Stories published February 25, 2000Las Vegas Sun

UNLV notes: Rebels net win over Spartans: * The UNLV track and field team was in first place after the first day of the Mountain West Conference indoor meet at Colorado Springs.

Letter: Racers are good sports: Ron@vegas.com; And it's nice to talk to them out at the track without being cursed ... and you never see them in jail, etc., as happens in other sports.

Shootout suicide try draws 5 years: Bill Gang; The man who fired at three Metro Police officers and two civilians in his attempt to die in a "suicide by cop" will serve a three-to-five-year prison term.

Mayor not ready to talk with NBA owner: Erin Neff; With the professional sports ball clearly in his court, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman called a timeout Thursday by indefinitely postponing a planned face-to-face meeting with an National Basketball Association team owner.

Editorial: TV special wasn't judge's finest hour: While Steel was seen by millions of viewers, it's not exactly the 15 minutes of fame most would seek. After all, the show broadcast from Las Vegas has received criticism for making a mockery of marriage, and a subsequent investigation revealed that the millionaire had some skeletons in his closet, including allegations that he had once hit and threatened to kill a former girlfriend. The couple now plans to annul the marriage. Despite all of this, Steel told Sun reporter Kim Smith she'd do it again as long as she could talk with the couple beforehand to make sure it ...

Saturday at Santa Anita: 1st race 7 fur 4YO & up Mdn Clm: 1 Dr. Fister (Flores) 122; 2 Low Down Dancer (Nakatani) 121; 3 McAdam (Pincay) 121; 4 Ben Saw San (Puglisi) 121; 5 In Motion (Valenzuela) 119; 6 Metropolis Man (Espinoza) 119.

Rotary club awards school teachers: The grants, which were made possible through various Rotary Club fund-raisers and member donations, were awarded to 30 teachers and will be used toward cultural, reading and tutorial projects.

Nevadans dip into pockets to aid Clinton: Thirty-seven Nevadans in the last six months of 1999 sent President Clinton money to help pay legal bills, according to a recent report. Among them: a saleswoman, lawyers, a nurse, bookkeeper, psychiatrist and musician.

Silver Bandits fall short vs. Baltimore: Walls recorded game highs in points with 28 and rebounds with 16. It was his league-best 24th double-double performance.

Gaming regulators to step up audits of big Nevada casinos: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Gaming Commission Thursday approved a new regulation that will allow more frequent audits of major casinos and reduce some of the accounting burden on smaller clubs.

Birth announcements for February 25, 2000: Feb. 16: A boy to Charlene and Kenneth Mars. Feb. 17: A girl to Rebecca Graham; a boy to Kimberly Clark and James Holmes III; a boy to Kristi and Jason Wright. Feb. 18: A boy to Patrice and Michael Carder; a boy to Wendy and Perry Hirschi.

Board reprimands DOE; says Yucca issues unclear: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is criticizing the U.S. Department of Energy's efforts to measure environmental impacts at Yucca Mountain for a proposed high-level nuclear waste repository.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Saturday's races at Santa Anita: 1st Race -- Metropolis Man - Draws good outside post for the seven panels, hustling Espinoza on Sadler trainee, could be the 'man' here. Ben Saw San - Hustling Puglisi gets the call on Machowsky trainee, draws middle post, should get good trip. Value Play -- Low Down Dancer

Bons mots & Barbs: Kirk Baird; Comic comebacks

NLV cop won't name employer in parking lot incident: Keith Paul; A North Las Vegas Police detective charged with attempted kidnapping still won't say who he was working for when he accosted a woman with a gun while trying to collect a $30,000 debt.

Saturday at Bay Meadows: 1st race 6 fur 4YO & up Clm: 1 Flying Denouement (Carr) 117; 2 No Explanation (Baze) 117; 3 Three Card Willie (Warren) 119; 4 Stopalong Cadillac (Radke) 112; 5 Super Raptor (Delgadillo) 117.

Funeral set for prominent Reno lawyer: RENO -- A funeral mass is set for Monday for Clark J. Guild Jr., a prominent Reno lawyer and who served as chairman of the board of Southwest Gas Co., before his retirement.

Saturday at Aqueduct: 1st race 6 fur 3YO Fil Mdn Clm: 1 Alylivia (Rocco) 111; 2 Kippy's Nancy (Arroyo) 114; 3a Adrianna's Song (Perez) 109; 4b To the Safe (Henry) 119; 5 Don't Slew Down (Persaud) 116; 6 Senorita Diablo (Teator) 116; 7 Dunnhall Lass (Castillo) 109; 8 Honor Code (Lopez) 116; 9 Brightest (Luzzi) 119; 10a Lulu's Lil Sister (Blake) 109; 11 Vitrify (Gryder) 116; 12 Miss Jennie E (Bravo) 119.

Boyd earnings hurt by competition, construction: The average earnings estimate of five analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was 18 cents. Boyd stock was down 12 cents this morning to $5.38.

Retired decorated AF major Ellison dies at 76: Born March 11, 1923, in West Virginia, Ellison and his family moved to Las Vegas in 1963 after living three years in Tokyo.

'Wheel of Fortune' spells success at MGM Grand: Joe Delaney; "Wheel of Fortune Live On Stage" is a 75-minute version of the extremely popular television game show, seen locally on KVBC Channel 3. It is performed nightly except Thursday in the MGM Grand's newly renamed Wheel of Fortune Theatre, formerly known as the Center Stage Lounge, erstwhile home of "Catch A Rising Star."

Editorial: Ban on 'Net taxes heating up: Another reason that consumers flock to buy from Internet companies is that they escape paying sales taxes, which they otherwise would have to pay if they bought from a local merchant. But it is this very issue -- taxation -- that is stirring a fierce debate around the nation. In 1998 Congress established a moratorium that prohibits the states from taxing e-commerce sales, a grace period set to expire in October 2001. So an argument is developing over whether that moratorium should be extended. Some, including Republican presidential candidate John McCain, have gone even further: They believe the ban should ...

Desert Passage signs up tenants: The 500,000-square-foot retail "shopping adventure" center, adjoining the new $1.3 billion Aladdin hotel-casino, is scheduled to open Aug. 17.

'I'm lucky to be alive': Steve Guiremand; Anyone who doesn't believe that women's basketball is a contact sport should check the scalp of UNLV guard Constance Jinks.

Letter: Casino boss flaunts corporate greed: Where did the people at Sam's Town find this college graduate? Did this youngster ever hear the words: You get more bees with honey than vinegar. A short time ago I also read that the casinos made many billions last year. Using Hoppe's reasoning it is no wonder their profits are enormous.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Royal Star celebration at Venetian was a royal feast: The celebration that heralded the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dragon, is over, but those fortunate enough to have been invited to Kevin Wu's Chinese New Year banquet at his Royal Star restaurant at the Venetian will not soon forget it.

State 4A boys boxes: GORMAN

Columnist Dean Juipe: Let all 318 teams into tournament: Dean Juipe; It's idealistic to even think such thoughts, yet the NCAA could do itself and everyone interested in college basketball a favor and eliminate its 64-team postseason men's tournament.

Venetian builder settles with subcontractors: New York firm Lehrer McGovern Bovis Inc. faced penalties as harsh as suspension or revocation of its Nevada contractors license. Instead, the State Contractors Board ordered Bovis to pay $47,269, the full cost of the investigation against the contractor, and dismissed the complaints against the firm.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Jarrett's son eager for chance to race in LV: After running the freight-train conga lines last weekend at Daytona International Speedway, you can count Jason Jarrett and Jeff Green among the majority of drivers who are looking forward to this weekend's NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Series races at North Carolina Speedway and next week's events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Date book: The Screen Actors Guild Nevada Conservatory presents actor, producer and director Michael Schiffer in a UNLV/SAG Master Class seminar from 1-5 p.m. Saturday in UNLV's Alta Ham Hall, Room 206. Admission is free. Call 226-5620.

Durango runs away from South Tahoe: Spencer Patterson; RENO -- One year ago, the Durango boys basketball team made a trip to see the governor's mansion in nearby Carson City before its state semifinal game against Cheyenne.

Gorman girls soccer blanks Silverado to advance: Zack Hall; The Gorman High girls soccer team didn't leave anything to chance when playing Silverado in the semifinals of the county girls soccer championship. The Gaels drubbed the overmatched Skyhawks 5-0 Thursday at Durango to advance to the finals.

IBL Box: Las Vegas-Baltimore: LAS VEGAS (22-15)

Las Vegas businesswoman gets probation in fraud case: CARSON CITY -- A Las Vegas businesswoman who over-billed two insurance companies has been sentenced to three years of probation and has been ordered to pay restitution.

Casino observers speculate on new scenarios for Mirage, Wynn: David Strow; As Mirage Resorts Inc. remains silent on MGM Grand Inc.'s $5.4 billion takeover offer, Wall Street analysts and Las Vegas casino observers are busy trying to guess Mirage Chairman Steve Wynn's next move.

UNLV tramples Santa Clara in opener: Steve Guiremand; The scoreboard at Earl E. Wilson told the story Thursday night for UNLV's baseball team.

Letter: Wrestling with the issue: Ron@vegas.com; A good start would be an announcement at the beginning of each performance (that states) the performers are actors and stunt persons who have meticulously practiced and choreographed the production for the viewer's entertainment.

Debt of Mirage, MGM Grand under review: Chicago-based Duff & Phelps Credit Rating Co. placed Mirage Resorts on ratings watch with a "down" outlook. The action affects $950 million in Mirage Resorts senior debt, which currently carry an investment-grade rating of "BBB."

Building director Bouse honored for business efforts for Henderson: "Thanks largely to Mike's efforts, Henderson will soon have a development center, a one-stop clearinghouse where developers can get all the permits necessary for a specific project," Bob Cooper, economic development manager for the city of Henderson, said. "All individual city departments will have team members at the development center."

Arsenic rules may up water costs: If the federal Environmental Protection Agency sets a limit for arsenic in drinking water advocated by a private council, scientists will have to invent new methods to find it, local water officials say.

Panel hears request for Boulder City hotel: CARSON CITY -- In addition to hearing the request for Huntridge Theater funding, the state Cultural Affairs Commission also Thursday heard a request from the Boulder Dam Hotel Association for $136,000.

Letter: Lady Rebels pack it up: Ron@vegas.com; Our internal goal was to get the largest crowd of the season. It was actually our largest crowd in the past three seasons and second-largest in the past eight seasons.

Detroit casino take pegged at $2 mil. per day: DETROIT -- Detroit's two temporary casinos apparently are taking in roughly $2 million a day from gamblers. And an official with the parent company of one of the gambling halls expects it to do even better as the weather warms.

Nevada State basketball playoff results, schedule: At Reno's Lawlor Events Center

Transcripts still censored in Area 51 case against feds: U.S. District Judge Philip Pro released on Thursday the sealed transcript of a hearing over workers' claims they were harmed at a secret U.S. Air Force site known as Area 51.

UNLV's Frohlich named to academic district team: Frohlich, a sophomore from Oldendorf, Germany, was named to the third team with a career grade point average of 3.50. One of only two sophomores to make any of the three teams, she currently leads the Mountain West Conference in both scoring and rebounding.

Bankruptcies: Z.B.O.D.E. Inc., 3210 W. Charleston Blvd. No. 3, filed for Chapter 11, listing assets of $252,950 and liabilities of $245,105.

Obituaries for February 25, 2000: Blanche R. Archer, 80, of North Las Vegas died Sunday in North Las Vegas. A homemaker, she was born Jan. 9, 1920, in Louisiana.

UNLV forced to win out or return to NIT: Steve Addy; The Rebels would rather not make a habit of coming back from 40-point losses, but they have no choice if they want to make something out of their season.

Husband of UNLV president offered job in university system: CARSON CITY -- Acknowledging it will cause controversy, an official of the University and Community College System of Nevada said today that the husband of UNLV President Carol Harter has been offered a $120,000-a-year job.

Reid meets with Indian ambassador: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., met with the Indian ambassador to the United States today to discuss tensions between India and Pakistan and President Clinton's upcoming trip to Asia.

LV man sentenced in outcall takeover: Kim Smith; One month after threatening to back out of a plea agreement, a Las Vegas resident accused in an outcall-business takeover scheme was sentenced to more than four years in prison.

Letter: Force to be reckoned with: Ron@vegas.com; Don't get me wrong, Tony Hawk deserved it. But here is a man (Force) who has won nine of the past 10 (NHRA Funny Car) championships and he gets nothing? Can you tell me why?

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: No room on LV stages?: EARLY THIS month Pat Cooper was honored by the 18 Society Foundation with a "Louie" award.He was honored as an actor, comedian and humanitarian. Cooper is all of these and in addition is a most valuable resident of Las Vegas and Southern Nevada.

Columnist Kate Maddox: Hollywood puts Riviera in a bind: Kate Maddox; The Riviera hotel-casino was in a bit of an awkward situation: It needed to decide whether to cater to Hollywood, or to a loyal casino high-roller.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Anderson's humor casual, refreshing: Joe Delaney; Louie Anderson, appearing in the MGM Grand Hollywood Theatre through March 8, is known as the Gentle Giant of Comedy, an exception to the cookie cutter-type comics who come out of the comedy clubs. ... He does not rely on scatological material or the standard set-up and punch-line visceral approach. ... Anderson talks about growing up, family life, Las Vegas, our personal foibles, and actually does converse -- free-form -- with the audience.

Shelf Life -- Scott Dickensheets: Looking at venerable mags' special editions: February! Sweeps month! Out roll the big-budget productions, the envelope-pushing displays of flesh, the big-name performers, the silly gimmicks and avid attention-seeking. Yes, it's time once again for the New Yorker anniversary issue and the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. What a pair of dead-tree-media institutions -- one the last bastion of civilization, the other, of course, hastening its decline.

Dial File -- Steve Bornfeld: 'Multi' mess might be multi-blessing: Maybe it was -- GASP! -- a good thing.

The Movie Guys: Mixed outcome in erratic 'Reindeer Games': Grades: Jeff B, Dave C-.

Sound Check -- Geoff Carter: William Orbit's 'Pieces in a Modern Style' takes flight: Just 25 years ago -- in the Year of Our Ford, 1975 -- the listening public believed that the act of playing classical compositions on synthesizers was a progressive idea whose time had come. For the record, we also believed in Bigfoot, the gold standard and eight-track tapes. Bob Guccione believed that "Caligula" had Oscar potential.

Test Site workers call for medical compensation: Robert Macy; Fred Love didn't know he was piloting a helicopter through invisible clouds of radiation when he swept across the remote Nevada Test Site 15 years ago.

Station Casinos aims to unseat commissioner: Adrienne Packer; As Clark County Commissioner Lance Malone was reconsidering his position on a proposed Spring Valley casino last month, Station Casinos Inc. was preparing to buy land for its own project just down the road.

Panel weighs rezoning for Spring Valley casino: Advocates and opponents of a proposed Spring Valley casino plowed over mostly old ground Friday, but did dig up some new arguments during a hearing of the Gaming Policy Committee's review panel.

Letter: Give public chance to fight off bees: So why can't this formula be shared, through the media, for the public? Just, for instance, for landscaping employees, gardeners, children and parents in their own back yards or parks. We need an ace up our sleeve, if only to give us the time to get out of harm's way. Then we can call the professionals to do what they do best.

Letter: Berkley, Reid rated highly on animal protection: Berkley sided with animal protection concerns on all six issues we scored during the first session of the 106th Congress. She voted to cut funding for an ineffective U.S. Department of Agriculture program that spends millions of the taxpayers' hard-earned dollars -- as a subsidy to livestock ranchers -- to kill bears, mountain lions, foxes and other predators with inhumane traps, poisons and aerial gunning.

News agencies to get March 15 hearing: District Judge James Mahan Thursday gave the the Las Vegas Sun and KLAS Channel 8 permission to argue for the release of documents that reportedly show the attorney general's office conducted a secret intelligence probe of top gaming regulators.

Leviathan Mine will likely overflow this spring: "It should be about 5 million gallons less than it would be if they hadn't done anything up there, and that's a good thing," said Kevin Mayer, Superfund project manager for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "I think we're really learning what it's going to take to stop the ponds from overflowing in a typical year."

Tribal Chairman found dead in Winnemucca: Authorities have not released details, though they are treating it as a homicide.

Manley's second trial under way: Jace Radke; Once a death-row inmate, Charles Manley sat in the Clark County Courthouse Thursday flanked by his lawyers as he went to trial for the second time in the 1995 execution-style shooting death of his girlfriend.

Suspect's 2nd wife turns up in England: Kim Smith; The second wife of a Lake Mead area resident suspected in the disappearance of his first wife is alive and living in England.

Mandalay sues insurer over sinking costs: Grace Leong; Mandalay Resort Group of Las Vegas sued three of its insurers to force them to pay costs it incurred to correct the $950 million Mandalay Bay's subsidence problem in 1998.

Clinton targeting mines for new taxes: "Both of those provisions have raised their ugly heads again," said David Lemmon, press secretary for Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev.

UNLV student receives highest honor: Smith has been a soldier with the 72nd Military Police Company in Henderson since July 1995. She attends UNLV and has completed her military Primary Leadership Development Course.

Front Sight project remains on hold: Stacy J. Willis; No one lives on Second Amendment Drive yet.

Historic Huntridge Theater's declining ticket sales leave it in financial trouble: CARSON CITY -- The historic Huntridge Theater in Las Vegas may not be able to stay open much longer if it doesn't get $450,000 to pay down its mortgage, the state Cultural Affairs Commission was told Thursday.

Approval of 70-foot steeple raises ire of some Henderson residents: Valerie Miller; A 70-foot steeple proposed for a Mormon Church meeting house was approved Thursday by the Henderson Planning Commission, but some residents won't be welcoming it with open arms.

Juvenile justice officials worry schools "dumping" problem kids: Gaston said problem children and even those who merely miss too many classes often get kicked out of school.

Bones of Chinese workers may be sent back to Carlin: Frampton also told the council he envisioned a burial ceremony conducted by a Buddhist priest.

Station Casinos aim to unseat commissioner: Adrienne Packer; As Clark County Commissioner Lance Malone was reconsidering his position on a proposed Spring Valley casino last month, Station Casinos Inc. was preparing to buy land for its own project just down the road.

Coke, a symbol for LV, to close much of Strip attraction: Richard N. Velotta and Phil Levine; The World of Coca-Cola on the Las Vegas Strip said today it's closing March 5. The 2 1/2-year-old themed attraction celebrating the world's most successful brand name was a symbol of corporate America's acceptance of Las Vegas.

Supreme Court rules drugs must be genuine: Paige told the officer the substance was "good coke," but later tests showed it wasn't cocaine. Its exact composition couldn't be determined.

Illegally dumped garbage to be cleared: Garbage dumped illegally next to the closed Sunrise Mountain landfill, further fouling an already hazardous situation, will be hauled away beginning in mid-April, federal and Clark County officials said Thursday.

Selling bogus street drugs not a crime: CARSON CITY -- A person cannot be convicted of offering to sell controlled substances if the drugs are fake, the Nevada Supreme Court has ruled.

Man enters plea agreement: Jeffrey L. Boone told U.S. District Judge Johnnie Rawlinson Thursday that he was guilty of mail fraud and filing a false tax return. As a result of the plea agreement, he faces a sentence of between two and three years in prison when sentenced June 8. He could also be ordered to pay full restitution.

Mattsen, prosecutors reach an impasse: Negotiations aimed at striking a deal with David Mattsen to cooperate in the Ted Binion slaying case have reached an impasse.

Sun photographer wins national award: Miller won the 1999 Joseph Costa Award for Courtroom Photography, which is granted annually by Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., for photos that capture the drama and emotion of courtroom proceedings.

Police remove woman from School Board meeting after long speech: Terry Webster; Police officers escorted a persistent School Board critic from Thursday's meeting after she refused to acknowledge her time limit for speaking and continued to criticize the renaming of Madison Elementary School.

News briefs: Metro Police SWAT officers went into a home Thursday to arrest a man, suspected of battery, who had barricaded himself inside.

Gaels cruise by McQueen to earn spot in title game: Spencer Patterson; RENO -- In the hours before the Bishop Gorman boys basketball team's state semifinal contest on Thursday, Gaels coach Jeff Wagonseller issued a challenge to forward Dyante Perkins.

Bail bond company hits state with suit: Kim Smith; A Las Vegas bail bond company whose license was suspended almost two years ago by the Nevada Division of Insurance has filed a federal libel and civil rights lawsuit against the state.

Nevada Power rates are at issue again: Cy Ryan and Richard N. Velotta; Nevada Power Co. renewed its quest for a rate increase Thursday as company experts began submitting testimony on why it should be allowed to recover $44.3 million in deferred energy and purchased power expenses.

Placer Dome lays off 101 Getchell workers: ELKO -- Placer Dome Inc. laid off 101 full-time workers at its Getchell mining operations north of Winnemucca Wednesday, the second major layoff since it acquired the property last year from Getchell Gold Corp.

Goodman: It's time for action on downtown revitalization: Erin Neff; Perhaps years from now cities nationwide will look to the Las Vegas model for help in revitalizing their downtown cores.

Big insurer ousts CEO, chairman: NEW YORK -- Aetna Inc. replaced its outspoken CEO and chairman with a Wall Street veteran today as the nation's largest health insurer struggled to cope with rising medical costs and a falling stock price. Chief Executive Dick Huber was succeeded by long-time board member William H. Donaldson.

Virtual marketplace created by automakers: WARREN, Mich. -- General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. will merge their Internet-based supply exchanges and DaimlerChrysler will join the new venture, the companies announced today. The exchanges are aimed at helping automakers cut costs.