Stories published February 15, 2002Las Vegas Sun

Grocer closes one Vegas store, opens another: Miguel Gutierrez, Albertson's spokesman, said the company also opened a store recently at 8410 Farm Road in Northwest Las Vegas.

License to love: Kimberley McGee; Lovebirds flocked to Las Vegas this week in an annual romantic migration.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Let Nigeria win bid on Tyson fight: Dean Juipe; The daily ritual of charting which cities and which states are flirting with the issue of hosting the Mike Tyson vs. Lennox Lewis fight has gotten to be very tiresome.

Third Eye Blind guitarist is a true visionary: Kirk Baird; Tony Fredianelli has made many decisions about the direction of his musical career throughout his 33 years.

Police: Self-defense probable cause in killing: Mark A. Frazer, 33, of Las Vegas, went to his estranged wife's home in the 4200 block of South Valley View Boulevard near Flamingo Road about 7:30 p.m. and started arguing with her, police said.

NLV seeks new site for school: Mathis Winkler; North Las Vegas city officials, who oppose plans by the Clark County School District to build a middle school on prime commercial land in the city's redevelopment area, said they will search for an alternative site next week to end the controversy.

Charo sends Bush video message: "I admire all the job you're doing about the terrorists," Charo told the president in a video message she recorded Thursday at Las Vegas City Hall. "But leave nuclear waste where it is. Everybody in Las Vegas is very worried."

Community news briefs for February 15, 2002: The Southern Nevada Water Authority and the International House of Blues Foundation invite artists of all ages and skill levels to participate in the "Water Smart Art" event at 2 p.m. Saturday at Wasden Elementary School, 2831 Palomino Lane.

DA looks into claim of beating: Kim Smith; Metro Police officers this morning were scheduled to meet with a group of prosecutors to discuss the possibility of filing charges against an officer accused of hitting a man who was handcuffed.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Old news is good news to torchbearer: It's been a week since the torchbearers carried the Olympic flame into the 2002 Winter Games arena in Salt Lake City.

Editorial: Task force has crucial job ahead: The specific mission of the task force will be to determine whether victims could be better served and perpetrators better prosecuted in a court, under the umbrella of Family Court, that hears nothing but domestic violence cases. The creation of such domestic violence courts is a trend that has been gaining momentum for the past decade, and not just in the United States. A domestic violence court created in 1996 in Ontario, Canada, for example, was given the go-ahead last fall to expand throughout the province over the next three years because of the success it was experiencing. In this ...

Williams discusses his art: Williams will appear from 7-9 p.m. to discuss the special exhibit, on display through March 30.

Review: Washington almost carries 'John Q.': Geoff Carter; It's been said a thousand times by critics more experienced than I, but I'll say it again anyway: Denzel Washington is one of the best actors working today. He can convince you of anything in the space of milliseconds. Even when he appears in a flawed film, such as Nick Cassavetes' "John Q.," you can't shake your belief that he is who he says he is, and that the reality around him is being somehow distorted. It couldn't really be happening to him, could it?

F-16 simulators help give a lift to local students' patriotism: Palo Verde High School students understand deeply the meaning of patriotism since Sept. 11.

Obituaries for February 15, 2002: Fred A. "Rusty" Bader, 64, of Las Vegas died Tuesday in a local hospital. He was born May 10, 1937, in Tacoma, Wash. A resident for five years, he was a construction manager, an Air Force veteran, a member of the Elks and Moose.

Lady Rebels pull off an ambush: Steve Guiremand; No Linda Frohlich.

College tournament results: College tournament results

Sharpton group plans protest at MGM: Jace Radke; The Rev. Al Sharpton and his National Action Network, along with area religious leaders and the Black Panthers, will protest on the Strip in front of the MGM Grand Saturday evening in an effort to launch a national boycott against MGM MIRAGE.

DVD review: Eddie Murphy MIA from 'Beverly Hills Cop': Geoff Carter; There are two sequences of establishing shots in the 1984 action-comedy "Beverly Hills Cop." The first series, which plays under the credits, is a group of static shots of real Detroiters, which director Martin Brest shot with a hidden camera. The second is a group of quick impressions of Beverly Hills, shot from a moving car with actors in place of citizens.

Letter: Nevadans are bombarded by new expenses: Politicians are out of touch with reality. If they would have to run a casino the first thing they would do is charge a quarter for the use of a urinal and put dollar slots on the doors of the toilets. Casino operators know that when they are in dire straights they can count on the locals with two-for-ones and such. Those golden oldies are a safety net for the casino. They provide traffic.

Some scientists, environmentalists say decision premature: Some scientists and environmentalists criticized Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham's decision to recommend Yucca Mountain, saying the decision is premature, because not all of the scientific facts are available.

Datebook: Col. William Morales, author of "41st Alabama Regiment CSA: A Narrative History," will discuss and sign copies of the book at 10 a.m. Saturday at Enterprise Library, 25 E. Shelbourne Ave. Call 507-3760.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Food, music earn high marks at Santa Fe: When Memphis Championship Barbecue founder Mike Mills added a blues lounge to his third local restaurant, at Santa Fe Station, 4949 N. Rancho Drive, he added a new dimension to local barbecue.

Review: 'Hart's War' fights the good fight: Geoff Carter; No one in "Hart's War" is who they seem to be at first blush. Evil characters perform good deeds, and so-called good characters go bad; by the end of this World War II courtroom drama, you've followed the characters back and forth enough times to provoke neck strain. It's like watching a tennis match, only with the players changing places every few minutes.

Paratransit program faces change: Cuts to the local federally mandated mass transit program for people with disabilities could come in May.

LV's Busch to start in 15th position: DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Kurt Busch was more relieved than excited after his seventh-place finish Thursday in his 125-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500.

Bankrupt Carpet Barn to sell Vegas operations: Grace Leong; Las Vegas-based Nations Flooring Inc. and its subsidiary Carpet Barn, which each filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New York in December, said they are seeking court approval to sell Carpet Barn's Las Vegas operations to NF Acquisition Corp. for $4.8 million.

Utah Shakespearean Festival brings Bard to area students: Kimberley McGee; The Bard is back.

Political notebook: Tragedy haunts death penalty foe: Erin Neff; Debate over the death penalty always seems to draw the most emotional responses, whether from victims' advocates or the religious community.

Holiday closings: Holiday closings

Rebels face tough test in Fullerton: Victoria Sun; Historically, the Cal State Fullerton baseball team has dominated UNLV.

Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham ponders artform's history: When: 9 p.m., through Sunday.

Reputed mobster barred from New Jersey casinos: The Casino Control Commission voted to put George V. Remini of Staten Island on its excluded list. Federal and state law enforcement officials said Remini is a capo in the Gambino crime family and has a criminal record that goes back more than 30 years.

Columnist Jerry Fink: Robinson's storied trek winds through Vegas: Jerome Robinson sings the blues and tells great stories.

Review: 'Crossroads' not big enough for Spears: Geoff Carter; Britney Spears' big-screen debut begins as Dame Judi Dench's should have -- with the singer/icon/world-class virgin dancing around in her bra and panties and singing along with Madonna's "Open Your Heart."

Waltrip, Gordon take Twin 125s: DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Historically, it has been easy to predict what the racing will be like in the Daytona 500 by watching the two qualifying races on Thursday.

Daytona 500 lineup: 2. (29) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 185.770.

Vegas concrete, gravel operation to be sold: RMI will pay $4 million in cash and assume debt and leasehold obligations of $8 million. In connection with the transaction, MVCO will retire 560,100 shares of its common stock held by two stockholders.

Judge: Open child-abuse hearings: CARSON CITY -- Nevada law requiring closed court hearings in cases of abused and neglected children should be repealed, a Clark County Family Court judge says.

Green Valley teams capture state titles: The Gator boys defeated Durango 5-2, outscoring the Trailblazers 2,979-2,699 in total pins. Kyle Wilke led the way, posting a high game of 259 and a high series of 680.

National title in the bag for new mom: If Darien Marshall had been born on Valentine's Day, when he was due, Dawn Marshall might never have had her moment of glory.

GOP calls for candidate pay cut: Nevada Republican Chairman Bob Seale criticized county officials for moving Lamuraglia into a new role that has a $92,148 top salary but allowing him to keep his $116,080 lobbying salary.

Knight gives it her all in Flamingo show: Joe Delaney; Gladys Knight, assisted by her big brother, "Bubba," once a Pip, delivered a tour-de-force 90 minutes in the Flamingo Las Vegas showroom, with every one of the 750 seats occupied at the show caught on Tuesday, her opening night.

Balancing schools budget could up class size: By Emily Richmond; Superintendent Carlos Garcia said cutting $74 million in two years from the Clark County School District's budget felt like "we ran out of checks in our checkbook."

Slot maker subject of takeover speculation: National Amusements, the holding company for Viacom Inc. Chief Executive Sumner Redstone and owner of 30 percent of WMS shares, has continued to buy WMS stock on the open market and some analysts think it may one day make an offer for the entire company, the magazine reported.

Man accused in attack on officer, police dog makes deal: Kim Smith; A man accused of attacking a police officer with a cutting board and stabbing a police dog has entered a plea agreement.

Daytona Twin 125s results: First Race

Residential development gets preliminary approval: But the developer said conditions placed on that approval -- reducing the allowed apartment units by 280 -- would not leave him enough profit to complete a major roadway and ease traffic for nearby neighborhoods.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Marcis encouraged by strong showing: DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- After the way his car ran in Thursday's second Twin 125 qualifying race, Dave Marcis admitted to having second thoughts about retiring.

Child-care center expected to make mothers' job-training program easier: CARSON CITY -- Mothers receiving public assistance who are required to undergo job training will now be able to bring their children along in Las Vegas.

Parents fail to alter course for their elementary school: By Timothy Pratt; More than 100 Hispanic parents and their children left a School Board meeting Thursday confused and disappointed after the board voted to proceed with plans to convert Bracken Elementary School into a magnet school specializing in math and science.

Compromise reached in CCSD health fund dispute: By Emily Richmond; Facing $34,000 in unpaid medical bills after the collapse of her union's health fund, Clark County School District custodian Jackie Baffa turned to the only person she could -- her 17-year-old daughter.

SamulNori dance troupe celebrates Korean culture at UNLV: Kimberley McGee; When: 8 p.m. today.

Court briefs for February 15, 2002: A group of prosecutors who must decide if boxer Mike Tyson should be charged in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a former girlfriend are expected to meet early next week.

Letter: U.S. must tackle high costs of war: In 1997 an Iraqi jet hit the USS Stark with an Exocet missile and killed 37 sailors. Saddam Hussein said it was an accident. We accepted his apology. In early 1998 two American embassies were bombed, one in Kenya, the other in Tanzania, with 300 lives lost. This was the work of bin Laden and al-Qaida. In December 1998 two Libyans caused the downing of Pan Am flight 103 in Scotland -- 261 people killed. In October 2000 the USS Cole was bombed off Yemen, causing 17 servicemen's death. Then on Sept. 11 the sanctity of our country was encroached ...

Las Vegas looks like the team to beat in state wrestling event: Spencer Patterson; His squad may not be favored, but Palo Verde wrestling coach Kris Davis has at least one good reason to believe his Panthers can capture the state title this weekend.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Welcoming songstress Warwick back to town: Joe Delaney; Dionne Warwick, too long away, appears through Sunday in the performer- and audience-friendly Orleans showroom ... A re-released version of "What the World Needs Now," joined by rappers Ray J. Terese, Coolio, Bobby Brown and Big Daddy Kane, hit the Billboard charts, making Warwick one of the few artists to have chart hits in four consecutive decades.

Busch race lineup: 1. (87) Joe Nemechek, Pontiac, 186.254 mph.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: A cheap political show: THE LATE NEVADA U.S. SEN. Alan Bible was always a gentleman when conducting a hearing. No cheap shots or grandstanding was done when he was in charge. He never joined in the fun and games some chairmen think are necessary as they berate some poor lower-level bureaucrat appearing before a committee. For this reason, Bible had a warm relationship with the men and women who do the heavy lifting that helps government better serve the nation.

Rebels will look to neutralize Wyoming's heft in Laramie: Steve Addy; WHAT: UNLV (14-8, 5-4) at Wyoming (16-5, 7-1)

UNLV in 13th place at Hawaii tournament: The Rebels rebounded from a nine-over par effort in the first round behind some improved play from the back of the lineup. Freshman Ryan Moore found his game after carding an opening-round 76, shooting a two-under 70 to move into a tie for 36th place overall.

Prep playoffs schedule, results: Boys Basketball

Bush OKs Yucca Mountain waste site: Erin Neff, Cy Ryan and Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- President Bush today approved Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham's strongly worded recommendation that a national nuclear waste dump be constructed at Yucca Mountain.

Bush to OK Yucca: Erin Neff, Cy Ryan and Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- President Bush was expected today to approve Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham's strongly worded recommendation that a national nuclear waste dump be constructed at Yucca Mountain.

AG sues on campaign violations: CARSON CITY -- Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa has filed eight additional suits against political candidates, including five from Clark County, who failed to file their campaign expense and contribution reports or submitted them late.

Sununu 'very impressed' with work done at Yucca: Former White House chief of staff John Sununu said Thursday he was "very impressed" with work being done at Yucca Mountain and was pleased that Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham recommended the site as the nation's nuclear waste repository.

License to love: Kimberly McGee; Giddy couples sign off on Valentine's Day matrimony in Vegas

Telemarketers fire back at proposed Fed restrictions: Malcolm Hall; She depends on the call center industry for her livelihood.

Board: File charges against Mack: Diana Sahagun; After long being criticized for its ineffectiveness, the Las Vegas Ethics Review Board wielded its power Thursday by taking the unprecedented step of recommending criminal charges be filed against City Councilman Michael Mack.

Diamond Resorts plans Strip timeshare project: David Strow and Richard N. Velotta; Timeshare developer Diamond Resorts International announced plans Thursday to build a 30-story, $240 million themed timeshare resort on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip.

National Airlines eyeing $70 million loan: Bankrupt National Airlines, which received another delay Thursday in its reorganization plan approval in court, will apply for a $70 million government-backed loan next week.

Nevadans line up for chance to win long-shot jackpot: Jeffrey Libby; Maybe it's because the hills of California -- like those in Nevada -- are still winter brown.

RTC head: Gridlock likely if funding isn't found: The already congested streets of Las Vegas will face nearly total gridlock by 2025 unless officials find more money for roadwork, the head of the Regional Transportation Commission warned Thursday.

Executive: Icahn may look at takeovers: David Strow; If Las Vegas casinos continue to struggle into 2002, financier Carl Icahn could emerge as a potential buyer, one of Icahn's top Las Vegas executives said Thursday.

Station buys into Internet gaming venture: David Strow; Station Casinos Inc. of Las Vegas today announced it plans to team up with casino developer Sol Kerzner of South Africa in the Internet gambling business.

Nevada university system loses $300,000 in Enron: Jennifer Knight; Nevada's university system lost more than $300,000 of investment money becaus of the collapse of Enron Corp.

Editorial: Skating's judging tarnishes the Games: Any sport that relies on judges to determine the winners -- whether it's figure skating in the Winter Olympics or gymnastics in the Summer Olympics -- will result in controversy because of subjectivity and politics. But doubts about figure skating have reached a critical mass because of the lack of confidence in the judging. If Olympic officials and figure skating officials want the medals to mean anything at all, and not leave a blemish on the Games themselves, they will have to make sweeping changes to the judging, taking steps to reduce the collusion and outside pressure among the judges.

Play focuses on plight of mentally challenged: Four mentally challenged men sharing a group home face unique challenges and comedic experiences in Tom Griffin's play "The Boys Next Door," which is being performed Thursday through Sunday at the Lorna J. Kesterson Valley View Recreation Center.

Bush OKs Yucca for nuke waste dump: Erin Neff and Cy Ryan; President Bush approved Friday Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham's strongly worded recommendation that a national nuclear waste dump be constructed at Yucca Mountain.

Smooth Rydell: WEEKEND EDITION

Columnist Jon Ralston: Mack's credibility is cooked: The city Ethics Review board, in a series of unanimous votes, clearly believed Mack knew he was wrong when he accepted a loan from a city supplicant and then voted on an item that directly affected the man, Courtesy car mogul Joe Scala.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Let's defy the odds: On Thursday Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham recommended to the White House that the nation's nuclear garbage be buried in Yucca Mountain. At issue for President George W. Bush was whether he would keep his promise to Nevadans by sending the recommendation back with instructions to do the science and forget the politics. On Friday Mr. Bush took the easy and the politically expedient way out by deciding to shove that poison down our Yucca Mountain.

Letter: Students won't get more sleep: The trouble is no matter how we shift the hands of the clock (daylight savings versus standard time), it still takes 24 hours for one revolution of the earth about its axis! Most of the high school students will just stay up an hour later and be just as tired under the new schedule as they were under the old schedule. I remember cheating my bedtime during my high school years (1958-1962) and paying the price the next day!

Union, casinos near key contract talks: WEEKEND EDITION

In LV, China Town is a place to fit in: Stacy J. Willis; WEEKEND EDITION

Local news briefs for February 15, 2002: A yearlong argument over paying for work on the Las Vegas Beltway should be over next month, the head of the Regional Transportation Commission said Thursday.

Slam opener delayed; Theus may be coach: Victoria Sun; The Las Vegas Slam basketball team which last week joined ABA 2000 has postponed its home opener to Feb. 26.

Guest columnist Walt Higgins: Is Nevada Power's rate hike justified?: Walt Higgins; However, what has been disheartening throughout the last few months is that our critics continue to portray evidence that we mismanaged our power purchases or speculated in the wholesale power markets. We do not speculate. We do not make money on buying and selling power. And we do not buy more power that we anticipate our customers will need. To address some of these issues, it might be helpful to revisit where the utility market was a little over a year ago.

Columnist Benjamin Grove: A tale of two mountains -- Yucca and Wasatch: Benjamin Grove; That was the key message emerging last week from anti-Yucca Mountain forces in the nation's capital.

Editorial: So much for all the promises: Just as Bush started to leave following his speech at Lake Tahoe, a reporter asked him about a proposed nuclear waste dump at Nevada's Yucca Mountain, an issue he didn't touch on in his remarks. But Bush refused to elaborate: "You have my statement." Bush was referring to a statement he put out in May in which he wrote that he wouldn't sign legislation as president that "would send nuclear waste to any proposed site unless it's been deemed scientifically safe." But even nuclear power industry advocates claim "sound science" should decide Yucca Mountain's fate -- it is a meaningless ...

Editorial: Mack's ethics case has lesson for all: The Ethics Review Board didn't buy Mack's story that he had become so distracted with other matters, such as running for election, that he mistakenly thought the loan had been repaid. The board found that Mack violated ethics codes by failing to disclose a personal fact that could have the appearance of being linked to his vote on a public matter. The board chose the right path in referring the case to Municipal Court. There it will be determined if Mack's failure to disclose was an unintentional error or a crime that renders him unfit for office.

Kids learn early how to work the system: Kimberley McGee; WEEKEND EDITION

Columnist Susan Snyder: A singular approach to dating: Local single professionals say, "Plthbbbth."

Guest columnist Timothy Hay: Is Nevada Power's rate hike justified?: Timothy Hay; Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa, my office and the majority of other participants in the rate case before the Public Utilities Commission will take a different approach. We believe that no ratepayer, whether the smallest residential customer or the largest industrial user, should be forced to pay for Nevada Power's mistakes.

Letter: Keep the nuke poison where it was created: More handling and transportation of nuclear waste increases the chances of an accident, either here in Nevada or somewhere along the heavily populated routes the waste must travel. Minimize the chances by minimizing the handling. All of the proponents for using Yucca Mountain maintain that it is totally safe. If it is as safe as they say, there shouldn't be a problem leaving it where it is created. Increase security at those home sites. Smaller repositories would mean that less hazard to fewer people should an accident occur.