Print edition for January 29, 1999

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Marvelous Montesano's on the move on West Sahara: The move is a dream realized for the close-knit Montesano family. They'll be going from a 48-seat eatery to one that can seat more than 130.

Letter: Raggios deserve accorded praise: William Tomany

Lady Rebels rout Wyoming: UNLV had four players score in double figures including a game-high 25 points from freshman Linda Froehlich as the Lady Rebels defeated Wyoming 83-56 in a Western Athletic Conference women's basketball game Thursday at Laramie, Wyo.

Reno's bowling stadium could face competition from Florida: The project as planned would include a 60-lane stadium, 16-lane training center and eight-lane research and development center.

Thursday's Prep Results: Bonanza 4, Mojave 0

Washoe nixes airport expansion: The move is a reprieve for residents of a nearby neighborhood. Rewana Farms residents have been fighting airport plans to buy out their homes to make way for expansion.

Rebels shoot down Cowboys in surprisingly easy WAC win: Steve Carp; They still don't get it.

Psychiatric exam ordered for suspected I-80 sniper: Scott Sonner; Washoe District Judge Steven Kosach ordered three doctors to examine Christopher Merritt, 20, at the request of Merritt's public defender.

Letter: Democrat willing to make a deal: Bernard Mesco

Community briefs: births: Lake Mead Hospital

Deputy will not be charged in accident: She added that the victim, whose car was rear-ended at a stop light on Jan. 16, picked the wrong person out of a photo lineup.

Voters will decide if council expands: Erin Neff; Several committee members met Thursday, however, to add their comments to the proposed advisory question voters will see in June.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Easy win hides talk of transfers: Dean Juipe; Call it a feel-good victory for the UNLV basketball team, one where almost everything went right.

UNLV softball to scrimmage Dixie: The game is set for noon Saturday at the Rebel Diamond on the campus of UNLV.

Preps: Benefit game Feb. 4: Mountain View Christian School on East Bonanza Road will hold a celebrity basketball game benefiting the school's booster club on Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. The game will feature personalities from Las Vegas television, radio and newspapers competing against the Saints' varsity squad. Proceeds will be used to purchase bleachers and uniforms.

Rolly Hockey: Las Vegas has franchise: Las Vegas has been identified as one of 10 franchises that will begin play in a restructured Roller Hockey International in June.

Sale of souvenir coffee mugs will help Classroom on Wheels run smoothly: Starbucks Coffee Company plans to donate proceeds from sales from new "Las Vegas" mugs to the local Classroom On Wheels program.

Movie Guys: 'She's All That,' but the movie is not: But the difference, of course, was not only the fact we lived with our parents, but that image was everything. It was essential. It determined your social status. You were either with the in-crowd or a blatant outcast. A jock/cheerleader, or band/theater geek. Popularity could be a teen's priority. It sure is nice to know that some things never change. Oh sure, the designer clothes and the music trends are practically foreign to our generation, but social structure remains constant.

Editorial: Getting it done right on zoning: Sometimes elected officials delay a vote in an effort to get both sides to work out a compromise that is fair to all involved. But it also has been the case in the past that local politicians postpone a zoning change request hoping that neighborhood opposition will subside: It is easier to pass a controversial plan if opponents get worn down and tire of having to show up for repeated council meetings.

Letter: Memo to Congress -- Get it over with: All that's happening is a prolonged trial that should never have been allowed to proceed. There goes more of the taxpayers money down the drain.

Low price put on proposed sale of housing authority buildings: Erin Neff; The authority's board of commissioners heard arguments for the sale at a special meeting Thursday afternoon.

350-pound man gets probation in death of toddler he rolled over on: His girlfriend and mother of the boy, Penny Pacheco, earlier pleaded guilty to the same charge and was placed on four years probation.

Community briefs: A donation of $120 per player is requested. There will be a raffle, prizes and a lunch held after the tournament at the Community Church, 360 E. Horizon Drive.

Columnist Steve Carp: Utah, Xavier hit stride after stumbling early: Steve Carp; After struggling early, two of the nation's better programs have righted themselves and are deserving of being back in the spotlight.

Western bards return to Elko for 15th cowboy poetry festival: But for Paul Bliss of Salem, Utah, the gathering that started last weekend and continues through Saturday is anything but usual, beginning with his entrance into town.

UNLV's Knight Coach of Year: UNLV golf coach Dwaine Knight was named the Golf Coaches Association of America's National Coach of the Year for the 1997-98 season at a banquet in Orlando, Fla., on Thursday.

Bald eagles on rise at Lake Tahoe: Nine eagles were confirmed on the California side of the lake and three in Nevada during the most recent count Jan. 15, the agency said.

Horton joins Wisconsin: Jeff Horton is going to the University of Wisconsin after all.

Letter: Nuclear industry has been wrong about safety before: No self-respecting scientist or engineer can guarantee anything into the future; anyone that does should be stripped of their credentials for lying. Yucca Mountain may be suitable for low-level wastes, but the high-level wastes should remain at their current sites. Fuel pools at nuclear plants were designed to have a storage capacity for 20 years.

Roberto Clemente All-Stars baseball tryouts: Roberto Clemente All-Stars baseball tryouts

Riverboat hotel-casino auctions off equipment: The auction was to continue Friday and Saturday.

Columnist E.J. Dionne: President's enemies had, and missed, their chance: It's worth asking: How do the predictions made in the heat of the original revelations look now, and what can we learn about the future of this case from where they went awry?

B of A chief to visit LV: Hugh McColl, who took over the top post for the company when Charlotte, N.C.-based NationsBank acquired B of A and took over its name, will meet with top-level bank managers in the one-day visit on Tuesday.

Brief: Brit casinos want rules eased: "If you came to Liverpool, you would not be able to find any of our three casinos if you did not have the address. We have to rely on word of mouth," said Stanley Leisure Finance Director Mike Kershaw. "We cannot advertise their whereabouts so we cannot look for new customers."

Brief: Rhodes, Pulte homes face state discipline: The board is also investigating four complaints against Pulte Homes, said executive officer Margi Grein. In December, the Sun reported that several Yorkshire Point homeowners were protesting the company's slow pace of repair. A spokesman said repairs were ongoing.

Dial File: Raging at aging on television: Marketing madness? Or a new programming prophecy? Are broadcasters' tastes in viewers slowly shifting from "The Wonder Years" to The Vericose Vein Years?

NLV officials say growth causing financial strain: Lisa Snedeker; City Manager Pat Importuna told City Council members Thursday during a mid-year budget review that other than unanticipated events, the city's current budget is on course.

Letter: Thanks for the coverage: Exciting things are happening in women's athletics at UNLV, and it's wonderful to see the many accomplishments being acknowledged. In addition, it helps inform the community about the progress that has resulted from the gender equity funding received as a result of the last legislative session.

Taxpayer advocacy group rips IRS reform: The head of a national taxpayers advocacy organization based in Las Vegas was to hold a press conference today to focus attention on how little has changed with the IRS since Congress voted to overhaul the system last year.

Brief: Sands Regent plans reverse split: Sands Regent stock was unchanged at $1 a share in early afternoon trading today.

Brief: Stock buyback, new slot offered: Alliance said the game will generate recurring revenue and cash flow for the company, a sign it will be offered on a revenue-participation basis.

Residents oppose movie studio plan: Lisa Snedeker; Doris Keating's vision is Mike and Layla Perfinski's nightmare.

Death penalty sought in skinhead murders: Bill Gang; District Judge Michael Douglas on Thursday set a Nov. 2 trial date for the heavily tattooed 26-year-old defendant, whose case became problematic for him after testimony last month at a preliminary hearing that he confessed the crimes to a fellow prisoner.

8 applicants vie for airport concession deal: Adrienne Packer; In March, the board will choose between eight applicants vying for the five-year master concessionaire contract for indoor advertising at the airport.

Sun Life Datebook: AUTOGRAPHS SIGNED

Plan would give LV Valley new gasoline in winter: Art Nadler; Gasoline currently sold in the county produces 114 parts per million of sulfur and 35 parts of aromatic hydrocarbons per million parts of gasoline. The proposed fuel would only produce 40 parts per million of sulfur and 25 parts per million of aromatic hydrocarbons.

Governor eliminates price restrictions on hospitals: Guinn has decided against renewing the so-called "charge master" program, which limited yearly increases in charges at for-profit hospitals in Clark and Washoe counties.

State hit with lawsuit over pedestrian's death on Tropicana Avenue: Bill Gang; The lawsuit over the Aug. 28, 1997, death of Gregory Texada, however, does not target the driver of the car but the state of Nevada and the Nevada Department of Transportation.

Brief: City, gamers agree on casino locations: The next step is land condemnation, which could drag on for months if property owners decide to challenge it.

Letter: Sun covers UNLV best: It's almost impossible to find any Rebel coverage here in San Diego, and so every day I check your website around noon, knowing that it is updated with the kind of in-depth coverage that any sports nut craves.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Not smoke in their eyes: The last time I wrote about Jim Nelson was in 1995 when he and Carson District Ranger Guy Pence received the 1994 Public Land Managers of the Year Award from the California Mule Deer Association. The award was made by Dano McGinn outside the district office that had been bombed a few months earlier. Pence remarked, "We have been blown up, but we won't be blown away." Little did he and Nelson realize that their biggest enemies would be a few bureaucrats from within their own agency.

Letter: Where's the low-cost golf?: 1. The price tag of $894,000 for 160 acres comes out to $5,150 per acre. Where in Las Vegas can you get a deal like this on the open market?

Man to stand trial in apartment blast: Bill Gang; The bulk of the evidence against Michael McGilbra at his Justice Court preliminary hearing came from the defendant himself, who had spoken from his hospital bed to city and federal investigators.

KC mob associate added to Black Book: John Wilen; The Nevada Gaming Commission on Thursday added a new name to the Nevada Black Book -- the state's list of undesirables banned from casinos.

Letter: Tyson called a lunatic: Foul-mouthed Mike can only curse arrogantly at people when he is interviewed. Is that what we want our kids to hear? We are all watching his downward spiral into oblivion where he will lose all his money. No one will want anything to do with him, and someone will have to pay for his funeral expenses -- like Sinatra did for Joe Louis.

MASH Village expansion approved: Scott Reeder; That doesn't sit too well with officials just across the city line in North Las Vegas. They are concerned that the large homeless population congregating on the city's border is causing problems in nearby parks and hurting the area's image.

Mandalay Bay's main design: Building respect for Circus: Gary Thompson; Maybe Mandalay Bay can change the perceptions.

Health care complex delayed by planners: Valerie Miller; The Henderson Planning Commission Thursday tabled plans for the proposed Horizon Health Care Center until the applicant, R & S Development, can ease concerns of planners over emergency vehicle access and hours of operation.

Letter: Recruits bode well for '99: Keep up the good work. This town is going nuts over UNLV Football.

Hockey Pucker Up: Scott Dickensheets; STANDUP SIT DOWN

Suspect in Binion case met with sister, sought deal: Behnen told the Sun that Montana contractor Rick Tabish, who also has been charged with trying to steal a fortune in silver from Binion, met with her for two hours on Dec. 16 at her Las Vegas home to discuss involving the FBI in the investigation of her brother's death.

letter: Give Tyson's foes credit: Ron must have a poor memory or he is about 9 years old. I am not even a big Tyson fan, but in the '80s, Tyson cleaned up the heavyweight division. He beat the three belt holders, Trevor Berbick, Tony Tucker and Bonecrusher Smith. He also beat former champ Tony Tubbs and the true champ at the time, Michael Spinks.

Santa Fe Gaming chairman to receive a bonus: Gary Thompson; Santa Fe Gaming Corp. Chairman Paul Lowden erased a $700,000 debt to the company last year when he was granted $700,000 in bonuses and other fees.

Proposal would aid funding for new library branch: Lisa Snedeker; Mayor Michael Montandon, who also is a library board trustee, told members of the board this week that he and Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates, along with their respective financial staffs, have been working on a proposal that would give the district a total of $5 million toward construction costs of the proposed $6.1 million facility.

Lady Rebels visit Wyoming today: The Lady Rebels (10-6 overall, 2-3 in the WAC) will be hoping for a split on the trip. Wyoming is 5-11 overall and 1-4 in the conference while Colorado State (20-1, 5-0), UNLV's opponent Saturday, is ranked sixth in the nation.

Brief: Public meetings set on Summerlin project: It includes residential, retail, commercial, entertainment and resort components.

Luxury hotel enjoys UNLV 'connection': On the opening staff are 25 managers who are graduates of UNLV.

Millennium Scholarships touted as economic development tool: Richard N. Velotta and Benjamin Grove; Gov. Kenny Guinn says the best thing the state can do to diversify the economy is to strengthen the local work force.

Trouble ahead seen for prisons, education programs: Assemblyman John Marvel, the senior Republican, said he was "pretty well satisfied" with Guinn's recommendations that take a "business approach."

McElhenny doesn't believe LT deserves spot in Hall: Tim Graham; Hugh McElhenny would love to have faced Lawrence Taylor on the field.

More teachers' homework may mean recess for kids: Benjamin Grove; Teachers need the time without kids to study newly developed academic standards that students will be expected to meet this fall.

Resort's name a blend of fact, fiction: There is a Mandalay -- a city in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. But the real Mandalay doesn't sit on a bay; it's smack in the middle of a jungle.

Hall of Famer Hugh McElhenny has seen NFL endure big chance: Tim Graham; Currently a Henderson resident, former great can't fathom today's salaries or selfishness

Nevada Check-Up needs marketing: Assemblywoman Jan Evans, D-Sparks, told state health officials, "We're not even making a dent" in the number of people eligible for Nevada Check-Up, which was started last year. "We have a paper program."

Editorial: Just who is behaving partisan here after all?: But this is comparing apples to oranges. As Bryan pointed out Wednesday, outside of the Ethics Committee he was chairing at the time, the Senate didn't know the facts regarding the charges against Packwood. In contrast, a full record has been developed against Clinton, precluding the need for witnesses.

Health insurance needs $26 mil. bailout: Randy Waterman, acting manager of the state Risk Management Division, said there was a "dire need to get an infusion of money," for the system to pay its bills through June 30.

Rams' explosive backcourt duo will try to cool streaking Rebels: Steve Carp; Who has the best backcourt in the WAC?

Boost of $62.1 mil. makes LV Super Bowl champion: For the diehard football fan, Miami is the place to be this weekend.

Obituaries for Jan. 29, 1999: She is survived by two sons, Bernabe Paglinanan Palisbo Jr. of Las Vegas and Ray Charles Abing; six daughters, Eve Palisbo Spinola, Bernadette Palisbo Quintal, Antoinette Bueno and Charmaine Abing Houghtailing, all of Las Vegas, and Evy Palisbo Torres and Sharon Omalza, both of Hawaii; four brothers, Maximo Lamoya, Loling Lamoya and Ane Gorion, all of Hawaii, and Roy Gorion of Las Vegas; two sisters, Connie Maglangit of Hawaii and Betty Salondaka of California; 25 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.

Four Seasons set to challenge Bellagio for high-end crowd: John Wilen; If Morton has his way, that distinction will go to a 424-room nongaming hotel that will occupy four floors of the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino.

What's My Line? Forget hype -- XXXIII means Denver win: I remember when the Super Bowl meant something.

Brief: Homestate suspends mining, lays off 46: The company will take a $2.6 million charge in its December 1998 quarter to write off its 50 percent share in the Pinson mine. The other half of Pinson is owned by Barrick Gold Corp.

Jauregui will stay at Rancho, after all: Jauregui was slated to be transferred at the Clark County School Board's regular meeting Jan. 14. He was to be moved to one of the district's Horizon High Schools.

Martino's medley of standards prompts ovations: Joe Delaney; Musical director John Rodby conducted a brief but effective overture. Martino's voice was heard from backstage singing "Here In My Heart" to an immediate audience response. He was home free at his entrance singing "With A Song In My Heart." "The Song Is You" was followed by "What Now, My Love" and Al paused for some talk and a special arrangement by Rodby, newly added, on "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing" to thunderous applause.

V&T loan may still make state budget: Dini, D-Yerington, and Amodei, R-Carson City, participating in a town hall meeting, said the upcoming Las Vegas openings of the Mandalay Bay, Venetian and Paris hotel-casinos could brighten the state's economic forecast.

Regulators may restrict in-store gambling: John Wilen; Nevada gaming regulators are considering a set of new rules restricting gambling machines in retail businesses to alcoves and other areas physically separated from the main part of the store.

Officials frustrated with Station's St. Charles casino: Christopher Clark; KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A Station Casinos Inc. executive told the Missouri Gaming Commission Wednesday that his company has no plans to finish the half-completed expansion of its Casino St. Charles, angering those who say the project is a rusted-out eyesore along Interstate 70.

Public invited to meeting on Town Center: Erin Neff; City Councilman Larry Brown, who represents Ward 4, has scheduled a neighborhood meeting on the proposed Centennial Centre project for Wednesday beginning at 6 p.m.

Authorities plan sweep of river camps this weekend: Authorities launched an aggressive effort last year to clear the Truckee River of homeless camps in a campaign called "Take Back the River."

Columnist Joe Delaney: Finding great entertainment in local sports books: Joe Delaney; Be at any sports book during March Madness, when college basketball starts with 64 teams and ends with one over a four-week period. ... In the fall, Saturdays are wild with college football and Sundays with NFL action. ... Las Vegas and its sports books are beehives during a heavyweight championship fight.

UNLV 96, Wyoming 75: 3-Point Goals: 3-23 (French 2-7, McFall 1-5, Davis 0-1, petterson 0-1, Jones 0-2, McMillan 0-2, Blakes 0-2, Mann 0-3).

Brief: Revenue soars at Monopoly slot maker: The company's gaming subsidiary, slot maker WMS Gaming Inc., reported a 135 percent increase in quarterly revenues to $25.6 million. WMS said it has about 2,000 of its new Monopoly-themed slots installed or on order under revenue participation agreements with casinos.

School building dispute may go to courts: Benjamin Grove; The School Board on Thursday voted to ask state courts to step in and settle the matter.