Print edition for June 20, 1996

Trial tab put at more than $58,000: Bill Gang; He said Wednesday that is "probably a very conservative figure" and does not include pre-trial or post-trial court hearings or much of the non-trial work by the district attorney's office.

Arabs walk a fine line in opposing hawkish Israel: Scott Peterson; AMMAN, JORDAN -- Arab nations - holding their first summit in six years this weekend - will try to unite against the hawkish stance of Israel's new government. But they will also try not to react so strongly that Israel takes irreversible, hard-line positions on Mideast peace.

A taste of Europe: Gary Thompson; The Monte Carlo hotel-casino opens to the public shortly after midnight following a preview party and fireworks show for more than 1,000 invited guests tonight.

4 years later, boy reunited with his dad: Edwin Taylor Finnie was found this week by FBI agents and officers with the Las Vegas Metro, Scottsdale, Ariz., and Phoenix police departments after being tipped off in January to his whereabouts, Metro Lt. Brad Simpson said.

In India, power creeps from capital to regions: John Zubrzycki; CALCUTTA -- Communist-run Calcutta has spent the last 20 years perfecting the art of political graffiti. At the Communist Party of India (Marxist) headquarters on Alimuddin Street, posters from last month's general election attacking the former Congress Party government still adorn the walls of the rambling, rundown four-story building.

Henderson OKs burying utilities: The council's vote Tuesday night was the final hurdle for the $11 million project along an eight-mile stretch of Lake Mead Drive between Arroyo Grande Boulevard and Green Valley Parkway.

New hat, new rabbits: David Renzi; It's just past 2 in the afternoon and Lance Burton, between calls on his cellular and pulls on a Marlboro, is making a plate of eggs Benedict disappear.

Rosenthal drops loan lawsuit: Rachael Levy; Attorney James Olson said the federal trial ended abruptly Wednesday after Rosenthal's lawyer dismissed the case against Las Vegas attorney Chris Beecroft Jr.

French accents: * BON VIVANT: Clothing, footwear and accessories for men, women and children.

Joint venture takes best of both worlds: Gary Thompson; When it opens to the public early Friday, it will surprise a lot more with its eclectic combination of economy prices and elegant decor.

Moorer faces Schulz for lost IBF belt: Dean Juipe; Moorer, who held the International Boxing Federation heavyweight title until he was flattened by George Foreman in a stirring 1994 knockout, is taking on German-native Axel Schulz in Dortmund, Germany, with the vacant IBF belt at stake. ABC will televise the fight live Saturday afternoon on its Wide World of Sports program.

Unbeaten Stars win 3rd straight: Wednesday's win kept the Stars unbeaten through the first three games of the second half. Las Vegas will go for the series sweep of the Dukes this evening.

Ex-champion Toney has eyes on Jones rematch: Dean Juipe; There was a time when James Toney was a big man in boxing. Later, he was simply a big man.

Rollover leaves two critical: National Park Service Ranger Bob Belden said alcohol and excessive speed appeared to contribute to the driver losing control of the car at 10:40 p.m. Wednesday near U.S. 93 and Lakeshore Road.

Council OKs consolidation question for ballot: Steve Sebelius; That was the word Wednesday as the City Council moved to put a non-binding question on the November ballot, asking residents if the city should consolidate with Clark County and adopt uniform taxes.

Jeff German: Sands shaping up as new Culinary battleground on the Strip: A new labor battleground is surfacing.

Arizonans grimace as another leader confronts changes: PHOENIX -- In the past decade alone, Arizonans have endured the humiliation of a governor's impeachment and removal, the conviction of seven state legislators in a corruption case, and the disciplining of its two US senators over their ties to convicted financier Charles Keating Jr.

As Internet booms, so do hacker-proofing measures: Guy Halverson; NEW YORK -- James Bond surely wouldn't know what to make of Ira Winkler. Mr. Winkler is also a supersleuth, but of a late 20th-century breed. His specialty: chasing down computer hackers, not mysterious agents in trench coats driving expensive cars.

Indian reformer fights for states' rights from the fringe: John Zubrzycki; CALCUTTA -- As the leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in West Bengal state, Jyoti Basu is one of the country's most experienced politicians.

LV triathlete gets little rest: Bob Cloud; Ouchida enters triathlons in his spare time -- that is, whatever time he can muster after working, attending graduate school and preparing for his upcoming wedding to fianc'ee Robyn Campbell.

Lawyers attacked for jury tactics: Bill Gang; The trio had been convicted by a jury of oppression under the color of office, but that verdict was tossed out Wednesday because a juror purposely withheld his criminal past from defense attorneys.

African Photographers Dispel Myth Of "Dark Continent": Carol Strickland; NEW YORK -- In his pictures, South African photographer David Goldblatt wanted to show, he said, "something of what a man is and is becoming in all the particularity of himself and his bricks and bit of earth."

Boulder rolls out bingo: Bob Shemeligian; Wednesday morning at 6:30 there was already a line of people waiting for Las Vegas' newest bingo room to open.

Brothel owner Conforte indicted on fraud charges: His lawyer, Peter Perry, faces one count each of bankruptcy and wire fraud.

Drink gets extension for roof: The County Commission agreed to give the Drink and Eat Too! nightclub until July 16 before deciding to grant the club a permanent rock promoter's license.

Shuttle launch: THE SPACE Shuttle Columbia, photographed from atop the Vehicle Assemble Building, lifts off Thursday, June 20, 1996, on a 16-day scientific mission.

Greenspan Economic Sequel: Return Of The Inflation Buster: Ron Scherer; NEW YORK -- Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan is America's economic pessimist-in-chief. He frowns when everyone else is smiling. He puts his foot on the monetary brake just when output starts humming. He senses inflationary pressures behind every twitch in the economy.

Election Department launches voting campaign: If TV ads can sell soap, they ought to be able to encourage voting.

Farmers Insurance makes request for statewide rate hike: The request is higher for Las Vegas-area motorists.

America's obsession with growing thin: Marilyn Gardner; How thin is too thin? Two separate but similar incidents in the fashion world last month, 10,000 miles apart, are focusing welcome public attention on that crucial question.

City spending: * $2.5 million: to Macco Engineering and Construction Inc. of Las Vegas, for paving, fencing and other related work at the Water Pollution Control facility.

Land exchange practice comes under heavy fire: Jeff Schweers; Utah Rep. James Hansen, chairman of a House Resources subcommittee, called for hearings in July into the Las Vegas Bureau of Land Management office "because this issue is not only important to Nevada, but the entire West."

Fishing report: * LAKE MOHAVE -- Anglers have been finding only mediocre action for striped bass, but fair fishing for largemouth bass and channel catfish. Lots of boaters but few fishermen are being seen on weekends at Cottonwood Cove. However, those fishermen who have been taking to the water are having some success for small stripers by trolling in the South Basin near Six Mile Beach. Boaters are also connecting with stripers from the north power lines to Owl's Point.

Columnist: Father says his son died due to fight: Vinnie Macchirella is more convinced than ever that his son, an amateur boxer of some note in Las Vegas and a 16-year-old sophomore at Las Vegas High at the time of his death, died as a result of an assault on the school grounds. If the body was exhumed, Macchirella believes Metro police could be convinced his son was killed, as opposed to having died as a result of repercussions from an unsubstantiated boxing injury as authorities allege.

One state's lesson on tracking absent dads: Christina Nifong; BOSTON -- President Clinton drew fire this week for a controversial proposal to penalize welfare mothers who don't provide the government with information that could help locate deadbeat dads.

Judge: Ethics complaints can't be sealed: U.S. District Judge Howard McKibben of Reno ruled that complaints made to the Nevada Ethics Commission can no longer be sealed, that they are public from the time of filing.

Reid bill seeks new nuke tests: Called the Kyl-Reid amendment, the Senate did not consider the proposal Wednesday, but could hear it at any time.

Another fire hits church property: Karen Zekan; A security guard on duty at the complex spotted smoke spewing out of a roofless Bevan Hall about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and phoned emergency dispatchers.

Britain, Ireland dare Adams to pick peace: Alexander MacLeod; LONDON -- Britain and Ireland are ratcheting up pressure on Gerry Adams, leader of the Irish Republican Army's political wing Sinn Fein, to force him to show that he rejects - rather than "regrets" - the IRA's campaign of violence.

Fiction Bestsellers: 1. THE RUNAWAY JURY, by John Grisham, Doubleday, $26.95

Stars vs. Dukes game details: E--Scott, Maurer, Anderson, Parker, Guerrero. DP--Las Vegas 2, Albuquerque 3. LOB--Las Vegas 11, Albuquerque 6. 2B--I.Smith, Tredaway, Guerrero, Williams. 3B--K.Garcia. SB--Rossy (5), Bruno (3). CS--Scott, Maurer.

Consumers cheer as cereal companies scuffle in the aisles: James L. Tyson; CHICAGO -- Cereal producers are embroiled in a brutal price war that snaps, crackles, and pops with cheery news for the American consumer.

Brazilian protesters demand police reforms: Jack Epstein; RIO DE JANEIRO -- Protesters in France threw mounds of dirt at visiting Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso recently and yelled "Justice in Brazil!"

Out of Africa, Artifacts Link Cultures Past and Present: Carol Strickland; NEW YORK -- The celebration of African art continues throughout the Guggenheim with "Africa: The Art of a Continent." This mega-show of more than 500 works is billed as the "first major survey of the artistic traditions of the entire African continent." It departs from other exhibitions of African art by including objects from Arab countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

A call for FAA to change, from ground up: Faye Bowers; BOSTON -- The proposed revamping of America's airline watchdog agency is an important step in helping to restore credibility with the flying public.

Cattani: Movers and stayers: BORGO CAPANNE, ITALY -- "Lentamente," ("Slowly!") I pleaded. My one formal semester of Italian from 1959 was failing in the excitement. "Si, Sabatto prossimo," I promised. "This Saturday morning."

Weidenbaum: The oil-price story: Now that the shouting about oil prices has subsided, the time is right for seriously examining why prices at the gasoline pump rose so sharply this spring. It turns out that the facts support a most undramatic conclusion: Just about everything that could go wrong did - and at the same time.

Psst! New buzzword is intranet: Laurent Belsie; Forget the Internet. Don't worry about on-line banking or new-media publishing. Disregard the supposedly huge market of 20 million to 40 million Internet consumers.

Residents balk at school site approval: Jeff Schweers; Over the objections of some nearby residents, the board voted 3-2 Wednesday to give the Clark County School District a use permit to build the Dwayne Keller Middle School on 22 acres on the southwest corner of Fogg Street and Stewart Avenue.

Strip to get new brewery: Alison Calkins; Imagine six styles of freshly brewed beer: a lite, an India pale ale, an American-style unfiltered wheat ale, traditional Irish Stout, a rich amber ale and a brewer's special.

AG: No money back: Heller has no authority to refund fees if his office fails to process paperwork for new corporations and others within five days, said Chief Deputy Attorney General Jonathan Andrews.

Monte Carlo retail is diverse, from souvenirs to diamonds: Alison Calkins; Twelve Monte Carlo-owned shops will cover the gamut from Las Vegas souvenirs to $50,000 diamond rings. You can find newspapers from all over the world, eat homemade fudge and head out to read the papers with a bottle of your favorite wine.

Trying to stay phat in a trendy world: Suman Bandrapalli; BOSTON -- "Groovy" is resurfacing, "cool's" makin' a comeback, but, in the world of slang, "phat," which also means cool, is totally trendy today.

Where I Stand: No Golan for Syria's Assad: Newly appointed Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai told me in January of his strong opposition to any deal giving up the Golan Heights. Just a couple of years ago, he was the general responsible for protecting northern Israel, including the bloody Lebanon border and the Golan Heights. During the winter of 1992, I visited his command post, which was covered with several feet of snow. His military briefing of the entire situation was most impressive.

Trick question: are you better off?: David R. Francis; BOSTON -- The political economic war in Washington is heating up.

Schrag: Deporting refugees who miss asylum deadline dangerous: A recent federal law apparently contributed to the death of a Cuban refugee, Mariella Batista. Ms. Batista was gunned down by the father of her son as she tried to enter a court in Los Angeles for a custody hearing.

Rhodes plan takes first step: Jeff Schweers; The board voted 4-1 Wednesday to approve the concept plan for the 1,600-acre Rhodes Ranch project north of State Route 160 and west of Durango Drive.

Gravel-route compromise made: Steve Sebelius; William Stoddard, an attorney for Nevada Ready Mix and other companies using the gravel haul route on Alexander Road and Tenaya Way, said Wednesday the firms have reached an agreement with the city, which had previously tried to ban trucks from the road from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Griffey Latest Mariner To Get Injured: "That's a shame," Toronto manager Cito Gaston said. "He's the kind of guy that you enjoy watching play, even if he beats your brains out."

WordPerfect tries for a comeback: Fred Langan; TORONTO -- WordPerfect, once king of the word-processing castle, appears to be the latest victim of the "Redmond effect."

ADA campaign continues: Rachael Levy; The disabled father said he has had one too many experiences where steps or narrow stalls have cut off his access to restrooms, such as the one at the Terrible Herbst car wash at Sahara Avenue and Maryland Parkway.

Give Brady Law credit: It's working: Even the most ardent gun enthusiasts should admit that. They also should concede it's something of a relief to know more than 1,000 Nevada felons can't buy guns any more.