Print edition for July 23, 1999

More kids getting their shots: Art Nadler; Clark County's childhood immunization program is reaching more youngsters than a year ago, but there is still room for improvement, the Health District was told Thursday.

Movie Guys: 'The Haunting' is gaunt in the scare department: Starring: Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson, Lili Taylor, Bruce Dern and Marian Seldes.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Could Butera have scored with Little Richard hit?: Joe Delaney; Little Richard, born Richard Penniman in Macon, Ga., also birthplace for the late Otis Redding and Soul Man James Brown, was a seminal figure and one of the most influential as rhythm and blues was becoming rock 'n' roll. ... Little Richard is co-starring with another legend, Chuck Berry, at Caesars Palace through Sunday. ... In 1956, at age 23, Richard had five single releases, all near the top of the Top 50 best-selling charts.

'Cats' to appear in Las Vegas: Tickets are on sale today at the MGM Grand and are also available by calling (800) 646-7787 or by visiting TicketsWest.com.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: A preview of Nevada Nick's at the Resort at Summerlin: It was a glorious summer morning when I made my way to the Resort at Summerlin. The resort is not yet complete. The casino and one hotel building are up and running. What's in place so far is attractive and well-designed. The view from valet parking is beautiful; a waterfall and lush foliage are a pleasant sight while waiting for your car. At 11 a.m. the valet parkers were busy and the casino was full. Good omens for a successful future.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Saturday's races at Del Mar: 1ST RACE

Dial File -- Steve Bornfeld: Gross? Hey, like, ya know, cool!: WE RULE, DUDES!

Sun camp fund: He loves the outdoors and his mother would like to see him have the chance to make relationships beyond the family.

CDC gets $186,000 to study effects of nuclear fallout: For example, American Indians may have been more affected by radiation because they have "a lot less shielding than whites, (because) they were out of doors a lot more," said Dianne Quigley, project manager from Clark University.

Show could use more of Richard, less of Berry: Joe Delaney; Two rock 'n' roll legends, Chuck Berry and Little Richard, should be filling the capacious 1,200-seat Caesars Palace Circus Maximus nightly, through Sunday, at the reasonable price of $55. Little Richard, born in 1932, is a year younger and light years more exciting than Berry. Richard was given the first 55 minutes, there was a 10-minute stage change, and Berry, the scheduled closer.

Judge refuses to hold separate hearings for suspects: Murphy and Tabish face murder charges in the Sept. 17 death of Binion, a member of a well-known casino clan.

Sound check -- Geoff Carter: Promoting dialogue on the question of arena concerts: Earnest Concertgoer (gesturing at the writer's notebook): Hey, are you reviewing the show tonight?

Smoky fire at high-rise hotel-casino was arson: Tom Gardner; "There was no other heat source in the area. It couldn't have happened any other way," fire inspector Ron Jones said.

Man found guilty of second-degree murder: Robinson was accused of shooting 16-year-old Jermaine McKines to death in 1996 in North Las Vegas.

High on a 'Hill'top: Kimberley McGee; Lauryn Hill tour

Orbital mesmerizes in House of Blues: Geoff Carter; I bought an Orbital T-shirt. The shirt's namesake techno outfit was near the end of its brilliant House of Blues set, driving the "Community Service Tour" -- also featuring Lo Fidelity All Stars and local heroes the Crystal Method -- to a frenzied, block party pitch.

Reckless drivers will to wear the names of their victims: "In memory of Mary and James Young Jr., killed on 8/11/98 by my recklessness," reads the inscription.

Program launched to encourage car pools: Employers can take a payroll tax deduction of up to $65 per month for every employee that shares rides. Local officials have also devised a computerized system to help commuters find car pools, van pools, bus stops and bike paths close to their homes.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Challenging Brokaw: TOM BROKAW'S "The Greatest Generation" is still high on the list of books being read by Americans. I liked it so much that my copy went to a grandson who is reading the book to better understand his grandparents. This will also give him a taste of living American history that is slowly slipping away as the years pass by and the participants of that life go to their graves.

Sun Life datebook: Jesse Gaston and the Gaston Five will perform at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Lied Discovery Children's Museum, 833 Las Vegas Blvd. North, as part of the Sunday music series focusing on gospel music, dancing and storytelling. The series accompanies the exhibit "Wade in the Water: African-American Sacred Music Traditions." Admission is $5 for adults; $4 for children, seniors and military. Call 382-3445.

Editorial: Seriously consider privacy: It is disturbing that the House defeated an amendment to the bill that would have prohibited these newly affiliated companies from sharing medical records without first getting a patient's consent. The House's failure to close this loophole could mean that a health insurer could take the medical records of a patient with an illness and share them with an affiliated life insurance company, which that company could then use to deny a policy. Under the House bill, medical privacy could be jeopardized for many Americans in light of the recent merger mania.

Editorial: IRS throws in towel on casino meals tax: What the IRS failed to account for was the unique character of casinos and how they operate differently than many other businesses. The gaming industry properly noted that these meals are necessary for employees who don't have enough time to leave the casino, buy lunch elsewhere, and then return in time when their shift resumes. As the Sun's David Strow reported Thursday, employees involved with games and who handle money must adhere to check-out procedures when leaving the property, making it impractical for them to leave the casino for lunch.

Letter: His Cup has runneth over: We have felt the same support for the Indy Racing League, and thus were happy to have been one of the first in line to purchase tickets for the inaugural IRL 500K in September, 1996.

Saturday at Belmont Park: 1st race 6-1/2 fur 3YO&up F&M Clm: 1 Bycarby (Lovato) 118; 2 La Femme M (Diego) 113; 3 Yo Ukie (Chavez) 120; 4 Masked Wolf (Bridgmohan) 118; 5 Dana's Devil (Chen) 113; 6 Rare Indicator (Leon) 118; 7 Sports Authority (Espinoza) 118; 8 Gabbie Mawdie (Beitia) 118.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: NHRA chief likes NASCAR's blueprint: No other sport has experienced such phenomenal growth as did NASCAR's Winston Cup Series in this decade.

Box score: Stars 5, Redbirds 3: Las Vegas

Letter: Lighten up on schedule: That negative Vegas attitude is brutal. You remember Jerry Tarkanian's run in that PCCW (PCAA) conference or whatever it was called, then the Big West. What a joke!

Goodman seeks high-tech firms for downtown: Sonya Padgett; Enticing technology companies to open offices in Las Vegas may be the key to giving the downtown area new life, Mayor Oscar Goodman said Thursday.

Letter: Carp sheds some light: How long can the tail wag the dog? I think (athletic director) Charlie Cavagnaro and (T&M director) Pat Christenson have both lost sight of the university goals. They both need some adult supervision. Presidential control never will occur; maybe it's time for the regents to get involved.

Letter: Sun columnist gets it right: And Kantowski's Big Time Tournament commentary ("Money, sleaze drive today's tournaments," July 15) reminded me of one of the reasons I stopped coaching in New York City high schools in 1979.

Pocono race not moving to LVMS: Pocono Raceway owner Dr. Joseph Mattioli on Thursday categorically denied he was considering selling his 2.5-mile track to racing magnate Bruton Smith.

Las Vegas news briefs for July 23, 1999: The owner of a local convenience store has died from injuries he sustained Sunday when he was beaten outside his Las Vegas apartment.

Casino under construction in Canada: The $39-million, 60,000-square-foot casino is being constructed at an old railroad freight building along the banks of the St. Clair River, across from Port Huron, Mich., and will open later this year, Ontario officials say.

Manufacturer posts a loss: Sales fell from $191 million to $128 million as demand declined from aerospace and industrial markets.

Letter: Cancer-beaters right here in LV: Well, I'm here to tell you, not as a writer but as a resident of Las Vegas, that the greatest medical specialists of our time live and work in our town. The fact that I am alive to relate this fact to you is the best proof I can offer.

New rules forcing governments to put values on their assets: "I don't see any benefit to this, and it's going to be a big problem," state Controller Kathy Augustine says.

Reid bill would cut child abductions: Sonya Padgett; Parents who do not have custody of their children will be prevented from illegally taking them out of the country if a bill sponsored by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., becomes law.

Unions want to join LVCVA-Adelson lawsuit: Venetian owner Sheldon Adelson has sued to block the 1.3 million-square-foot expansion, in part because of his fears it would take business away from his Sands Expo Center and the Venetian's convention area.

Rules changes wouldn't hurt Big Time tourney: Spencer Patterson; Proposed NCAA changes to college basketball coaches' summer evaluation period likely won't impact Las Vegas' annual adidas Big Time Tournament, according to event co-director Jim Allen.

DUI offenders will be linked to their victims: Bill Gang; Three men who pleaded guilty to reckless driving charges in two collisions that killed three people have been given probation -- and jewelry.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Las Vegas can learn from L.A.: Dean Juipe; Almost a day doesn't go by now in Las Vegas without a story or a news report surfacing on the subject of the city building an arena or a stadium and the addendum concept of attracting a professional sports team.

Courthouse construction on track: Kim Smith; Construction on the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse is right on schedule despite the heavy rains that hit Las Vegas a few weeks ago.

Dangberg back in court Friday: The legal wrangling began following Glide's death in 1995 and the subsequent sale of 9,900 acres of what was once a 48,000-acre ranch first established in 1856 in Carson Valley and California.

Hammargren keeps hat in political ring: Former Lt. Gov. Lonnie Hammargren may have been knocked out of the fight for the governor's office last year, but he hasn't left the political arena.

Murphy fights handwriting samples: Sandy Murphy was fighting efforts today by prosecutors to force her to turn over handwriting samples that can be compared to a list of coins reportedly stolen from Ted Binion's home after his murder.

Bryan wants to slow federal subsidies to timber cutting program: Bryan said the program subsidizes the timber industry and that the money would be better used in environmental programs that were cut by the Interior appropriations subcommittee.

Letter: Milosevic just had bad methods: The elderly, nonproductive "burdens" on society could be euthanized as is being done in the Netherlands.

Small blaze forces Reno hotel evacuation: Tom Gardner; RENO -- A small but smoky fire forced the partial evacuation of the Atlantis hotel-casino early this morning. Damage was minimal and nobody was seriously hurt.

Nevada consumer advocate testifies on deregulation: "The truth is that we will have accomplished very little if the end result of our labors is to bring competitive benefits to only a small segment of the electricity market while rendering basic service less affordable and less reliable for all other Americans," he said Thursday.

Reports show conflicting views of crime in Nevada: Brendan Riley; CARSON CITY -- Depending on whom you listen to, Nevada's crime rate is dropping -- or it could be "the most dangerous state" because of murders, rapes, robberies and other crimes that occur here.

Newhan delivers for Stars: The victory was the Stars' second straight and enabled Las Vegas to salvage a split of a four-game series at Memphis.

Stock offering delayed again: U.S. Piper Jaffray, the underwriter of Travelscape.com's $55 million IPO, announced Thursday it has postponed the offering indefinitely because of market conditions. Piper Jaffray did not say when the offering would be rescheduled.

School board not giving up on funds for Ch. 10: Jace Radke; The Clark County School Board doesn't know if it can save 11 jobs and 13 shows at Las Vegas' public television station, but it's going to try in the next three weeks.

Man wounded as SWAT raids house: The SWAT team and narcotics officers entered a house in the 300 block of 11th Street around 4 a.m. to serve arrest warrants, according to Metro spokesman Steve Meriwether. While entering the house, the officers shot and killed two pit bull dogs, Meriwether said.

Obituaries for July 23, 1999: Romeo E. "Sandy" Bachand, 61, of Henderson died Wednesday in Henderson. He was born Oct. 9, 1937, in Southbridge, Mass. A resident for 29 years, he was a owner-operator of Henderson Carburetor until 1996, a retired Air Force technical sergeant, a Vietnam War veteran and a scoutmaster in Henderson from 1980-1985.

Boxer charged in sexual assault: Jace Radke; A heavyweight boxer ranked in the International Boxing Federation's top 10 was arrested by Metro Police Thursday morning on charges of sexually assaulting an outcall entertainer in his Strip hotel room.

Letter: Speaking up only way to be heard by political system: Being silent about politics isn't smart -- exercising free speech is!

Silicon Gaming plans restructuring: Current shareholders would wind up with 5 percent of the company under the proposal, and would be further diluted when creditors infuse additional capital into the business.

Users responsible for products' effects: Now you want people to sue the distillers and breweries for the actions of people that abuse their legal products.

UNLV law school nears first birthday: The dean of the William Boyd School of Law speaks fondly of the fledgling institution, describing it much as a proud father might talk about his first child.

Despite House vote, Gibbons says F-22s still may come to Nellis: While the House halted the F-22 stealth fighter program destined for Nellis Air Force Base, Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., was optimistic today that the warplane would survive a budget conference committee battle.

Rebel sell: Steve Carp; He may be able to control a lot of things, but there's one thing Terry Cottle has no control over, and that's winning.

Law school highlights: Law school highlights

Police attorneys seek dismissals of civil rights suits: Kim Smith; Attorneys representing Sheriff Jerry Keller and Metro Police have asked that two unrelated civil rights lawsuits be dismissed.

Six Vegas residents arrested in alleged slot scam: Kim Smith; Six Las Vegas residents were arrested Thursday in connection with a national slot machine scam authorities believe resulted in more than $5 million in losses. One other Las Vegan is being sought.

Famed wax museum opens: Grace Leong; When Madame Tussaud launched her first wax exhibit in London in 1835, little did she know that by the end of the millennium her name and her museum would find their way to an Italian-themed hotel-casino in Las Vegas.

Grants to aid airports: The funding will cover:

Killer escapes death penalty again after second conviction: Bill Gang; Although he was convicted Thursday of committing his second murder, Bryan Keith Robinson again escaped the death penalty.

UNLV's Kirk holds lead at Northern: No one came close to Kirk. Firing his fourth consecutive sub-par round, Kirk finished the tournament at 17-under. Since coming to San Creek, the Northern has generally been won with a score at or near par.

LV company to sell $125 million in stock: The company went public last year with an initial stock offering. MGC in May also issued 5.28 million shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock to Providence Equity Partners III L.P., JK&B Capital III L.P., Wind Point Partners III L.P. and their affiliates, netting MGC $47.5 million.

Letter: Underpass site of next disaster: I noted only one very small drain at the base of the underpass.

Jackpot merger vote set: The shareholder meeting will be held at the Riverport Casino Center in Maryland Heights, Mo. Players will hold its shareholder meeting two hours prior to Jackpot's.

Binion bought heroin on eve of death: (C) Copyright 1999 Las Vegas Sun.

Veterans' medical chief cites progress: Kim Smith; Veterans Administration health care facilities in Clark County have made significant improvements since March when members of the inspector general's office visited clinics, the VA medical center director said Thursday.

Signs show completed bank merger: Arizona and Nevada became the third and fourth states to see the conversion with about 230 bank offices and more than 1,300 automatic teller machines making the switch. Texas and New Mexico made the conversion earlier this year.

FBI decides Henderson Police didn't violate woman's rights: Sonya Padgett; Henderson Police employees were cleared by the FBI of any wrongdoing in the case of a woman who claimed officers violated her civil rights by using excessive force while she was a jail inmate.

Criminal probe launched of deal: David Strow; Criminal investigations are under way of the Arizona regulator accused of wrongdoing in Las Vegas-based Southwest Gas Corp.'s ongoing battle with unwanted merger suitor Southern Union Co.

Casino, offices planned for Sunset and Gibson: Sonya Padgett; The Thomas and Mack Co. wants to build a hotel-casino in Henderson as part of a 62-acre development that could include restaurants, retail shops and office space.

Malpractice suit lands $4.2 million: Bill Gang; A District Court jury has awarded $4.2 million in a medical malpractice case to the family of a heart bypass patient who died in 1991 when internal bleeding went undetected for days.

Judge clears way for casino opening: Barring other legal action, this clears the way for the Michigan Gaming Control Board to grant MGM Grand Inc. of Las Vegas its gaming license next week, and for MGM's temporary Detroit casino to open as early as July 29.