Print edition for December 4, 2002

Engelstad: A champion for the common man: It was fitting that the large portrait beside his mahogany-toned casket depicted Ralph Engelstad in an open-collar blue shirt.

Slot maker to trade on NYSE: "The move to the New York Stock Exchange puts a punctuation mark on the turnaround of our company and provides a new level of prestige, stability and visibility as we move forward with our growth phase," Robert Miodunski, president and chief executive officer of Alliance Gaming, said in a statement.

City may ask BLM to buy golf course: Dan Kulin; The North Las Vegas City Council will decide tonight whether to ask the federal Bureau of Land Management to buy the Craig Ranch Golf Course, which city leaders want to turn into one of the largest public parks in the area, according to city documents.

Reid, TSA to unveil limo, taxi restrictions: Sen. Harry Reid is scheduled to meet with representatives of the local limousine industry and the state's Transportation Services Authority to explain the "Limo Law," which takes effect in January.

Gaming regulator sworn in: Auriemma, 53, a lawyer and longtime casino regulator, had led the department on an interim basis since January, when former director John Peter Suarez left to take a job in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under former Gov. Christie Whitman.

Reid blocks Indian casino, Michigan tribe to try again: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., has blocked a proposal that would pave the way for a new Indian casino in Michigan.

Obituaries for Dec. 4, 2002: Rose Alongi, 89, of Henderson died Tuesday in a local hospital. She was born Sept. 19, 1913, in Rochester, N.Y. A resident for 16 years, she was a homemaker.

Editorial: Bestow the honors, and yet, be succinct: The fellow next at the podium, President Abraham Lincoln, was more to the point. In his two-minute Gettysburg Address, the president referenced, "... those who here gave their lives ... the brave men, living and dead, who struggled here ... the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced." Of course, Everett's talk is largely forgotten, while Lincoln's is passed from generation to generation.

Letter: Elderly caught in trap of rising medical costs: That is an insult. My husband will receive about $9 more per month, and I slightly more, and Medicare is going up $4.70 per month. This leaves him a net increase of $4.30 per month.

Savvy wine buys: Falesco Vitiano '01: This is a young, tannic, light wine that is only 12-plus percent alcohol. It's a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented in stainless steel and then oak aged in barrels from France, which adds a little body to what is otherwise drinkable but uncomplicated.

Gingerbread houses built in good taste in Las Vegas: Max Jacobson; Jean-Luc Daul, executive pastry chef at Four Seasons, is doing his fabulous Gingerbread Village again this year. Besides that one, there are many other places to see and to buy gingerbread houses throughout the area.

Letter: Why stop with disarming Iraq?: If we, the United States, can disarm Iraq, what is to stop us from disarming Pakistan, India and North Korea? And how about China?

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Festival once again illuminates holiday season: Elizabeth Foyt; Spread out through the ballrooms of Bally's, this five-day event features a preview reception with brisk bidding on lushly decorated trees, wreaths, centerpieces and gingerbread creations embracing both Christian and Jewish traditions.

Letter: Republic Services does a fine job: We in Las Vegas have much to be thankful for, and one thing is our wonderful twice-a-week garbage pickup, rain or shine, holiday or not.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Charo y Aladdin hacen buena pareja: Charo is leaving Sahara, where she has been a periodic headliner for decades.

Editorial: It's time to display leadership: There still are business groups and some leading Republican lawmakers who say that we can just simply cut our way out of these fiscal woes, but they're spinning pure fiction -- state programs already have been whittled away as much as they can be. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, among other business groups and lawmakers, opposes a gross receipts tax on businesses, a levy that is the centerpiece of the recommendations made by the Governor's Task Force on Tax Policy. Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, said Tuesday the business community should keep an open mind on all tax ...

Columnist Muriel Stevens: A Monday frozen in time: Songs have been written about blue Mondays; my dear departed mother, who lived by her superstitious beliefs, warned me about everything bad always happening on a Monday.

Community briefs for Dec. 4, 2002: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area offers hikes, walks and programs free of charge. To make required reservations or for more information on the following or other upcoming programs, call 363-1922:

Court briefs for Dec. 4, 2002: Sentencing was postponed Tuesday in the case of a Las Vegas man convicted of stabbing his brother with a steak knife.

Woman sought in killing of husband: Jen Lawson; Metro Police are looking for a 56-year-old Laughlin woman suspected of stabbing her estranged husband to death in their home.

Firm weighs buyout offers: Rawlings Sporting Goods Co. said Tuesday it welcomed a bid by its largest shareholder to buy the company for about $65 million in cash. Daniel Gilbert offered to buy the roughly 85 percent of Rawlings he doesn't own for $8 per share.

Western governors gather to explore regional issues: Erin Neff; Governors of eight Western states will meet in Henderson and Las Vegas this week to discuss homeland security and critical regional issues such as wildfires and energy.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Thursday's races at Hollywood Park: Thursday's card

Charge dismissed against elderly man hurt in police stop: Jeffrey Libby; A Boulder City Municipal Court judge on Tuesday dismissed a misdemeanor charge against an elderly man who sustained broken ribs and other injuries during a felony traffic stop in August.

County OKs more monitoring of hazardous materials firms: An eight-member task force -- assembled after a deadly explosion at a model rocket plant in October 2001 -- recommended the county align its business licensing, air quality and fire codes with the state's hazardous materials regulations.

Tuesday's prep results: Girls Basketball

Columnist Peter Benton: World Cup of golf heads to Mexico: Peter Benton; The EMC World Cup, (formerly known as the World Cup of Golf,) gets under way next week over the 7,153-yard Nicklaus Course at Vista Vallarta in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Rebels to face 'Pack in Reno: Steve Guiremand; NEXT UP

School Board works on how to get another $879 million: By Emily Richmond; Clark County School Board members are gearing up for months of show-and-tell to try to win $879 million in additional education funding.

District seeking cuts in special ed hearing costs: By Emily Richmond; Clark County School District officials, citing cost concerns, want new limits on hearings for special education students, including a cap on costs and a one-year statute of limitations for filing complaints.

Klitschko brothers remain enigmatic: Dean Juipe; One has a big fight Saturday in Las Vegas and the other has one of equal importance here in March, yet neither Wladimir nor Vitali Klitschko seems overly concerned.

Thursday's horse racing entries: Post Time 12:30 p.m.

Assembly committee assignments released: Democrats have just a one-seat majority over Republicans in Education, Transportation and Ways and Means.

Apex developers can split parcels: Developers of the Apex Industrial Park have been hit by county air quality regulations that limit large-scale industrial development and land-use rules that would not allow residential development.

Henderson's Fernandez WAC player of month: Fernandez, a freshman from Henderson, placed third overall in a field of 60 at the Landfall Tradition tournament in Wilmington, N.C. She led the Hurricanes to the team title, carding rounds of 75-71-74 for a 220 total. The third-place finish was her best of the seaon.

Factory orders rise in October: Jeannine Aversa; WASHINGTON -- Productivity, a crucial ingredient to the economy's long-term vitality, grew at a sizzling annual rate of 5.1 percent in the summer, a faster pace than the government previously thought. Orders to U.S. factories rose in October for the first time in the last three months.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Formula One series down to 10 teams: The financially troubled Arrows Formula One team was left off the 2003 F1 entry list for the 2003 season, leaving the international racing series with 10 teams.

Columnist Dean Juipe: CFL looms as option for Thomas: Dean Juipe; Notes today, leading off with one courtesy of Jason Thomas' father.

A Constance reminder: A voice in the back of Constance Jinks' mind wouldn't go away that night in September 2000. Call your father. Just one more video game. Call your father. Soon enough, the screen and buttons and mental video gymnastics had lulled her to sleep.

News briefs for Dec. 4, 2002: A 66-year-old Las Vegas man died Tuesday after being struck by a van as he tried to cross Boulder Highway.

Life-saving paintings may return to Auschwitz survivor's life: Judy Odierna; When Dina Babbitt was 20 she met Nazi exterminator Dr. Josef Mengele, who kept her alive at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp to paint portraits of Gypsies for him.

Homeless shelter restrictions killed: By Timothy Pratt; New rules governing homeless shelters in Las Vegas were pulled from consideration by the Planning Commission this week after shelters expressed concern that the regulations could eventually lead the city to shut them down.

Man gets plea in teen's killing: Jace Radke; After sitting through three days of testimony about his alleged sexually deviant behavior and methamphetamine abuse, a man accused of raping and killing a teenage girl in Henderson pleaded guilty Tuesday to lesser charges to avoid a trial.

Police find body in trunk of car parked near UMC: The victim, who police said was in his 30s, had been reported missing by his mother Nov. 28. The body had not been positively identified as of this morning, according to the Clark County coroner's office.

Guinn wants state to run youth prison: CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn wants to reopen Summit View Youth Correctional Center, the prison for serious juvenile offenders in North Las Vegas, with the state -- instead of a private company -- running it. Guinn said Tuesday he would include money in his next budget to reopen the 96-bed center in July.

Perkins blasts business on its objections to taxes: Erin Neff; Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins struck a pre-emptive blow Tuesday in what is expected to be a grueling tax battle in the upcoming Legislature.

Prosecutors say defendant faking mental retardation: Erica D. Johnson; Prosecutors say a man accused of killing a prostitute and running over a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper during a high-speed chase is claiming mental retardation to avoid the death penalty.

County takes steps to help homeless: Adrienne Packer; A homeless camp washed away by a weekend rainstorm prompted Clark County commissioners Tuesday to explore new programs that would add more shelter beds and create a community triage center.

Zoning decision is postponed: The commissioners, acting as the zoning board, said they postponed the item until Dec. 18.

Harrah's touts economic benefits of casino in R.I.: PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Harrah's Entertainment Inc. of Las Vegas says development of a casino could ultimately generate $50 million annually in new revenues for the state of Rhode Island.

Casino withdraws plans for helicopter pad: The request had been on the agenda for today's Las Vegas City Council meeting. The matter can be resubmitted to the council at another time.

Justice Dept. files motion for water at Yucca: Justice Department lawyers filed the motion for a preliminary injunction against the state of Nevada on behalf of the Energy Department, which manages the controversial nuclear waste dump project.

Columnist Jeff German: Ted's house could yield treasures: Now that District Judge Michael Cherry has given Haddad permission to buy the 2408 Palomino Lane residence from the Horseshoe club executive's estate, the sale is expected to close within 10 days.

Woman arrested in shooting death: Leann Isabell Garcia is charged with murder, possession of a stolen vehicle and grand larceny, police said.

Woman arrested in death of her husband: Margaret Joyce Modelfino was taken into custody in Laughlin. She is charged in the death of her husband, Gino Modelfino, 66, a retired electrician.