Print edition for October 7, 1996

Utah court backs open government: A Utah judge has ruled for a newspaper seeking from the city of Orem the names of the finalists for its city manager post that went to a former longtime North Las Vegas city manager.

Obituary: Pansy Eastman: She is survived by one son, William of Las Vegas; three daughters, Juanita Eastman of Denison, Texas, Jeanne Shipman of Wylie, Texas, and Doris North of Blackwell, Texas; many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Houdini's career studied at Winchester: "Talking about magic and classic illusions without mentioning Houdini is like talking about baseball and not mentioning Babe Ruth," says Dooley. "He did things that people today still can't figure out. And if you ask today's top illusionists, such as Penn & Teller and David Copperfield, they all pledge allegiance to Houdini."

Land donations help Habitat double homes: In nearly six years, the local chapter of the 19-year-old national organization has built 11 homes -- eight in West Las Vegas and three in Henderson.

Obituary: Ruth J. Foster: She is survived by her husband, Gene; three daughters, Joan Langdon of Shreveport, La., and Jean Morgan and Lisa Pickens, both of Las Vegas; her mother, Joan Schellenberg of Las Vegas; one sister, Janice Johnson of Kannapolis, N.C.; and eight grandchildren.

Police involved in gun battle; four killings probed: Cathy Scott; The shootout marked the fourth homicide since Friday.

Obituary: Frank John Noto: He is survived by his wife, Christine; one son, Frank Noto of Las Vegas; one daughter, Angela Burzell of Tucson, Ariz.; two sisters, Angie Martin and Jennie Osborn, both of Chicago; three brothers, Joe Noto and Paul Noto, both of Chicago, and Tony Noto of Freeport, Ill.; one stepbrother, Joe Pace; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

505161643.html: TODAY

Legend born in Las Vegas: By Brian Hilderbrand; When Tiger Woods drops off the PGA Tour in 30 years or so to play the Senior PGA Tour, 25,000 Southern Nevada golf fans can look back and say they were there to witness the dawn of a new era in professional golf: the Tiger Woods Era.

Land bill's death mourned in LV: "I'm certainly disappointed it didn't pass," said Jeff van Ee, an environmental activist. "It would have cleared up a lot of problems with the land-exchange process."

Erlien's 'Music of Yosemite' to be featured: Erlien visited Yosemite after being inspired by black-and-white photographs of the area by the legendary Ansel Adams. Traveling the back country with a digital keyboard strapped to his back, he sought out the very locations from which Adams had captured his images.

Las Vegas 'legends' reminisce about early days: Cathy Scott; Longtime Las Vegas showgirls, comedians and singers on Sunday evening played to a full house of 500 people who have lived in Las Vegas for more than 30 years.

Obituary: John K. Stirton Jr.: He is survived by his wife, Karen; three sons, William J. Stirton of Cerritos, Calif., Charles P. Stirton of Tucson, Ariz., and Robert P. Stirton of Las Vegas; one stepdaughter, Cindy Dropp of Sequim, Wash.; one sister, Jeanne Heche of Orinda, Calif.; two brothers, David Stirton of Pearland, Texas, and Andrew Stirton of Galveston, Texas; and six grandchildren.

Fast facts: The Bolshoi Ballet: * "LA SYLPHIDE": 8 p.m. Oct. 12-13 and 15-16. Bolshoi's rendition of Lovenskjold's ballet, which tells a tale of magic, love and tragedy in Scotland, with Grachova and Stepanenko in the title role. Filin and Tsiskaridze dance the role of James.

Dean Juipe: Woods' win makes for historic LVI: Two months into his professional golf career, Tiger Woods has far surpassed any realistic goals he or even others may have set for him when he first joined the brutally competitive PGA Tour. The initial objective -- win enough money to automatically gain his all-exempt tour card for 1997 -- seemed difficult enough, but in retrospect it was child's play as Woods has quickly vaulted to a position of superstardom.

Professor to discuss his book on Oct. 26: The first luncheon will be 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 26 in the Boyd Dining Room in Beam Hall on the UNLV campus. Tickets are $25 and reservations are required. To reserve one of the 50 seats available, call Deanna Stefanelli, 895-3286.

Las Vegas Invitational Scores: Las Vegas Invitational Scores

R. Thomas Berner: Let China in, then work to reform it: Imagine that you belong to a group that wants to change the behavior of a powerful but erratic individual outside the group. What's the best way? Most would agree that letting the individual join the group and gradually socializing him or her would be the best way.

Gunman who shot puppy still sought: Metro Police have been looking for the man since the Sept. 26 incident, and have not ruled out the possibility that he could live near the child's home in the 3000 block of Piedmont Avenue, near the Palace Station hotel-casino.

LV driver Laughlin champion: After two days of hard running in his Ford F-150 in the rugged desert around the Colorado River resort town, MacCachren now really likes the idea. Winning has that effect.

Dylan schedules one show at Star of Desert Arena: Shepherd's main influences are Stevie Ray Vaughn, B.B. King, Albert Collins, Muddy Waters and Albert King. Shepherd later met and and jammed with many of these heroes, which catapulted his career. In 1995, he and his band opened for the Eagles at Austin's Memorial Stadium.

New set of laws toughen crackdown on meth labs: The new laws make it easier to shut down the labs and prosecute the companies that sell the chemicals needed to make the drug.

Valley overcomes mistakes, remains undefeated: Bob Cloud; The Vikings got 230 yards and two touchdowns from running back LaRontae Johnson and stopped Green Valley on fourth-and-goal with just over a minute to play, remaining unbeaten with a 28-23 win over the Gators Friday night.

Bennett set to kick off Rio festival: Bravo Card is sponsoring Bennett's tour, and a portion of the proceeds from each concert will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

World-famous Bolshoi Ballet to stop at Aladdin: Lisa Ferguson; Hang on to your tutu -- the Bolshoi is coming to Las Vegas.

Electrician's death to be investigated: Skelton, 27, died about 9 a.m. Sept. 27 while working on an underground power line near University Avenue and Brussels Road.

Shootings in NLV investigated: Quincey Gantt, 19, and Latoya Porter, age not available, were sitting on the stairs of their home at 3301 Civic Center Drive, near Lake Mead Boulevard and Carroll Street, about 12:30 a.m. Saturday when they overheard someone arguing and then a number of bullets hit their torsos, police said.

Grownup gameboys: A look inside Westwood Studios: Pauline Bell; The rise of Las Vegas-based Westwood Studios is as dramatic as the storylines and scenes in its games.

Obituary: Lillie Mae Richardson: She is survived by her husband, William B.; one daughter, Elvira E. Jefferson of Las Vegas; two sons, Otis T. Jefferson of Las Vegas, and Robert A. Jefferson of the U.S. Air Force; three brothers, Willie Ben Stevens, Herbert Stevens and Clyde Stevens, and two sisters, Lillie Cleveland and Minnie May Stevens, all of San Antonio, Texas; and seven grandchildren.

Boys blown away by 'Macarena' success: David Renzi; The "Macarena" is No. 1. Some people think it's No. 2, but that's the thing about the "Macarena." You either love it or hate it.

Ken McCall: Please, let's have a clean election for District 1: Please, please do the right thing Tuesday and send this primary race to its final resting place.

Obituary: Billy Ong aka 'Baby Boy Mahal': He is survived by his parents, William and Carmencita Ong, and two sisters, Reyina Ong and Rica Ong, all of Las Vegas; his grandparents, Angelina Yabut and Josefa Rose, and his great-grandmother, Apo, all of Los Angeles.

Obituary: Dianne Marie Steverson: She is survived by her companion, James J. Corbett of Las Vegas; her father, W. Earl Thomas of Ludlow, Ill; her mother and stepfather, Maryann and Jay CdeBaca, and one brother, Michael CdeBaca, all of Las Vegas; and three sisters, Melissa DeMay of Champaign, and April CdeBaca and Jamie CdeBaca, both of Las Vegas.

SIIS wins $1 mil. judgment against scofflaw companies: Deputy Attorney General Harry Schlegelmilch said Friday he would be filing civil actions against the officers of the companies in an attempt to collect the money.

Fast facts: Cities with highest, lowest job growth: The first column is the name of the metropolitan area. The second column is a cost-of-doing-business index; the national index equals 100. The third column is the net increase in jobs, as a percentage, from January 1990 to July 1996.

Cyberlovers enjoy realtime LV wedding: Bob Shemeligian; In June, Internet surfers Eric Peterson, 43, and Carol Palmer, 35, first engaged in cyberspeak.

Nevada author joins lecture series: Bergon is set to return to Las Vegas Oct. 18 as a featured speaker in the 19th annual Nevada Humanities Committee lecture series.

Screenings for depression offered for free: The screenings will be offered at Charter Hospital, 7000 W. Spring Mountain Road, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday. This week has been designated national Mental Illness Awareness Week.

Obituary: Marion Benassi: He is survived by his wife, Barbara J.; one son, Michael Benassi of Las Vegas; his mother, Millie DeSanctis, and two sisters, Patty Ann Meyer and Lori DeSanctis, all of Pekin; two brothers, Marshall Benassi of Las Vegas, and Ted Meyer of Pekin; one granddaughter, Kirsten Benassi of Las Vegas; and many friends and golf buddies.

Ralph Siraco: After weekend races, Breeders' Cup open: The weekend series of 19 races, staged from Friday night to Sunday afternoon, covered the country from coast to coast and beyond.

Young players jazzed by visit: Teresa Hinds; Seventeen-year-old Victor Ri-vera offered his seat to students jockeying for position along the perimeter of the room.

Tiger clawed out win: Bob Cloud; Tiger Woods knew he had a tough mountain to climb Sunday. That's what made his accomplishment all the sweeter.

Hiller B. Zobel: The judge and the media not ready for prime time: As the judge came into his office, the clerk intercepted him. "Your Honor, the TV people would like a word with you." Because his state permitted -- sometimes, it seemed to him, encouraged -- television coverage of trials, the judge had decided early on that living with the media was easier and probably healthier than fighting them.

Steelers-Chiefs great matchup: Bob Cloud; The Chiefs (4-1) opened as four-point favorites and have remained so against the Steelers (3-1). The over/under stands at 38.

They don't play games -- they test for computer glitches: Pauline Bell; Here, up to 30 gamers -- mostly boys and young men between the ages of 16 and 30 -- sit for hours in front of computer screens. Their job is to find glitches in the games.

Chandler laps up win in Superbike finale: By Ron Kantowski; But there were times during Sunday's Superbike season finale that one lap seemed like an eternity for series championship contenders Doug Chandler and Miguel Duhamel.

Private school battles government over loans: Rachael Levy; The Department of Education stopped the flow of cash in mid-September when it ruled that too many of the school's students failed to pay off their federal loans.

Godfrey Sperling: When the polls got it wrong: It was 1936 and I had just cast my first vote with the expectation that I had helped elect Alf Landon to the presidency. After all, the Literary Digest had declared Landon the victor, and its polls were never wrong.

Company profile: Westwood Studios: * ADDRESS: 2400 N. Tenaya Way

Obituary: Robert Schenker: He is survived by his wife, Frances; two sons, Nathan Schenker and William Schenker, both of Las Vegas; two sisters, Sarah Reich of New Jersey, and Bessie Berman of New York; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Fast facts: Bayside Boys: WHERE: Main Stage at the Jaycee State Fair, Cashman Field.

Whitehead discipline case put before Supreme Court: A petition was filed today in the court on behalf of Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Steffen and Justice Charles Springer to void the latest Whitehead decision by the state's high court.

For High Court, A Year Of Living Dangerously: Robert Marquand; BOSTON -- A mix of strong constitutional challenges and high-profile topics should make this year's Supreme Court term the most interesting - and perhaps most significant - in years.

Tiger's teacher both proud, sad: and Bob Cloud LAS VEGAS SUN

UNR put lid on taunting: THE NUMBERS: UNLV managed just 66 yards rushing Saturday. By comparison, Nevada-Reno finished with 257 on the ground, 566 overall. ... UNR QB John Dutton hit on his first 12 passes and fini; When you are dealing with an emotional game like the annual rivalry between UNLV and Nevada-Reno, it's important not to let those emotions get carried away.

0-6 Rebels hoping for some miracles: Steve Carp; In the wake of Saturday's 54-17 thrashing at the hands of in-state rival Nevada-Reno, there's no telling where an 0-6 UNLV team is headed with still half a season to play.

Sports Briefs: Temple football coach to return: On second thought, Temple coach Ron Dickerson isn't ready to give up.

U.S.-South Korean Alliance Strained by Spying Charges: Warren Richey; WASHINGTON -- The US and South Korea are embroiled in a tense political drama following the arrest in Washington of a Korean-American intelligence analyst charged with passing American secrets to South Korean officials.

Newton N. Minow/Fred H. Cate: Justice for jurors: "Are you divorced?" "Do you have children?" "Do you have a religious or political affiliation?" "Do you belong to any clubs or civic organizations?"

Fast facts: Westwood's products: Source: Westwood Studios

Where I Stand: SUN awards reflect our commitment to quality: LAS VEGAS SUN readers demand excellence. And the SUN gives it to them.

Owner of Sagebrush Ranch wins stay of judge's order: David Clayton; The owner of the Sagebrush Ranch in northwest Las Vegas may continue with her horse camps and trail rides until at least Oct. 29 without fear of being held in contempt of court.