Print edition for April 12, 2002

Saturday's horse racing entries: Santa Anita

Guest columnist Dean A. Hardy: No, malpractice tort reform is not needed: Before Nevada legislators consider overhauling a civil justice system that is the cornerstone of American democracy, they should be reminded that lawsuits have not caused higher malpractice insurance premiums and that so-called "tort reform" will not reduce premiums.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: A fight for survival: Our country has spent several months pursuing, capturing and killing Osama bin Laden's terrorists in Afghanistan. The people of the United States are determined that those who helped kill more than 3,000 of their countrymen Sept. 11 will be caught and punished. It may take several years to catch them and destroy their network of death over the world.

Letter: Republicans are at the root of budget failures: It was the Republicans who denounced this sensible approach, advocating instead a policy of tax cuts and depletion of the national surplus. In September we had an emergency, but found we had spent all of our savings. Now we are without surplus and in need of additional funds to fight terrorism. The promised stimulus from the tax cuts did not occur. Congress and the president face a budget that is out of balance and have nowhere to look but to increase the nation's debt.

A living hell: Libby Werthan; By Libby Werthan SPECIAL TO THE SUN

Jewish War Veterans look for recruits: Members of Post 711 can be reached at 893-9842.

Editorial: Poorer Americans hammered by audits: Some tax experts estimate that there might be $9 billion in cheating on the Earned Income Tax Credit while the overall cheating on taxes in the United States is projected at $300 billion a year. A retired IRS expert interviewed by the Times said that if the IRS spent just $9 million on additional resources, the agency could recover $1.8 billion on partnerships alone, income that currently goes unreported.

Thursday's prep results: BASEBALL

Editorial: Dropping the ball on nuke dump: Local governments haven't exactly shown their courage, either. While Clark County did approve some funding, last week the commission delayed action on a proposal by County Commission Chairman Dario Herrera to set aside another $3 million for the fight. The other county commissioners said the state should ante up first. Thank heavens local government officials and state lawmakers aren't members of a volunteer fire department. If there were an emergency, they'd spend all day at the firehouse arguing over who should suit up first while the home they're supposed to be saving instead burned to the ground.

Columnist Jon Ralston: It's no surprise the king lied: Seems the man from the RNC was upset about a column I had written suggesting that when he announced his veto of George W. Bush's dump decision, Gov. Kenny Guinn should call the president a liar. RNCman told me, "You can't call the president of the United States a liar." And he also informed me that the decision had been made on science and not politics because the "EPA" had informed the president that the site was scientifically safe.

The Heart of the Matter: Lisa Ferguson; WEEKEND EDITION

Columnist Sandy Thompson: Supreme Court backs Norwegian mom's quest: Sandy Thompson; For two years Cisilie Vaile has been fighting to regain custody of her daughters, then 5 and 9, who were taken by her ex-husband, Scotlund, from her home in Norway. On Thursday the Supreme Court ruled that the girls should be returned to her because Scotlund used an invalid custody order from Family Court to unlawfully take them. They said Family Court had no jurisdiction in the custody case because neither the Vailes nor their children ever lived in Nevada.

Letter: Feds alienate us over Yucca issue: Of course, we were all told how safe nuclear testing was. How can we as a state, knowing the lies and promises of our government better than any state, in good conscience, or sound science, allow them to do this again to any other state en route to this magic mountain?

Columnist Benjamin Grove: Cannon's legacy built on caring: Benjamin Grove; The 21-year-old UNLV student sent the woman back a short response but she had not carefully noted the details of the woman's illness. Cannon later called her into his office, asking for more information.

PCL box: Las Vegas-Edmonton: Edmonton

Another link to old LV lost: WEEKEND EDITION

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: The janitor who was a hero: The subject of the story was William "Bill" Crawford who was the squadron janitor at the Air Force Academy when the author was a cadet. Bill was a man who did his work efficiently and quietly and "blended into the woodwork."

Guest columnist Dr. Raj Chanderraj: Yes, malpractice tort reform is needed: There is a moral behind the old joke often heard these days: "The way medical costs keep rising is enough to make one sick ... that is, if one can afford it." The current malpractice liability coverage crisis is looming so large that the average citizen can no longer afford to get sick.

Columnist Jeff German: Eliades brings fight to cabbies: The outspoken Olympic Garden owner is holding back no punches in his high-stakes battle with drivers unlawfully diverting passengers away from his popular topless nightclub.

Editorial: Nuke waste: Burial not the only answer: Transmutation has been receiving annual research funding in the $30 million and $40 million range. In the past 15 years, by contrast, the federal government has sunk $7 billion into burial technology, which scientists so far have been unable to prove is safe. If transmutation were made a priority, with annual research dollars in the hundreds of millions, perhaps scientists studying the technology, including those at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, could make a breakthrough that would render burial a primitive solution.

Columnist Erin Neff: Political underdog goes for Yucca gold: Erin Neff; That's because a little knowledge about benefits could go a long way to derailing the anti-Yucca Mountain express -- a locomotive bursting with the state's "official message" about the Energy Department's dirty little secrets.

Editorial: Respect students' privacy: This past December the Las Vegas Sun disclosed that the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the University of Nevada, Reno, and the Community College of Southern Nevada, unbeknownst to regents, were selling student lists to credit card companies. The schools made money -- UNLV, for example, was raking in $100,000 a year -- by receiving a percentage whenever a student or parent charged something on a card acquired through the program.

Nevada Power files lawsuit against PUC: Cy Ryan and Steve Kanigher; CARSON CITY -- Nevada Power Co. filed a lawsuit against the state Public Utilities Commission on Thursday, alleging that the regulators erred by approving barely half of the $922 million in rate increases the company sought for energy used last year.

Nevada files suit on new Yucca rules: The lawsuit alleges the NRC had no legal authority to change the rules it will apply to the proposed nuclear waste repository. The NRC rules were adopted in November.

Casino suppliers merging: David Strow; More than a year after they began merger talks, Paul-Son Gaming Corp. of Las Vegas and a French gaming equipment supplier announced Thursday they have reached a definitive merger agreement.

West Wendover resorts acquired by Reno firm: Robert Winkel, an attorney representing Peppermill, said the company has signed a letter of intent to buy the State Line and Silver Smith resorts to increase its holdings in West Wendover, located on Interstate 80 at the Utah-Nevada border.

CIBC raises rating to 'buy': CIBC gaming analyst William Schmitt set a 12-month price target of $14, a 20 percent premium over current levels.

Prison money could be used for two work training facilities: A governor's study committee wants to divert $6 million of state funds earmarked for expansion of a medium security prison to build two inmate work training facilities in Southern Nevada.

Pinnacle won't rule out buyout of Aladdin: Speculation that Pinnacle would enter the bidding on the $1.2 billion Strip casino emerged after Pinnacle hired Dan Lee, former chief financial officer of Mirage Resorts Inc., to be its chairman and chief executive. Prior to joining Pinnacle, Wall Street sources said Lee had worked with Colony Capital LLC of Los Angeles on its efforts to acquire the Aladdin -- and that touched off speculation that Pinnacle, under Lee, would partner with Colony Capital in its Aladdin bid.

Vegas investor awaits New York licensing probe: New York gaming regulators issued a 90-day license to a racetrack in central New York, but ordered a Las Vegas businessman to stay out of operations while a licensing investigation proceeded.

Business briefs for April 12, 2002: KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Shares of Sprint Corp.'s PCS Group, the No. 4 U.S. wireless-phone company, fell 13 percent Thursday because of concern about the creditworthiness of some customers, analysts said.

M.D.C. earnings up 10 percent: The Denver-based company, which builds more than 8,000 homes a year across the country as Richmond American Homes, posted net income in the first quarter of $32.3 million, or $1.16 a share, up from $29.3 million, or $1.09 a share, in the same quarter a year ago.

JP Morgan analyst bullish on industry: JP Morgan's lead analyst in the sector is Harry Curtis, who formerly covered gaming for Robertson Stephens. Curtis also initiated coverage of International Game Technology at "long-term buy."

Strip brewery fights eviction, eyes move: Grace Leong; The Holy Cow! Casino, Cafe and Brewery, which closed its casino operations on Sahara Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard on March 22 but is still operating its brewery on the premises, is fighting its landlord's eviction efforts.

Laughlin casino operator subsidizing flights: Don Laughlin, owner of the Riverside hotel-casino, has signed a subsidy agreement with Minneapolis-based Sun Country, which announced its summer schedule earlier this week. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but an airline spokeswoman said the casino has guaranteed to buy more than half the 168 seats on its twin-engine Boeing 737 jets.

Bank announces earnings: Tod Little, chairman and chief executive officer, said the reduced earnings were caused by last year's cuts in short-term interest rates by the Federal Reserve.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Eddy can't get enough of lobster: For once, I let curiosity do the driving as I headed to Carson City last week, and I stopped at Eddy's 200-acre "ranch" that sits about 250 miles north of Las Vegas off U.S. 95.

McKinney-James on city manager list: Diana Sahagun; The search for a new Las Vegas city manager has unofficially begun, with a well-known former public official and lobbyist topping the list of interested candidates.

DVD Reviews: Cusack proves his worth: Geoff Carter; John Cusack is the name to trust in romantic comedy. Sure, there are other brands available, but Cusack has proven himself so reliable (with the exception of "America's Sweethearts") that there seems little sense in trying others. You can mess with Ed Burns and Josh Hartnett all you like, but they're just spit-shine in quality. Only Cusack brand does the deep-soul cleaning.

Rebels' Talvio, Byrne honored at luncheon: Talvio, a forward on the men's soccer team, was commended for being the top male student-athlete at the university with the highest grade-point average. The native of Helsinki, Finland, holds an impressive 3.93 GPA in finance. With four game-winning goals in his career, Talvio will be one of the Rebels' top returning starters in the fall.

Las Vegas stays hot, downs Eldorado, 6-2: Spencer Patterson; Las Vegas High's baseball team came into Thursday's conference opener with a 10-10 mark, but don't let the .500 record fool you. The Wildcats are one of Nevada's hottest teams.

Free tickets for Clinton speech: The distribution of tickets for the event, part of the Barbara Greenspun Lecture Series, will be 10 a.m.-6 p.m. that Monday at the Thomas & Mack Center ticket office.

Letter: Crack down on out-of-state tags: If we are always short, why did someone mandate a new license plate to replace the perfectly good ones we had? And why did they also reissue "blue" plates so that a few can keep their status symbol?

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Fans, drivers love Long Beach event: The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach has been one of CART's most popular races since the Champ Cars replaced Formula One on the temporary street circuit in 1984.

Chen-mania!: Victoria Sun; Only eight games into the season, interest in Taiwanese sensation Chin-Feng Chen has dramatically increased visits to the Las Vegas 51s' website and generated a strong international following for the team.

RTC gets good news on budget: The Regional Transportation Commission will have a budget next year much like this year's, a fact that was welcome news to its board, given the agency's economic troubles since Sept. 11.

Proceeds from 'Meltdown' drink to aid Yucca fight: Jerry's Nugget, at 1821 Las Vegas Boulevard North in North Las Vegas, is offering a specialty drink, appropriately called "The Yucca Mountain Meltdown." The drink is a blend of Curacao, rum and pineapple.

News briefs for April 12, 2002: A 31-year-old man is on life support this morning after a confrontation with North Las Vegas Police officers earlier this week.

Decision on Stratosphere ride delayed: Diana Sahagun; The Las Vegas Planning Commission voted Thursday to postpone for a month the Stratosphere's application for a proposed thrill ride, despite pressure from 100 neighbors who asked that the project be killed immediately.

PCL standings: American Conference

Las Vegas area fishing report: Overton Arm rich in bass, black crappie: Fishing took off last weekend in the Overton Arm with boaters having good luck for black crappie and striped and largemouth bass, according to the Nevada Division ofWildlife.

Taxing time here again: Tax help For last minute help in filing your taxes, try:

Unclaimed property at $10.2 million: Unclaimed property

Norris hopes to direct himself to Victory Lane at LVMS: If you go

Community briefs for April 12, 2002: The deadline for nominations for the 32nd annual Clark County Mother of the Year Awards is April 19.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Navin's poem is about face: Cathy Navin hopes to save the world with a poem.

Datebook April 12, 2002: Trini Lopez, Vikki Carr, Mayor Oscar Goodman, The Characters and Charo will be inducted into the Casino Legends Hall of Fame at 1 p.m. today at Tropicana. Admission is free.

Gallery features Chagall works: Kimberley McGee; What: "Marc Chagall -- The Master of 20th Century Art."

Exhibit explains Nevada's role in gold rush: Kimberley McGee; What: "Gold Fever! Untold Stories of the California Gold Rush."

Birds blamed for bacteria in Las Vegas Wash: University of Nevada, Las Vegas scientists have pinpointed the source of a common bacteria in the Las Vegas Wash: bird droppings.

Family describes troubled life of victim: Keith Paul; Kim Gautier's family lived in town, but she wandered in and out of their lives often.

Court overturns ruling against Norwegian mom: Sandy Thompson; The Nevada Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Clark County Family Court erred in a controversial custody decision involving a Norwegian mother and her two young daughters.

Performing arts April 12, 2002: Plays staged

Nevada's anti-Yucca fight turns green: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Nevada leaders are counting on what may be an unprecedented swell of support from the environmental community -- including a few green-minded celebrities -- as the Yucca Mountain project faces a decision in Congress.

Amazing Johnathan puts his own twist on traditional magic: Kirk Baird; When: 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays (dark Monday)

Hispanic activist Flores dies: Hispanic rights activist Gil Flores took on many tasks with determination and dedication.

Charge in baby's death dropped: Kim Smith; A murder charge has been dismissed against a Las Vegas man accused of killing an 8-month-old girl in March 2000.

UNLV's Schneiter wins another player award: The product of Worb, Switzerland, stunned the nation's No. 1-ranked college tennis player last week to earn the first 20-win season of his career.

Letter: Build Bush a house next to nuke dump: Give them the homes free of charge with the stipulation that they must spend six months of every year for the rest of their lives here in beautiful Nevada. Let their back yards look upon Yucca Mountain in all its splendor.

Columnist Paula Del Giudice: Good fishing at Lake Powell: One of my favorite fishing trips to make this time of year is to Lake Powell. If you can make a trip this month before the weather gets too warm and before summer vacation begins, it's just about perfect. Not only can you enjoy some of the best fishing of the year, but you can do it in virtual solitude.

Feds file new labor charge against Wal-Mart: NLRB resident officer Mike Chavez said the latest NLRB complaint filed April 2 is the 10th complaint against the Spring Mountain store and two other Sam's Clubs in Las Vegas in the past year. A hearing is set for June 25, 2002.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Performances by Laine, Dankworth special treat: Joe Delaney; Dame Cleo Laine and conductor John Dankworth, Britain's reigning jazz couple for more than four decades, will be in concert Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m. in the Suncoast Showroom ... A Grammy- and Tony Award-winner, Laine began her singing career in the early 1950s, encouraged by her Jamaican-born father and English mother.

Artist to present painting to Chinese president: Internationally acclaimed seascape artist Violet Parkhurst may feel as comfortable at the sports book at Caesars Palace or Stardust as she does sitting at an easel creating one of her popular paintings.

Review: 'Sweetest Thing' leaves bad aftertaste: Geoff Carter; Grade: **

LV businesswoman challenges practices: Chris Jones; A failed attempt to land a vendor contract with the city of Henderson has a Las Vegas businesswoman crying foul over the spending practices of Nevada's state and local government agencies.

Prosecutors to review case against priest in Henderson: Prosecutors will review the case and determine what, if any, charges will be filed. Police will submit a case asking for several felony charges including child abuse. The case is expected to be submitted Monday.

Columnist Jerry Fink: Sax man Alvarado enjoys sweet smell of success: Saxophonist, percussionist, keyboardist and vocalist Tommy Alvarado has performed with some of the best, among them Joe Cocker and Frankie Valli.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Barkley erred with remark on Augusta: Dean Juipe; As an exuberant, wise-cracking former athlete who now has the platform of an analyst's spot on a cable TV network broadcasting professional basketball, Charles Barkley is in a position to be heard.

Judge OKs more jet leases for National: Judge Linda Riegle on Wednesday authorized the lease agreement with International Lease Finance Corp., Los Angeles, for the two twin-engine, 175-passenger jets, which the lessor repossessed from a bankrupt Canadian airline. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Ushering in new Neimans' restaurants no small feat: An intimate tasting dinner at Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall for Platinum InCircle members introduced guests to Executive Chef Jacques von Staton, who is already at work equipping the two restaurants (no names, yet) opening at the store in September. One restaurant will showcase fine dining. A bistro-style eatery will offer casual dining. Both restaurants will face the Strip; the bistro will have an added attraction -- patio dining.

Group promotes liquor ads at broadcasters' conference: Gary Gentile; In the wake of NBC reversing its decision to air ads for hard liquor on the network, the distilled spirits industry is hoping local broadcasters will run spots for products that haven't been advertised on national TV for more than 50 years.

Obituaries for April 12, 2002: Ed Andrews, 59, of Las Vegas died Wednesday in Las Vegas. He was born July 20, 1942, in Boston. A resident for six years, he was a retired brick mason.

Laughs just keep coming with Smothers Brothers at Hilton: Joe Delaney; Comedy with class, equal parts of wit and humor, the hilarious sibling rivalry that sets the Smothers Brothers apart from comedy teams past and present, plus Gary Mule Deer, his guitar, bag of props and off-the-wall observations, makes the Las Vegas Hilton Theater a mirthful must-stop these next two weeks.

De La Hoya-Vargas bout rescheduled for Sept. 14: Oscar De La Hoya and Fernando Vargas will meet in a rescheduled fight at Mandalay Bay on Sept. 14.

'Bobblehead' depicts Goodman: Diana Sahagun; Anyone who has ever wanted to smack Oscar Goodman on the head will soon be able to do it in the comfort of his or her own car.

Letter: Caribou adapt to oil pipeline: The Sun's executive editor, Mike O'Callaghan, is a rare exception.

A new day for Save Ferris as it moves to House of Blues: Kirk Baird; B>Who: Save Ferris.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Saturday's races at Santa Anita: 1st Race -- KIPPER'S KITTEN - Solis scales Carava trainee, draws good middle post for sprint opener, Kitten turns to lion here. SAINTE MAXIME - Bug boy Krigger tabbed on Dollace trainee, draws good box for claimer, max-i-mum performance for Max-i-me? Value Play -- VERA ICY LADY

On display for April 12, 2002: "Retrospective," metal sculptures by John Banks, is on display Sunday through May 31 at County Government Center, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway.

Rebels proud of their turf as new practice field debuts: Steve Guiremand; UNLV's football team still hasn't managed to reach John Robinson's goal of becoming a Top 25 program. But it's doubtful many teams in the nation can claim a better practice facility.

School Board approves dissection waivers: By Emily Richmond; Students should be allowed to opt out of dissections in science classes, provided they have their parents' support, the Clark County School Board voted Thursday.