Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Odessky to speak about ‘Good Old, Bad Old’ times

Elizabeth Foyt

Wednesday, April 21, 1999 | 11:24 a.m.

Dick Odessky, speaking on "The Good Old, Bad Old Days of Las Vegas," will be the honored guest and keynote speaker for the Nevada Restaurant Association's spring luncheon on Tuesday at Lawry's the Prime Rib. Author of "Fly on the Wall," Odessky shares tales of the people and times of Las Vegas in its most glamorous and eventful years. In the 1950s, he started as a cub reporter for the Las Vegas Sun, later moving into public relations at the Flamingo, Four Queens and Stardust hotel-casinos. Desert Cab and Lucky Cab are co-sponsors for this delightful offering. Contact the Nevada Restaurant Association at 878-2313 for the necessary reservations and time.

Birthday celebrationMarjorie Fields was recently honored with a multi-day celebration marking her 70th birthday. Gathering for a marvelous family visit at her Spanish Oaks home was her son Todd, his wife, Dunja, and their son, Kevin, all of Munich, Germany, as well as Kevin's grandpa, Hanno Ettwein. Present for the visit was daughter Donna and her husband, Dean, of Hancock, Minn., and Marjorie's youngest daughter, Tina Kobrin, of New York City.

Friends near and dear invited to the garden luncheon included Tennse Robinson, Barbara Blair, Carol and Bob Maxey and Penny and Todd Der, in addition to Bill and Julie Baxter, Noreen and Jim Pico, Erna Bath, Sam Frankovich and family, Scott, Jessica and Larry Gray, and Cindy Doumani. Others who came with gifts and good wishes included Audrey De Fuentes, Marilyn Resnick, Debbie and Scott Brown and Terry and Ray Silbiger. Drawing comments from everyone was a birthday gift, a picture taken of Marjorie nearly 50 years ago, during her days as a model. In the photo was designer Edith Head, creator of the beautiful evening gown Marjorie wore in the picture, which also features Ronald Reagan's former wife, Jane Wyman.

Special brewLas Vegas goes tropical with a beer twist from 1 to 9 p.m. Saturday as Main Street Station hotel-casino hosts its first Main Event. The micro-brew competition will feature brews from Hawaii and Las Vegas, with more than 100 hand-crafted brews available for public tasting. The festival will be held at the resort's south parking lot, adjacent to the Fremont Street Experience. Area vendors will offer cigars, T-shirts and a wide variety of food, all complemented by Los Angeles-area bands Common Sense, a reggae-pop group, and the Untouchables, a diverse rhythm-and-blues band, joined by Las Vegas' own Home Cookin.' Tickets in advance are $20 at Main Street Station and local Vons stores' ticket outlets, or $25 at the festival gate.

Foundation event

A record-size crowd responded to an exclusive invitation by the UNLV Foundation to meet and hear retired Gen. Colin Powell. A genuine American hero, Powell is a friend of Elaine and Steve Wynn, who graciously hosted the elegant dinner at the Bellagio. Steve Wynn also gave Powell a very warm introduction, setting the mood for his enthralling speech about "giving back, serving America's youth," the cornerstones of his America's Promise -- the Alliance For Youth Foundation.

Central to the evening were memorial tributes to Bill "Wildcat" Morris and Jerome D. Mack, both instrumental in the development of UNLV and the foundation. Formal ceremonies were then conducted, welcoming three new million-dollar donors to the prestigious UNLV Palladium Society: Larry and Camille Ruvo of Southern Wine and Spirits, Franklin J. Koch, and Donrey Advertising, represented by general manager Frank Kaiser. Jointly sharing in the speeches of recognition were Donald D. Snyder, UNLV Foundation chairman, and UNLV President Carol Harter. Attentive to these tributes were Nevada's attending University regents, among them Mark Alden, Thalia Dondero, Tom Wiesner, Dorothy Gallagher, Steve Sisolak, Howard Rosenberg, Doug Seastrand, Dr. Tom Kilpatrick, David Phillips and Jill Derby, chairman of the Nevada Regents Board.

Supporters of UNLV and the foundation's many programs abounded. Seen in the crowd were: Joe and Hope Anstett, Helen Daseler, Salada Morrison, Gloria Sizemore with Jayne Greene, Naomi Papworth, Jim and Dallas Bolla, Dr. Harold and Judy Boyer, Bernice Fischer with Peggy Trasetti, Claudine Williams and Judge Nancy Oesterle. Alan Brown, just back from a hunting expedition in Argentina, attended with his wife, Kaye, who recently visited Seattle for the birth of her first grandchild, Rosemary Anise. Mingling with the crowd were foundation staff, including Executive Director John Gallagher and Ellen Fleck, as well as new-to-Las Vegas Brenda Haines, director of annual donors, seen with guests Wing and Lilly Fong, Billie Mae Polson, Ruth Martin and Steve and Joyce Schneider.

Dean Richard Morgan, attending with his lovely wife, Tina, revealed that the William S. Boyd School of Law is enjoying a richness of applicants, with 600 already competing for next fall's 140 slots. Many came to the foundation event as families, among them Jan and Owen Nitz, Barbara Greenspun and Vivienne Morris. J.A. Tiberti found the evening rather special as it became a time to accept best wishes on his recent 80th birthday. Kitty Rodman, who served with Elaine Wynn on the special projects committee, which helped create the evening's ambiance, was seen with her team members, Nancy and Kell Houssels and Frank and Charlene Scott. Others attending the invitation-only dinner included donors Rose Dominguez, with Isabel Pfiefer, Saundra and Emmett Munley, Milton Schwartz, Marv and Kellie Rubin, Jim Sax, Andreas Barbero, Tom and Glenna Trimble, William and Ton ya Romero and Dr. Bernie and Elaine Feldman.

Going hog wild

Few, if any, motorcycle agencies have opened with such joy and fanfare as was accorded to the Las Vegas Harley Davidson/Buell store. Grand beyond description, the super-sized store has something for everyone, be it clothing for infants to large-ish adults, offical H-D gear of the most exacting nature for their favorite transportation mode, or a tasty meal from the Harley-themed Don's Quarter-Mile Diner.

Donny Andress and partner Tim Cashman share the exclusive Harley-Davidson franchise rights for Southern Nevada, and this is their dream store. Only a few years ago, these intrepid entrepreneurs opened a small operation on East Sahara Avenue. Today they not only have their megastore, with 104,000 square feet, but operate four other area locations and soon will open in Henderson.

Their preview party, held Friday evening before the wild and wooly events of the weekend began, gave all a tantilizing look at the spotless repair bays and a vast collection of vintage and modern Harleys and Buell motorcycles. Well-wishers, many of them devoted riders for many years, included Jim and Pattie Crockett, with daughter Catherine, Dick Bonar, Lynne and Dr. Rob Hunter, Bill Marion, Allie and Samantha Cashman and Jim and Mary Cashman, as well as Richard and Wendy Plaster, Larry and Heidi Canarelli, and Marilyn and John Moran Jr.

Soirees catered the reception, serving up breast of turkey, tri-tip steak sandwiches, beef kabobs and other delectables much enjoyed by attendees Gary Waddell, Susan and Charley Johnson, Suzanne and Mark Van Aiken, Rhonda Evans and Nevada Supreme Court Justice William Maupin with his fiancee, Mary Kaye Cashman. Helping make the party a great success was Madeleine Andress, who showed us the second level executive offices, giving us an unexpected bird's-eye view of the vast motorcycle agency and the soaring display catwalks that will be used for special events and exhibits.