous
petite.
workouts and extensive nutrition
9. Try to stay consistent with coaching, Sidney trains clients at
your workout routine. Don’t fall The Get Vicious Training Center
prey to the excuse that you’ll get located at 5693 South Jones Blvd.
back on track after New Year’s Day Suite 103, Las Vegas, NV 89118, or
or when the weather warms up remotely around the world through
again. You may need to modify his website www.sidneywilson.com.
your program for the busy holidays. Sidney can be contacted at:
Do what you can, but keep it up, [email protected] or 646trying new fitness activities and 226-6359.
SOCIAL SECURITY AWARENESS
Being aware of fraud is your
first step to avoiding it
By Jason Phelps
Social Security Operations
Specialist in Las Vegas Nevada
With all of the holiday shopping
going on this time of year, both in
stores and online, there is no better
time to remind you to beware of
fraud—you never know where it is
lurking.
When it comes to doing business
with Social Security online, there
is little to worry about—all of our
online services are protected by
strong Internet security protocols
and you should have confidence
that they are safe and secure. But,
there are other ways identity thieves
and criminals can obtain your personal information and cause you
significant harm.
Here are some tips to help keep
that from happening.
If someone contacts you claiming to be from Social Security and
asks for your Social Security number, date of birth, or other identifying information, beware. Don’t provide your personal information
without first contacting Social Security to verify if Social Security is
really trying to contact you. It could
be an identity thief phishing for
your personal information. Call
Social Security’s toll-free number
at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800325-0778).
If you receive a suspicious call,
report it by going to http://
oig.ssa.gov/report. Or call 1-800-
269-0271 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00
p.m. Eastern Time. You should provide as much of the following information as you know:
—The alleged suspect(s) and
victim(s) names, address(es), phone
number(s), date(s) of birth, and
Social Security number(s);
—Description of the fraud and
the location where the fraud took
place;
—When and how the fraud was
committed;
—Why the person committed
the fraud (if known); and
—Who else has knowledge of
the potential violation.
Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in America. If
you or anyone you know has been
the victim of an identity thief, contact the Federal Trade Commission
at www.idtheft.gov, or 1-877IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338); TTY
1-866-653-4261.
Another form of fraud that
people fall victim to: businesses
using misleading advertisements
that make it look as though they are
from Social Security. These businesses often offer Social Security
services for a fee, even though the
same services are available directly
from Social Security free of charge.
By law, such an advertisement must
indicate that the company is not affiliated with Social Security.
If you receive what you believe
is misleading advertising for Social
Security services, send the complete mailing, including the envelope, to: Office of the Inspector
General, Fraud Hotline, Social Security Administration, P.O. Box
17768, Baltimore, MD 21235.
Also, advise your state’s attorney
general or consumer affairs office
and the Better Business Bureau. If
you see or hear what you believe is
misleading advertising related to
Social Security, you can report it at
the address above, by calling 1800-269-0271 from 10:00 a.m. to
4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, or by visiting http://oig.ssa.gov/report.
Protect your investment in Social Security and do your part to
report potential fraud. We rely on
you to let us know when you suspect someone is committing fraud
against Social Security.
Reporting fraud is a smart thing
to do—and the right thing to do.
Visit Social Security’s Office of the
Inspector General at http://
oig.ssa.gov.
Learn more about identity theft
and misleading advertising by reading our publications on the subjects
at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs.
What
You Need
To Know
By Dr Nina Radcliff
Tech Cleanse
By Dr. Nina Radcliff
Smartphones, and tablets, and computers! Oh my! The way we communicate has surely changed. Think back a decade or two ago. Sometimes I feel like I am Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz saying “Toto, I’ve a
feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” There are different rules, different
customs, and few, if any, familiar objects. This new world of technology
is like being in the Land of Oz.
Telephones, once hailed as the modus operandi for communicating,
may be subject to a coup d’etat. In one poll, 32 percent of those who
responded said they preferred texting over talking on the phone. And the
numbers reflect this. Compared to the year 2000, where the number of
texts sent monthly in the U.S. was 14 billion, 2010 showed over 188
billion texts per month! We have woken up to discover that the way we
communicate has been carried aloft almost like a tornado. We can no
longer “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain”; technology is
here to stay.
There are several reasons that we have entered this Land of Oz, and
why we may have lost our ability to return to Kansas. For one, technology gives us the promise of connectedness. We can communicate with
people in another country, state, city, or down the street. Technology has
chipped away at the great divide that geography used to pose. Texting
and emailing also allows us to keep it short and sweet to better optimize
our time, as well as to review the messages prior to sending.
We have all come to recognize the positive contributions of today’s
technology, but there are problems we must keep a watch on every day:
—Sleep disturbances. Texting can throw a wrench in our slumber,
including lost sleep, difficulty falling asleep, poor sleep quality, or daytime sleepiness. This can occur because of late night beeps or dings or if
the messages are stressful or emotional.
—Motor vehicle deaths and accidents. Texting while driving has
been estimated to cause 200,000 collisions a year and currently contributing to the leading cause of death of our American teen drivers
—Email apnea. This newly coined term describes the shallow breathing or breath holding that occurs subconsciously when we email, or work
or play in front of a screen. The end result: an increase in our stress levels
that impact our attitude, sense of emotional well-being, and ability to
work effectively.
—Anxiety. The constant dinging and bell tones every couple of minutes makes it difficult to be in a proper state of mind. Not to be outdone
by “textiety” which is the anxious feeling of not receiving any texts or
not being able to send any texts.
—“BlackBerry thumb.” This is the modern malady and side effect
that has come about from our text-happy society. Our thumbs have fewer
joints than our other fingers and are not designed to be in constant motion
while bent at an odd angle. The end result: inflammation in the tendons
and the joints causing aches and stiffness. Down the road, this can result
in arthritis.
Let’s take a look at some helpful tips to unplug your gadgets and reconnect with yourself, family and friends — also referred to as a technology cleanse.
—Provide advance warning so you and your family can prepare mentally.
—Clarify your goals: what you will do and how long you will do it.
—Start when your children are young so they can develop interpersonal skills.
—Be clear on the rules. Are there exceptions for work or homework?
What will happen if there is a violation?
—Make the bedroom and meals a media-free zone.
—Don’t multitask. When watching television, watch television. Allow only one screen at a time and shut off your smartphone, tablet, and
computer.
—And make the promise to never text, email or become distracted
with your phone or computer while driving.
Dorothy clicked her ruby red heels three times to return to Kansas. We
may no longer have that ability to leave the Wonderful Land of Oz. Technology, much like the wizard is comprised of “the Great and Terrible.” So
we must learn to balance the best of both worlds.
*****
Dr. Nina Radcliff is dedicated to her profession, her patients and her
community, at large. She is passionate about sharing truths for healthy,
balanced living as well as wise preventive health measures. She completed medical school and residency training at UCLA and has served on
the medical faculty at The University of Pennsylvania. She is a Board
Certified Anesthesiologist and a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists where she serves on committees for Young Physicians and
Communications. Author of more than 200 textbook chapters, research
articles, medical opinions and reviews; she is often called upon by media
to speak on medical, fitness, nutrition, and healthy lifestyle topics impacting our lives, today.
PLACES TO GO
QUICK GETAWAYS
Visit Historic Fairfax Avenue for a View of the Past
By Sandy Zimmerman
Las Vegas Tribune
Fairfax Avenue is one of the exciting sections of Los Angeles,
where it all began. During the early
1900’s, the land was owned by the
Gilmore family with nothing but oil
fields and a race car speedway.
The famous Farmer’s Market, a
landmark in Los Angeles, started
here and is known as the oldest in
California.
The Farmer’s Daughter Hotel
became a part of Fairfax Avenue’s
history although today, the renovations brought them a modern look
and exciting image.
The “Carol Burnett Show”
filmed across from the Farmer’s
Daughter Hotel and they rented the
top floor of the Farmer’s Daughter
Hotel in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
Currently guests of the hotel can
arrange to obtain tickets to see the
nearby “Price is Right show.”
The “American Idol” films here
for the middle part of their show
while the first and later parts film
in Hollywood.
Look around when you enter one
of the Farmer’s Daughter’s Hotel
rooms as they are unique.
In one room, a large scrub brush
inside an art box diorama hangs
from the ceiling.
Each room is different. You
might see flying bacon in one and
something else whimsical in another.
Usually all of the sodas, candy
and wines for sale are either in a
refrigerator or lined-up on the table.
The Gilmore Family owned most of the land around the Fairfax Avenue district.
(Photo courtesy of Archives Newspapers)
You will be surprised to see each
presented in its own frame on the
wall.
Peter Picataggio, co-owner of
the Farmer’s Daughter Hotel explained, “This is 120 percent my
wife Ellen, she is a big believer that
tactile experiences are important —
Farm equipment decorates the walls at the Farmer’s Daughter Hotel.
(Photo by Farmer’s Daughter Hotel)
Usually all of the sodas, candy and wines for sale are placed on a
table; the Farmer’s Daughter Hotel presents them like pictures.
(Photo by Sandy Zimmerman)
how something smells, feels and
looks.”
Even the way their complementary sweet tea and chocolate chip
cookies are presented at the front
desk is important to Ellen, how the
refreshments were presented, how
the guests touch the food and the
tools used to pick-up the food.
The large courtyard offers a fireplace and seating for couples, families and groups.
The theme Farmer’s Daughter
pops up with farm materials on the
walls and surprises throughout the
hotel.
Peter added, “Every hotel has a
complimentary wine hour or glass
champagne. He prefers bourbon
and whiskey, so why not a whiskey
hour for guests? Peter has a selection from his rare Kentucky bourbon to 18 year old whiskey or
scotch. My wife runs the boutique,
my part is the whiskey.”
Guests have use of the complimentary business center’s printer
and computer.
For information, call (323)-5562608. The Farmer’s Daughter Hotel is located on 115 Fairfax Avenue,
Los Angeles, California. Visit
www.farmersdaughterhotel.com.
*****
Award
winning
Sandy
Zimmerman is a syndicated columnist featuring Show and Dining reviews, Travel, Health, Spas, Luxury,
Spas, Automobiles and more. Sandy
is talk show host of the Las Vegas
Today Show programs and Discover the Ultimate Vacation travel
specials. If you want to suggest topics for articles, for information or
to ask any questions about Sandy’s
articles, call (702)-735-5974.
(Photo courtesy of CBS)
The early years at the Farmer’s Daughter Hotel. Notice the woman’s outfit.
(Photo by Farmer’s Daughter Hotel)

With 2014 won, GOP looking ahead to next race: `to turn this country

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