Stories published March 16, 2001Las Vegas Sun

Another voting season will kick off Saturday: Diana Sahagun; Early voting begins Saturday, kicking another Las Vegas election season into high gear.

Icahn's LV ticketing company cutting jobs due to TWA ruling: Kevin Ferguson; Lowestfare.com plans to slash its staff by one-third, recently issuing 60-day pink slip notices to about 335 employees resulting from the company's loss of a lucrative contract with Trans World Airlines, a corporate executive said.

LV Internet travel pioneer departs as company expansion continues: Kevin Ferguson; Travelscape.com founder Tim Poster has departed from the Las Vegas company he spent a decade growing into an attractive target for a Microsoft company, which paid $95.5 million for Travelscape last year.

State 17th in 'pork': Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Nevada ranks 17th on an annual list of states that receive the most "pork" projects from Congress each year. The ranking was based on a per capita basis: Nevada got $77.2 million during the 2001 fiscal year, $38.65 per person.

Charges against felon don't include slaying of woman: Cornelius Eugene Rogers, 35, was booked Wednesday into the Henderson jail on possession of stolen property. Henderson Police detectives served a search warrant on Rogers and found items taken from the home where 33-year-old Julie Holt was found dead and bound on the floor of a bathroom, police said.

Assistant regional school chiefs are named: Regionalization is the core of a reorganization plan for the district put forward by Superintendent Carlos Garcia and approved by the School Board.

Contractors seek help in desert cleanup efforts: Desert cleanup When: April 7, beginning at 8 a.m.

Citizens' board says racial profiling review wasn't thorough: Keith Paul; The Metro Police Citizen Review Board has claimed the department's internal affairs detectives didn't do a thorough review of a complaint of racial profiling and an illegal search and sent the case back for further investigation.

Residents will be asked in June to approve six new libraries: Angela Soo; Henderson Library District board members Thursday approved placing a question on the June municipal ballot, asking voters to approve a tax hike to build six new libraries and improve existing ones.

Goodman: NBA team won't be playing Vegas anytime soon: Diana Sahagun; A disappointed Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman says the timing isn't right to try to bring the Vancouver Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association to Las Vegas.

Crime and court briefs for March 16, 2001: A Las Vegas man arrested in October in connection with the death of a 57-year-old local resident Thursday entered into a last-minute deal with prosecutors.

Court rules against ex-wife: CARSON CITY -- In a 4-3 decision, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled Thursday that an ex-wife who was living with her husband at the time of his work-related death is not entitled to survivor benefits from industrial insurance.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Ferraro is part of mural majority: Most Boulder City residents know Connie Burnett-Ferraro more by title than by name.

CCSN takes off with certification: Angela Soo; The Community College of Southern Nevada has joined a select few accredited and certified Federal Aviation Administration institutes. CCSN became the first certified school in the state and one of 40 in the country.

Columnist Sandy Thompson: Grandma can care for others, not her own: Sandy Thompson; PAT DESPAIN sought a foster care license so she could take care of her two young grandchildren.

Letter: Bullies provoke school shootings: Instead of alerting authorities to these potential marksmen, turn in the tormenters. Put a stop to the initial problem before it gets to this point.

Rapid Rodney: Kirk Baird; It's been said that the world is a comedy to those who think, and a tragedy to those who feel.

Columnist Jon Ralston: Gaming's dirty little secret bared: SO THE GAMING INDUSTRY is outraged that Public Citizen, a Ralph Nader-inspired do-gooder group, has lambasted the casinos for using campaign contributions to block an NCAA betting ban bill last year.

Visionary doctor sheds light on Haitian village: On a clear night in Lascahobas, you can see the Milky Way.

In need of a miracle: Hiring teachers a daunting task for Clark County School District: Terry Webster; The raw numbers suggest a miracle is needed.

Editorial: Monorail musings should be redirected: One of the biggest obstacles is money. As the Sun's Adrienne Packer reported last week, it's estimated that each mile of a monorail typically costs about $100 million. If a monorail snaked its way through the suburbs, where the people are moving in vast numbers, the costs would be stratospheric. Supporters of a monorail extension envision a funding partnership that would include the federal government, private donations (mainly from Strip hotel-casinos) and fare box collections. But federal money for mass transit has been drying up, and casinos in recent years rarely chip in for worthwhile public projects unless they think ...

Datebook: The Great Craft Festival, featuring items made by 300 independent workers from throughout the country, will be from noon-6 p.m. today, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday at Cashman Center, 850 Las Vegas Blvd. North. Admission is $6; $5 for seniors; $2 for youth, ages 6-16; and free for children 5 and under.

Columnist Jeff German: Binion case may play a key role in DA's race: SANDY MURPHY played musical chairs with her lawyers again last week, firing Thomas Pitaro, her best chance at getting her murder conviction overturned.

Where I stand--Brian Greenspun: Keeping 'List' alive: HE HAD a story to tell. And he told it, retold it and told it again until somebody not only listened but did something about it.

Letter: With greedy proposals, Bush abets the rich: The Republicans are trying to sell the repeal of the "death tax" as a way to save the family farm, but a couple inheriting a farm or other business already has a $2.6 million-dollar exemption.

'Ocean's' cast makes a splash: Kate Maddox; The super-private, super-luxe Bellagio villas are seeing some action these days. The boys from "Ocean's 11," (minus a couple who are reportedly bunking very VIP at the Mirage) have turned the fourth floor of the Strip swankitorium into party central.

Catch some holiday dance: Kimberley McGee; Las Vegas' Irish dancers are celebrating St. Patrick's Day by kicking up their heels for performances on Saturday at area venues:

Proposal to curb growth divides group: A proposal to force the Sierra Club to confront immigration issues has divided the national organization for at least the third time in 10 years.

Editorial: Just what were they thinking?: Senate Joint Resolution 4 initially may seem harmless since it directs the governor to ask that any nuclear waste be sent by rail to Yucca Mountain -- rather than through the valley's crowded roads and highways -- if it is selected as a repository. This resolution is dangerous, though, since it assumes a nuclear waste repository will be built, implying that the state of Nevada has given up its fight against this nightmarish project. This is the worst message that could be sent at such a critical juncture in this battle.

Teen murder suspect could face adult woes in prison: Kim Smith; The fact that Conan Pope shot his father to death will not be up for debate when the teenager -- whose jailing sparked outrage over juvenile justice -- goes on trial March 26.

Accesslasvegas.com now called VegasValley.com: Cox Interactive Media is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, which also owns Cox Communications. The Greenspun family, owner of the Las Vegas Sun, holds a minority stake in Cox Communication's local cable television system.

Many issues put before suburban voters: Jeffrey Libby; Key dates

Payroll system latest network under fire: CARSON CITY -- A new $20 million computer system to handle the state's payroll is "confusing and cumbersome" and is inefficient when performing certain jobs, according to a legislative audit.

Little St. Joseph's has large task at hand against mighty Stanford: Steve Addy; SAN DIEGO -- The little Catholic school with the talkative coach just picked up an even taller order.

Las Vegas councilwoman faces two more ethics complaints: Diana Sahagun; Las Vegas City Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald, deemed last year by Mayor Oscar Goodman as the "the maven of ethics," is facing two more ethics complaints regarding a trip paid for by Station Casinos.

Obituary: Monday services set for Jerry's Nugget co-founder: Sun Staff; Lodge, who grew up in poverty in his native Greece, struck it rich as a teenaged casino owner in Alaska, and later operated casinos in Idaho and Lovelock, died Wednesday in Las Vegas. He was 85.

Columnist Dean Juipe: No surprise as Bandits go under: Dean Juipe; We really didn't take any satisfaction in seeing the Las Vegas Bandits fold, as they did this week, despite predicting just that virtually since the team's inception.

Shelter boost: Recommendation would extend contract at Dewey facility: Adrienne Packer; Despite a series of documented problems regarding code violations and kennel cleanliness, Clark County commissioners are poised to grant Dewey Animal Shelter a five-year contract extension.

Columnist Kate Maddox: 'Storm' forecast: Partly cloudy: Kate Maddox; After all that, now it looks like we won't be getting a glimpse of "Storm" for at least four more weeks. The much-hyped Latin-themed production was scheduled to open with a (she-)bang on Thursday at Mandalay Bay, but producers pulled the plug on the opening curtain call after previews for execs failed to impress.

Indian casino settles charges over high-rollers: Two executives were accused of giving a patron and his girlfriend $45,000 in cash compensation vouchers, while a fake receipt was submitted in an effort to validate the transaction, one consent decree said.

Low-income people may get help with utility bills: Siobhan McDonough; CARSON CITY -- Trying to cope with surging power costs, Assembly Ways and Means members reviewed a plan Thursday to help low-income Nevadans pay their utility bills.

Legislator proposes state action, funding on problem gambling: John Wilkerson; CARSON CITY -- A compulsive gambler who's a member of a pioneer Nevada casino family urged lawmakers Thursday to back a bill to help prevent problem gambling and treat those afflicted by the disease.

Editorial: Concession to polluters is troubling: After Bush was sworn in as president, the doubts remained as to who ultimately would win out in the tug of war between the environment and polluting industries, especially after his renewed push for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. But just a few days ago Bush was receiving guarded praise from environmentalists for developments early in his administration that were positive. For example, he agreed to carry over a Clinton administration rule that aims to reduce pollution from diesel-powered trucks and buses by 90 percent, a move opposed by oil producers and refiners. And Bush also was getting ...

Panel: Consumers must be told of higher energy prices: Energy companies must do a better job of explaining to consumers that utility deregulation may actually raise prices for homeowners and small businesses, as they are weaned off subsidies provided in the past by big companies, experts said at a national energy conference Thursday.

Start-up may try Reno-Las Vegas flights: Ray Sherwood, president and chief executive officer of West Coast Airlines, said his company is attempting to acquire four twin-engine DC-9 jets and will make a presentation to potential Reno investors March 27-28.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Hamilton hopes for fast start on new team: Davey Hamilton has the distinction of being the only driver to have competed in every Indy Racing League event since the series' inception in 1996.

Boggs McDonald says statements by Solomon are misleading: Diana Sahagun; Las Vegas City Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald is alleging statements made in a flier sent by Ward 2 candidate Mark Solomon are misleading, unfair and false.

Firm to run seven county schools: Terry Webster; Now that the Clark County School District has embraced Edison Schools, the for-profit, school management company will likely expand its influence within the district over the next five years if its methods are determined successful.

CCSN showing amazing perfection on diamond: Steve Guiremand; At first glance, the Community College of Southern Nevada's record just has to be a misprint.

Plane crash site urged as monument: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- Hikers reaching for the summit of Mount Charleston pass the remains of a 1955 plane crash with solemnity -- most of them not knowing the 14 people on board were on a top secret mission during the Cold War.

Obituaries for March 16, 2001: Cardellis Barrett, 76, of North Las Vegas died Sunday in a local hospital. She was born Oct. 26, 1924, in Fordyce, Ark. A resident for 50 years, she was a homemaker.

Changes expected to entice growth of drug program: CARSON CITY -- The Senate has unanimously approved Gov. Kenny's Guinn's plan to sweeten his senior citizens drug program, which has fewer than 200 fully enrolled participants after nearly three months.

Developers turn out for BLM parcel info: Kris Hill; North Las Vegas Thursday played host to 100 developers, who attended a meeting in a library conference room to obtain information about 27 parcels, which will be up for auction in May.

Reid blasts Bush over policy change: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., this week re-asserted his role as a leading Republican critic.

Yucca measures controversial: CARSON CITY -- State legislators say their opposition to a proposed high-level nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain has not weakened despite introduction of resolutions urging Congress to find routes that avoid Las Vegas.

Letter: A blessing in disguise: Ron@lasvegassun.com; Although Jerry Tarkanian was a great national and JC recruiter, let's not forget where he came from -- Fresno State and Long Beach State. Coaches Massimino and Bayno never adjusted to their moves west. Maybe Pitino was right. Maybe it wasn't a good fit. But I don't think Pitino was the answer.

Voters urged to get to polls early: Early voting for the primary election begins Saturday and runs until March 30.

New fraud claims leveled at Las Vegas hospital operator: HCA-The Healthcare Co., the biggest U.S. hospital chain and a large operator in Las Vegas, defrauded Medicare of "hundreds of millions of dollars" by inflating cost reports and paying doctors kickbacks to refer patients, the U.S. government charged Thursday.

NCAA ratings match last year: The numbers matched last year's opening-day figures, which were the best for the first day since 1994's 4.9/12. They also were among the few major sports events that have not shown ratings declines in recent months.

Nevada Power files new rate hike request: This, the latest in monthly filings since last summer, is an effort by the utility to recover rising fuel costs. This increase would go into effect May 1 and equates to an extra $1.26 a month for a homeowner who uses 1,100 kilowatts.

Washington briefs for March 16, 2001: Nevada will get a fourth U.S. bankruptcy judge if President Bush signs a sweeping bankruptcy reform bill passed by the Senate Thursday. The creation of a new opening on the federal bench will help the state cope with an increasing backlog of cases handled in Las Vegas and Reno. Bankruptcy cases grew 226 percent between 1990 and 1999, according Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev. Nevada's bankruptcy judges had a case filing rate of 1,602 per judge last year. The national average is 1,315.

Barring plant sales could force monopoly: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- A company that wants to build a power plant in Nevada suggested this morning that if the Legislature prohibits Sierra Pacific Resources from selling its plants, Sierra would have control of all of the state's generation in an unsure energy market.

Vegas film festival merges with industry group: David Strow; The CineVegas International Film Festival has been merged into the Economic Development Corp., a group trying to attract television and film business to the Las Vegas area.

Land auction date is May 9: The auction will begin at 10 a.m., and 26 small parcels will be sold. Bidding on the large parcel will begin at 2 p.m. Both will be in the commission chambers of the Clark County Government Center on Grand Central Parkway.

Letter: Rebels have Good chance: Ron@lasvegassun.com; For UNLV to get the kind of coach they claim they want, a few things will have to happen. NCAA sanctions will have to be in the rearview mirror, and Carol Harter and Charlie Cavagnaro will have to be standing next to the sanctions -- in the rearview mirror. Since none of this will happen in time for next season, UNLV's best bet is already here, and his name is Max Good. That is, if he'll have UNLV.

Letter: Tell lawmakers to help out 'notch babies': Please bring this to the attention of our congressmen in Washington, D.C.

Sun Prep Softball Top 10: Teams ranked jointly by the Sun and Sparks Tribune.

Columnist Steve Addy: Indiana's loss not the same sans Bobby: Steve Addy; Greetings from San Diego:

Letter: Pay raises show injustice in city: A bill pending in the Legislature would give county elected officials big pay raises. For instance, salaries for members of the Clark County Commission would go from $54,000 to $75,000 if the legislation passes.

Census Bureau says no to recount: Jeffrey Libby; The U.S. Census Bureau will not recount the population of Henderson, a bureau spokesman said Thursday.

Letter: Tark was the man: Ron@lasvegassun.com; It was Jerry Tarkanian who brought national recognition to UNLV. It was because of Tarkanian's team that there was a need for the Thomas & Mack Center. It was because of Tarkanian's team that UNLV has a national championship banner hanging in the arena. And he never complained about the National Finals Rodeo being at the Thomas & Mack.

Thursday's prep results: BASEBALL

2001 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament schedule, results: OPENING ROUND

Ralph Siraco's selections for Saturday's races at Santa Anita: 1st Race -- My Bouquet - Training at Hollypark, Gomez aboard Dollace trainee, needs prompt start from rail post in short dash opener. Bella Faccia - Draws next to top pick, hustling Espinoza on Litt trainee, should be in the mix throughout in this maiden-claimer. Value Play -- Exnessie

Latest defect bill leads to sparring: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- A lawmaker and a lawyer traded accusations Thursday over yet another construction-defect bill.

Logandale man first in Lake Mead tourney: "I put three fish into the live well on the very first stop," admitted Gadlage, who said three days of practice on Lake Mead paid off. The Logandale resident said he caught two of his five fish limit on a jig and the rest on a Zipper worm.

Competition among cities stiffens for big conventions: Dave Carpenter; Biggest convention centers

Lady Rebels hang on to stun Loyola-Marymount: Victoria Sun; LOS ANGELES -- When Loyola Marymount charged at the Lady Rebels in the second half, they didn't flinch.

Casinos try to conserve: Association President Bill Bible said Thursday, "As the No. 1 industry in Nevada, we know citizens look to us for leadership in difficult times and, because we're in the bright lights business, we are taking steps to curtail energy use while implementing long-term strategies to conserve energy."

Legislative briefs for March 16, 2001: CARSON CITY -- A bill has been introduced in the Senate to discourage counties and cities from hiring state workers with specialized training.

Where I stand--Brian Greenspun: A license to steal: YOU FORFEIT, I win.

Letter: Argument tests idea of fairness: The ridiculous part about all of this is that the "notch babies" are crying about "fair treatment." For some reason, they think getting more from the government than they gave is fair, and that getting more in Social Security benefits than those who will come after them is also fair. What a strange concept of fairness!

BYU's hopes dashed: Steve Addy; SAN DIEGO -- BYU came in with high hopes and a hot streak.

Murder case may return to public defender's office: Kim Smith; When Margaret Rudin fired her public defenders last summer, she said she wanted a dream team like Sandy Murphy had in the Ted Binion murder case. By the time she went to trial March 2, she had three of the major players in that case on her side.

Legislation could help gambler regain millions: Brendan Riley; CARSON CITY -- A key lawmaker is moving ahead with a bill that could help Las Vegas golf course developer and high-rolling gambler Billy Walters get back $2.8 million seized in an alleged money-laundering case.

Resident's dream becomes nightmare: Writer Alma Davies-Williams wanted her dream swimming pool to have a waterfall, cave and island, but all she got was an unsightly hole with weeds and rusty pipes.

Softball team routed by No. 2 Arizona: The Rebels fell to 15-12 and the Wildcats improved to 29-1 on the season.

Columnist Sal DeFilippo: XFL's best set to meet, but will anyone watch: Sal DeFilippo; The two preseason favorites to win the XFL, Orlando and Los Angeles, meet this weekend for the only time during the regular season.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Traditional fare aplenty at Venetian's Royal Star: Why am I writing about Chinese New Year's dinner at Kevin Wu's Royal Star restaurant at the Venetian when St. Patrick's Day is upon us?

Where I Stand 1986 -- Hank Greenspun: Watergate had LV -- and Sun -- roots: It all started right here in the sleepy ol' town of Las Vegas.

Joe Delaney remembers 1986: Rickles at the Sahara: Joe Delaney remembers 1986: Rickles at the Sahara

News of the Day: 1986: Story: As horrified Americans watched the space shuttle Challenger explode little more than one minute after launch Tuesday, analytic chemist Paul Keller said in Las Vegas that the tragedy should delay the space program until the blast's cause is discovered.

Columnist Joe Delaney: After 56 years, Treniers have stood test of time: Joe Delaney; The first time I saw Claude and Cliff Trenier, I was just out of the service in 1946 and back in the record business ... A friend suggested catching the Jimmy Lunceford Orchestra, one of the top swing and performance bands, at Harlem's famed Apollo Theatre ... One of the Treniers was singing, holding an extended note, as he departed on stage right.

'Second City' settles in nicely at Flamingo Las Vegas' showroom: Joe Delaney; The Second City was born in Chicago in December 1959. Its first and present home is in a shuttered Chinese laundry on the outskirts of the Windy City's Old Town section.

Wheels spinning on car show, swap meet: Old cars and old-car parts will fill a parking lot at the New Frontier Saturday and Sunday.

Barbara Greenspun remembers 1986: Watergate's lessons haven't been forgotten: At the time I was not aware of the devastating effects the entire Watergate episode would have on the presidency, or the part the Sun would play in the drama.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Las Vegans feeling a bit adrift: When snow and freezing temperatures creep across the nation's midsection, chilly residents scurry to Las Vegas for some sunshine, palm trees and ...

Dave Matttews Band to hit LV: Tickets, which cost $50.50, go on sale at 9 a.m. Saturday and can be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center box office and at any Tickets.com outlet, as well as over the phone at (888) 464-2468 and on the Internet at tickets.com.