Print edition for June 16, 1998

Nevada schools awarded $2.7 million to improve test scores: The funds were approved on the condition the state Department of Education submit a detailed report by September 1999 on how the funds were spent and the effectiveness of the programs.

Letter: All soccer player wants is basics: There are so many soccer leagues in Las Vegas. The City Council should consider making more soccer fields with everything: goals, grass and lights. Soccer is the most popular sport in Nevada, so why not make more soccer fields?

Bull run has new site, promoter says: Safety and traffic concerns prompted the Nevada Department of Transportation earlier this month to block plans for a July 11 bull run down Mesquite Boulevard, a seven-lane business route for Interstate 15.

Movie Bombs: Cameraman Al O'Donnell of Las Vegas remembers being nervous when the big, burly man lumbered near his camera equipment set to capture a top-secret nuclear weapons blast.

1998 Three-Homer Games, through June 15: American League

Residents trash garbage proposal: Adrienne Packer; Teller may be known as the silent half of the famous Penn and Teller duo on stage, but bring up the subject of his new neighborhood and he is more than willing to talk trash.

Staff recommends firm bill-passing deadlines for short legislature: Under the staff proposal, all bills would would have to be passed by their house of origin by the 78th day. If deadlines are missed, the bills automatically would fail.

Wednesday at Belmont Park: 1st race 7 fur 3YO&up Mdn Clm

Columnist Scott Dickensheets: A little genetic tinkering can go a long way: Scott Dickensheets; I've been following the exciting advances in genetic engineering, and I have a few suggestions. Nothing drastic, just things you can do to make life easier, or, more precisely, make my life easier.

Harter to clarify clearing Cavagnaro of racism charges: Harter on May 5 had asked for and later received an independent investigation from the chancellor's office regarding anonymous charges that Athletic Director Charlie Cavagnaro may have used racist and sexist comments.

Letter: Berkley's apology leads one to mull her link to Adelson: I hope you will continue to pursue this story because as Berkley herself said, "cynicism pervades the political process," and her mysterious apology hasn't done anything to brighten the picture.

Gaming officials discuss how to keep children safe while parents gamble: "Although parents have the ultimate responsibility for their children, it is also our responsibility as an industry to make sure our patrons are safe," said Frank J. Fahrenkopf, president of the American Gaming Association.

GOP, labor cut deal over proposed Nevada constitutional changes: Brendan Riley; The agreement was reached on the last day this election year for filing petitions that seek constitutional changes in Nevada.

Editorial: Cracking down on parking violators: But a new program by Metro Police should help crack down on those illegally parked in handicapped spaces. Starting on July 1, Metro's first class of volunteer handicapped parking monitors will be patrolling area streets. They will try to find people parked illegally in handicapped spots, citing violators with $100 fines.

Advocates of medical marijuana file petition signatures on deadline: Brendan Riley; Petitions were handed to clerks in 13 of Nevada's 17 counties, the bare minimum under state law. Ballot status won't be known until the clerks check to see if the petitions have at least 46,764 signatures.

Congressional delegation joins gov in backing nuke projects office: "The bipartisan support of the Nevada congressional delegation in Washington shows how important this issue is to Nevadans," Miller said.

Judge approve taxpayer money for Strohmeyer defense: Strohmeyer, who has pleaded innocent, told police officers he killed the girl "to experience death."

Falconi fights to keep Honda dealership: Bill Gang and Richard N. Velotta; District Judge Stephen Huffaker, who already upheld American Honda Corp.'s termination of its franchise contract with the Las Vegas dealership, granted only a 60-day emergency postponement Monday to allow a final plea to the Nevada Supreme Court.

Box score: Redhawks 14, Stars 8: Las Vegas

Columnist Steve Carp: Sammy's lads not ready for prime time: Steve Carp; Imagine all the regulars who turned on ABC at midday only to find their favorite soap operas preempted by soccer.

Editorial: GOP leadership playing politics: It was revealed last week that Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., has stalled the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to an appeals court post, even though her nomination was approved overwhelmingly in March by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The New York Times reported that Lott is worried that if she is confirmed as a federal appeals court judge, she would later be picked by Clinton for the Supreme Court.

Letter: Berkley need not apologize because she told the truth: That's human nature and has been going on since the first cave man said "I'll scratch your back if you'll scratch mine." And things haven't changed.

Governor candidate Hammargren details education plan: Under Hammargren's proposal, the state would focus on defining and assessing students' "three Cs" skills - communication, computation and comprehension.

Baseball Calendar: July 26 - Hall of Fame inductions, Cooperstown, N.Y.

'My Heart Laid Bare': Intrigue Instead of Insight: Michiko Kakutani; The Licht family, we quickly learn, is a clan of con men indoctrinated in their patriarch's Nietzschean credo. "All men are our enemies, as they are strangers," Abraham Licht tells his children. Life is a Darwinian game, in his view, in which the rules are very simple: "No success without another's failure./ No failure without another's success./ To feel another's pain is defeat./ To turn the other cheek, a betrayal."

NFL Calendar: Aug. 1 - Hall of Fame Game: Pittsburgh vs. Tampa Bay

Reid, Ensign both like bulletproof vests: "This new law will help our busier metropolitan police forces replace vests and help smaller jurisdictions purchase vests for the first time ever," said Reid, who attended the formal bill signing ceremony at the White House.

Letter: Berkley should not apologize for truth about lobbyists: What do lobbyists do except buy politicians? Isn't that common knowledge? Why do the casinos contribute to political campaigns? Does anyone doubt that it's because they feel they will get their money's worth?

Violations put nursing center funds in jeopardy: Art Nadler; The Cheyenne Residential and Nursing Center, 2860 E. Cheyenne Ave., has had numerous violations since February.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Kazor goes back to school: Dean Juipe; "This is what I want to do," he said. "It's always been my goal to be a head coach and run my own show, and this is a start. Eventually I hope to get to Division I and be good at it."

Where I Stand -- Ruthe Deskin: Water-saving toilet mechanisms should be flushed: I wouldn't even bring it up except that the Southern Nevada Coalition 2000 triggered a remote area of my brain where I store pet peeves.

Gold Strike casino destroyed by fire: Adrienne Packer and Karen Zekan; Groggy tourists stood in the parking lot minutes after the fire started about 1:30 a.m., watching as flames lapped at the 17-story hotel tower. Some only had time to grab medication, others packed their bags, and still more were rushed from the casino, forced to leave winnings behind in slot machines. No injuries were reported.

Judge refuses to release suspect in alleged slot scam: Bill Gang; But two others charged in the scam that stretched over 13 months were allowed Monday by U.S. Magistrate Robert Johnston to remain free. A fourth defendant had been freed from custody last week.

Redhawks rip hometown boy: Lomon, who resides in Cameron, Okla., with his wife Mindy and two children, was hammered for 14 hits and 11 runs in just five innings in the Stars' 14-8 loss to the Oklahoma Redhawks Monday night at Southwestern Bell Bricktown Ballpark.

Obituaries for June 16, 1998: She is survived by her husband, Fred M.; and two sons, Fred M. Caballero of Las Vegas and Edward W. Caballero of Texas.

Mirage winding down employee search: Diana Sahagun; Positions are available at the company's four local resort properties: Bellagio, The Mirage, Treasure Island and the Golden Nugget.

Jack Gordon dodges jail, but still in hot water: Bill Gang; Gordon tap danced Monday around allegations that he lied under oath in his court fight against Bobbit's ex-girlfriend, Kristina Elliott. But his fancy footwork couldn't hide the reality that he had concealed some of his assets from the onetime Playboy magazine model who had won a $55,000 court judgment.

UNLV's Malmqvist to spend summer with USTA: Malmqvist, who just completed his sixth season leading the Lady Rebels, will serve as a touring U.S. national coach for the next six weeks.

Harter to finally discuss UNLV probe: Steve Carp; As the heat continues to be turned up in the wake of her decision to clear her athletic director of charges of racism, UNLV President Dr. Carol Harter said she plans to clarify her actions at Thursday's meeting of the Board of Regents in Reno.

Senior PGA Tour winners, schedule: Jan. 24-25 - x-Senior Skins Game (Raymond Floyd)

Pacific Coast League standings through June 15, 1998: Midwest Division

Plans seek to pick up pace at Legislature: The 1995 and 1997 Legislatures lasted a record 169 days. The proposed constitutional change would require the lawmakers close business in 120 days -- anything after that would be declared void.

Board OKs release of funds to boost performance: The state Board of Examiners Monday recommended release of the funds -- $1.549 million of which will go to 13 schools in Clark County for remedial programs.

Thunder plays waiting game for new coach: Tim Graham; Bob Strumm has his blinders on. He knows there are others in the race, but he refuses to acknowledge their presence.

Couple gets 90 days to vacate home: Norman Hirsch, who is hearing impaired, and his wife Renee were facing eviction from the Flamingo West Mobile Home Park at 8122 W. Flamingo Road after refusing to take down a temporary dog run and get rid of one of their dogs used to aid Hirsch with his disability, much like a blind person would use a seeing eye dog.

Khitri, Massey in prep finale: Spencer Patterson; For Avi Khitri and Dallas Massey, this week's Las Vegas Founders' Legacy Junior Tournament represents the end of an era.

Wynn beats deadline for tax break: If approved by the Clark County assessor's office, the tax break would amount to about $2.74 million in savings based on the current mill levy rate where the hotels are located. The tax break, an exemption for artwork that is worth at least $25,000 and on public display, applies to the 1998-99 property tax bill.

Growth panel's future in doubt: The informal poll was taken during Monday's meeting when Authority members answered a list of multiple-choice questions made up by Patricia Salkin, an associate dean and director of the government law center at Albany Law School.

Box Score: Stars 11, Buzz 8: Las Vegas

LPGA Tour winners, schedule: Jan. 21-24 - The Office Depot (Helen Alfredsson)

Visitor who barely avoided MGM fire not lucky this time: Karen Zekan; He was lucky enough to watch the flames through his television set, having left Las Vegas and returned to work on that day almost 18 years ago.

Monks Sew Enlightened Fashions: Miriam Jordan; Most days, the lanky, soft-spoken monk can be found poring over Tibetan Buddhist scriptures or meditating in his small room at Rato Monastery, on the edge of this isolated settlement of 13,000 Tibetan refugees. But to ensure the monastery's future, Mr. Vreeland's path to enlightenment must pass through trendy boutiques in Paris and New York.

An Island of Prosperity Amid Asia's Gloom: Jonathan P. Decker; Taiwan, which few countries officially recognize, was an economic shining star yesterday as much of Asia sank further into a financial black hole. It defied regional market gloom as its stock index and currency rose.

NATO's Big Noise Stirs Macedonia: Anthee Carassavas; But simulated NATO air raids yesterday - part of an effort to pressure Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to halt a crackdown against separatist rebels in Kosovo - heightened concern here that the country may not be spared the blight of the Balkans: ethnic splintering.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Bush exhibit the star attraction at NICA gallery: The exhibit, on display today through July 12, showcases the photo journalism of Las Vegas resident Diane Bush. The photographs of news media personalities were taken during the Gulf War. Some have been exhibited in Chicago, Houston and New York. This is the first time the entire portfolio is being shown.

Broken pipe forces evacuation: The patients, most of them elderly, were taken to several area nursing facilities by ambulance and CAT bus while Las Vegas Valley Water District workers shut off the water to the facility and authorities tried to determine what happened.

Caesars posts proposition on handicapped pro golfer: Spencer Patterson; Casey Martin fever has hit Las Vegas.

AG: Disability ruling on prisons will cost states: The court Monday ruled that the Americans with Disabilities Act covers state convicts. The ruling went against Pennsylvania, sued by an inmate who was denied admittance to a boot camp because he failed to pass the physical examination due to hypertension. The boot camp required all participants to engage in strenuous exercise.

LPGA Money Leaders: LPGA Money Leaders

Overlooked parcel of land led to claim on Gold Strike: Adrienne Packer; Preparing for the construction of Hoover Dam in the early 1930s, the government set aside a swath of land along Lake Mead. But somehow it overlooked a small pocket between two mountains east of Boulder City.

Financial problems could force school to lose some autonomy: This year, after switching to a new computer system, the school was collecting on 27 percent of its billing claims, compared with 47 percent previously, said David Schapira, the medical school's senior associate dean.

A Freer Indonesia Ignites Hopes in East Timor: Jill Jolliffe; People who once feared to speak out against the rule of East Timor by Indonesia were airing their views on the territory's future.

Tomato disease seen as threat to state potato crop: Jace Radke; The Department of Business and Industry's Division of Agriculture has placed a temporary quarantine on out of state tomato plants after discovering that some plants arriving from California nurseries were infected with a fungus disease known as late blight.

Driver in fatal crash gets house arrest: Bill Gang; Juvenile Judge Gerald Hardcastle ordered Carey to be on probation until she is 21, but she must spend the first year on house arrest. He revoked her driver's license until she is 18 and then she can only drive to work or school.

Columnist Jeff German: Wynn showers praise on controversial Strip rival Adelson: One man, however, is emerging as Wynn's biggest competitor on the Strip -- Las Vegas Sands Inc. Chairman Sheldon Adelson.

Market favors new capitalization plan for Station Casinos: John Wilen; Crescent officials announced a significant increase in the company's stock dividend, from 38 cents per share to 63 cents. Crescent also announced that shareholders would have the right to purchase one share of Crescent stock at $31.13 for every five shares they currently own.

PGA Tour winners, schedule: Jan. 8-11 - Mercedes Championships (Phil Mickelson)

BLM proposes limiting access, special events, at Black Rock Desert: As proposed, the plan would limit major special events to 150,000 visitor days a year. A visitor day is counted as an eight-hour period.

Casino America announces earnings: Casino America report a net income loss of $7.5 million, or 32 cents per share, for the quarter ending April 27, 1997.

LPGA Tour statistics through June 14: Scoring

Poets Let Competitive Juices Flow: Bruce Weber; "I love you, Jimmy," a woman shrieked from the audience, a tragedy-tinged lament, as the results of the 10-round bout were announced. Another woman retorted in triumph: "I love you, Sherman."