Stories published March 2, 2001Las Vegas Sun

Siegfried & Roy are still in top form: Joe Delaney; Siegfried & Roy have been synonymous with both the Mirage since 1990 and with the city of Las Vegas for nearly three decades. During their 11 years at the Mirage, they have performed nearly 5,000 shows and, coupled with the attendance at their Secret Garden attraction on the premises, have generated more than $1 billion in economic activity at the hotel.

Columnist Rusty Wallace: Time to change our luck in Las Vegas: Rusty Wallace; I don't mind telling you that I'm really excited about this weekend's race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway because I really think we're going to do well.

No miscount here -- Reed makes trip to victory lane: Mark Reed finally got to celebrate a win in The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when he won Thursday night's NAPA Auto Parts 300 NASCAR Winston West race.

Panel OKs pawnshops in retail areas: Jeffrey Libby; Future pawnshops could be allowed to migrate from industrial areas again if the Henderson City Council upholds a preliminary approval granted by the Planning Commission Thursday night.

Letter: Bush is pushing tax cut voters do not want: Voters want to pay down the national debt, while protecting Social Security and Medicare, and they want needed programs to be financed.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Media called to action: I WAS IN the neighborhood so I thought I'd stop by.

Tennis: UNLV men's team back in rankings: After nearly a year, the UNLV men's team re-entered the Wingspan Collegiate Tennis Rankings, which were released Thursday by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

Martin, new sponsor look to grab elusive championship: Mark Martin has won 32 races in his 18-year NASCAR Winston Cup career, but he counts his victory in the inaugural Las Vegas Winston Cup race in 1998 as among his biggest.

Barbara Greenspun remembers 1984: Civil-rights passion led to friendships: As a result, he became closely associated with men like Dr. Charles West, Dr. James Michigan, Bob Bailey and others who were champions of civil rights.

Letter: Streets not safe for our children: In my neighborhood, elementary school children wait for the bus, crowded on a sidewalk, with cars driving between 35-45 mph passing them by on a two-lane street. The older children have to cross Hollywood Boulevard at Washington, without the aid of crosswalk lights, or any other warning lights, for cars to slow down. Cars come to a screechy halt at times to avoid hitting these children as they venture to O'Callaghan Middle School, on a street that has cars driving between 45-60 mph.

Longtime teacher of at-risk kids, Collins dies at 72: Marie Collins grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., amid a melting pot of ethnic diversity, where she developed a giving and accepting philosophy of life that would mold her into one of Las Vegas' premier elementary school teachers of the last quarter century.

Women: UNLV-BYU box score: Frohlich 10-21 3-6 27, Ingalls 2-5 0-0 4, Lof 0-2 0-0 0, Davis 1-4 0-2 2, Gambill 4-7 0-0 10, Jinks 6-10 6-9 18, Johansson 3-6 0-0 9, McCracklin 1-1 0-1 2, Mitchell 0-0 0-0 0, Sanders 0-0 0-0 0, Swanson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-56 9-18 72.

Authorities confirm 12th leukemia case involving small Nevada town: Brendan Riley; CARSON CITY, Nev. - A 12th case of childhood leukemia involving the small Nevada town of Fallon was confirmed Friday by state health authorities.

Track officials want fans to take the bus: Ed Koch and Jace Radke; To ease traffic to and from the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend, track and law enforcement officials are recommending that NASCAR fans leave their cars at home and take one of 75 specially marked public CAT buses.

Columnist Sal DeFilippo: Foolish war games erupt in press box: Sal DeFilippo; Soldier Field in wintertime never has been a desirable place to play.

Arenas' complex life dissected in 'Before Night Falls': Max Jacobson; 'Before Night Falls'

Colorado St.-UNLV, Box: COLORADO ST. (15-11)

Joe Delaney remembers 1984: Dangerfield at Caesars Palace: Joe Delaney remembers 1984: Dangerfield at Caesars Palace

Judge grants stay; West LV store still can sell liquor: Diana Sahagun; Despite widespread neighborhood concern and a City Council decision to pull its liquor license, a convenience store in West Las Vegas may continue to sell alcohol until at least March 27, a district judge has ruled.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Who needs restrictor plates?: Any race fans who are independently wealthy, took last Monday morning off or have a television monitor mounted on the wall above their work station (and here you thought the guy who drives Miss Winston to and from the track had a cushy job) witnessed a finish as good as it gets in NASCAR.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Hoggan's heroes eat very well: School lunch.

On Display: "Dale Chihuly: The George R. Stroemple Collection," the most comprehensive collection of Chihuly's works, will be on display through April 30 at the Las Vegas Art Museum, 9600 W. Sahara Ave. Admission is $10; $7 for Nevada residents. Call 360-8000.

Frohlich guides UNLV women over Wyoming: The Lady Rebels (18-7, 8-5), after trailing by three points at the break, went down by as many as seven in the second half before battling back and regaining the lead, 64-59, behind a 14-2 run over 3:36.

Legislative briefs for March 2, 2001: Two bills intended to encourage businesses to locate in Nevada by protecting their corporate identities were approved by the Senate Thursday.

Editorial: Wrongful firing suit will get a full airing: In denying the attorney general's request to toss out the lawsuit, Mahan even likened the case to the Watergate scandal, noting that you can't prove anything unless you can crack the conspiracy. So far the public, mainly through the investigative reporting of the Sun's Jeff German, has learned much about how this once-secret probe spun out of control. But now Anzalone will get a trial to air his allegations, and a jury will decide once and for all whether Del Papa abused the power of her office.

Where I Stand 1984 -- Hank Greenspun: Dr. Charles West's death a loss for Southern Nevada: The freedom fight has lost a true champion.

Performing Arts: 'Stop the World'

Columnist Kate Maddox: Bunch of bunnies, celebs fete Hef: Kate Maddox; When Playboy Enterprises hits town, you know it. Thursday night hundreds of bunnies packed the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel to celebrate the April rock 'n' roll issue of the men's mag. In addition to Hugh Hefner and his seven, (count 'em, seven) girlfriends, bands such as Limp Bizkit, Korn and Sugar Ray also came by to check out the scene. Wesley Snipes, Ving Rhames, Steven Van Zandt, Evander Holyfield and Jenny McCarthy were also spotted in the mix.

Longtime owner seems to have secret to success at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: When asked to explain his success at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, team owner Jack Roush admitted to having a secret advantage.

Letter: Litterbugs are the real culprits: Life in prison won't bring these children back. She will have to live with this on her conscience every day for the rest of her life. This accident was a case of these children being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Had they been 50 yards to the south or 50 yards to the north, Williams would have crashed her car at this precise location and no one would have been injured. She would probably have been cited for negligent driving.

Gay couples get legal help: Kris Hill; Gay couples can and often do create legal rights for themselves with a visit to a lawyer, according to Susan Murray, a Vermont attorney who worked on the case that led to that state's passage of a civil union act last year.

Book a long time coming for officer-turned-author: Retired homicide detective Kent Perry has solved the mystery of writing a novel -- tenacity.

Jarrett wins pole for UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400: Nobody is more surprised than Dale Jarrett that the former NASCAR Winston Cup champion will start Sunday's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 from the pole.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Recapping thoughts on entertainment scene: Joe Delaney; As I was saying Thursday, the answer for Las Vegas is more entertainment -- good entertainment -- not less ... Kirk Kerkorian has always been pro-entertainment through the years ... When he took over the Flamingo in the early 1960s, as a training base for building the International (now the Las Vegas Hilton), there was continual entertainment in a showroom and an active lounge.

News of the Day: 1984: Story: David, America's 12-year-old "bubble" boy, joked in his final hours and winked a goodbye before dying. He apparently died of complications from an experimental bone marrow transplant doctors hoped would cure him.

Local news briefs for March 2, 2001: Metro Police detectives are investigating a Thursday evening fatal accident that appears to have been caused by jaywalking.

Green out to dog field in LV: Jeff Green has 10 NASCAR Busch Series victories to his credit, but it's clear that his win in the inaugural event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 1997 was special.

More problems hit insurance plan: CARSON CITY -- The state health insurance plan, which was near bankruptcy two years ago but has since made major improvements, continues to be plagued with turmoil.

Editorial: Get tough on shoddy contractors: Put yourself in the shoes of those consumers and you can easily see why they would be upset. The state adopted new pool regulations in 1997 following hundreds of complaints about unscrupulous contractors, but it is now obvious that those revisions did not go far enough.

'The Mexican' borderline fare: Geoff Carter; Grade: ** 1/2

Knee surgeon has a better way to operate: Rising medical costs and advancements in technology are rapidly ending the days when a surgeon routinely sliced open a patient's knee, making a 10-inch incision to replace all or part of a damaged joint.

Consumer Advocate dismisses rate case: But he said he will pursue other legal efforts to invalidate the 17.7 percent higher rates allowed for Nevada Power Co of Las Vegas and Sierra Pacific Power Co., of Reno.

Some parents defending daycare worker accused of sexual abuse: Scott Sonner; RENO, Nev. - Videotapes and other evidence continue to mount against a daycare worker who allegedly admitted molesting 27 toddlers, but some parents still defend the suspect as a loving caregiver, police said Friday.

Casino owner Carl Icahn may back rival bid for TWA: In Las Vegas

Mayor: LV top choice of NBA owner: Diana Sahagun and David Strow; If the gaming industry is willing to play ball, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman says the NBA's Vancouver Grizzlies could be on their way here.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Holyfield fights Ruiz, Father Time: Dean Juipe; He has been in the ring for 307 rounds and more often than not the opponent was a big, strong man who hit him in the head a few dozen times.

Las Vegas Sun heads to new office: The move will give Las Vegas' only independent daily newspaper more than 20,000 square feet of high-end office space and the latest technological capabilities. It also will place the Sun near other enterprises of the Greenspun family, publishers of the newspaper.

NCAA presents case to panel: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- A representative of the NCAA got an earful from politicians and the gaming industry this morning as state lawmakers considered a resolution urging Congress not to outlaw Nevada's legal sports betting on colleges.

UNLV's Davis appears to have a golden future: Steve Guiremand; UNLV junior sprinter Michele Davis became the first three-time individual winner in the history of the Mountain West Conference Indoor Track Championships last week in Colorado Springs.

Filmmaker's stock falls as stock buybacks end: ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Eastman Kodak Co., the world's largest photography company, said it stopped repurchasing stock to pay off debt and to make acquisitions. Kodak shares fell as much as 5.5 percent.

Rebel notebook: Good might start six seniors Saturday vs. Wyoming: Steve Addy; Rebels coach Max Good has a math problem.

Electricity-rate hearing delayed: CARSON CITY -- A court hearing set for today in the battle by state Consumer Advocate Tim Hay to delay a $311 million electric rate increase for users in Las Vegas and Northern Nevada has been postponed until Tuesday.

Mind games in the ring: Dean Juipe; Who: Evander Holyfield (37-4-1, 25 KOs) vs. John Ruiz (36-4, 27 KOs) in the main event of a Don King-promoted card Where: Mandalay Bay Events Center When:Undercard begins at 6 p.m.; Main event schedule between 7:30-8 p.m. TV: Pay per view At stake: WBA heavyweight championship Betting line: Holyfield is a minus 230 favorite, Ruiz is plus 190 at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino sports book

Obituaries for March 2, 2001: Betty Jayne Aaron, 80, of Las Vegas died Thursday in Las Vegas. She was born March 23, 1920, in Cleveland. A resident for 40 years, she was a retired medical secretary and a former Girl Scout leader.

PacifiCare stock tumbles on news of fines: The stock of PacifiCare Health Systems Inc., a big Nevada health insurer, plunged 21 percent Thursday on reports that the health insurer faces fines in California and Texas for late payments to doctors and hospitals.

Two Sprint executives gain $191 million from stock options: Sprint Corp. President and Chief Operating Officer Ronald LeMay, who negotiated a new contract promising a shot at the chief executive's job by May 2005, reaped $127.4 million of gains -- at least on paper -- by exercising stock options last year, according to a regulatory filing.

Slow start sinks UNLV: Steve Addy; The Rebels should know by now that 10 minutes of good basketball is rarely enough to overcome 30 uninspired minutes.

Megabucks winner, hurt in auto crash, testifies: Ed Koch and Kim Smith; The last time the public saw Cynthia Jay-Brennan, she was a beautiful, beaming woman, clutching an oversized Megabucks check for nearly $35 million and sharing her hopes and dreams for a glowing future.

Las Vegas Strip comedy club opening March 29: The comedy club will be in a 300-seat showroom in the Excalibur's Medieval Village on the second floor. Nightly shows will be at 7:30 and 10 p.m. Tickets will be $16.95, and will be sold at the Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay and Monte Carlo hotel-casinos.

Two students negotiate national recognition for law school: UNLV's fledgling William S. Boyd School of Law caught the attention of the legal profession's academic world last month, when a two-student negotiating team from there placed second in a national competition.

Expanded ethics panel passing test: "Bigger," "faster" and "more efficient" have been used by proponents to describe the Nevada Ethics Commission since it underwent a major face lift less than two years ago.

Ethics storm brewing?: Adrienne Packer; Gene Smith has made a hobby out of stirring up trouble at the Clark County Government Center.

Columnist Kate Maddox: 'Storm' reigns at Mandalay: Kate Maddox; The calm before the "Storm" is coming to an end. On Tuesday the much-anticipated Mandalay Bay production will have an official unveiling for media types and hotel entertainment brass. Those who have already been lucky enough to get a sneak peak say "Storm" is quite spectacular.

Letter: Dangers of nuke storage are evident: The burial of large amounts of radioactive waste within 90 miles of Las Vegas creates a permanent risk of unknown proportions. It seems particularly ill-advised as this area is experiencing considerable population growth. Our past experience with nuclear waste storage makes it clear that what is described as science is at best hypothetical, if not outright propaganda.

Editorial: Don't hold us hostage over power: And while Nevada has yet to implement deregulation, we have been zapped by higher energy costs. There have been allegations that wholesale suppliers have manipulated the market to cause an explosion in the price of both natural gas and electricity throughout much of the West. One factor that certainly has contributed to the rising costs has been a shortage of power plants to meet the energy demand of the fast-growing West. Energy conservation efforts can help ease demand, but that can only do so much. Arguably the biggest decision the governor and the Legislature will make regarding the long-term stability ...

Ethics panelists are well versed in law: These people serve on the Nevada Ethics Commission:

Columnist Jon Ralston: Herrera, the new anointed one: THE 3RD Congressional District isn't even drawn yet. But the race to represent Nevada's new seat already is over.

She's A Man, Baby: Veteran female impersonator Kenny Kerr is blazing a new frontier.

Letter: Nader backers will be sorry: More closely to home, I can't wait to hear the "Greens" cry when the toxic waste comes rolling down U.S. 95.

'It's in our blood': Victoria Sun; In the grand soccer scheme of things, the game between England and Spain played Wednesday at the Villa Park stadium in Birmingham, England, meant very little.

A green light means stop cab holdups: Kris Hill; Fast Facts

Columnist Jeff German: Del Papa must face accuser: MARK DOWN July 10 on your calendar, friends. That's the trial date for Mike Anzalone's explosive lawsuit against Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa.

For NHP, fighting crime doesn't pay: Jace Radke; Lenny Taylor was planning a long career in the Nevada Highway Patrol, but after four years of enforcing the law on area freeways, Taylor now wears a North Las Vegas badge.

Columnist Susan Snyder: No idle thoughts at drive-thru: Nothing says, "Your guardian angel is a buzzard" like a drive-thru window.

Daycare worker to remain in jail; more charges expected: Scott Sonner; RENO, Nev. - A daycare worker who allegedly admitted molesting 27 toddlers will remain in jail until a bail hearing next week as prosecutors consider filing additional criminal charges.

South wetter than north: Tom Gardner; RENO -- February soaked Las Vegas, providing half of the city's average yearly rainfall in the shortest month, while the northwestern part of the state just got drier.

QB is on the Mark: Victoria Sun; As incredible as it sounds, Mark Grieb readily admits that while he was studying to get his master's degree in science education at Stanford just a few weeks ago, he was jealous when he watched and read about the XFL.

NAPA 300 results: 1. (1) Mark Reed, Pontiac, 300 laps, $13,660.

Humane Society opposes bill: Jace Radke; The Las Vegas Valley Humane Society says a bill proposed by Assemblyman Tom Collins, D-North Las Vegas, takes too much control away from local governments when it comes to animals.

Boggs McDonald stands alone at debate: Diana Sahagun; The first scheduled debate between Las Vegas City Council Ward 2 candidates witnessed Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald flying solo.

Meyer named new interim CCSN chief: Jennifer Knight; Despite a vote of no confidence from faculty members at Community College of Southern Nevada, the Board of Regents approved athletic director Mike Meyer as the new interim president on Thursday.

Bankruptcies for March 2, 2001: Quality Long Term Care Management Inc., doing business as Brighton Convalescent Center, 5600 Spring Mountain Road No. 207, filed for Chapter 11, listing assets of $994,162 and liabilities of $1,456,726.

Rudin trial begins with diary excerpt: Kim Smith; Margaret Rudin kicked off the start of her own murder trial this morning.

Reflection on a pair of area productions as the curtain falls: Whether it will be forever black remains to be seen.

Jurors to decide fate of double murderer: John Seka was convicted of first-degree and second-degree murder in the 1998 deaths of Eric Hamilton, 34, and Peter Paul Limanni, 33, respectively. He was also convicted of two counts of robbery.

VEGA SPORTS ON TV-RADIO: VEGA SPORTS ON TV-RADIO

Youngster advocates store smoking ban: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- Stephanie Glantz so eloquently belied her nine years Thursday when she told an Assembly panel she has trouble in grocery stores because the smoke from the slot machine area sets off her asthma.

Panel supports Metro on suicide: Keith Paul; The Citizen Review Board agreed with a Metro Police investigation that an inmate at the Clark County jail hanged himself in December contrary to the family's allegations that guards caused the man's death.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: After record, Benson has high hopes: Roush Racing has held the key to the lock on Victory Lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when it comes to NASCAR Winston Cup races, but Johnny Benson is out to break Roush's streak.

Stewart playing in the dirt: When the Pennzoil World of Outlaws opens it three-night show tonight at the half-mile dirt track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, several of the NASCAR Winston Cup drivers will saunter over from the superspeedway and check out the winged sprint cars.

Gays push for rights: Kris Hill; Months after 70 percent of the voters approved a ballot initiative last fall to ban same-sex marriages in Nevada, the gay and lesbian community is brushing itself off and setting its sights on a battle it is more likely to win.

LV firm says Florida business intact despite ruling: A Florida state appeals court upheld a lower court's decision that said Automated Wagering International Inc.'s 1999 contract with the Florida Lottery was void.

LV company gains funding: MDC can stage its funding in four separate investments, ranging from $4 million to $6 million payments, On Stage said.

Big LV gas retailer hikes debit card surcharge: Arco gas station/convenience stores are tacking on an additional dime to the 25-cent surcharge already paid by customers who use debit cards instead of cash. Arco doesn't take credit cards.

Casinos fight bill requiring non-smoking areas: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- Restaurants already offer non-smoking areas, but a measure to require casinos to offer similar sections for gamblers ran into stiff opposition Thursday.

Six schools in county below state standard: Terry Webster; Grading the schools

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: LV book is true fiction: MONEY AND power. Is there any room for greed in there?

Columnist Sandy Thompson: Teen takes life in stride despite obstacles: Sandy Thompson; WHEN ELLEN was a little girl, she dreamed of getting a car at 16 and living on her own at 18.

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