Columnist Muriel Stevens: Venetian hits mark in preview

Wednesday, March 14, 2001 | 8:14 a.m.

Muriel Stevens' shopping column appears Wednesdays. Her dining column appears Fridays. Reach her at 259-4080 or muriel@lasvegassun.com.

Spring is almost here. The flowers are blooming. New fashions fill our stores. To get a head's up on what's in store for men and women, check out St. Mark's Square at the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian on Mar. 21. "Fashions on the Canal," sponsored by ShowBiz Japan, showcases three cool fashion shows, all free. Fashion show times are noon, 3 and 6:30 p.m.

The upbeat fashion productions will be "choreographed to the hilt with the latest in modern fashion," Grand Canal Shoppes General Manager Fred Walters said.

Along with the fashions there will be jewelry, accessories and more. This is the place to be to see the new styles and trends. Some of the fashions shown will be from Kenneth Cole. Canal Shoppes has one of only five Kenneth Cole stores to feature a complete line of women's clothing.

Fashions shown will run the gamut from lingerie, spa wear, bathing suits, business attire, casual wear, evening wear and shoes. Carrie Henderson, president of Best Models & Talent, promises "the smart look of spring in an ultra modern, off-beat setting."

Among the many shops participating are: Lior, Thomas Lang Designer Shoes, Bernard Passman, Cache, Canyon Ranch Spa Living Essentials, Simayof, Wolford, Banana Republic, Ca 'd'Oro and more.

For more information about "Fashions on the Canal" call 414-4500.

Walgreen update: Just before moving my prescriptions from Walgreen's to another chain I returned to the pharmacy drive-in for one final prescription. Much to my surprise the call button was intact. The last time I'd been there the white push-button was missing. I'd mentioned this in my column when I was complaining about the length of time I'd been kept waiting, and the rudeness of the pharmacist.

"I see the call button has been restored," I said pleasantly to the pharmacy aide after giving her my name. "It's always been there," she snarled back. Guess she doesn't like my consumer columns.

Will I continue to shop at Walgreen's? Yes. The service in the store has always been agreeable and I like the sales.

Good news: It was a delightful surprise when picking up prescriptions at my new drive-in pharmacy to find prices were much lower for the same prescriptions. Why? Because their pharmacist saw that my insurance co-pay was higher than the regular price and charged me accordingly. Now that's caring service.

Bad news: Beware of unethical telephone solicitors. A reader had a bad experience with a hearing-aid company whose phone rep convinced her to have a "free" hearing test. Of course, the test showed she needed hearing aids. All this without seeing a doctor. She bought the top-of-the-line hearing aids and signed an agreement stating that if she wasn't pleased she could return them within 30 days and receive back all but $250 of the cost. Within two weeks she knew she'd made a mistake and returned the aids by registered mail. The package was refused. By the time it was returned by the post office more than 30 days had passed. She has a receipt that shows she sent the package with plenty of time to make the deadline. I'm convinced. She just has to convince the scammers.