Two new members, TV channel debut

Erin Neff

Thursday, Jan. 6, 2000 | 11:14 a.m.

With one small flick of a switch and two more men walking to the dais, the city of Las Vegas registered a historic moment Wednesday.

For the first time ever, the council held seven bodies and its meeting was broadcast live on a cable channel devoted solely to city business.

Councilman Gary Reese added some levity when he looked into the television camera like a collegiate quarterback fresh off a touchdown and beamed, "Hi, Mom!"

Joining him on the dais were Lawrence Weekly and Michael Mack -- the newly appointed councilmen who took their seats for the first time.

Weekly, who was appointed to represent the new Ward 5 in West Las Vegas, took his seat at the far right of the platform next to Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald.

He had a slightly harrowing introduction to the electronic voting mechanism at his seat, which indicated that he was casting a nay for something as simple as approval of the minutes.

Mack, who was appointed to represent the new Ward 6 in the city's northwestern region, took his seat on the far left of the dais next to Councilman Larry Brown.

Mack, a former Planning Commissioner, found the need to abstain on almost every item before the council during its afternoon planning and zoning session because he had previously cast votes on the same issues as a planning commissioner.

Steve Schorr, vice president of Cox Communications, gave each council member a paperweight with a television remote to mark the debut of KCLV.

"This is a very historic day," Schorr said.

Boggs McDonald said the television channel, which will broadcast 24 hours a day, will "be able to tell the good news stories."

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