Print edition for November 26, 1999

Dental residency program receives more criticism: But others associated with the program say the Nov. 16 situation was handled professionally even though they were unaware of an official protocol for such occurrences.

ACLU files motion over Fremont Street handbills ban: The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a motion in federal court seeking to hold the city of Las Vegas and the operators of the Fremont Street Experience in contempt of court for allegedly harassing handbill distributors.

LV real estate probe mired in controversy: Phil Levine; The Nevada Real Estate Commission this month levied fines against three real estate brokers following a four-year investigation and nine days of disciplinary hearings.

Analysts are getting edgy about Southwest Gas merger prospects: David Strow; Utilities analysts are growing increasingly edgy about the likelihood of success for the merger of Las Vegas-based Southwest Gas Corp. and ONEOK Inc., following a stream of new developments from investigators in Arizona.

Timet spill sends harmless cloud over city: Valerie Miller; No one was injured and public safety was not endangered Thursday when a pressure gauge erupted on a tank at Titanium Metals Corp., resulting in a chemical spill outside the plant and a large cloud over the city.

Hospitals disagree with nurses: A spokesman for area hospitals where nurses complain they are being overworked says the facilities "do not make any decisions that would sacrifice our top quality health care."

Parents willing to pay for schools offering high academic standards: Terry Webster; Children in crisp blue and white uniforms ride bright red tricycles around the playground at the Hebrew Academy in Summerlin, their tiny feet furiously pumping the pedals as if they are really going somewhere.

California renews Western water war: The oldest water war in the West rumbled into life this month, pitting California against six other states that share the Colorado River.

Las Vegas detective agency manager sued over missing funds: In a Clark County District Court suit, plaintiff Thomas Dillard alleged Doyel, who resigned on Sept. 27, 1999, had allegedly agreed between 1998 and 1999 to personally pay for any personal charges or advances made to corporate credit cards.

Kettle drive is looking for a lift: The U.S. Postal Service may have closed a door on the Salvation Army this year, but the charity has found that many windows of opportunity have opened for its ailing bell-ringing kettle drive as a result.

AT&T looking at massive $10 billion offering: Chief Executive C. Michael Armstrong has said AT&T is undervalued because investors don't recognize the worth of its faster-growing units. AT&T is moving forward with plans to issue a tracking stock for the wireless business. Selling a portion to the public, rather than distributing it all to shareholders, would let AT&T raise money to fund operations and retain control.

Running of the Bulls sued over unpaid bill: In a Clark County District Court suit, Ahern alleged the defendants had insufficient funds in their account to cover $15,906 in drafts they tendered on four occasions between July 7 and July 15 to Ahern.

Colorado State's McDougal could prove hard to handle: Steve Guiremand; Call Saturday afternoon's Colorado State-UNLV game a battle of an irresistable force meeting a moveable object.

Vegas retailers hoping for strong shopping season: Phil Levine; Shopping

Las Vegas company installs software at Caribbean casinos: GSI installed systems at the Hyatt Regency Casino & Resort in Aruba and the Hyatt Regency Cerromar Casino and Resort in Puerto Rico. Terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

Fiesta to celebrate expansion: The expansion includes a 20,000-square-foot casino featuring 500 slot and video poker machines, a 1,000-space parking garage, a food court offering snacks and fast foods and a smoke shop.

Gore official on defensive for Circus actions: Sara Fritz; WASHINGTON -- In 1997 New Mexico businessman Nunzio DeSantis was searching for a business partner to join him in purchasing control of two New Jersey horse tracks.

Board will hear complaints against Venetian contractor: Gary Thompson; Lehrer McGovern Bovis Inc., which oversaw construction of the $1.5 billion Venetian hotel-casino, faces a hearing on complaints that could lead to revocation of its license to do business in Nevada.

LV entertainment firm target of lender's suit: Grace Leong; Imperial Credit Commercial Mortgage Investment Corp. of Los Angeles sued On Stage Entertainment Inc. of Las Vegas and Chairman and Chief Executive John Stuart, alleging they, as guarantors for its five companies, defaulted on more than $13 million in loan payments.

Holidays, school break delay search for new UNLV police chief: UNLV campus police learned in a closed-door meeting this week that because of the Yuletide holiday and semester break the university probably will not be able to hire a new police chief until late February or early March.

5 percent increase expected in spring enrollment at UNLV: Shaunta Grimes; UNLV student enrollment is expected to increase 5 percent for the spring semester over last spring, university officials say. It's another step toward having all the students UNLV can handle, one official said.

Five Spartan players highlight the Sun's All-State prep squad: Spencer Patterson; After capturing this year's 4A state football title, Cimarron-Memorial High School has placed five players on the 1999 Las Vegas Sun All-State prep football first team.

Trinidad-Reid bout postponed: Dean Juipe; A major fight announced two weeks ago for Las Vegas has been postponed, promoter Dan Goossen said Thursday.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Baseball should envy NFL's parity: Dean Juipe; Each and every baseball season throughout the 1990s has opened with maybe half a dozen teams that are likely and logical championship material.

Silver Bandits to come out firing: Victoria Sun; It has been 13 years since former UNLV coach Rolland Todd patrolled the hardwood as a men's basketball coach when he was head coach at Taft Community College.

Columnist Sal DeFilippo: League officials really choked in latest ruling: Sal DeFilippo; I'm having a really hard time understanding the latest move by the NFL.

Columnist Steve Guiremand: BYU is not yet out of Las Vegas Bowl picture: Steve Guiremand; They probably won't admit it publicly, but the folks from the Las Vegas Bowl will be quietly rooting for Colorado State and Kevin McDougal to take it to the hometown UNLV Rebels on Saturday afternoon at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Letter: CSU two-trip theory off base: Ron@vegas.com; I really don't think many CSU fans will be making the trip (this weekend). If this was BYU, then two consecutive trips to Las Vegas would be (an issue).

No fear: Victoria Sun; John Thompson is gone. So is Rollie Massimino.

Two injured in traffic accident: About 7 p.m. a convertible Ford Mustang headed east on Flamingo collided with a compact car making a left turn onto eastbound Flamingo from Cameron Street, Lt. Gary Schofield said.

Neonopolis seeking new direction until finances are straightened out: Erin Neff; Today marks what many consider the busiest shopping day and beginning of the bustling holiday movie season.

Local news briefs for November 26, 1999: A 46-year-old Las Vegas man accused of chasing his girlfriend into busy Las Vegas Boulevard on Thanksgiving where she was hit and killed by a vehicle was held today without bond in the Clark County Detention Center.

Millennium sparks concerns of violence: Kim Smith; Federal law enforcement officers in Las Vegas won't be toasting anyone with champagne come New Year's Eve. Instead, they'll be waiting for catastrophe.

Elderly facility cites financial woes for closure: Nursing Director Bonnie Carver declined to comment beyond the prepared statement.

Suspect jailed after Texas shoot-out: Wendover Police Chief Richard Weighall said Kane, who was identified from photographs police found in a camera he left behind after the Nov. 12 shooting, tried to flee from the deputies near Marfa, Texas, who believed he was driving a stolen car.

Congressman wants records of forest service mistreatment: "I am prepared to take swift and formal action to obtain the records and information needed for this review," Young, R-Alaska, said in his letter.

1999 Final SCORE point standings: Cars & Trucks

SCORE Baja 2000 highlights five-race schedule in 2000: March 17-19 -- 14th Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, San Felipe, B.C., Mexico

Sound Check - Columnist Geoff Carter: Surveying the musical landscape in a foreign land: On the second day of my two-week vacation, I began to hatch an elaborate plan that would keep me in Thailand indefinitely. I would peddle my talents to one of Bangkok's English-language newspapers (neither the Bangkok Post nor The Nation seemed to have a music columnist, probably by choice). I would work as a club DJ in the evenings under the nom de guerre "Mr. Vegas," playing sets rich with Apollo 440, Louis Prima and the obligatory Ricky Martin (Latin music is huge in Thailand clubs).

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Return to Indy rejuvenates Little Al: The Unser family is so inextricably linked to the Indianapolis 500 that Al Unser Jr.'s thoughts immediately turned to the Indy Racing League when he was told in August that he would not be driving for Roger Penske's CART team next season.

2000 SCORE schedule: March 17-19 -- 14th Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, San Felipe, B.C., Mexico

LV's Collins opens motor sports facility: Las Vegas-based driver Brian Collins, who captured both the Class 8 championship in SCORE and the Class 1 title in SNORE this season, has opened his own motor sports facility in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas police, fire chiefs turn fast laps at CART Driving 101: This time, the only "emergency" was to uphold the honor of their department by turning in the fastest speed -- no intersections or traffic jams, thank you -- at CART Driving 101 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last Saturday.

Columnist Peter Benton: Fleisher deserves recognition: Peter Benton; Bruce Fleisher enjoyed a Senior PGA Tour rookie year to be remembered in 1999.

1999 Sun Football All-State Offensive team: RB: Mario Hagan, Chaparral, 6-3, 195, Sr. Rushed for 1,645 yards, 17 TDs on 161 carries; caught 23 passes for 310 yards, 4 TDs

Museum pays tribute to TV's favorite couple: Jerry Schwartz; Or a Vitameatavegamin tie. Or a Vitameatavegamin clock.

Desi Arnaz Jr. and his wife take a swing at building a home for Boulder City arts: Lisa Ferguson; What: Boulder City Ballet Co. presents "The Nutcracker."

Chaparral's Hagan smooth in transition: Spencer Patterson; Back in the preseason, Chaparral senior Mario Hagan expressed some apprehension about moving from receiver to running back.

1999 Sun Football All-State Defensive Team: DL: Lynn McGruder, Cheyenne, 6-2, 280, Sr. Foes designed offenses to avoid Desert Shields tackle

Miller was backbone of C-M's tough 'D': Spencer Patterson; Early in the second half of last week's 4A state football championship game, McQueen tailback Chris Carr took a handoff from quarterback Brian Fritz and prepared to make one of his patented cutback moves.

Community briefs for November 26, 1999: The Jewish Community Center of Southern Nevada will offer winter camp during the holiday break. Campers will engage in activities to strengthen their Jewish identity, including opening and closing circles, Shabbat and Havdalah programs, Maccabi games, art, music and drama. Camp will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 20-31 at the Katz-MacMillan Elementary School for grades Kindergarten through fifth grade. Child care is available 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Financial assistance is available on applications received before Dec. 10. Call 794-0090 or e-mail jccsn@aol.com.

Letter: Response to letter was appropriate: The nature of this Henderson correspondent's communication with this office is an attempt to persuade the city of Las Vegas to give him $2 million in public money so that he can become a drag racing promoter.

Letter: Nuclear problem needs a solution: I don't know how big 70,000 tons of this garbage is but to have allowed this much waste to accumulate is a capricious act and only our government could perpetuate this obvious absurdity.

Letter: Dog, cat may have died cruel death for gloves or coat: Nonlabeling, mislabeling, and the wide use of pseudonyms for cat and dog fur make it nearly impossible in many cases for virtually any consumer to know what he or she is buying, whether in the U.S. or when traveling. The trade in fur involves global interaction and exchange. Animals may be killed in one country, processed in another, and the finished garment or accessory sold in a store or market anywhere in the world.

Editorial: Monorail financing questions: To better gauge the feasibility of the monorail project, which the Clark County Commission already has approved, the state Department of Business and Industry hired the Public Resources Advisory Group, a company with national transportation expertise, to provide it with guidance on the proposal by MGM Grand-Bally's Monorail LLC. As part of its task, the group is taking comments from others with a stake in the project, including opponents.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: High cost of politics: BUILDING PRISONS, or any other major institution designed to meet social needs, shouldn't be done to simply help the local economy. Prisons spend taxes; they don't produce funds for the treasury of any nation, state, county or city. Placing prisons or other such institutions in isolated areas simply runs up the operating costs and hinders the administrators from recruiting and keeping high-caliber professional staff. Most Nevadans know this but politicians continually press for the building of prisons in places like Lovelock, Ely and Pioche.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Saturday's races at Hollywood Park: 1st Race -- Valley Don - 3rd at Oak Tree in last, won prior outing at Del Mar, won four races back over this strip, pair of nice recent works, fits here. Waki American - Stalked 4-wide and split field when 5th in last, both career victories from 5 Hollypark starts, McCarron stays, another who fits this spot. Value Play -- Imaginary Line

Movie Guys: Glut of Oscar hopefuls join in Christmas rush: If you've finished your holiday shopping early (yeah, right), why not head to the googleplex for some fine entertainment? This is, after all, when Hollywood throws out the biggest and best films, all gift wrapped with the biggest stars and special effects. And it's the start of the official Oscar watch as the Hollywood studios pitch their Academy Award hopefuls.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Delightful treats await diners at Renoir at the Mirage: Intimate and beautiful, Renoir at the Mirage is a lovely dining experience at any time, and a fine place for a special holiday meal.

Date book for November 26, 1999: Dr. Bonnie Eaker Weil will sign her new book, "Make Up, Don't Break Up," at 7 p.m. Monday at Barnes & Noble Bookstore, 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Call 631-1775.

Alltel putting out 'Call for Coats': Alltel Corp. is betting that there are thousands of such closets and has put out a "Call for Coats," to all of those who own such closets and their contents.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Thoughts of leftovers and a busy post-holiday weekend: Joe Delaney; Post-Thanksgiving notes: In most homes, Dad will have the day off and the house to himself as Mom and the daughter(s), wearing their black belts in shopping, will head out early for their favorite malls. ... Son(s) usually sleep in so Dad has the remote control to himself for a full day of sports on television with time out during commercials for a foray into the refrigerator for some leftover goodies.

Editorial: Efficiency is sought for air conditioning: Discussions between the government and the lighting industry led to the development of more efficient lighting standards last year, so Richardson is asking air conditioning system makers to work with the department and see if they can find common ground, too. While the largest maker, the Carrier Corp., has indicated it is willing to live with more efficient standards, other manufacturers might resist, according to the Associated Press.

Boys & Girls Clubs members, families enjoy holiday dinner: The dinner, held at The Beach, 365 Convention Center Drive, was the organization's 10th annual Turkey Gobble. Fine linens and china were used to create a personal atmosphere.

Obituaries for November 26, 1999: John B. Brown, 72, of Las Vegas died Tuesday in Las Vegas. He was born Aug. 19, 1927, in Beach, N.D. A resident for nine years, he retired after 24 years from General Electric, was self-employed for 12 years with Brown Investigations and was a World War II and Korean War Navy veteran.

Hypnotist Tranz-ports receptive audience at O'Sheas: Joe Delaney; Justin Tranz, appearing in the O'Sheas Comedy Theatre and performing 7 and 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, bills himself as an "Outrageous Uncensored Comedy Hypnotist."

Work begins on vets museum: The museum will feature items from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Golf War as well Pearl Harbor. Veterans will volunteer their time to give narrated tours through the museum.

Veteran educator loses battle to cancer at 62: After nearly 12 years on the Nevada Board of Education, Shaw said his wife was ready to take a break when her term of office expired in 2001.

Three-day search ends with two arrests: That work culminated in a three-hour standoff with one of the men outside a Sparks motel. Officers finally lobbed tear gas shells into three units and arrested William Jorgensen, 38.

Implosion preparations temporarily on hold: Workers using a backhoe and other heavy machinery clawed at the east side of the vacant 52-year-old hotel, removing part of the roof on Wednesday and clearing debris to prepare for the scheduled implosion on Super Bowl Sunday, Jan. 30.

Jobless rate rises despite ample new jobs: Carol Jackson, director of the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, said Wednesday's figures show the number of people working in Nevada increased by 5.1 percent, or 48,200 in the last year. In the Las Vegas area, the job growth rate was 6.4 percent.

Hints for hanging on to your cards: - Periodically check your cards to make sure they have not been lost or stolen. Some thieves take only one card to make the loss less noticeable.

People urged to be especially wary during holiday season: While he called California "the fraud capital of the world," he warned that northern Nevada is far from being immune.

Saturday at Aqueduct: 1st race 6 fur 3YO & up Alw: 1 Cape Cod Bay (Dominguez) 117; 2 Baricor (Pezua) 115; 3 Bad Boy Bobby (Bridgmohan) 117; 4 Watrals Ridge View (Leon) 117; 5 Overshadowed (Prado) 117; 6 Double Conquest (Vergara) 115; 7 Gypsy Sparkle (Davis) 117; 8 Gritty Devil (Nelson) 115; 9 Hedge Hopper (Beasley) 114; 10 An Ecstatic Double (Velazquez) 117; 11 Big Boy Jarrett (Diego) 114; 12 Gigabyte (Nicol) 119.

Saturday at Golden Gate: 1st race 6 fur 3YO & up F & M Clm: 1 Madam Moonski (Castro) 119; 2 Pat's Power (Radke) 114; 3 a-Video Girl (Meza) 116; 4 Casey's Syn (Nuesch) 116; 5 Ticklish Issue (Bisono) 119; 6 a-Shes a Bute (Delgadillo) 116; 7 Russian Rose (Gonzalez) 116.

Saturday at Hollywood Park: 1st race 6 fur 3YO Clm: 1 I'monfireforyou (Blanc) 118; 2 He's a Stunner (Valenzuela) 118; 3 Flyaway Jack (Flores) 120; 4 Imaginary Line (Pincay) 118; 5 Waki American (McCarron) 118; 6 Valley Don (Enriquez) 118.

Birth announcements: Nov. 6: A boy to Kitty Wilcoxson and Kevin Lewis. Nov. 16: A girl to Jennifer and Gregory Hanners; a girl to Nicole and Donald Sager; a boy to Michele and Quetin Morford. Nov. 17: A boy to Diane and William Boske; a boy to Marilea and Brian Ellis; a girl to Cynthia and Jesse Brambila; a girl to Liezl and Luigi Torres; a girl to Rosalind Licea and Jesus Ortiz; a girl to Sonia and Deron Dietz. Nov. 18: A girl to Elizabeth and Nick Thorpe; a boy to LaQuinta Robertson and Demertis. Nov. 19: A boy to Lori ...

ACLU sues Fremont Street Experience: "People who wish to exercise their rights to pass out leaflets at the Fremont Street Experience are informed by signs, hand cards and verbal warnings from the police and ... security personnel that they will be arrested for such activity," the motion submitted by ACLU attorney Allen Lichtenstein said.

Woman chased to death by boyfriend, police say: Witnesses said Jensen was making violent threats to the woman as he chased her into oncoming traffic.

No arrests at Reno checkpoint: University of Nevada police and the Nevada Highway Patrol conducted the sobriety checkpoint, speaking with drivers of 909 vehicles.