Print edition for April 7, 1999

Letter: Employees must show up for Y2K: Having once been a supervisor and responsible for denying holiday vacations to some employees to ensure coverage for those periods, I know there will always be a case of "blue flu" or two as all employees don't care as much as management does about having things run smoothly when it puts their personal plans in jeopardy.

Baepler named to state board: Gov. Kenny Guinn named Baepler to the board to replace resigning member Victor Scaramosino of Las Vegas.

Workers' comp plan to receive full hearing: But Pete Ernaut, Guinn's chief of staff, said the privatization plan came in late as an amendment due to a wait for information onn ways to keep the system tax exempt when it's privatized.

Letter: Smokers' families have no claim: No one goes to the store, buys the cigarettes, and then forces these people to smoke. They do it of their own free will.

Editorial: Guinn gets yet another lesson in Politics 101: It probably would have been better if Guinn had withheld support last year for the reduction since there were some indications that the state budget would be tight when the 1999 Legislature met. To Guinn's credit, though, he isn't fulfilling the campaign promise, instead making sure that the scarce funds available are spent elsewhere so other worthy government programs won't have their budgets cut too severely.

Assembly agrees not to challenge governor's veto: The bill, unanimously approved earlier this session by both houses, would have assessed $50 fees on real estate agents who took state-required tests in time-share sales.

Lawmakers urged to pass patient care bill: "The nurses there were so short-staffed that I got almost no attention," Reyes told the Assembly Committee on Health and Human Services on Tuesday.

Teens plead guilty in killing of Battle Mountain family: The pleas followed a ruling by Sixth Judicial District Judge Richard Wagner to allow some of the confessions made by the boys to be used at their trial that had been scheduled to begin next month.

Rate freeze may be dropped: Townsend asked State Consumer Advocate Fred Schmidt, Nevada Power Co. of Las Vegas and Sierra Pacific Power Co. of Reno to try to negotiate a compromise on rates and a possible freeze.

Columnist David Broder: Debate on health care going nowhere: David Broder; It is defined succinctly in the headline of an article in the April issue of the monthly magazine of the National Conference of State Legislatures: "Government Does, Indeed, Ration Health Care."

Columnist E.J. Dionne: Health care heroes bypass government: Oramas assists a cancer patient who is in her mid-80s and was near death two years ago. "She began as a hospice case," Oramas says, adding with a proud smile: "She's much better now." Oramas made that happen by keeping a watchful eye on what her patient ate and on the medicine she took. Oramas measures job satisfaction with her patient's words: "You give me life."

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Saga of softeners continues: I learned much more than just how helpful my readers are. I was ready to spend big bucks for a replacement. Instead my old water softener which, it turns out, is really a new/old water softener, is up and running.

Letter: Placing troops in Yugoslavia sticky proposition: Kosovo is land-locked. We can't "send in the troops" without invading or using a neutral country or two. And based on our track-record for steadfastness, what country in its collective right mind would want to let the U.S./NATO march 200,000 troops through its country?

Letter: Tiffany, Cegavske on side of rich: Ms. Cegavske stated that smaller districts could do better than the present system. Then why did Ms. Cegavske support the present school board member, Susan Brager, in last year's general election?

Thunder playoff hopes disappearing as season winds down: Steve Carp; The games are dwindling to a precious few for the Thunder, but to its credit, the effort isn't matching the number of times the team has remaining to suit up and skate.

Friends recall singer's gift: "Joe enjoyed the (UNLV jazz) band so much that many times, to my amazement, he would just stop by during the afternoon rehearsal," said Frank Gagliardi, a former drummer at the old Sands hotel-casino who 21 years ago founded the UNLV jazz program.

Las Vegas, rural counties end water fight: Las Vegas has returned some of the rights to ground water it claimed from three Nevada counties that led to a bitter urban/rural battle that has lasted for 10 years.

Five men get heroes' welcome: Lisa Snedeker; Five men were honored by the city of Henderson Tuesday for their quick actions that saved the life of an 8-year-old girl last month after she caught fire while pumping gasoline.

UNLV Women end skid: The unranked UNLV women's tennis team broke its 13-match losing streak with a 5-4 win over 71st-ranked Central Florida at the Fertitta Tennis Complex Tuesday. The Lady Rebels improved to 4-13 and 3-6 at home while the Golden Knights closed out their regular season at 14-6.

Summerlin home sales up 48 percent: "Summerlin also set a new sales record during January with 80 new homes sold in one week. The community is now growing by more than 200 new homes sales per month," the company said.

See the Stars for a buck: The Las Vegas Stars today announced that all general admission seats for Thursday's PCL season opener against Omaha at Cashman Field will be $1. "We have really appreciated the support of our fans here in the Vegas valley have shown over the past 16 years," said GM Don Logan.

Detroit casinos no match for LV's: Northwest executives at the Active America Travel Summit '99 don't think Detroit's budding casino industry will make many waves for Las Vegas and they don't expect to sell Detroit as a gaming destination to Japanese travelers.

Bus driver did not have heart attack: There were no signs of a heart attack, a spokesperson said.

Thursday at Bay Meadows: 1st race 1 mi & 1 fur 4YO & up F&M Clm: 1 Remember Cass (LaBoccetta) 114; 2 Edgecombe Flyer (Castillo) 114; 3 a-Invitation (Luzzi) 114; 4 Foxy Jerry (Teator) 114; 5 Dice Floe (Bridgmohan) 114; 6 a-Touraine (Santagata) 114; 7 Budd Like (Smith) 109; 8 W'Axed Moon (DeCarlo) 114.

Richardson to stay at UNLV; Herod headed to Seton Hall: Steve Carp; You can put two rumors to rest regarding the future of Bill Bayno's UNLV basketball program.

Thursday at Santa Anita: 1st race 2 fur 2YO Mdn: 1 a-True Victory (Boag) 118; 2 First Jak Deals (Valdez) 113; 3 Some Kinda Queen (Antley) 118; 4 All In A Days Work (Sorenson) 118; 5 The Martian (Flores) 118; 6 Global Don (Puglisi) 116; 7 Induction Day (Mitchener) 118; 8 Go Go (Enriquez) 115; 9 a-Future Promise (Gonzalez) 118.

Ralph Siraco's Selections for Santa Anita: Thursday's card

Thursday at Golden Gate: 1st race 6 fur 4YO & up F&M Clm: 1 Golden Aire (Bisono) 118; 2 Fifty Nine White (Matias) 118; 3 Pattie Bird (Hunter) 118; 4 Country Dream (Gonzalez) 118; 5 Serious Money (Castanon) 118; 6 Another Slewpy (Perez) 118.

Bill limiting kids' access to arcades comes under fire: Scott Reeder; Seven-year-old Iverson was killed in 1997 in a restroom of the Primm Valley hotel-casino, 45 miles south of Las Vegas, after she had been playing in the hotel's game room late into the night while her father gambled in the casino. Jeremy Strohmeyer is serving a life sentence for the murder.

Heated debate hits latest attempt to repeal motorcycle helmet law: "This is a freedom issue," Hansen of Fernley told the Assembly Transportation Committee during testimony Tuesday on Assembly Bill 201. The bill would repeal the law passed in the 1970s that mandates helmets for motorcyclists.

Argosy faces fine: The newspaper said the Lawrenceburg casino paid nearly $64,000 in fines last July to make up for taxes it had allegedly failed to pay during the first six months of 1998 and the last quarter of 1997.

Senate mandates lessons on Constitution, other studies: Scott Reeder; Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, objected to the proposal, saying it does not fully reflect the diversity of American history.

Hudson Bay keeps investing in gaming concern: A document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission Tuesday said Hudson Bay now owns 33.2 percent of the shares, up from 31.5 percent listed in a filing last month.

Berkley prods doctors to speak up on medical issues facing Congress: Speaking at the society's 1999 Legislative Dinner, Berkley, D-Nev., who married nephrologist Larry Lehrner one week ago Sunday, said dating a doctor during her campaign led to a deep appreciation for issues confronting the medical community.

Hughes exec leaves for American Nevada: John Kilduff on Tuesday was named executive vice president and senior officer of American Nevada, developer of the Green Valley master planned community.

Northwest may expand to daily Tokyo-LV service: The next six months will be critical to Northwest Airlines if it is to follow through on plans to turn its twice-a-week flights from Tokyo to Las Vegas into daily service next year.

Editorial: Research strings can be harmful: Funding from the private sector itself isn't inherently bad; bankrolling cash-strapped universities to fund important research can benefit society. But scientific researchers are concerned that their independence can be compromised by nondisclosure agreements, which allow patents to be pursued and ensure proprietary information isn't revealed. The catch too often is that universities are entering into contracts that not only strike at the heart of genuine scientific inquiry, they also are at odds with the public interest. The New York Times reported that the conference -- sponsored by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the American Association for the Advancement of ...

Nevada No. 4 in U.S. for pedestrian fatalities: Nevada is No. 4 in the nation in pedestrian fatalities, and 75.6 percent of the fatalities occur in Clark County, according to the state Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety.

NLV Council approves tentative budget: Lisa Snedeker; Councilman William Robinson was absent for the third budget workshop held to update the council on the city's projected revenues and expenditures for fiscal year 1999-2000.

Harrah's tries again with New Orleans casino: Alan Sayre; NEW ORLEANS--More than three years after collapsing in financial disarray, a big New Orleans casino is gearing up for a second try, but the competitive gambling environment has changed considerably.

Neighborhoods can get county to install traffic-slowing devices: Adrienne Packer; It's the kind they feel when motorists use their quiet neighborhood roads as shortcuts -- and racetracks -- during rush hour.

Beau Rivage receives slot bonus system: In addition, Mikohn announced the opening of a new MoneyTime marketing and slot promotion system in Reno linking 40 slot machines at Fitzgerald's hotel-casino operated by Fitzgerald's Gaming Corp.

Community briefs: The focus of this year's sale will be on plants that are considered water efficient and suitable for use in the high desert. Call 895-3392.

Topless club gets board's OK to expand: Erin Neff; Patrons of the Olympic Gardens topless club will soon have their pick of the three.

LV supplier wins patent in Australia: "This patent award further demonstrates our commitment to expand our intellectual property portfolio on the international scale," Chief Executive Gary Coulter said in a statement. "The company fully expects further patents to be awarded, both domestic and international, as pending applications complete the examination process."

Release of aliens from local jails sought: The detainees named in the petition filed Tuesday are among at least 150 aliens from at least six countries who are being detained in Las Vegas and North Las Vegas city jails awaiting deportation because of past crimes for which many of them have already served prison sentences, federal public defender Franny Forsman said.

County briefs: Public Works officials said last week that casino owners near the proposed intersection had agreed in concept to the design.

Guinn clarifies stance on taxes after tussle with Democrats: In a letter to the Legislature, Guinn outlined "guidelines" on types of higher fees and taxes that won't be subject to automatic vetoes.

Ex-trooper pleads guilty to perjury: Jace Radke; U.S. District Judge Phillip Pro sentenced John Raymond Kennedy to 21 months in jail for false testimony given during sentencing March 11 on previous federal charges of lying.

USC quarterback gets release; expected to transfer to UNLV: Steve Guiremand; As expected, redshirt freshman quarterback Jason Thomas asked for and has been granted a release from his USC football scholarship during a meeting Tuesday with Trojans head coach Paul Hackett and athletic director Mike Garrett.

Henderson: Calico Ridge residents win; taxpayers lose: Lisa Snedeker; The City Council voted 5-0 to pay the developer of the 20.5-acre Eagle Rock Industrial Park $500,000 to, among other things, restrict the height of any future buildings to 28 feet and to provide a minimum of 75 feet of open space between any future development and the custom homes as part of its planned unit development.

Star search: Las Vegas will need new players to make an impact: Steve Guiremand; Thanks to Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, 1998 will go down as the year of the home run in major league baseball.

Child killed by car to be honored: Adrienne Packer; Bhatnagar, now a fifth-grader at Laura Dearing School, asked Clark County commissioners to name a new park on Vegas Valley Magdalena Colon Memorial Park.

Union wins at two Park Place properties: Union representation in Reno was authorized in a card-signing campaign held at the two sites last month. About half of the workforce at each property will be covered by any contract reached with management.

Venetian pushes opening back to May 2: Gary Thompson and Richard N. Velotta; The announcement came after a Clark County building inspector said Tuesday that walls between suites at the Venetian can be fixed to conform with safety guidelines.

Fatal accident blamed on road rage may be sent to grand jury: Bill Gang; Deputy District Attorney Gary Booker told the Las Vegas Sun that a witness to the fatal accident on Jan. 28 says he saw all of the movements of the blonde woman with classic girl-next-door features because he had been admiring her as they drove along Interstate 15.

Martin-Harris wins job for contractor: Martin-Harris wins job for contractor

Search intensified for reluctant witness in Binion probe: As of this morning, Linda Susan Carroll, who spent several hours with Binion's live-in girlfriend, Sandy Murphy, shortly after the gaming executive's Sept. 17 murder, was still at large and believed to be hiding in Southern California.

Sun Corrections: Because of an error in the Sun, the year of the disappearance of atheist leader Madalyn Murray O'Hair was incorrect in a headline in Monday's newspaper. She disappeared in 1995. The Sun regrets the error.

Obituaries for April 7, 1999: He is survived by one daughter, Christine Arguto, and one stepdaughter, Jennifer Bauer, both of Henderson; one brother, Charles Arguto of Las Vegas; two sisters, Carmelia Kay and Elsie Marie Ciotti, both of Pittsburgh; and one grandchild.

County OKs police review board: Adrienne Packer; Clark County commissioners took an unprecedented step toward quieting that skepticism Tuesday when they approved an ordinance that sets forth guidelines for a Metro Police review board.

Legislative briefs: The Washoe County district attorney's office urged the Assembly Judiciary Committee on Tuesday to pass Assembly Bill 617, a bill providing more tools to go after the worst cases of child support avoidance.

Soesbe ready for fresh start with Rebels' squad after suspension: Tim Graham; The Wilson Stadium welcome mat was worn thin Tuesday.

Columnist Paula DelGiudice: Top pro anglers in local tournament: Paula DelGiudice; Action got under way today in the $409,450 KMart BASSMASTER Las Vegas Top 150 bass fishing tournament, another event in the $6 million BASSMASTER Tournament Trail. Tournament fishing will continue through Saturday out of Callville Bay Marina.

Bill to repeal helmet law debated in Assembly - again: Kiley Russell; Gustavson's AB201 would eliminate Nevada's current law that requires anyone riding a motorcycle to wear a helmet while on the road.

Columnist Tim Graham: Teams 'share' Vegas; baseball fans benefit: Tim Graham; As outlined in this space last Wednesday, there is an abundance of baseball riding the Southern Nevada airwaves.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Duval may devalue pro golf's climb: Dean Juipe; And it came to pass that in the final decade of the 20th century of the Gregorian calendar, the world was blessed with a steady flow of rising professional golf stars.

Fishing Report -- April 7, 1999: Boaters are catching striped bass in deep water in Las Vegas Bay, but the bites have been slow in coming. Some success for stripers is being found at the Muddy River and Fish Island in the Overton Arm.

Vanished in Vegas: Melissa Schorr; Jack Cheung always had a fascination with the seamier side of life.

Durango's Burns headed for Hoyas: Spencer Patterson; It's no secret that former Georgetown coach John Thompson has an affinity for all things Las Vegas. Apparently, his old school also has a great deal of interest in Southern Nevada prep basketball players.

District attorneys want new tools to go after deadbeat dads: Kiley Russell; CARSON CITY - Deadbeat parents shouldn't be able to avoid child support payments because they choose not to work, are deeply in debt or just spend too much on other things, prosecutors say.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Shadow Creek, Edgewood Tahoe crack '100: Only two Nevada golf courses, both designed by Tom Fazio, cracked Golf Digest's list of America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses.

Guinn goes to bat for scholarship plan: The governor defended his program from Democratic criticism that the program would help children of millionaires. "Even for someone making a good living, the cost of college can be daunting," he told a joint session of the Senate Finance and the Assembly Ways and Means committees.

February Strip gaming win soars 20 percent: CARSON CITY -- A championship fight and the celebration of the Chinese New Year in February produced a strong win for casinos along the Las Vegas Strip, the state Gaming Control Board reported today.

Tuesday's Prep Results -- April 7, 1999: Gorman 000 300 1 -- 4 6 0 Cheyenne 000 001 1 -- 2 6 3

Younger Knievel plans jump over the canyon: Michelle Rushlo; To make the jump over part of the Grand Canyon on the Hualapai Indian Reservation west of Grand Canyon National Park, Knievel will have be going at least 100 mph. He does not plan to wear a parachute, said Jeff Androsky, supervising producer for Tri-Crown Productions.

Ex-trooper pleads guilty to perjury charge: Kennedy, 48, was sentenced to 21 months in prison, the maximum under federal sentencing guidelines, on the perjury charge.

Judge denies request for NBC tapes of Bennett story: He is accused of faking his own death in a trailer fire near Las Vegas in February 1994 in an effort to escape an earlier court-martial.

Senate OKs bill to outlaw hazing in state's colleges, high schools: But such groups would still be covered by the anti-hazing statute if they engage in the prohibited behavior defined in the bill.

Group says tobacco settlement must go to health programs: Brendan Riley; The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada called a news conference Tuesday, a day ahead of a hearing on the Republican governor's proposal to spend half the settlement money on "Millennium Scholarships" for Nevadans university or community college students.

Bill to require more education in U.S. history: Jennifer Coleman; Under SB285, now going to the Assembly, Nevada high school students also would study Lincoln's Gettysburg address, the Emancipation Proclamation and George Washington's farewell address. Students already must study the U.S. and Nevada constitutions.

Senate approves bill to curb smoke in grocery stores: Many Nevada grocery stores have the slot arcades, typically near check-out stands.

Attorney general seeks more security in casino arcades: Jennifer Coleman; SB513 was requested by Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa and comes nearly two years after the 7-year-old was left unattended in a casino arcade where her killer, Jeremy Strohmeyer, began playing with her.

Senate approves greater protection for animals: The bill also would increase the penalty for harming domestic animals and repeat offenders could be charged with a felony. Also, permanently disabling or killing a police animal would be a felony.

County commission approves civilian review board to monitor police: The commission decided not to allow any former officers or their families to serve on the board. Former officers from other cities can apply to be on the board.

Traffic plan approved: If a problem was determined to exist, county engineers would meet with residents and offer possible "traffic-calming" solutions.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: State leaders show support for school arts programs: Elizabeth Foyt; NAA Executive Director Angie Wallin, long known for her concern for the arts in our state, joined Assembly Speaker of the House Joe Dini, while Roger Peltyn, president of the NAA, accompanied Senate Majority Leader William Raggio to his seat in the Nevada Senate. Other NAA board members attending included past president Roger Thomas, as well as Colleen Schroeder, Joanne Nivison, Mark Zackman, Bill Marion, Dr. Marcia Neel, Tim Quillin, Margaret McMillan, Alice Eisenberg, Mimi Rodden and May Muskin.