Print edition for January 9, 1998

NDT honors Hood as Woman of the Year: In 1985, Hood was named president of Elsinore Corp., the parent company of the Four Queens and served until 1993. In 1994, she became a member of the board and consultant to American Casino Enterprises, a position she currently holds. She is also currently on the board of directors of Pioneer Citizens Bank.

Mirage Resorts Inc. takes control of land for Atlantic City: "They came to us and asked if we'd be interested in accelerating it. We were delighted they wanted to take the property and formalize their presence in the town," said Louis Toscano, policy adviser to Mayor James Whelan.

Thunder shoots to use home edge against Utah: Tim Graham; The Las Vegas Thunder was on the road so long, even home seemed strange.

Bartender convicted on gun charges, acquitted of bomb accusation: Robert Storms was convicted of four counts involving the conversion of a semi-automatic weapon into an illegal one that was fully automatic and one count of possession of material used to make a bomb -- a length of plastic pipe tainted by gunpowder residue.

Sen. James atop list in raising funds: Larry Henry; James, who had been mentioned as a possible congressional candidate but is seeking re-election, raised $60,301 by Dec. 31, according to a report filed with the secretary of state's office.

Bayno likes what he sees in Epps: Steve Carp; When he looks at his four first-year players, UNLV coach Bill Bayno can point to each and have plenty to talk about.

Intensive Journal Workshop in Henderson: Students receive a structured journal and learn methods that help them get more out of their writing. The process teaches a practical method of writing that provides a cohesive series of exercises and innovative approaches to enhance personal growth.

County employee fighting firing over appliance theft: Jeff Schweers; Eugene Smith was fired this week, after pleading no contest to one misdemeanor charge of petty theft and agreeing to pay a $750 fine -- the estimated cost of the washer and dryer.

GOP says union-bashing letter a success: The letters dub union bosses "the Mike Tysons of American politics."

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Columnist Dean Juipe: Lee Canyon traffic down as skiing slips: Dean Juipe; LEE CANYON -- This may not be South Tahoe or Vail but it's a mountainside and it's steep. The longest of the eight ski runs at the Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort is 3,300 feet -- virtually a half-mile -- and there are places where it feels more like ice than the soft and fluffy stuff that appears so heavenly in the high-gloss advertisements that routinely tout the sport.

LV to host dog-racing competition: Karen Zekan; Dogs will be racing in a straight line Saturday during the North American Whippet Racing Association's event. An oval course will be set up for Sunday's National Oval Track Racing Association competition.

Protruck Series announces new schedule: Starting on March 7 at Sam Boyd Stadium, the nationally televised series has secured multi-year commitments for an annual schedule contained within an approximate three-month window. The new schedule includes events in three geographic sections west of the Mississippi and in Canada.

Letter: Gambling addiction prevention programs are needed for middle school students: Approximately 24 percent of the students said they'd played video poker, 66 percent indicated they gambled on scratch-off lottery tickets and about 32 percent had played Lotto.

Perchlorate levels rise in winter: In July, samples collected by the Southern Nevada Water Authority registered 11 parts per billion of perchlorate in both raw lake water and in treated drinking water.

Columnist: Brian Hilderbrand: Son of racing legend Gurney wins Team Green Academy: Alex Gurney would like to follow in his father's footsteps and drive on the Formula One circuit, but the 23-year-old son of legendary driver Dan Gurney realizes he won't make it on his name alone.

Cheyenne girls cruise to victory: Matt O'Brien; You could call Cheyenne's latest Southern AAAA girls' basketball victory an inside job.

City asked to keep up median: But the association just recently found out that it doesn't own the property, the city does. So at Monday's City Council meeting, the association will be asking the city to start maintaining it.

Water supply could be in danger: A gradual change of the hydrogen content is under way that could throw the river's water out of balance, creating havoc among fish, growing plants and drinking supplies.

Letter: Nevada Highway Patrol should use more fuel-efficient cars: Also, why do the patrol officers need the extra-large, gas-guzzling patrol cars they drive? Wouldn't a smaller-size car do the same job?

Business filings rise by 25 percent: There were 15,893 companies that incorporated during this period. And Nevada ranks tenth in the nation for the number of corporate filings.

Saturday at Aqueduct: 1st race 6 fur 4YO&up Mdn

Letter: Organizations will thrive if they develop patience, priorities: Develop good habits and correct the bad ones, both in the workplace and at home.

Sen. Reid to sign copies of his book: Reid will sign copies of the book on Jan. 15 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Nevada State Museum and Historical Society at 700 Twin Lakes Blvd.

Firing upheld for worker on drug and alcohol binge: State Hearing Officer John Graves Friday refused to reinstate Mourad Messiha to his job as an engineering technician, from which he was fired in September last year.

Saturday at Golden Gate: 1st race 6 fur 3YO Mdn Clm

LV companies seek attention at Consumer Electronics Show: Each of them love the opportunity to reach a global audience afforded by the arrival of nearly 100,000 people to one of Las Vegas' biggest conventions.

Chaparral product Jarmica Reese is flying high at Air Force: Steve Carp; Jarmica Reese always knew where he wanted to go. He also knew which road would get him there the quickest.

CCSD's Cram praises national education study: The study, similar to one released a year ago, was conducted by Education Week, a Washington-based publication for educators.

Internal Affairs is looking into officer's role in deaths: Cathy Scott; The officer is a deputy sheriff, a noncommissioned police officer whose job is similar to that of a marshal. Deputy sheriffs serve papers and administer such court actions as temporary restraining orders.

Slot cheater receives seven year prison term: District Judge Peter Breen said Harris, 41, betrayed both state gaming regulators and the public trust by developing a computer system to cheat the slot machines.

Right-to-die advocate's death not as she wanted it: The 93-year-old Las Vegas transplant, who had terminal colon cancer and numerous other physical ailments, died at Valley Hospital Medical Center where she was taken Christmas Eve after her condition worsened.

Governor asks state to step up inspections of explosive plants: "In the wake of the tragedy at Sierra Chemical Co., I want all explosives manufacturing sites inspected again as soon as possible," Miller said.

McCullough-Morales showdown called off: Dean Juipe; It was not welcome news.

Company stock climbs amid speculation of buyout: "As a matter of policy, we don't comment on market rumors," Circus Circus spokeswoman Sarah Ralston said Friday, responding to rumors of a possible sale of the company.

Editorial: Ban needed on cloning of human beings: Despite universal opposition, Chicago physicist Richard Seed announced this week he will try to clone a human being.

Four Tops Fast Facts: * WHERE: Hollywood Theatre at the MGM Grand hotel-casino

Ranking federal official to visit Vegas Monday: Jeanette C. Takamura, sworn in as assistant secretary for aging in December, will be making her first state visit in her new role.

State camping fee increases proposed: While camping fees at 10 state parks are expected to rise by $2 to either $6, $7 or $9 a night, some other fees would decrease in the proposed regulations. One example is a season pass to Floyd Lamb State Park, which would drop to $45 from $75.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Chinois restaurant at Caesars a triumph of culinary artistry: Chinois's interior design by Puck's partner/wife, Barbara Lazarus, is dramatic, fanciful and inviting. Ribbons of brilliant colors accent the room. Lazarus says they represent energy. You can almost feel the charge when viewing the swaths of color. Remarkable artifacts and art, gathered during trips to Asia, are featured throughout the restaurant. The staircase leading to the dining room is gorgeous. Emblazoned on the lower steps, in English and Chinese, are: "Good Fortune, Good Friends, Good Food." A few steps higher: "The World of Imagination is Boundless."

El Dorado power project moves forward: Plans are moving forward in spite of attempts by opponents of the El Dorado Energy project to get it stopped before ground is broken for the non-public utility company. The plant will be the first in the nation to sell power wholesale without long-term utility contracts, according to Boulder City City Manager John Sullard.

Where I Stand: Mayor's bout with cancer should send message to valley: In the spectacularly crowd-pleasing movie and now theatrical presentation of the Lion King, the subjects of the story's object opined that, upon reflection, it was good to be king. And so it is.

Obituaries for January 9, 1998: He is survived by his wife, Linda; three sons, Robert Baker Jr. of Denver, Scott Baker and Mike Flewelling of Seattle; five daughters, Theresa Kip, Debra Foster, Jeri Baker and Renee Flynn, all of Las Vegas, and Kami Boyle of Hamlett, N.C.; and 13 grandchildren.

Columnist Joe Delaney: More magic moments: Joe Delaney; Al Jolson, considered by many to be the greatest entertainer in the first half of this century, accorded me a very special moment. ... In the 1920s, Jolson became the catalyst for "talking pictures" when he sang in the original "Jazz Singer," later remade as a vehicle for Neil Diamond. ... The mid-1940s found Jolson involuntarily retired.

Weekend Update: JAZZIN AT THE WINCHESTER -- The Nevada Jazz Orchestra, 17 musicians strong, will be in concert at 2 p.m. Sunday at Winchester Community Center, 3130 McLeod Drive. Artistic director Barry Ross is an award-winning composer-arranger and trombone soloist who worked with the big bands of Buddy Morrow, Glenn Miller and Woody Herman. Tickets are $7, $5 for Las Vegas Jazz Society members, seniors and students under 18; call 455-7340.

The Movie Guys: Wicked 'Wag' a satiric gaggle of giggles: Jeff; ---

CES has cool stuff, but few celebrities: DVD players have been on the market since last spring, but retailers have said the quality benefits of the units won't be fully realized until a player is hooked up to an HDTV.

Fed gaming panel to hit the road: Those concerns surfaced again Thursday as the nine-member commission, chaired by Kay Cole James, an anti-gaming advocate, released the agenda for its Jan. 21-22 session in Atlantic City.

Columnist Scott Dickensheets: New Yorker cartoonist? I could do that!: Scott Dickensheets; No, I just want those parts of his life that have to do with being a New Yorker cartoonist. Aside from gatherer of discarded bikinis at the Playboy mansion, can there be a better job? I can already picture myself hunched over the drawing table spinning doodles into gold, my back to the big window in which is framed the valley's mountainous western edge, copies of my own cartoon books resting on a nearby bookshelf.

Laptops little used, lawmakers say: Ron Nichols, the Legislature's information systems manager, said that if 15 legislators use their computers, "that would be a lot."

People in the News for January 9, 1998: Atta boy!

Pets can do wonders for patients having tough time: I also carry my dog in at least four or five times a week. When I walk in the rotunda with my dog under my arm, I see smiles. I stop at everyone who can smile; they want to pet her, and she loves it.

Reid promotes new HOPE Scholarship program: Elizabeth Dutton; Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Community College of Southern Nevada President Richard Moore want Nevadans to take advantage of the new HOPE Scholarship program.

International nuke group to tour Yucca Mountain: International Nuclear Regulators Association members plan to tour Yucca Mountain Monday. Jackson is also INRA chairman.

County says boiler was being operated illegally: A company spokeswoman, however, maintained that the boiler had been operating legally.

Ethics panel to hear Gates' request to limit subpoena: Jeff Schweers; The announcement reverses a prior decision by Ethics Commission Chairwoman Mary Boetsch denying a request from Gates' attorney Kathy England to narrow its demand for all personal and business records for the past two years.

Still the Tops: Anne Hosier; The Four Tops live on -- even now that they are only three.

Fast pitch Softball tryouts: Fast pitch Softball tryouts

Kettle gifts not boiling over: With just $173,332 collected from the kettles at 83 locations, the charitable agency is not sure it will be able to meet the needs for all of its programs this year. Its goal had been to raise $210,000 through the century-old Christmas bell-ringing tradition.

Diamondbacks visit Las Vegas: Diamondbacks visit Las Vegas

City orders neglected apartments vacated: Denise Cardinal; She doesn't care about building codes or City Council meetings.

Report to RTC studies various mass transit ideas: Jeff Schweers; Several commissioners were concerned that the technology eventually chosen for the $1.1 billion, 18-mile public system would be compatible with a 3-mile, $200 million monorail the Hilton and MGM Grand hotels-casinos are designing.

And then along came Jones: Shane Gammon; This singer loves music.

Funnyman White just right for a night of delight: Anne Hosier; But most of his audience at The Improv comedy club, where he headlines at Harrah's this week, was.