Where I Stand—Mike O’Callaghan: Rogich spins Chinese

Thursday, May 31, 2001 | 8:44 a.m.

Mike O'Callaghan is the Las Vegas Sun executive editor

NEVADAN BOB GOODMAN, now with offices in Hong Kong and Beijing, must have been surprised to see Sig Rogich, an old friend of his, and Don King walking down a Beijing street together. Sig took Bob to dinner later in the day.

King's ability to put a heavyweight fight on in China came as no surprise. Rogich's role in such an agreement also should draw no raised eyebrows among Nevadans.

Rogich's friend, President George W. Bush, should have him and King get the Chinese to allow our plane to fly home rather than come home in pieces for a junkyard. *

Hans Rawhouser served his LDS Church mission in Central America during 1995-1997. This summer he graduates from UNLV with a degree in civil engineering with a 3.97 grade point average.

Now he is putting together a team of volunteers to go to Nicaragua and build some houses to replace homes destroyed by Hurricane Mitch. It's called Project H.A.N.D.S. (Helping After Natural Disasters Strike). I have never seen a more worthy and difficult project undertaken by young people willing to work and sacrifice to help those less fortunate. Rawhouser can use some additional help and can be reached at (702) 312-1366 or rawhouse@yahoo.com.

Nevada lost a great old-timer and political activist Curtis Capelle last week. Curtis, age 99, seldom missed a Democrat rally or committee meeting. He loved good government and enjoyed person-to-person campaigning all over the Silver State.

The smell of his pipe and sage advice will be missed.

Thanks to Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, and Sen. Bill Raggio, R-Reno, Nevada now has "The Right to Shelter Law." Buckley wrote Assembly Bill 264 and with help of Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, got it through the Assembly. Raggio took it off the Clerk's desk, and it cleared the Senate with a 21-0 margin.

The Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, led by Kathleen Boutin with the help of Father Dave Casaleggio and other prominent Nevadans, has already shown what such legislation can do to help homeless young people.

On Saturday there will be a Physical Fitness Test for 20 pre-qualified candidates who want to attend the Devil Pups Youth Citizenship Development Program. Those approved will attend a 10-day participation program at the U.S.M.C. Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

At Pendleton the Devil Pups will: 1) Participate in running and other conditioning exercises, first aid, organized recreation, jumping into water from a 35-foot tower, a bivouac, and close order drill. 2) Depending on Marine Corps training, Devil Pups will observe various military exercises, such as firing of weapons, mechanized-infantry tactics, field fortification attacks, combat in towns and boot camp graduation in San Diego.

The Physical Fitness Test will be held at the Armed Forces Reserve Center, 5095 Range Road.