Print edition for October 20, 1997

UNR tests new machine designed to make hazardous waste harmless: The CerOx system is a series of tanks with stainless steel columns and a large electrical transformer. Hazardous organic waste is pumped in and an electrochemical reaction takes place, turning the organic materials into carbon dioxide and water.

Health care group honors Boulder City woman: Lillian Hathaway's donation of her time is even more significant in light of dwindling federal funds for the long-term care industry.

Thunder welcomes back coach with win: Tim Graham; All three sentiments were bantered about the Thomas & Mack Center locker rooms Sunday night after the Las Vegas Thunder posted a 7-0 victory over the Houston Aeros.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: It's time to get real in sports world: Actually, this is the second year of the contest. Dennis Rodman was the first winner of the dubious award but the NBA's illustrated man apparently is not eligible to defend his title.

Rebels begin WAC playoff drive with a win over Aztecs: Steve Carp; "We've got three straight WAC home games and we need to win them all," Barto said. "This was a good start."

High court rulings against police searches worry prosecutors: The case was a drug-trafficking conviction against Ruben Barrios-Lomeli. An informant had arranged for Lomeli to bring four ounces of methamphetamine to the Wal-Mart parking lot in Carson City two years ago. TriNet officers arrested Lomeli and then searched his car despite his protests but found the drugs.

Portable house to help in teaching fire safety: Elizabeth Dutton; Built by the Scotty Co. in Iowa, the house is a scaled down version of a normal home. A smoke machine fills the house with a non-toxic haze that helps fire officials teach children how to evacuate a smoke-filled building.

Metro has top dogs in Las Vegas K-9 Trials: Karen Zekan; Awards included the coveted top agency and top dog trophies.

People in the News for October 20, 1997: Facial expression

Rebels enter stretch with patchwork offensive line: Tim Graham; Following Saturday night's 20-17 overtime loss to San Diego State at Qualcomm Stadium, the interior five positions are rife with injuries.

Celebrities offer views on TV issues from talk shows to Ellen: Actor Elliott Gould says he finds the lesbian character portrayed by Ellen DeGeneres "very wholesome."

FBI arrests LV man in airport threats: Cathy Scott; FBI agents arrested Joseph Patrick Fuentes, 30, who lives in the 3600 block of Migules Lane below the flight pattern of the north-south runway. Fuentes is a banquet manager at the Treasure Island and Mirage hotel-casinos.

Where I Stand: Nevada and SUN Youth Forum will miss Peggy Phillips: People don't come any better than Peggy Hyde Phillips. She paid her dues and, through hard work and public service, contributed greatly to the improvement of life in Nevada.

Overloaded cement trucks targeted: Assistant District Engineer Gus Michaels credits local union officials and some concerned drivers with taking the initiative to make the Nevada Department of Transportation aware of the practice several weeks ago.

SUN correction: * A story in Wednesday's SUN concerning Las Vegas casino owner Michael Gaughan contained an error. Gaughan has agreed to pay $200,000 in fines for violation of credit handling and sports betting regulations at his two casinos.

Growth issues to be studied in public health conference: Former Gov. Mike O'Call-aghan, now Las Vegas SUN executive editor, will give the keynote address.

NHP trooper still fighting for benefits: He lost his left eye, a portion of his left arm and suffered other extensive injuries. He eventually returned to work for the state, retaining all the extra benefits of a trooper but being assigned a civilian job.

Former gambler hosts workshop: Since conquering his compulsion to gamble 29 years ago, Wexler has become one of the world's experts on the subject.

Thunder's full deck falls on Aeros, 7-0: Tim Graham; All three sentiments were bantered about the Thomas & Mack Center locker rooms Sunday night after the Las Vegas Thunder posted a 7-0 victory over the Houston Aeros.

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Road to Breeders' Cup toughest in the stretch: Ralph Siraco; Nineteen days remain to avoid the potholes on the road to a Breeders' Cup that has taken the highest toll in its history.

Seven of eight Southern 4A football berths filled: Steve Cunningham; Simply put, it was a wacky, wacky weekend of high school football.

Las Vegas jury convicts man of rape after he flees: Bill Gang; But Cuban emigree Enrique Mesa, 28, wasn't around to hear the verdict.

Audit: UNLV arts center lost $400,000: In one case, the center had to cancel an event after the performers arrived in town because of poor ticket sales, said Sandi Cardinal, director of internal audit for the University and Community College System of Nevada.

Latvian freshman must fill Keon's shoes in hurry: Steve Carp; He wasn't counting on any of this -- the playing time, the attention, the pressure. None of it.

Architectural Enigma: Anne Hosier; All anyone really needed to know about architecture in Las Vegas could once be gleaned by standing on a bluff overlooking the valley:

Fees fail to deter Desolation Wilderness visitors: Desolation was one of 100 federally managed resources in the country to charge a fee this year, in a three-year pilot program to improve funding for popular sites.

Future looks bright for neighborhood casinos: Bob Shemeligian; That's because the smaller neighborhood casinos cater to local residents who work at the huge Strip resorts.

Rebels fritter away big opportunity at San Diego State: Tim Graham; All the teams that needed to lose did so in the afternoon. As UNLV took the field at Qualcomm Stadium Saturday night, all it needed to do was take care of San Diego State.

TRPA considers updating user fee study: The TRPA has identified about $1 billion in erosion control and other environmental projects needed to protect the Tahoe Basin's sensitive ecosystem, but state and federal governments have allocated only a fraction of what is needed.

'Tie the Knot' opens: Performances are at 7 p.m. weekdays and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 23-24 and 29-31 and Nov. 6-8, 13-15, 21-22 and 28-29.

A hole-by-hole look at the TPC at Summerlin: The opening hole plays straight away from a slightly elevated tee. A wash extends back along the left side of the second shot, setting up the green.

NV Symphony plays with Youth Philharmonic: The box office opens at 6:30 p.m and the doors open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are also available at TicketMaster, 474-4000. Discounts are available for music educators, call 792-4337.

Obituary: Mabel M. Pribyl: Visitation is scheduled one hour prior to 6 p.m. services today in Palm Mortuary, 1325 N. Main St. Services will be 10 a.m. Tuesday in Our Lady of Las Vegas Catholic Church. Graveside services will follow in Palm Memorial Park.

Gamez continues to give back to his community: Participants such as four-time Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux, former Masters and U.S. Open champion Fuzzy Zoeller and Hall of Famers Julius Erving and the late Don Drysdale have made this event one of the most prestigious of its kind anywhere in the United States.

Television sports for the week: d TUESDAY

Obituary: Nina Clark: Affordable Cremation and Burial Service, 2457 N. Decatur Blvd., is handling arrangements.

LV poets 'cross culture': Local poets featured in the program include Keith Brantley, Cosmo Coley, Dayvid Figler, Bruce Isaacson, Deborah Kohen, Pendelita Toney and Gwen Walker. The program will be moderated by Jessica Anes, chairman of the Community Relations Council, and Joyce Thomas, theater manager for the West Las Vegas Library.

No road safe from rage of LV drivers: Scott Dickensheets; Anyway, as we were saying before that idiot in the bronze Infiniti cut us off, road rage is a growing problem in Las Vegas. That's less a statement of statistical certainty -- neither Metro Police nor the Nevada Highway Patrol tracks road rage incidents as a separate category -- than a general feeling on the streets.

LVI trophy unique: Unique to the LVI, the trophy contains elements reflecting the rich heritage of the state of Nevada. Its primary components are a seven-inch replica of a Carson City silver dollar, complete with serrated edges, and a stylized sterling silver impression of the state mounted on the face of an ebonized wood base.

Las Vegas Invitational benefits those in need: The primary function of the Founders' Club is to act as the governing body of the Las Vegas Invitational and the Las Vegas Senior Classic by TruGreen-ChemLawn. The Founders' Club also supports the American Junior Golf Association and the collegiate tournaments held in Las Vegas.

Say amen! Buffett tends to his faithful flock: Anne Hosier; And despite Jimmy Buffett's assertion that "this is not a religious convention" it sure seemed like one Saturday night as devout Parrotheads -- what Buffett's legions of fans call themselves -- flocked to the MGM Grand hotel-casino from far and wide to pay homage to Buffett and the Coral Reefers on the Las Vegas stop of their "Havana Daydreaming" tour.

LVI attracts strong field of contenders: Woods heads a 144-player field that includes eight of the top 20 players off the PGA Tour money list and 23 of the top 40 in earnings in 1997. In addition, six members of the 1997 United States Ryder Cup team will be in Las Vegas when the $1.8 million LVI begins on Wednesday.

Obituary: Catherine Maxine Lott: Palm Mortuary, 1600 S. Jones Blvd., is handling arrangements.

Sprint hosts golf clinic: The clinic will feature nationally renowned trick-shot artist Dennis Walters. Various golf professionals playing in the Las Vegas Invitational also will drop by.

Obituary: Dennis V. Allen: Visitation is scheduled 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday in Palm Mortuary, 7600 S. Eastern Ave. Services will be 1 p.m. Wednesday in Palm Chapel, Eastern. Burial will follow in Palm Valley View Memorial Park.

Beck doesn't think 58 is unreachable: "I think it is possible,," said Beck, who gained his share of golf immortality during the third round of the 1991 Las Vegas Invitational. "I think that with the way golf courses are being groomed, the way equipment's going, I think it should be possible.

A short history of the PGA tour: In 1895, 10 professional golfers and one amateur played in the first U.S. Open in Newport, R.I. Shortly thereafter, tournaments began to pop up across the country. There was the Western open in 1899, played in Longview, Ill., but this was not "tour" golf; the events lacked continuity.

Woods returns to the LVI: But his sudden-death win here over Davis Love III in only his fifth start as a professional provided Woods with a valuable lesson. It also helped propel him to one of the most incredible starts to a professional career the sport has ever seen.

Tiger Woods jumpstarts golf's image, coffers: When young golf sensation Tiger Woods sank a short putt in a playoff to wrap up the Las Vegas Invitational Golf Tournament championship last year, few spectators cheered as loudly as members of the Las Vegas Founders' Club.

Nevada ranks low in prosecution of drug cases: Thomas Green, former chief of the U.S. Attorney's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force here, blames the low figure on a lack of resources.

Obituary: Velma Zachary: Services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday in the First Church of the Nazarene. Palm Mortuary, 7600 S. Eastern Ave., is handling arrangements.

International golf shrine moves closer to reality: Located on 240 acres along Interstate 95, 22 miles south of Jacksonville and eight miles northwest of St. Augustine, this ambitious project promises to have a major impact on several fronts when it opens in the spring of 1988.

Las Vegas news briefs: * HOME DESTROYED -- A fire destroyed a large estate home under construction in northwest Las Vegas, Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski said. When firefighters arrived at 12:36 a.m. Saturday, the two-story home, in the process of being framed, was engulfed in flames, Szymanski said. The house was one of several in an estate subdivision being built off Town Center Drive and Hualpai Way by Christopher Homes. The estimated loss wasn't known, but the houses, once completed, will range from $350,000 to $1 million, Szymanski said. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Summerlin to host 6th year: The TPC at Summerlin debuted in 1992 as the home course for the LVI and has received rave reviews from the PGA touring pros. The final two rounds of the $1.8 million Las Vegas Invitational are played exclusively at the TPC at Summerlin.

Obituary: Everett LeRoy Lawson: Services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in Eden Vale Memorial Park. Bunker Mortuary, 925 Las Vegas Blvd. North, is handling arrangements.

Starwood agrees to buy ITT: Gary Thompson; ITT Corp. has found a "white knight" to help stave off a hostile takeover attempt by Hilton Hotels Corp.

Fryatt turns in fine Open performance: Playing in his first U.S. Open, the 26-year-old Fryatt closed with a 1-under-par 69 and finished tied for 24th place -- and earned $24,174 -- in the 97th U.S. Open at Bethesda, Md.

PGA offers website: The site, with new features added regularly, already has proven popular with golf fans around the world. Presented by foundation sponsors IBM, Michelob, Buick and Titleist, pgatour.com is the only site in cyberspace with realtime scoring for PGA Tour, Senior PGA Tour and Nike Tour events. Fans can access the IBM Live Scoring button at any time during a tournament and receive up-to-the-minute scores of not just the leaders, but any player in the field.

Truckee River slowly recovering from century of neglect: "Things are changing," said Kim Toulouse, a Nevada Division of Wildlife aquatic resource coordinator. "People are becoming aware of the river as a resource. They're paying attention, and the future is actually bright."

LV Country Club presents a stiff challenge: The LVCC served as the host course for the Las Vegas Invitational from its inception in 1983 until 1991 and was the site of three exciting LVI sudden-death playoffs. The Country Club was used as a satellite course for the LVI from 1992 to 1995 and returns to the three-course rotation this year after a one-year hiatus.

Elko commissioners vote against gas tax: Commission Chairman Royce Hackworth called for the straw poll following the regular commission meeting, which ran late and into the time set aside for the public hearing on the gas tax proposal. By that time, no one else was present.

Obituary: Norbert Stasiak: Visitation is scheduled 3 p.m. until a 5 p.m. rosary Tuesday in St. Joseph, Husband of Mary Catholic Church. Mass will be celebrated 10 a.m. Wednesday in St. Joseph, Husband of Mary. Burial will follow in Palm Valley View Memorial Park. Palm Mortuary, 7600 S. Eastern Ave., is handling arrangements.

'Art from Eye Street' at the Reed Whipple: Gallery hours are 1-9 p.m. Monday and Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. For information, call 229-4631.

Desert Inn rich in tradition: After a two-year absence as one of the satellite courses used during the LVI, during which the course underwent a renovation, the Desert Inn Golf Club returned last year as one of the three courses hosting the PGA Tour event and in 1997 remains in the three-course rotation.

Obituaries: October 20: Dennis V. Allen, 41, of Henderson died Wednesday in a local hospital. He was born July 22, 1956, in Boston. A 10-year resident, he was a musician and drummer and worked for Dionne Warwick for the past 10 years.

Houdini seance convenes on Halloween: Dooley's collection wazs recently seen on NBC's "Houdini, Unlocking His Secrets." Dooley and the colelction were also featured as part of an upcoming German television special on Houdini.

LV hits and misses: Anne Hosier; Eric Strain, an adjunct professor at the UNLV School of Architecture, particularly likes the district's headquarters, located on Las Vegas Boulevard near Cashman Field, which architects often refer to as "The Predock Library" after its designer, New Mexico-based architect Antoine Predock. "He used (sandstone) in the sense of trying to relate to the color and texture of the mountains," Strain says. And since water was historically important in that area, once the site of the Mormon Fort, he used pathways of water to lead visitors into the foyer.

LVI player notes: The last time there were three major winners in their 20s was 1977 when Tom Watson (27) won the Masters and the British Open and Lanny Wadkins (27) captured the PGA Championship.

Eureka investigates first homicide in a decade: "The body was burned so badly the only way we're going to be able to identify it is with dental records," Jones said. "We have no cause of death. It may be impossible to determine."

Four players have Las Vegas ties: Robert Gamez, Edward Fryatt and Tommy Armour III, each of whom played junior and high school golf locally, and former UNLV golfer Skip Kendall will be among the 144-player field for this week's $1.8 million LVI. Fryatt also attended UNLV and played golf for the Rebels.

Duval going for big 3 in Las Vegas: Ever since he joined the PGA Tour in 1995, David Duval has heard how he was supposed to be one of a handful of players charged with taking professional golf into the 21st century.

Clinton plans November fund-raiser in Las Vegas: Clinton is expected to attend at least two fund-raisers Nov. 14 for the Democratic National Committee, party sources said.

Elko Wildlife Board deadlocks over does: The board did approve an unlimited archery season that NDOW Supervising Biologist Larry Gilbertson said would have little effect because archers have yet to collect all the available archery tags.

LV youth parole cops want guns: Cathy Scott; Youth parole officers in Ely -- a small east-central Nevada city that is Mayberry by Las Vegas standards -- are allowed to carry weapons after they challenged in court a longstanding but unwritten Nevada Youth Parole Bureau policy.