Stories published March 21, 1996Las Vegas Sun

Residency selection luck of draw: At precisely 9 a.m. Wednesday, thousands of graduating medical students across the country found out where they will be spending the next three years in residency before they become licensed physicians. The tradition is observed by medical schools across the nation, each of which has developed interesting ways to deliver the news.

Sahara starts up renovation plans: A $65 million renovation project began Wednesday as construction workers started razing poolside bungalows that once housed some of the Strip's biggest stars, including the Beatles, George Burns, Ann-Margret and Tony Bennett.

Fast-food outlets test trends: Alison Calkins; "We love to come here. We both have fun," Denise said. "We don't live in this area, but we come here three or four times a year. It's always an event."

J. Brian Atwood: The legacy of land mines: Millions of land mines litter Angola, and even during cease-fire they cause death and destruction every day. In fields, schoolyards, and by the side of the road, land mines strike with a terrible randomness and brutal efficiency. Usually planted just inches below the earth's surface, antipersonnel mines are set off by a single footstep - whether that foot belongs to a soldier, a mother, or an innocent child. Some mines commonly known as "toe-tappers" cost less than $3 to manufacture and are designed to blow off a foot.

Electric utilities join the telecom fray: Robert Bryce; Some of America's regional electric utilities have started down the road to becoming diversified companies that sell everything from television programming to software and phone services - including Internet access.

2 dead in domestic dispute: Cathy Scott; An estranged boyfriend of a woman who lived in the Sunrise Oaks Mobile Home Park at 1200 N. Lamb Blvd., north of Washington Avenue, arrived at her home about 7 a.m. today, witnesses said.

Notch babies still left out of Social Security fairness: Notch babies still left out of Social Security fairness

Spring training seeds sown, may sprout big leagues: Steve Carp; By enlisting the help of the City of Las Vegas and Clark County, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the Las Vegas Stars attempted to display their desire to become a spring training site.

2 dead in dispute: Cathy Scott; An estranged boyfriend of a woman who lived in the Sunrise Oaks Mobile Home Park at 1200 N. Lamb Blvd., north of Washington Avenue, arrived at her home about 7 a.m. today, witnesses said.

Executives assess LV growth: Gary Thompson; But if growth slows, older gaming operations must modernize or lose market share, they warned.

City approved spending: * $175,000to Northeast Fire Apparatus Inc. of Lancaster, Pa., for a used 1988 Quint 100-foot aerial ladder apparatus.

Barbara Hall: Our children inhabit a world of shrinking possibilities: - George Washington, 1778

Council OKs proposal for labor settlement: Steve Sebelius; The plan, approved by the council in a closed-door session Wednesday, is estimated to cost the city $2.2 million. Members of the Classified Employees Association were slated to vote on the proposal today.

Boston Market invades Las Vegas: Pauline Bell; The restaurant that touts homestyle cooking second only to mom's has opened four locations in Southern Nevada and plans about eight more.

Funding on way for wetland area: The funding amounts to the same level as this year for the project to protect wetlands about 35 miles southeast of Las Vegas.

Commentary: Long day's journey into night: Reason for three weeks of column reminiscences: We were in Montreux, Switzerland, teaching three weeks of seminars at the International Academy of Broadcasting. ... Columns for the SUN and ShowBiz were done in advance, no faxes for us.

Strong immigration bill is needed to stem the onslaught: An issue of great impact on our economy today is immigration. Some astounding facts are: Immigration adds 1.5 million annually in population. After subtracting taxes that immigrants pay, immigration costs taxpayers more than $44 billion annually. In 1993, immigrants received an estimated $1.37 billion more in Social Security benefits than they paid into the system.

Get-tough tactics tried to save trout: Binnie Fisher; The pesky predators continue to feast on these rare fish, which make their way through a fish ladder at the Ballard ship locks from Puget Sound to spawn near Seattle's Lake Washington. So now the National Marine Fisheries Service has given the state the go-ahead to capture and kill sea lions that are the worst offenders, touching off a heated debate among animal-rights activists and others.

Worth noting on television this week: Judy Nichols; The Little Riders (Disney, 7-8:50 p.m.): Filmed in the Netherlands, this movie follows a young American girl's struggle to save the honor of an embattled Dutch village during World War II. Paul Scofield, Malcolm McDowell, and Noley Thornton star.

ITT rips Forbes' 'hatchet job' of management: Gary Thompson; "Our strategy is simple -- to be the best and biggest destination company in the world," said ITT spokesman Jim Gallagher. "The Forbes story is filled with inaccuracies."

Jury tough to find for trial of 3 former cops: Bill Gang; About three-quarters of the prospective jurors indicated on questionnaires that they were aware of the case. The job for prosecution and defense attorneys Wednesday was to determine whether the citizens still could be fair if they were chosen to determine the officers' fates.

Reverse discrimination tops a busy week in courts: Robert Marquand; The federal court ruling, which states that preferential treatment of blacks and Hispanics is unconstitutional, startled the American higher-education community. If the US Supreme Court upholds the lower court's ruling, colleges and universities nationwide would be compelled to revamp diversity policies many hold dear as an educational benefit. For now, the law applies in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

Election redistricting to get outside help: Steve Sebelius; But the City Council has decided to take one more step before voting on a proposed redistricting map -- hiring a consultant.

Iran's jet-set youths forsake revolution for a lasting tan: Colin Barraclough; Behzod slicks back his hair, snaps off his skis, and gives his friends a high-five. "Pretty impressive, huh?"

Jeff German: Kincaid takes early lead in race to succeed Bingham: But with the election still months away, the results are somewhat skewed because a large number of voters still haven't made up their minds.

Elizabeth Dole rips federal bureaucracy: Larry Henry; "She's a better speaker than her husband," said Phylis Lopez.

Trustees Consider Privatizing Hospital: Board President Katie Knudsen responded that outsiders would not understand the hospital's problems and situation, the Elko Daily Free Press reported.

Strip hotels gave honors to show-biz legend Burns: Strip hotels gave honors to show-biz legend Burns

Academy senior finds ballet + science = award: Lisa Sciortino; Megan Riggs did.

House assault on weapons ban: Peter Grier; The probable cause: fulfilling a promise made to the National Rifle Association and its backers, while getting a potentially unpopular vote out of the way before election season heats up.

Iran's Un envoy blames sour relationship on the U.S.: George Moffett; From the handsome Fifth Avenue town house that is his official residence, Kamal Kharrazi sees it otherwise. Iran's ambassador to the United Nations says the problem is not Iran, which he says has made good faith efforts in the past, like helping with the release of American hostages in Lebanon, to ease relations with Washington.

Fitzgerald Gaming Corp. earnings: Fitzgerald Gaming Corp. earnings

Speedy pace in Congress tests stamina of lawmakers: Sam Walker; Nearby, a fourth-grader from Indianapolis watches the spectacle. "Look," Mindy tells a classmate, "the congressmen are having a fire drill."

Mulberry pollen sets LV record: The Clark County Health District reported very high readings at KLVX Channel 10, the Boulder City Library, Burkholder Junior High School, and Griffith, Squires and Diskin elementary schools.

Girl's deed earns her a computer: Art Nadler; Nevada Power Co. gave the Pentium 75-megahertz computer with CD-ROM to Tonya Frederick during a ceremony Wednesday at Dondero Elementary School. The utility was expressing its appreciation for her finding and returning a lineman's lost personal belongings and a high-security key.

For maple farmers, sap is weet sign of spring: Kirsten A. Conover; Davenport's is a maple farm restaurant, and it's open, appropriately, only during sugaring season. And tourists love it.

COMET HYAKUTAKE'S: JOHNNY HORNE/ ASSOCIATED PRESS

18 med students in for surprise: Debra D. Bass; On Match Day, graduating medical students are paired with residency programs nationwide. Matches are determined according to the program students would most like to attend and the program that most wants the students to attend. After months of interviews, students compose a list of their top choices. Schools do the same and a computer does the rest.

Committee: Prison sites to be secret: Democrat Bob Price told a meeting of the Legislature's Interim Finance Committee on Wednesday that the public has a right to know the locations being considered. He asked the committee to write to prison Director Bob Bayer asking for the information.

Richard Vuernick: When an unclassified document is stamped 'top secret': Ironically, the Clinton administration is publicly declassifying arcane documents at the same time it is covering up documents relating to embarrassing domestic activities. Two current cases, complete with retroactive "classified" status and a presidential exemption from compliance with environmental laws, are symptomatic of this national-security defense gone awry.

City sends 'commandos' to trade fairs to attract businesses and create jobs: Gail Russell Chaddock; For most of France's 1,000-year history, Paris has been France's undisputed political, cultural, and economic center. And for several centuries, it was arguably the most influential city in Europe.

U.S. Economy: An upbeat view: David Mutch; "In the 1980s, 3 million jobs were lost from the big companies, and probably another 3 (million) will be lost in this decade," he grants. It's sad, Mr. Lynch admits. "But have you heard about the 21 million jobs created by small and medium-sized companies in the 1980s?" he asks in a polite but pointed way.

'Outsourcing' booms, boosting job insecurity: James L. Tyson; The high stakes from outsourcing for both labor and management have been dramatized by the 17-day struggle between General Motors Corp. and the United Auto Workers (UAW). At press time, there were reports of a tentative agreement. The strike, by 2,700 workers over outsourcing at two GM brake factories, had created a shortage of vital parts. This has prompted GM to furlough 166,000 workers at assembly and parts plants in North America.

Cuban's worry they are Castro's next target: Howard LaFranchi; "(The shoot-down) was like bursting a bubble. It made a lot of people feel like things don't have any chance of getting better," said Raquel Garcia Conseca, clutching her stamped application in front of the US Interests Section office in Havana. "I'm sure there are more of us here because of it."

Culinary Union to sue Del Papa: In a copy of the federal suit obtained by the SUN, Culinary attorney Richard McCracken says Del Papa wrote Local 226 a letter March 14 threatening criminal action if the union continued to distribute leaflets critical of Commercial Bank of Nevada at 2820 W. Charleston Blvd.

Royce J. Holland: Proof that government can, in fact, work: However accurate that view may be for the rest of the economy, it certainly doesn't apply in the red-hot area of telecommunications, which accounts for some 17 percent of the gross national product. One need look no further than the Telecommunications Act of 1996, recently signed into law by President Clinton.

All work and no play - the '90s timetable: Marilyn Gardner; "It's so competitive out there," says the young designer, whose circle of friends and acquaintances includes others in the same situation. "Companies love to hire you as a freelancer because they have no obligations." To meet deadlines from multiple clients, he puts in seven-day weeks. "I don't mind working 8 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday," he says. "But I'd like to be out having a little fun on weekends."

Homeless program was a success: Nearly 2,000 homeless men managed to escape the winter's cold by paying $5 a night at the Las Vegas Valley Emergency Weather Shelter. The public-private partnership proved that this community cares enough about others to provide for their basic needs.

Peale's legacy of 'positive thinking ' endures: Suman Bandrapalli; The son of a Methodist pastor in Bowersville, Ohio, the Rev. Norman Vincent Peale was a preacher, a celebrated speaker, broadcaster, and author of 41 books.

Panel Delays Approval of DMV's Expansion: The 1995 Legislature approved $2.5 million for a new, 15,000-square-foot DMV building near the current headquarters. But since then, there have been concerns about a high water table and swamp-like conditions at the building site.

Orderly, attorney wasted tax dollars in media event: Orderly, attorney wasted tax dollars in media event

City Council news briefs: SEWERS DELAYED -- The question of exactly who will be providing sewers to Summerlin South will have to wait at least another two weeks while city and county officials chew on a new plan advanced by Las Vegas Mayor Jan Laverty Jones. Jones has suggested the county provide the service to the township at $600 per connection -- a 50 percent discount -- while using an existing city sewer line, paying the city a portion of the connection fees which would be used to build a regional park. Councilman Arnie Adamsen, who had already hammered out a deal with County ...

Fancy executive pay: does it make sense economically?: David Francis; Similar complaints are made today about high salaries of chief executive officers. Republican Pat Buchanan, on the campaign trail, has been harassing the bosses for getting huge pay hikes while letting wages of ordinary workers languish.

It's dangerous to underrate China's war-making abilities: To rely on whatever the sources of this article were, is to invite disaster. In the past U.S. intelligence has been wrong more often than right with the newspapers following a close second.

Rising Crime Has St. George Police Busy: Meantime, emergency response times have increased to an average of five minutes; non-emergency calls take about 20 minutes.

Panel rips rapid move to temporary nuke storage: The Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board said Wednesday the federal government should focus on studying Yucca Mountain to determine if it is safe for a permanent underground dump.

Learn to sing and dance with the Roadsters: The last session, June 5, will be a talent showcase where the children will perform the songs and dances they have learned.

An inscrutable China shapes the future of Asia: Todd Crowell; Before the crisis in the Taiwan Strait, the hot spot was North Korea, seemingly bent on building atomic weapons. That confrontation was defused when the reclusive Communist state was essentially bought off with a promise of help in building two nuclear-power plants, at a cost to Japan, South Korea, and the US of $4 billion.

Britain prepares to unveil compromise for Northern Ireland: Alexander MacLeod; In the next few days, Prime Minister John Major plans to name a fixed date for electing a peace forum. The forum will then name delegates for an all-party negotiating panel, which is already set to meet June 10. He is also expected to lay down the terms for these elections, which are right now a matter of fierce debate among the various Catholic and Protestant political parties in Northern Ireland.

Committee refuses to reveal sites for prison: Democrat Bob Price told a meeting of the Legislature's Interim Finance Committee on Wednesday that the public has a right to know the locations being considered. He asked the committee to write to prison Director Bob Bayer asking for the information.

Court briefs: * HALF A MILLION -- Bail has been set at $500,000 for a 42-year-old man charged in the murder of his mother after she obtained a temporary restraining order against him. Tyrone Howard will be arraigned next week in Justice of the Peace James Bixler's courtroom on the charges that carry a life prison term if he is convicted. He is alleged to have violated the restraining order Monday when he returned with a gun to the home of Catherlena Howard, 68, and shot her in the head. She called 911 as he arrived but was dead before officers could ...

U.S. sticks to NATO expansion, while trying to mollify Russia: George Moffett; "The world paid the price for that dangerous short-sightedness," Mr. Christopher said in Prague on Wednesday, alluding to the consequences of appeasement - German aggression leading to World War II.

He's back? Perot resurfaces in Nevada TV interviews: While continuing to downplay any impending candidacy, Perot left no doubt that he is available for a draft. But he used the first minute of his air time to promote the Reform Party.

California growers look South for more field hands: Daniel Sneider; It's harvest time at Victoria Island Farms in California's San Joaquin Valley - the nation's salad bowl. For the next two months, some 200 farm workers will bring the crops in from the fields. Labor contractors provide the harvest crew here, as they do for tens of thousands of farm operators in California. And by their estimates, at least half the workers in this rich agricultural area are illegal immigrants.

Commentary: Logan & Co. execute play beautifully: To Don Logan's credit, he still remembered how to do it without having the play blow up in his face. The Las Vegas Stars' general manager once again displayed a flawless style at the plate in a pressure situation when he was able to work out a deal with the Oakland Athletics to bring real major league baseball to Cashman Field in a couple of weeks.

Prisoners Will Keep Paying for Medical Care: Inmates have raised concerns about the policies, saying they fear they'll have to either give up all amenities in the prison or forfeit medical care. They say some of their individual cash accounts have been run into the red by medical charges.

Softball team 6th in ratings: The Rebels, 19-6 overall and 5-1 in the Big West Conference, went 2-0 last week by sweeping Missouri in a doubleheader.

Harris could be with Stars again: Greg Harris, a right-handed pitcher who was a member of the Stars' 1988 Pacific Coast League championship team and pitched for the Padres from 1988 to 1993, was given a tryout by San Diego Tuesday afternoon.

League exploring a forum on local quality of life: Everyone agreed we needed to stop blaming each other for the problems and start working together to create the solutions. Everyone must contribute to the solutions, because all of us will feel the consequences if we don't solve our problems.

merriment, mayhem and marionettes: Sally Waters Fisher; I had misgivings as I followed Joan in our Landrover filled with groceries and four sons. "Once I was a rabbit in a third-grade play," I told them. "But I didn't have any lines. I don't think I'd be any good as an actress."

Richard J. Cattani: Found objects: Richard J. Cattani; My friend had been floundering in London after the great war. London then was the capital of world news; Washington, still a backwater. He felt under enormous pressure to get his dispatches back to the States. Then someone shared this statement with him.

Miller gets more traveling money: CARSON CITY -- Without discussion, the Legislative Interim Finance Committee approved a request from Gov. Bob Miller to juggle funds in his budget so he can travel out of state more often.

Vegas mom, son find happy medium on TV: Lisa Sciortino; Take the case of Jean and David Padula of Las Vegas. Mom can't stand her son's offbeat style -- the skirts, makeup, combat boots and dog leashes he's worn for about a year.

Commentary: America may be new place after Betty: No longer a prim and frumpy middle-class housewife, the new Betty Crocker could turn out to be as popular as sliced bread.

Murray Weidenbaum: Mid-sized firms need regulatory relief: Much regulatory legislation is so written as to lighten the burden on very small firms. However well motivated, such actions inevitably shift the focus of regulatory enforcement to other companies. This situation creates special difficulty for the medium-sized enterprises that cannot afford to maintain specialized staffs to deal with environmental, safety, workplace, and other complex regulatory requirements.

CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: BOB GALBRAITH/ ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ex-UNLV coach searching for new job: Steve Carp; Massimino will interview today at Gannon University, a Division II school in Erie, Pa. The 61-year-old Massimino has spent the past two seasons working as a television color analyst on Atlantic 10 Conference games.

Robber sought in 35th bank holdup for 1996: Wednesday's incident was the 35th bank robbery in Metro Police's jurisdiction for 1996, compared with 13 for the same time period in 1995.

ITT to present proposal for New Orleans casino: Neither side would give details about what went on in the closed-door meeting, except to reiterate an earlier promise: Caesars will abide by a 1992 state law that authorized the casino, including the part that requires gross revenue taxes of 18.5 percent or $100 million a year, whichever is greater.

Marnell has new outlook: PEORIA, Ariz. -- After an admittedly disastrous rookie season in professional baseball, Bishop Gorman graduate Anthony Marnell is seeing things in a different light this spring.

Michael New's lesson is that orders are just that: The military is an all-volunteer force. No one was drafted against his will. I think that when someone takes the oath to serve in the military, he intends to follow orders.

Taiwan's feisty 'Moses' irritates China's leaders: Sheila Tefft; On Saturday Mr. Lee, the popular but controversial incumbent, is expected to win the island's first direct presidential election, capping Taiwan's decade-long political passage from martial law to democracy.

$1 million state payoff doesn't compute: "This is a major mistake," Assemblyman Dennis Allard, R-Las Vegas, told Taxation Director Michael Pitlock. "You paid the money prior to acceptance. That amazes me."

A band of Dylanistas: Scott Dickensheets; Funny, him complaining about lyric unintelligibility -- considering that he was at Cafe Espresso Roma that Friday night in honor of Bob Dylan, that was saying something. And speaking of saying something, right about then, big Ike offered the band a good-natured tip regarding song selection. "Play something by Bob Dylan!" he bellowed.

Tensions in Mostar test alliance: Scott Peterson; There has been relative peace in this divided city for two years, and a Bosnia-wide Federation between Croats and Muslims that serves as the cornerstone to the Dayton peace agreement. But the alliance is fraying quickly, Western officials say, and is in danger of collapse.

Smith to lead BofA: A vice president and head of Bank of America Nevada's Commercial Lending Division will become president of the bank following Richard Etter's retirement May 1.

Stars on ice: As nice as the kids next door: Shelley Donald Coolidge; FIGURE skating has landed. The sport has held center stage ever since it was propelled into the spotlight by the Nancy Kerrigan-Tonya Harding escapade during the 1994 Winter Olympics. Its artistry has captivated millions of Americans.

Shalmy angers commission: Jeff Schweers; Shalmy said he did not expect to find Las Vegas Mayor Jan Laverty Jones and Councilman Matthew Callister present along with city lobbyist Marvin Leavitt.

Daniel Schorr: Dole and the President get to tango: In the almost unprecedented situation of the incumbent leader of the Senate running against the incumbent leader of the executive branch, both must decide what advantages lie in cooperating on the nation's business for the next eight months and what advantages lie in veto confrontations.

Boulder City High the 'People' champs: The competition, a project of the Center for Civic Education, was established in 1987 under the Commission on the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution.

Public hearings planned on future of Test Site: The draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Test Site will be explored from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Cashman Field Center, 850 Las Vegas Boulevard North at Washington Avenue. The comment period for this EIS ends May 3.

Jet Crashes on Takeoff at Nellis Air Force Base: The $26 million plane crashed in a ball of flames on vacant land at the north end of the runway at the busy fighter base on the northern edge of Las Vegas. A plume of black smoke could be seen throughout the Las Vegas Valley.

Witnesses provide vivid ddescription of murder on the strip: Bob Shemeligian; "I guess I'm a killer now," panhandler Trent Strader was quoted as saying as he stood over James Smith as the Scottish tourist was drawing his last breaths.

Clark County spurs big jump in statewide taxable sales: The state Taxation Department reported Wednesday that sales reached $1.6 billion, up 18.9 percent from January 1995. Clark County's sales accounted for $1.1 billion of that total, an increase of 21.4 percent.

Winnie Mandela may be down, but she's not out: John Fleming; Mrs. Mandela's change is part of an attempt to try to save herself politically. This week in a Johannesburg courtroom she suffered a major defeat: Her husband of 38 years, President Nelson Mandela, won a divorce that she fought to prevent. The sympathies of many South Africans lay with her husband, who spoke sadly of being "the loneliest man" at the end of their marriage.

Photo of crash: AN F-15C FIGHTER jet participating in Green Flag aerial war games is shown after it crashed on take off at Nellis Air Force Base on Thursday, March 21,1996, in Las Vegas. The pilot ejected from the aircraft and is in stable condition at the base hospital. The pilot's name was not released, but the plane was attached to the 1st fighter wing at Langley Air Force Base ,Va.

Boys and Girls Clubs' Youth of the Year finds out how to be her best: Lisa Sciortino; "I just decided to go in and see what was going on," the 17-year-old recalls.

Tale of a comet may cast bright light on the universe: Peter N. Spotts; Discovered Jan. 30 by an amateur astronomer in Japan, this time-capsule from the birth of the solar system makes its closest approach to Earth at 2 a.m. EST Monday.

Parents of Missing Baby Reject Plea Bargain: Deputy Public Defender Paul Wommers refused to discuss terms of the offer, but said it would include the provision that one or both of the defendants tell what happened to the baby and where her body is located.

Mark O. Hatfield: A pro-life shot in the foot: The cuts reflect a rejection of common sense about preventing unwanted pregnancies and abortions; a denial of decades of scientific, social, demographic, and statistical analysis; and a measure of contempt for the poor.

State Gaming Official Wants Delay In Licensing Foxwoods CEO: Foxwoods CEO G. Michael Brown has been without a permanent license for three years. His application has been held up because of federal bureaucratic delays.

Rebels' character shown in commitment to community: Juipe's evaluation of this past season was skewed. Initially, expectations were high. However, injuries to key players and numerous bouts with illness forced players to assume new roles. As a fan, I was very pleased and impressed with the ability of the players and coaching staff to adjust while maintaining their enthusiasm.

Las Vegas Sun

Print edition for March 21, 1996

Today's frontpage

Blogs

The Bull's-Eye

Real drama follows Desert Classic victory by 'The Power' (UPDATED)

Elsewhere

Spike TV's 'UFC's Ultimate 100: Greatest Fights' airs tonight

The Kats Report

LV Phil 'Spectacular' at Springs Preserve was great -- for the music

Punchy Points: UFC 100

No. 6: The Ref: Dean relishes role, making right calls (1 Comment)

The Bull's-Eye

Canadian is first in Desert Classic's final four, Barney joins him (UPDATED) (2 Comments)

Sports: Upon Further Review

July 4 at Wimbledon

The Kats Report

It's the fourth, it's the Phil, but it is not fireworks

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Holly Madison at Tao Beach

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