Print edition for March 17, 2000

Columnist Joe Delaney: Talented group hopes to leave Las Vegas feeling 'blue': Joe Delaney; The second time around we found a clue to really enjoying "Blue Man Group: Live At Luxor." ... Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton and Chris Wink, the original Blue Men, have come up with a theatrical concept that includes high tech, low tech, abstract art forms, mime, music that is primarily percussion, humor and intense audience interaction.

Editorial: Single work card is common sense: Currently, if someone is working at a casino in Reno and subsequently finds employment at a casino in an unincorporated area of Washoe County, that police work card isn't transferable, so the employee must apply for a new one again. In addition, if a casino employee from Reno moves to take a job here in Las Vegas, another police work card is required.

UNLV quickly bows out with 89-62 loss: Steve Addy; Seemingly confirming Dick Vitale's assessment that they should not have made the 64-team field, the Rebels were outclassed by 18th-ranked Tulsa from start to finish Friday in their 89-62 loss in the first round of the NCAA South Regional.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: A place for this woman: THE PEOPLE attending Women's Summit 2000: Nevada Women United should take time to read "No Place For A Woman," which is written by Janann Sherman and published by Rutgers University Press. No other author has ever written anything that gives a reader a better sense of the history experienced by Americans during the first 80 years of the last century.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Hamilton hopes to find stability: Although Hamilton has not missed a race since the series' inception in 1996, the 37-year-old Las Vegas resident hasn't exactly been the model of consistency.

Letter: Vitale talks too much: Al McGuire was my kind of basketball broadcaster.

Letter: Congratulatory letter missing: U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence R. Leavitt set a solemn, yet pleasantly relaxed tone for the proceedings, helped along by good-humored Ronald Klass of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Ralph Siraco's Santa Anita selections: 2nd Race -- Presidential Pull - Hustling Espinoza for good Northern California-based trainer Specht, must overcome outside post. Colorswiththewind - Draws good inside post, Nakatani scales for trainer Peterson, should get golden ground-saving trip. Value Play -- Low Down Dancer

Letter: Vitale should study up: Notre Dame played an unbelievable schedule, but also went 4-6 down the stretch losing at Pitt and against Providence. Vanderbilt got an unfortunate snub because Arkansas won the conference tourney. Again, it went 4-6 down the stretch, four of those losses to teams that were under .500 in conference.

Riviera to host women's summit: Women from all parts of Nevada will bring their voices and questions to Women's Summit 2000 Saturday at the Riviera hotel-casino.

Letter: More beefs with LVMS: I went to our "old" seats and asked the person there how she got such wonderful accommodations. She said her son was comped the tickets, because he "knew the right people." When I brought this up to the ticket management, they assured me that it was not true, and told me that I would be receiving an order for my seats from 1998. I'm still waiting for it.

Letter: Speedway has big problems: ANGY SCHUMM

Letter: Dickie V. is a TV fool: Any way you put it, though, Vitale was way out of line. He better watch out next time he visits Las Vegas.

Letter: One more time: There is no budget surplus: In his March 9 letter he touts budget surpluses created by Clinton. It's been said before by many people, but let's put it in print one more time: There is no budget surplus!

Knight, company enliven 'Smokey Joe's Cafe': Joe Delaney; Gladys Knight, a soul proprietor when it comes to delineating a song lyric, getting to the essence of the author and composer's intent, whatever the category, is the perfect match for the four decades of song hits written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, celebrated in the Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical, "Smokey Joe's Cafe."

Dickel exits with little fanfare: Steve Addy; The senior point guard added to his legacy in a more appropriate way, by playing all 40 minutes despite the Rebels' embarrassing 89-62 loss to Tulsa in the NCAA South Regional.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Menu shifts enhance Le Cirque, Circo: Seasonal menu changes at the French Le Cirque and its Italian sister, Circo, at Bellagio are now in place and they're wonderful. Executive Chef Marc Poidevin and Chef de Cuisine Brian Konopka are a terrific team.

Editorial: Private talks are troubling: But this week it was revealed that the scope of these meetings had expanded, a development that could be troubling for ratepayers. The Sun's Richard N. Velotta reported Wednesday that Nevada Power's parent company also is seeking to resolve a controversial rate case in these meetings, which include Guinn's chief of staff. The problem with this, though, is that the Public Utilities Commission already has rejected the company's bid to increase rates by $110 million. And, under Nevada law, the next step to lodge an appeal is through the courts, not the political process.

Letter: Healthy diet means no meat: It's about time. The U.S. Senate Select Committee for Nutrition and Human Needs recommended reduced meat consumption back in 1977. The American Dietetic Association, American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute and other national health advocacy organizations have advocated increased consumption of fruits and vegetables for more than a decade. Recently, even the giant food conglomerates like ADM, ConAgra, and Kraft have gotten into the act by launching vegetarian food lines.

Western's Levi to play at San Diego St.: Spencer Patterson; It's safe to say the past six weeks haven't been the easiest time in Marcus Levi's life.

Superstar Mariah Carey brings her seven-octave pipes to Las Vegas: Lisa Ferguson; Who: Mariah Carey.

Letter: Stop bagging on Earnhardt: VENICE G. ECKERSON

Birth announcements for March 17, 2000: March 9: A boy to Liliana Arenas and Jose Mojica; a boy to Heidi and Robert Gonzales; a boy to Tinesha Boles and Darzell Stringer. March 10: A boy to Kelly and Robert Kubistek; a boy to Ashley Harman and Robert Drozd; March 11: 12: A boy to Pamela and Mark Love. March 13: A girl to Apasara Harrington and Pang Koulavongsa; a boy to Lindsey and David Ledford; a girl to Lindsay and Anthony Fortier. March 14: A boy to Lisa Espinoza and John Phillips II.

Tulsa 89, UNLV 62: Seventh-seeded Tulsa (30-4) will play No. 2 seed Cincinnati, a 64-47 winner over UNC-Wilmington, in the second round Sunday.

NCAA Tournament, TULSA - UNLV Box: Brotherson 5-11 5-8 15, D.Johnson 2-6 0-0 4, Kambala 7-19 7-10 21, Diggs 5-17 2-3 14, Dickel 0-3 1-4 1, Popoola 0-0 0-0 0, Booker 0-0 0-0 0, Dotson 2-6 1-2 5, Stewart 0-1 0-0 0, Epps 0-1 2-2 2. Totals 21-64 18-29 62.

Gibbons blames Clinton for gas prices; Bryan wants reserves released: Scott Sonner; Bryan, D-Nev., pressed the matter of the reserves directly with Clinton last week when he attended a White House meeting on Medicare, aides said.

Prosecution plans interview of Tabish's brother-in-law: Las Vegas authorities plan to fly to Missoula, Mont., next week to interview Rick Tabish's brother-in-law and other witnesses about the recovery of 100 pounds of silver coins believed to have been stolen from Ted Binion.

Man who left incendiary devices apparently wanted to get caught: Robert Macy; Federal prosecutors said James Carbullido was accused of placing the devices at more than nine Mormon churches throughout the Las Vegas Valley. Three of the devices ignited but were extinguished quickly, according to Thomas O'Connell, assistant U.S. attorney.

Drowning victim identified: Rescuers with the U.S. Coast Guard and North Lake Tahoe Fire Department pulled Robinson out of the lake and attempted to revive him.

Flier mystery coming to court: Adrienne Packer; The mystery surrounding an unsigned and unflattering flier delivered to Clark County Commissioner Lance Malone's constituents last week will likely unfold Thursday in District Court.

Fugitive brothel owner charges federal vendetta: Conforte, who fled to Brazil in 1991 as the Internal Revenue Service was closing in on him for tax evasion, spoke on camera in an interview taped last year and aired this week.

Three sentenced in du Pont murder case: Kim Smith; Saying that "true justice" would not have been achieved in the du Pont murder case without their help, a U.S. district judge Thursday gave a substantial break to two of the participants in the plot.

Obituaries for March 17, 2000: William Edward Clayton Jr., 53, of Las Vegas died Tuesday in Las Vegas. He was born Oct. 31, 1946, in Pennsylvania. A longtime resident, he was a retail salesman.

State panel rejects proposed casino: Observers said the decision could make it virtually impossible to establish "neighborhood" casinos outside of established gaming districts in Clark County.

News briefs for March 17, 2000: A state review panel today was to deliberate and approve or deny an application for a proposed Spring Valley casino.

Mayor changing role in downtown redevelopment: Erin Neff; Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman has made downtown redevelopment the make-or-break plank of his administration.

Bet ban hearings sidelined: On the House side, the date for hearings has slipped to May at the earliest, according to a spokesman for Rep. Tim J. Roemer, D-Ind., a cosponsor of the bill.

House to consider nuke waste bill: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- House Majority Leader Dick Armey on Thursday said the House will consider a bill that sets rules for burying the nation's nuclear waste in Nevada -- legislation that President Clinton has threatened to veto.

Union, Wal-Mart dispute rages on: Adrienne Packer; Residents who have checked their mailboxes lately have probably discovered evidence of Round II in the ongoing battle between Wal-Mart and local unions.

High court rejects effort to remove Reno mayor, council members: Zewadski claimed Griffin and council members Dave Aiazzi, Pierre Hascheff, Tom Herndon and Bill Newberg voted improperly in 1998 when they approved a pay increase for future officeholders. He contended the city charter "requires any person holding an office for which compensation is increased or fixed to automatically forfeit his office."

Passenger traffic up 11.9 percent at McCarran: For the year, the number of passengers arriving and departing McCarran increased 9.4 percent, from 5,026,932 to 5,498,800.

2nd jury also says murderer should die: Kim Smith; Once again a Las Vegas man has been sentenced to death for the March 1995 shooting death of a local elementary schoolteacher.

Husband of du Pont heiress gets 16 years in prison: Robert Macy; Christopher Moseley was sentenced to 16 1/2 years in prison for arranging the murder Patricia Margello, who had become a nemesis of the wealthy family.

Irish Catholics face dilemma on holiday: Stacy J. Willis; To eat corned beef, or not to eat corned beef -- that is the question for many Irish Catholics this St. Patrick's Day.

Latest Silverado plan would exclude specific groups: Terry Webster; The latest plans to reduce overcrowding would hold the line on Silverado High School's exploding student population by keeping out either specific groups of incoming ninth graders or all new high school students moving into areas around the school.

Harrods looking at LV for first U.S. store: David Strow; Copyright 2000 Las Vegas Sun

Bust nets three in alleged 'March Madness' gambling ring: The Costa Rica-based booking operation was taking bets on college basketball tournaments, investigators said.

Plea deal made in killing of friend's dad: Kim Smith; The last of three teenagers accused of robbing and shooting the father of one of the teens in June 1996 has entered a plea agreement.

Bankruptcies: Alice N. Montfort, also known as Alice Calimlim, doing business as Mystic Mind Books & Cafe, 2425 Tour Edition Drive, filed for Chapter 7, listing assets of $1,140 and liabilities of $49,056.

Help for badly disabled Nevadans still pending: Brendan Riley; But a state official says she expects a federal agency to approve the long-delayed program soon.

Insanity verdict entered for suspect in fires: Kim Smith; A 45-year-old Las Vegas man accused of trying to set a Mormon chapel on fire in July 1998 is mentally ill and will be sent to a federal mental institution indefinitely.

Lobbying firm drops college: On Thursday, before the firm backed out of the agreement, two regents questioned whether the university system should add community college representation to a costly Washington lobbying endeavor aimed at getting research dollars for Nevada's two universities.

Slot company expands share buyback: The share buyback comes on the heels of heavy repurchasing activity by the Las Vegas slot maker earlier this year. Since Dec. 31, Anchor repurchased 310,000 shares -- the balance of shares authorized by an earlier repurchase plan -- for $12.1 million, an average of $38.89 per share.

Bill allows Pacific Ocean gaming cruises: SACRAMENTO -- A bill headed for the governor's desk helps clear the way for a 7,000-square-foot cruise ship casino that will be run by an Indian tribe.

LV passenger counts back to double-digit increases: After modest increases in December and January, airport traffic was up 11.9 percent in February to 2.8 million passengers. That compared with 2.5 million in February 1999. For the first two months of the year, traffic is up 9.4 percent.

Ford buys Land Rover line: FRANKFURT, Germany -- German automaker BMW said today that a fundamental shift in currency values was critical to its decision to split from British-based Rover -- both dumping the money-losing car division and selling to Ford the profitable Land Rover off-road vehicle line.

Mountain region teams seek respect: Steve Addy; NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Here in the South, as in most parts of the country, UNLV is synonymous with Jerry Tarkanian and Larry Johnson, not Bill Bayno and Mark Dickel.

Wynn sets employees at ease: David Strow; Copyright 2000 Las Vegas Sun

LV woman arrested in scam at speedway: Kim Smith; The Secret Service and Metro Police have arrested a Las Vegas woman who authorities believe stole credit card numbers from more than 800 Las Vegas Motor Speedway customers.

Revitalized bears headed for haven: No more California dreamin' for Manfred and Tuffy the bears. The two bruins are going there for real.

Murphy trips may threaten house arrest: Clark County Detention Center officials today recommended that Sandy Murphy be kicked out of the house arrest program after she was taken into custody for violating more rules.

Shelf Life -- Scott Dickensheets: King of thrillers blasts into cyber space with a 'Bullet': Picture a day, not long ago, in the life of Stephen King. Let's say the dentist's office just called, canceling his appointment. Suddenly he has an hour to kill so, what the hell, he writes another horror novel. (Imagine if he had a laptop in line at the DMV.)

Columnist Dean Juipe: 'Boosters' betrayed fans, UNLV: Dean Juipe; What is it about grown men, many with successful careers, feeling the need to cavort and gain favor with young athletes?

Dial File -- Steve Bornfeld: File closed: Goodbye TV; Hello Life: "Unless one says goodbye to what one loves, and unless one travels to completely new territories, one can expect merely a long wearing away of oneself and an eventual extinction." -- Jean Dubuffet

Sprint merger jeopardizes LV jobs, union charges: Grace Leong; A Las Vegas union is accusing Sprint of threatening the jobs of local union members because of its proposed merger with MCI WorldCom.

Columnist Kate Maddox: Blue Men have red-hot opening: Kate Maddox; Tuesday night's opening of "Blue Man Group: Live at Luxor" was quite a party. After a rousing show filled with audio and visual creativity, the packed house regrouped for a party that overflowed to a pool-side schmooze and mingle hour.

Many thoughts emerge on smart growth: The first day of a three-day conference on growth and development brought people together Thursday to the UNLV campus -- but also illustrated how far apart many are when it comes to land-use planning nationally and in the Las Vegas Valley.

Ex-cons seek second start: Stacy J. Willis; Donald Lockridge types 60 words per minute, wears a coat and tie and a giant smile, and he wants to work.

LV teen's idea a boon to child safety: Jace Radke; At age 12, Robert Stauffer read a newspaper article about a baby dying in California after being forgotten inside a truck where the temperature reached nearly 150 degrees.

The Movie Guys: 'Final Destination' is a celebration of gore: Grade: Jeff B, Dave C.

Community news briefs for March 17, 2000: In recognition of March as diabetes awareness month, students in the city of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department's Safekey program will take part in a diabetes walk from 4-5 p.m. Tuesday at Mountain View Park, 1961 Wigwam Parkway, Henderson.

LV office space outsourcer sold: Terms of the deal were not disclosed. VANTAS spokeswoman Maria Montenegro said as a result of the deal, the company is now subleasing 20,269 square feet of Class A office space formerly run by WBC at 3753 Howard Hughes Parkway.

Debt collection figure files new suit against Mirage: David Strow; The former Mirage Resorts Inc. employee at the center of that company's 1997 Korean debt collection scandal filed a second lawsuit against the Las Vegas gaming company Wednesday.

Date book: Karin Huffer, author of "Legal Abuse Syndrome," will sign her book at 11:45 a.m. Saturday at the Women's Summit 2000 in the Riviera's convention center, 2901 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Call 593-9925.

Sound Check -- Geoff Carter: Horton Heat gets a little hotter with 'Spend a Night': I'm supposed to be writing about Irish performers today. A traditional group, perhaps, like the Chieftains, or one of those punky-brogue outfits, like the Prodigals or Black 57. But I'm not going to do that. In keeping with my contrary nature, I'm going to sing the praises of a bunch of Texans.

Corrales promoting his title defense on Mayweather-Vargas undercard: Dean Juipe; Smiling, impeccably dressed and willing to engage anyone wishing to approach him, Diego Corrales appeared to be the antithesis of the man who headlines Saturday's boxing card at the MGM Grand Garden.