Print edition for April 9, 1999

NLV police union will vote on new contract: Lisa Snedeker; No other details -- such as the amount of the salary increases -- of the contract were available.

Attorney pleads guilty to drug, child porn charges: Bill Gang; Estabrook, whose law license has been surrendered because of unspecified medical problems, pleaded guilty to possessing two videotapes of child pornography and being an accessory after the fact to the use of a minor in the production of pornography.

Veterans home may go private: CARSON CITY -- Nevada's first veterans home, now being built in Boulder City, may be run by a private company and not by the state, it was revealed Thursday.

Nevada gets $2.4 million in education grants: But a portion also is set aside for trade schools, including the Marinello School of Beauty, $10,392, and Southern Nevada University of Cosmetology, $12,984.

Panel OKs bill to soften Nevada's marijuana possession law: Kiley Russell; Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani's AB577, sent to the Assembly floor on the last day possible, would reduce the penalty for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana from a felony to a misdemeanor.

Saturday at Golden Gate: 1st race 6 fur 4YO & up Clm: 1 Slippery Will (Tohill) 119; 2 Pacific Sun (Hummel) 119; 3 King Me (Barton) 119; 4 Smokin Pow Wow (Perez) 119; 5 A Prospect For Nan (Radke) 112; 6 Keepon Prospecting (Lopez) 119; 7 Duke Of Northville (Matias) 119; 8 Fancy Pants (Castro) 119; 9 Power Time (Mercado) 119.

Saturday at Santa Anita: 1st race 6 fur 4YO & up Clm: 1 Path To Power (Berrio) 118; 2 Island Caper (Delahoussaye) 118; 3 Cold N Calculating (Flores) 118; 4 Rotsaluck (Valdez) 113; 5 Free World (Enriquez) 118; 6 Harbour Patrol (Black) 120; 7 Jadala (Antley) 118; 8 MC Fig (Pincay) 118.

Loss knocks slumping Thunder out of playoffs: Matt O'Brien; You can stop staying up late, waiting for Milwaukee Admirals results on the ticker.

Lawmakers skeptical of sweeping property tax proposal: Kiley Russell; AJR17, a proposed amendment to the Nevada constitution, would roll back Nevada's property tax rate to mid-1990 levels, set the rate at 1 percent of taxable value and limit any annual increases to no more than 2 percent of that value.

Letter: Thunder tix too pricey: The Stars, on the other hand, do it right. At $5-8 a seat, Stars games are the bargain Thunder games should be.

Saturday at Aqueduct: 1st race 6 fur 4YO & up Clm: 1 2 Pep (Luzzi) 115; 2 Carson County (Teator) 113; 3 Bond O Seven (Chavez) 117; 4 Golden Echo (Bravo) 117; 5 Once For Real (Migliore) 117; 6 Mr. Cellular (Lopez) 113; 7 Mr. Tyler (Smith) 114; 8 Academic Award (Diego) 110; 9 Handel (Douglas) 117; 10 Report On Rain (Bridgmohan) 119; 11 Ohsay Delsay (Gryder) 117; 12 Pezua) 113.

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

Daredevil concerned new liver may have been rejected: Robert Macy; Friday he was back in one of his familiar haunts, a hospital, talking about the liver possibly being rejected and what fate might have in store for him.

Box score: Stars 3, Golden Spikes 2 (11 innings): Omaha

Thursday's Prep Results -- April 9, 1999: Bishop Gorman 7, Durango 4

Sixty Nellis airmen to return home: The airmen have been in Kuwait since Jan. 31.

Auto Racing standings, leaders, and schedule -- April 9, 1999: NASCAR Winston Cup schedule, with winners in parentheses, and driver point standings:

Bishop Gorman gets clutch effort from Boesch in win: Spencer Patterson; After falling from the ranks of the baseball unbeaten on Wednesday, Durango came into Thursday's game against rival Bishop Gorman intent on spoiling the party for the state's lone remaining undefeated club.

Points standings at Las Vegas Motor Speedway -- April 9, 1999: Late Model Sportsman -- 1. Scott Gafforini 144; 2. Chris Lowden 138; 3. Jerry Spilsbury 132; 4. Chuck Trickle 118; 5. Rich Attisani 110; 6. Ray Hooper Jr. 96; 7. Joe Kirsch 90; 8. Richard Bridges 86; 9. Steve Anderson 84; 10. Ken Holt 80; 11. Nick Antrillo 76; 12. Dave Quartero 74; 13. Joe Chapman 70; 14. Gerald Lair 66; 15. Sam Crow 62; 16. Lance Magin 50; 17. Barry Bradshaw 46; 18. Tie between Dave Scheidecker, Mike Flake and Jeff Murray, 36 each.

Columnist Tim Graham: IHL should let Thunder die quietly: Tim Graham; The International Hockey League might want to hear what the Thunder's die-hard fans have to say before it continues its mission to keep a team in Las Vegas.

Family members deny charges in Arthur Bennett case: The family members say they bought Bennett's story that the government faked his death because he was carrying out undercover missions, including killing South American drug lords.

Dancers defend ads for Crazy Girls show: By Jeff German; Several of the popular production show's dancers and cast members said Thursday they don't understand why state Sen. Bill O'Donnell, R-Las Vegas, finds the trademark ad too seductive.

Community briefs: births: Lake Mead Hospital

Committee approves bill reforming Contractors Board: Senate Bill 32, endorsed Thursday by the Commerce and Labor Committee, now goes to the full Senate for approval.

Dial File: And the 'Di-Fi' goes to...: Welcome, everyone, to the inaugural, scheduled-whenever-we-feel-like-it Dial File Awards -- or "The Di-Fi," as it is heralded worldwide -- telecast live on the Cartoon Network, direct from the grand ballroom at Fatburger.

Sound Check: Getting misty over a look back with '80s Nuts Newsletter: Marten Hennessy understands this. The affable 27-year-old runs the '80s Nuts Newsletter (you can subscribe at 80snuts.com), a weekly report dedicated to every musical act that made its name during the Reagan era. Every week the MGM Grand employee and mobile DJ (DJ OD's 80's Buffet, at your service) compiles news, rumors and concert listings from dozens of sources -- from band websites to reader tips -- into an entertaining digest that answers the question, "Did I dream up that guy with the hair?"

Las Vegas news briefs: Melissa Jean Aris-Swilley originally faced a murder charge that carried a minimum life prison sentence and 20 years in prison before eligibility for parole.

Loved ones mourn loss of heroic nurse: Karen Zekan; She had a helicopter mailbox and miniature helicopters all over her home. Even her e-mail address, "rotorfn" -- rotor flight nurse -- captured her all-encompassing love for the job she did in the skies.

Schools, LVCVA dig in for tax battle: Benjamin Grove and Adrienne Packer; They say a brewing battle between "casinos and kids" is one they expect to win.

Construction haulers clogging up Eastern Avenue: Lisa Snedeker; Many of the trucks are heading into or out of Anthem, Del Webb Corp.'s newest housing development, and a special road was built for those trucks. Use of that road, however, is minimal because Eastern offers the shortest haul.

No shortage of hits for Sedaka at Orleans: Joe Delaney; Sedaka enters singing "I Am a Song, Sing Me," nicely uptempo with immediate audience response. He wastes no time getting to his golden oldies, 1958 to 1964, including "Oh, Carol," "Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen," "Where the Boys Are," a mega-hit written for Connie Francis, the original version of "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do," "The Boy Who Is in Your Diary," "Next Door to Heaven" and closing with "Calendar Girl."

Charge filed against Spaghetti Bowl contractor: The complaint alleges Meadow Valley assigned lower paying work to union supporters, interrogated employees about union activities and threatened that union members would not be hired.

Bomb suspect on trial June 8: Karen Zekan; Frank Alexander, 53, responded with pleas of "guilty" and "no contest" at his arraignment today in federal court.

Spotlight Awards given to city, businesses for Enterprise Park: A Spotlight Award was given to the city at a recent meeting of the Southern Nevada chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP).

Governor jumps into debate on 'Nomads': Nicknamed "Nomads," the system has been in the works for 10 years and has cost $100 million so far. Its original cost estimate was $22.6 million and was supposed to be completed in three years.

Neal's gaming tax bill dies with zero support: Scott Reeder; Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, wanted to raise the gross gaming tax.

Five from Nevada Air Guard join effort: Four of the members of the 152nd Intelligence Squadron have been deployed to the 13th Intelligence Squadron at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., which is supporting combat operations on the Balkan peninsula.

Legal wrangling intensifies over Venetian sidewalks: John Wilen; The Venetian hotel-casino has asked a federal judge for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction barring union protests from sidewalks adjoining the resort.

County runs out of judges to hear suit against ethics panel: Bill Gang; District Judge Michael Cherry explained Thursday that he was reluctantly stepping down from the case involving a legal challenge to the Ethics Commission by Clark County Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates to avoid being caught up in the inherent conflicts in the case.

Panel calls for end to 'debt treadmill': CARSON CITY -- Low-income workers who have to borrow money to get from payday to payday would receive added protection under a bill approved Wednesday by the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee.

Panel agrees to freeze Nevada electric rates: CARSON CITY -- A Senate committee debated today whether power rates will be frozen for three years with the deregulation of the electric industry starting March 1, 2000.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Tracing Brenner's comedic beginnings: Joe Delaney; The Riviera was once an important factor in David's career. ... It was in 1982 that Joan Rivers and Brenner co-starred in the first all-comedy show in that hotel's main showroom, then the Versailles Theatre.

Underpass flooding to be addressed: The Flood Control District Board approved the funds Thursday, completing pieces of a $75 million project that will protect residents along a 5-mile stretch north of Sahara Avenue along Interstate 15 to Alta Drive and Western Avenue from Sahara to Charleston.

Telemarketing firm charged in fraud case: Cy Ryan and Karen Zekan; Deputy Attorney General Brian Kunzi said state and federal agents searched The Winning Edge and seized records Thursday. One of its owners, Douglas Savage, was arrested, along with four workers.

Henderson Council to meet on Seven Hills LID fees: Lisa Snedeker; The meeting will be at 7 p.m. at Frank Lamping Elementary School, 2551 Summit Grove Drive.

District Court begging for cash: Adrienne Packer; In 1998, the staff of three interpreters answered 26,400 requests and as a result, piled up an average of 15 hours a week in overtime pay.

Lawmakers consider rewards for whistleblowers: Senate Bill 418, which was scheduled to be heard today by the committee in Carson City, has the support of the state attorney general's office.

Berkley: Medicare fix needed -- and a way to pay for it: Ed Koch and Jerry Fink; On Thursday before 75 people at a Nevada Seniors Coalition meeting, she said there is a great need to fix the nation's Social Security and Medicare systems. However Berkley, a member of the Social Security Commission, admits she does not know how Congress will pay for the fix.

County hit with suit from nude dance club: Bill Gang; The issue is whether customers and the club legally can be cited for the consumption of alcoholic beverages brought by patrons into its parking lot, as has occurred.

Volunteers set for cleanup at LV Wash: Last year more than 600 people started the wash cleanup to remove anything from food wrappers to old tires from a stretch of wetlands that helps clean drinking water and offers habitat to wildlife, Kim Zikmund, manager for the Las Vegas Wash Project Team, said.

Schools budget will top $1 billion: Benjamin Grove; District officials unveiled a draft of the budget for the 1999-2000 school year at the School Board's regular meeting Thursday.

Greedy to leave UNLV squad: Steve Carp; Well, another rumor has been confirmed and then put to rest at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Tougher DUI measure passes Assembly panel: Scott Reeder; Assembly Bill 559, passed by the committee Thursday with only one opposing vote, represents a compromise in lowering the blood alcohol level required to be considered drunk while driving from 0.10 to 0.08. It would lower the DUI limit only for those involved in accidents.

Consultants find too much money for library district: Hanks Associates, a telecommunications cost-reduction auditing service, found more than $60,000 that Sprint has agreed to refund to the district.

Senate: Private-school students should have access to public schools: Scott Reeder; But first Senate Bill 213 sparked some partisan bickering over the roles of public and private schools.

Matthews' hit saves Stars from being KO'd in opener: Steve Guiremand; There were wind gusts in the neighborhood of 50 mph during the Las Vegas Stars' chilly season opener Thursday night at Cashman Field.

UNLV alums Augmon, Anthony become stoppers for Blazers: Landon Hall; PORTLAND, Ore. -- Nearly a decade after UNLV ran roughshod over college basketball, two stars from that team find themselves in pursuit of another title.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Robby Gordon on both sides of open-wheel fence: Robby Gordon will make history, of sorts, next month when he becomes the first driver to step from the ranks of CART to compete in the Indianapolis 500.

LV company sues over home gambling patent: John Wilen; In the suit filed in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, Home Gambling Network alleges Starnet is violating an HGN patent on systems that let people participate in live wagering remotely via the Internet or television networks.

Freakmeister Rose reveals 'Secrets of the Strange': Lisa Ferguson; Give the guy a break, already: He's spent the better part of this decade chewing razor blades and light bulbs, serving as a human dart board and rubbing shards of broken glass in his face for the sake of his art.

ESPN may televise Rebels' first game of '99 season: Steve Guiremand; The John Robinson Era at UNLV will begin two days earlier than scheduled.

Stupak launches Titanic public relations blitzkrieg: Gary Thompson and Jace Radke; Bob Stupak may find raising the real Titanic easier than raising the money for a faux ocean liner near downtown Las Vegas.

The One Tenor: Melissa Schorr; In July, nearly two billion people tuned in to see Luciano Pavarotti, alongside Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, perform at a "Three Tenors" concert held in Paris on the eve of the World Cup.

Menard aims to halt Stewart's shot at 'racing doubleheader': Tony Stewart plans to become the first driver to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and the NASCAR Winston Cup Coca Cola 600 on the same day and complete all 1,100 miles.

The Roots make the grade in hip-hop: Geoff Carter; "We strive to be honor roll students here. Let's try to bring this (expletive) up to an A."

Mechanical slots, coin payouts authorized: "We expect the sound of coins dropping to generate additional excitement in our gaming areas," said MTR Chief Executive Ted Arneault.

LV bankruptcies: Margaret E. Del Campo, also known as Margaret E. Ditty, doing business as T-Time Marketing Group, 3376 Haskell Flats Drive, filed for Chapter 7, listing assets of $96,970 and liabilities of $179,672.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Employee of the Year dinner at Treasure Island is divine: The annual Employee of the Year dinners that take place at each of the Mirage Resort properties are exceptional events. It is the ultimate recognition for a job well done.

Letter: Yugoslavians were on Allies' side: The impact of this missive is: During World War II, these same people NATO is killing today were residents of the only Balkan nation who consistently fought on the side of the Allies!

Letter: Republican Bennett has double standard: Witness Bennett's lengthy, harsh condemnation of President Clinton's Monica affair.

Letter: Education without effort meaningless waste of time: Don't people realize any more that some things are a given right -- like citizenship -- automatically if you're born here?

Obituaries for April 9, 1999: He is survived by his wife, Barbara A.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Conflicts in making laws: AB60 as presently written can be damaging to two of Nevada's finest health care providers. St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Henderson and St. Mary's Hospital in Reno are open targets of this bill, which demands they provide prescriptive contraceptive drugs or devices. This flies in the face of the religious organizations that have founded and run these hospitals for several decades. Both hospitals have been serving Nevadans of all races, creeds and economic levels.

Editorial: Privatizing prisons has troubling aspect: The quality of medical care that inmates receive inside prison isn't going to elicit much public sympathy. But failing to provide inmates adequate medical care can result in lawsuits, which ultimately will get the attention of taxpayers. The specter of lawsuits is not just some hypothetical concern. Last month Corrections Corp. of America, which runs an Ohio prison, reached an out-of-court settlement for $1.6 million with inmates who alleged unsafe conditions behind bars, including lack of adequate medical care.

Editorial: Helmet law should be left alone: Assemblyman Don Gustavon, R-Sun Valley, the author of Assembly Bill 201, attempts to frame the debate as one of personal freedom. The reality, though, is that this has nothing to do with freedom. After all, motorcycles aren't being taken away. Drivers are just being asked to wear a helmet for their own protection.

REIT acquires LV entertainment supplier: PRG operates a 127,496-square-foot facility on 5.7 acres at 6050 S. Valley View Blvd. The company, which increased revenues 132.5 percent in one year to $174.6 million in 1998, builds and supplies materials for live entertainment corporate events and theme entertainment markets.

Moll mulls gut-wrenching research behind 'Last Days': Jeff Howard; It is perhaps the most delicate subject matter any filmmaker will ever have to tackle: The systematic persecution and annihilation of European Jews, known as the Holocaust.

The Movie Guys: To pass or not pass 'Go' -- That is the question: Jeff: In the follow-up to his 1996 comedy hit "Swingers," director Doug Liman keeps to a style and formula that is quickly becoming his trademark -- witty and raw directing that combines interesting characters within stories that move fast and furious. Three stories are presented in "Go," each of which crisscrosses back-and-forth on a particular night of partying, shoplifting, drug-dealing and road trips to Las Vegas. Each story is set up simply, foreshadowing disasters that follow each circle of losers as they try to make sense out of their pathetic lives.

Letter: Pedestrians need a political voice: For some that means when you're not in a crosswalk you're fair game like a cat or dog -- but that is not so.