Print edition for November 27, 1998

Saturday at Hollywood: 1st race 6 fur 3YO & up F&M Clm: 1 Burch's Baby (Flores) 117; 2 Jerry's Tootsie (Ramsammy) 117; 3 Baxter's Susie (Pedroza) 117; 4 Tutu Time (Garcia) 117; 5 Miguella (Valdivia) 119; 6 Blarney Girl (Smith) 110.

Rebels face major test against mighty Kansas: Steve Carp; SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- At virtually every school in America, a basketball team that went 35-4 would have a ticker-tape parade down Main Street thrown in its honor.

Robinson interviews for UNLV coaching job: The possibility of former Southern Cal and Los Angeles Rams coach John Robinson taking over the UNLV football program has moved at least two steps closer to fruition.

Saturday at Aqueduct: 1st race 6 fur 3YO Clm: 1 Academic Award (Luzzi) 111; 2 Espresso (Diaz) 108; 3 Countrytech (Migliore) 115; 4 a-Bag The Devil (Madrid) 115; 5 Outer Banks (Nelson) 115; 6 Eastern Gambler (Bravo) 115; 7 a-Believe I Wood (Chavez) 115; 8 The Kaprikorn Kid (Benitez) 108; 9 Red Valor (Lopez) 115.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Holiday weekend serves up a cornucopia of comedy: Joe Delaney; Bill Cosby, appearing in the Mirage showroom through Sunday, is this weekend's star policy special. ... Paul Anka plays there Dec. 2-5, then the Siegfried & Roy Theatre goes dark Dec. 6-24. ... Lionel Richie performs Dec. 25-28, and Siegfried & Roy re-appear in their showroom Dec. 29.

Sun Life Datebook: BROADWAY FAVORITE

Saturday at Golden Gate: 1st race 6 fur 3YO & up F&M Clm: 1 Forafella (Schvaneveldt) 118; 2 Silvey's Muchacha (Arriaga) 118; 3 Miladys Gold (Perez) 121; 4 San Joaquin Gal (Valdez) 111; 5 Sheza Lulu Too (RBaze) 116; 6 Babyletsrocknroll (Warren) 118; 7 Dancin Foal (Castro) 118; 8 Jesican (Meche) 114.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Future wide open for Leffler after USAC run: By Brian Hilderbrand LAS VEGAS SUN

Schools to decide tourney changes: Spencer Patterson; No longer the annual site of the state's high school football championships, Las Vegas may soon find itself the permanent host of the Nevada 4A baseball and softball tournaments.

USAC Points Standings through November 24, 1998: Western States Midget: 1. Rick Hendrix 556; 2. Bryan Stanfill 511; 3. Wally Pankratz 484; 4. Shane Scully 442; 5. Jason Leffler 431; 6. Steve Paden 372; 7. Bobby Boone 350; 8. Marc DeBeaumont 304; 9. Clay Klepper 290; 10. Dwayne Marcum 285.

Visit to hometown really no big deal for keefe: Steve Carp; SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- It's less than a two-hour drive from suburban Boston to the birthplace of basketball. But for Brian Keefe, it wouldn't matter if tonight's UNLV-Kansas game were in Springfield, Ill., or Springfield, Mo.

Nevada Focus: Sculpture's roots go back to turn of the century: "I'm a little relieved that it's over," said Gilligan who finished the sculpture this week, just a day before one of the Valley's infrequent rain showers.

Let's be Frank?: For most, it's impossible to sing "Impossible." Some left their hearts -- and talent -- in San Francisco. For others, luck is never a lady tonight.

Nevada Focus: Reid eclipses Key Pittman as Senate powerhouse: Brendan Riley; Reid, who barely won a third term on Nov. 3, is expected to get the whip assignment on Tuesday. That'll top Pittman's status as Foreign Relations Committee chairman and Senate president pro tem in the 1930s.

Thunder makes roster changes: On Wednesday, the Thunder lost the services of NHL holdout Petr Nedved, who finally was traded from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the New York Rangers. Nedved, a former NHL all-star who sat out all of last season in a contract dispute with the Pens, had been staying in playing shape in Las Vegas.

UNLV's volleyball team plays key match tonight vs. BYU: The UNLV volleyball team can greatly enhance its NCAA Tournament aspirations with a victory over Brigham Young in tonight's Western Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament semifinals at the MGM Grand.

Consultant forecasts red ink for Washoe County: "It's an early warning sign," interim finance director John Sherman said of the report complied by his department and Walker & Associates.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Well-to-do firm a threat to Las Vegas: Dean Juipe; But that could be changing.

Fired principal sues school district: Steven Weiner, who was fired in the spring of 1997 from Robison Middle School, is seeking reinstatement to his former position and back pay. The suit also calls for $200,000 in compensatory damages plus $50,000 in punitive damages per defendant.

Las Vegas news briefs: Cruz is described as a 5-foot-7 Hispanic man about 130 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Villamor is a 5-foot-7 Asian man about 180 pounds with black hair, brown eyes and a gang symbol on his right hand.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Nightmare or sweet dream: This will be the first Homeowner's Network meeting and there are attendance forms available at the Real Estate Division Office, Bradley Building, 2501 E. Sahara Ave., Suite 102, or the Clark County Complex, Rotunda area near the security desk, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway. The first meeting should be interesting if everybody shows up to contribute. Program facilitators will include Deputy Attorney General Charles Chong, Jean Georges, Barbara Holland, Matt De Orio, Steve Urbanetti, JC Melvyn, Lorna Elwell, Dick McCall, CPA Lori Ebel, Deanna White and Diane Weismann.

Brief: 226,000 expected in LV: Lots of Nevadans, meantime, headed out of town in cars, buses and planes. AAA said the most popular driving destinations for Nevadans were Southern California; Monterey, Calif.; the San Francisco Bay area and Northern Arizona.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Rebels probably classiest 0-11 football team ever: I had a lot of goals when I became a college football writer back in the early 1980s at the now defunct Los Angeles Herald-Examiner.

Brief: LV broadcaster doubles gift to school to $100 million: Rogers has made similar donations to schools in Nevada, Idaho and Montana. His Sunbelt Communications owns KVBC in Las Vegas.

Obituaries for November 27, 1998: She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Robert L.; two daughters, Elizabeth Ann Coates of Orange, Calif., and Helen M. Hawthorne of Costa Mesa, Calif.; and three grandchildren.

Critics remember universal humor of Flip Wilson: "He related well to all audiences, because blacks were able to laugh at his humor without anger and whites laughed without guilt," said Sig Sakowicz, a longtime entertainment host whose radio reports are aired in Las Vegas and Chicago.

All Star Cafe, Planet Hollywood say they're staying open in LV: Despite a rough quarter for their parent company, Las Vegas' Official All Star Cafe and Planet Hollywood restaurant are staying open, a company spokesman said.

Known for poker prowess, Ungar had deeper side: He was an admitted drug addict who did cocaine and partied with friends until the wee hours of the morning.

LV Bankruptcies: Russell Shellman, doing business as Pro Image Stores, doing business as Rujac Inc., 92 Ancient Hills Ln., Henderson, and Jackie Shellman, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, listing assets of $234,788 and liabilities of $600,358.

State GOP doubtful on recount bid: A recount would tally all the votes that have already been added up in each county. This doesn't address the complaint of Republicans who suggest that thousands of votes in Washoe County weren't counted in the Nov. 3 election.

HUD grant will be used to fight housing discrimination: Erin Neff; In announcing $11.5 million in similar grants awarded nationwide, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Andrew Cuomo said the money will enforce the 1968 Fair Housing Act.

Brief: Son succeeds father as head of firm: Eric Endy also has been named successor trustee of the Paul S. Endy Jr. Trust, which owns 1,660,205 shares, or 47.8 percent, of the company's common stock.

Rudner provides plenty of tasteful laughs: Joe Delaney; Rudner creates a friendly atmosphere, a living room ambiance, chatting first about her new dress, dresses in general, Thanksgiving, her aunt, plastic surgery, explains various forms of incipient Alzheimer's disease, always gentle, always in good taste. Check out "Mustard Alzheimer's disease," especially. We don't give away the good laugh lines in our critiques; see the show and enjoy them all.

Hantavirus top suspect in visitor's mystery death: Health officials said an autopsy showed that Gerald Hewett, 68, of Inyokern, a reviewer for the Vancouver, British Columbia, publication Computerist Magazine, died Monday of adult respiratory distress syndrome.

Movie Guys: 'A Bug's Life' is a pretty good one: Synopsis:

Brief: Casino part of McCurry's lecture circuit: Station officials have no idea whether McCurry will bring more gamblers to Boulder Station, Taylor said.

Brief: Full House plans Gulf Coast Hard Rock: "The difficulties we've encountered in putting together the available parcels at our Biloxi site, along with the sheer scope of the Hard Rock Project, may preclude us from building the Hard Rock at that site," Full House President Gregg Giuffria said.

Developer to offer new housing plan: Lisa Snedeker; The North Las Vegas City Council unanimously agreed Wednesday in a special meeting to set a public hearing for Dec. 16 concerning the request by Avante Homes LLC to change the designated land use for property southeast of Valley Drive and Ranch House Road from low-density residential, such as single family homes, to high-density residential, such as apartments.

Amex may delist Santa Fe Gaming: The Amex halted trading of Santa Fe's common and preferred shares Wednesday and didn't reopen trading today. Santa Fe common last traded at 62.5 cents, while its preferred was last quoted at 25 cents.

Brief: Primm hotel adds room service: The property's interior was remodeled to a country club theme, rooms and restaurants were upgraded and the Fashion Outlet of Las Vegas mall opened adjacent to the resort.

1999 recruiting class shows rich keep getting richer: SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- So, who won the first battle in the 1999 recruiting war?

Editorial: Democrats shouldn't punish GOP legislator: While the Democrats were perfectly within their right under the rules to keep Von Tobel off Ways and Means, it sends a couple of bad signals. First, it suggests there are sacred cows that can't have their budgets seriously questioned. Second, it suggests that independent, critical thinking could be met with retribution. There are enough people already in the Legislature who just want to get along; lemming-like behavior shouldn't be encouraged.

Former magazine publisher Cortez dies: Recently, she found herself apologizing to friend Melanie Grim for being so unexplanably grumpy. That's when it hit the one-time beauty queen and fashion model that she would soon be facing her mortality, Grim said.

Tourist beaten, left in desert: Karen Zekan; The 55-year-old Barstow woman was driving home from Las Vegas Tuesday about 6:15 p.m. when she pulled her malfunctioning car off to the road's shoulder and used a call box, requesting the California Highway Patrol contact her daughter.

Brief: Cox, local governments contribute to new TV channel and UNLV upgrade: Cox's five local cable TV franchising authorities are matching the $150,000, bringing the total yearly contribution to $300,000. The five authorities are Clark County, Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson and Boulder City.

Early-shopping frenzy sparks fighting at store: Typically open 24 hours, Wal-Marts everywhere had shut down for Thanksgiving and reopened to the masses at 6 a.m. By 8 a.m., several store locations had sold out of their entire stock of "Furbys" -- this year's hottest-selling furry critter computerized to talk. The store's all-day sale ends at 11 p.m.

County steps toward a 'paperless court': Bill Gang; The days of having to call the courthouse to check on the status of court cases, passports and marriage licenses will be over. Punch it up on the 'Net, dig out what is needed and move on.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Local chefs join forces for Christmas in April: Christmas in April rehabilitates the homes of low-income persons, especially the elderly, disabled and families with children. During the five years that the organization has been active, it has renovated 110 homes and several non-profit youth organizations.

Judge insists county settle fire station spat: Adrienne Packer; District Court Judge Mark Denton did not dismiss the court case, but indicated he would rather county officials and residents settle the dispute in commission chambers, not a courtroom.

Brief: Gabelli boosts Aztar holdings: The Gabelli group bought the Aztar stock in blocks of 1,000 to 39,100 shares at prices ranging from $3.125 to $5.6875, according to the filing. Aztar was off 6.25 cents to $5.0625 in midday trading today.

Immigrants fast on Thanksgiving to protest amnesty rule: Jace Radke; She was one of 250 from Las Vegas,, Texas, California and Washington who showed up at the Clark County Government building Thursday morning while most Las Vegans were basting turkey and watching parades to make a plea for temporary work permits to be reinstated for late amnesty-class immigrants.

Neonopolis countdown: Two years: Erin Neff; Exactly two years from today, the planned 264,000-square-foot center, anchored by Mann Theatres' 16 screens, will open to the public with the hopes for a downtown rebirth riding on the shoulders of its shops, restaurants and underground parking.

Parents of boy, 3, avoid murder charges in plea: Bill Gang; Karen and Jeffrey Perkins, both 27, will be sentenced Dec. 6 on the charges that could put them in prison for up to 20 years, although probation also is an option for District Judge Michael Douglas.

What's My Line? Sometimes a bet comes down to flip of the coin: I've always believed one of the toughest jobs in sports is that of an official.

Santa faces busy schedule this holiday season in LV: Jace Radke; St. Nick will make an appearance Saturday at the Coca-Cola holiday parade on the Strip at noon. The parade, which will feature a caravan of red motorcycles and a vintage fire truck to escort Santa Claus and the Coca-Cola Polar Bear, will travel south on Las Vegas Boulevard from Harmon Avenue to the giant Coke bottle at the Showcase Mall.

Arson investigators have few leads in Thanksgiving 1996 fire: Karen Zekan; Some had homes and families who loved them, others were under veterinary care or awaiting adoption. Yet in less than an hour enough smoke filled the Animal Clinic of St. Francis to kill 64 cats and two dogs as they waited out the Thanksgiving holiday weekend inside the small business at 569 E. Twain Ave.

Changes to land-use plan upset Seven Hill residents: Lisa Snedeker; They cite the potential for a traffic bottleneck on Seven Hills Drive, their main exit path. And they fear unsightly developments springing up within view of their homes after they thought they had bought property whose zoning protected them from such development.

Union says LV store pays low wages, has health problems: UFCW President Roberta West cited Clark County Health Department documents citing instances of outdated meat; hams that should have been refrigerated being kept at room temperature for a prolonged time and ordered sent back to the distributor; and different types of meat being cut with the same slicer.

Shoppers swarm malls eyeing Furbies to high fashions: Robert Macy; "We've had unbelievable crowds," Maureen Crampton, marketing director of the posh Forum Shops at Caesars, said Friday.

LV vortex draws alternative spiritualists: Stacy J. Willis; It's either here, or it's coming, or it's here and growing. Or maybe there are two.

Brief: Station refinances debt: Meanwhile, the debt-rating agency Standard & Poor's affirmed its double-B rating on Station's corporate credit and single-B-plus rating on Station's subordinated debt and preferred stock, removing all issues from CreditWatch.

Editorial: Reno makes right call on Gore: "The evidence fails to provide any reasonable basis for a conclusion that the Vice President may have lied," Reno wrote. Reno should be praised for being able to look at the Gore case impartially, not bowing to the insistent demands by Republican congressional leaders to initiate a probe even if there was no evidence to support one.