Print edition for January 4, 2002

Rose Bowl Notebook: Oregon's Bellotti comes to watch 'Canes, leaves impressed: Steve Guiremand; PASADENA, Calif. -- Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti stopped by the Rose Bowl on Thursday night hoping to leave with a Cornhusker victory and a share of the national championship.

Perfection: Steve Guiremand; PASADENA, Calif. -- So much for that split national championship theory.

VEGAS WEEKEND SPORTS ON TV-RADIO: VEGAS WEEKEND SPORTS ON TV-RADIO

Life of Brian: NBC news anchor Brian Williams has covered some of the most dramatic news events in the world during his 20 years as a reporter, from the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989 to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

Columnist Susan Snyder: A picture of true patriotism: It wasn't the kind being hawked in every imaginable form and place, from the American flag on Bellagio's marquee to plastic American flags sold in a Utah feed store to jeweled flag pins displayed in a ritzy California ski town boutique.

Columnist Kate Maddox: Slashing through GN'R rumors: Kate Maddox; On Friday afternoon the Hard Rock spokeswoman said, "There is no record of any of our security having any interaction with Slash (at the concert.)"

Columnist Jerry Fink: Marciel is more than her father's daughter: Jessica Marciel began singing at home for family friends when she was 3 years old.

Where I Stand -- Yanne Givens: Dialogue on America: STUDENTS in our Sun Youth Forum group discussed a spectrum of current issues under the topic of "America" that included the death penalty, same-sex marriages, terrorism, immigration and abortion.

Date book: The State Parks department presents the fourth annual E Pluribus Artis exhibit. Sculptors and artists working in three-dimensional media may submit samples of their work by Jan. 11 at the County Government Center, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway. Call 455-4856.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Rumors have Riley landing at UNLV: Dean Juipe; It's a rumor that had its origin in Southern California, appearing in print there a couple of weeks ago before it migrated to Las Vegas.

Former NFL 'toughmen' to fight in LV: Victoria Sun; When former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Randy White was asked to compete in last year's inaugural Tough Bowl, he politely declined.

Columnist Sal DeFilippo: Patriots sit back, watch AFC power struggle: Sal DeFilippo; I remember at the beginning of the season thinking about how bad the Patriots were going to be. No running game. The ongoing squabbles and distractions of star receiver Terry Glenn. The declining stats of Drew Bledsoe in recent years.

Simply a super series: Steve Addy; The last three UNLV-Wyoming basketball games, all Rebels victories, have been thrillers. Here is a look back:

Rebels, Wyoming vow to run, run, run: Steve Addy; At least UNLV and Wyoming emerged from nonconference play without an identity crisis.

Ridge, Abraham won't get similar treatment in visits: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Nevada officials plan to warmly welcome Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge next week for a tour of the Nevada Test Site, but they will turn a cold shoulder to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham.

Lady Rebels to play on ESPN2: Victoria Sun; The UNLV women's basketball team will play its first nationally televised game in almost nine years when it faces New Mexico on the road in a conference opener Sunday (ESPN2, noon).

Columnist Jon Ralston: Brace for war against hospitals: As then-Gov. Richard Bryan found out in 1987 -- and it is no coincidence that the man with the most in-tune political antennae in recent Nevada annals also latched onto the power issue during his career -- Las Vegas' private hospitals community is a target-rich environment. And as I told you just over a month ago, a potent coalition that marries the most politically influential labor and management groups in the valley is about to open a new front against the hospitals.

Cerebral palsy doesn't keep youth from a milestone in his faith: An old Hasidic story tells of a young boy who sat in the back of a temple repeating the first four letters of the Hebrew alphabet and whistling.

Letter: Pilot in racial profiling made good judgment: It's understandable why the agent would feel insulted and embarrassed. He was on the receiving end of racial profiling. However, while his civil rights must be protected, there is something we cannot forget. There is a specific group of people who have publicly threatened us, and who have trained hard, with one goal in mind. Our destruction! To forget this is to deny reality. It's like asking us to ignore the elephant in our living room.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Spokesman for children: The people of Vermont and their representatives have a long history of supporting education. The senator from Vermont had tired of watching the underfunding of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act since its inception 26 years ago. In 1975 Congress had pledged to fund 40 percent of its costs during the following years. This is a reasonable amount the states should expect from Washington to meet the needs for special education. Sadly, the best the Congress has done is pay for 15 percent, despite the efforts of legislators like Jeffords.

Columnist Jeff German: Gamers looking to clean up image: Last month the American Gaming Association, the industry's chief lobbying arm in Washington, agreed to extend the lucrative contract of Frank Fahrenkopf, the only president and CEO the organization has ever known, for another two years.

Seniors given a hand, and much more by volunteers: Rebecca Malone; Lend a hand Those interested in becoming a client, a volunteer or a donor to Lend A Hand, call 294-2363 or mail to Lend A Hand, 400 Utah St., Boulder City, NV, 89005.

Letter: Murphy lawyer's motion defended: He fails to inform the readers that the information was provided as part of a motion requesting oral argument. The motion is one required by the court if oral argument is desired, and one that I -- not Mr. Dershowitz -- drafted. I file this kind of motion or otherwise provide this kind of information in virtually every case in which I am involved.

State settles suit over insurance troubles: CARSON CITY -- The state has agreed on a $500,000 settlement in a 5-year-old lawsuit against a company that mismanaged the employees health insurance system, resulting in several million dollars in losses.

Lottery sales up, profits fall: The lottery earned $296.9 million from July through December, down from $319 million from the same period a year ago and $348 million in 1999, according to records released Thursday by the Ohio Lottery Commission.

Letter: System needed to track diseases: Our public health system is currently lacking in its ability to track the occurrence of chronic diseases and potential links to environmental factors. Public health officials have not been given basic tools and resources they need if they are to get to the bottom of disease clusters like Fallon's.

Nominations sought for annual women's awards: The awards, to be presented to five from the south and five from the north, honors those women who have worked to better the lives of others.

Newmont may be merger victor: AngloGold of South Africa, which had been vying with Newmont for Normandy, bowed out of the bidding Thursday after Newmont sweetened its bid.

Letter called threat to Reid: Kim Smith; A Las Vegas man has been jailed without bail in an alleged mail threat against four members of Congress, including Nevada Sen. Harry Reid.

Help is available for laid-off homeowners: Mathis Winkler; Owning a home had been Adan Luna's dream. It became reality when the 24-year-old North Las Vegas resident bought a house in the city's downtown area two years ago.

Letter: No celebration for bus riders on New Year's Eve: That sounded great, so we called CAT and asked for schedules and pick-up points for Route 105. We were given the times and locations; the most significant was the after-midnight schedule. We were told that the pick-up point would be Industrial and Spring Mountain at 12:51 a.m. and 1:51 a.m. We confirmed this with the driver as we exited the bus.

Jury clears officer in man's death: Keith Paul; Richard Travis Brown's family wasn't surprised when a Clark County coroner's inquest jury ruled Thursday a Metro Police officer was justified for shooting the accused robber in November, they just think the facts don't add up.

Goodman to make patriotic pitch: Diana Sahagun; Patriotic theme Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman will give his State of the City address Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the Charleston Heights Art Center, 800 S. Brush St. Seating begins at 5 p.m. The speech will be televised live on Las Vegas ONE, Cox Cable Channels 1 and 39.

Judge closes Internet site: U.S. District Judge Matthew Perry's order prohibits Sparticus Heyward from operating a website under any of his domains.

Profit surges for North Las Vegas hospital owner: The nation's second-largest hospital chain beat profit expectations of about 70 cents per share as it treated more patients and raised prices.

Lasorda to speak at benefit for UNLV: The banquet, to be held on Saturday, Jan. 26, at the Mandalay Bay Conference Center, will begin with a cocktail hour at 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m.

Editorial: Take tough look at privatization's woes: Once again we see that privatization, which during much of the 1990s was predicted to be the wave of the future for government, has demonstrated instead that it's but a shell of what it promised to be. In addition to the state women's prison experiencing financial difficulties, last year the company that ran Summit View youth prison in Southern Nevada ended its contract with the state two weeks after the Sun began investigating the conditions at Summit View, which included a number of security breaches, escapes and even female staff members having sex with inmates.

Editorial: Agreement won't be a cure-all: The "seamless" land-use plan ostensibly should end many of the headaches experienced by area residents who say that some commercial development has encroached on their neighborhoods, harming their quality of life. But, just as any agreement between warring factions, it only will work if the elected officials strongly support it. The County Commission was bitterly divided over the matter -- it passed on a 4-3 vote -- so it will be incumbent upon those on the losing end to help make it a success.

Attorney general readies suit against candidates: CARSON CITY -- The state Attorney General's Office is putting the finishing touches on civil lawsuits to be filed against errant political candidates who failed to file campaign expense reports on time.

Jobless rate up; rebound foreseen: Leigh Strope; WASHINGTON -- The nation's unemployment rate climbed to 5.8 percent in December, highest in more than six years, as businesses cut 124,000 jobs and the year ended with the job market in the depths of recession.

Recent Las Vegas-area business-related bankruptcies: Brian Corzine doing business as Brian Chase doing business as Brian Chase Consulting, 2783 Durness Court, filed Chapter 7, listing assets of $138,710 and liabilities of $206,900.

Correction: The Sun corrects its errors. If you find a mistake, call 385-3111 to report it.

Guinn loses his appointments aide: CARSON CITY -- William "Buzz" Harris, director of appointments in Gov. Kenny Guinn's office since May 2000, has resigned to enter private business in Reno.

Las Vegas hoping CES signals tourism upturn: Las Vegas tourism leaders hope a new year, a new exhibit hall and an established convention will jump-start the city's midweek visitation slump.

Analyst picks Harrah's, Alliance: Schmitt selected Harrah's as his only large-cap pick because of its diverse portfolio of properties, the strong performance of its Las Vegas properties in a weakening Las Vegas market and its strong customer systems and databases. Schmitt set a price target of the "low-$40s."

Airport land sales a high-stakes game: Adrienne Packer; Las Vegas real estate broker Lawrence Goldman this week became the most recent casualty of a process Clark County uses to dispose of land controlled by the airport.

Community briefs for January 4, 2002: The Las Vegas Chapter of Service Corps of Retired Executives presents the workshop "How to Really Start Your Own Business," at 9 a.m. Thursday at the Foley Federal Building, 300 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Suite 1100.

Controversial billboard law in for major rewrite: It isn't exactly "back to the drawing board," but a controversial new county law governing billboards may be extensively rewritten.

News briefs for January 4, 2002: A 31-year-old Las Vegas man was killed this morning when he walked out into traffic on Interstate 15 and was hit by a bus, a Nevada Highway Patrol spokesman said.

Immunization schedule for January 4, 2002: HENDERSON PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER: 129 W. Lake Mead Drive, Building A, Suite 10, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Hackers hit home computers: D. Ian Hopper; WASHINGTON -- Computer hackers, once satisfied to test their skills on large companies, are turning their sights on home computers that are faster, more powerful and less secure than ever before.

NFL injury report: ARIZONA AT WASHINGTON -- Cardinals: DOUBTFUL: CB Tom Knight (hamstring). QUESTIONABLE: C Mike Gruttadauria (ankle); TE Lawrence Hart (ankle); WR-KR MarTay Jenkins (ankle); OLB Raynoch Thompson (knee). PROBABLE: OLB Rob Fredrickson (knee); CB Renaldo Hill (hamstring); DE Fred Wakefield (ankle). Redskins: QUESTIONABLE: OLB LaVar Arrington (knee); G Ben Coleman (knee); RB Stephen Davis (knee); WR Michael Westbrook (ankle). PROBABLE: G Mathew Campbell (knee); FS Ifeanyi Ohalete (knee); OLB Antonio Pierce (shoulder); DE Bruce Smith (knee).

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

Russell Road recreation complex is scheduled to open Saturday: The $4.9 million facility at 5801 E. Russell Road has five soccer fields, two softball fields, a baseball field, volleyball courts, horseshoe pits and covered picnic tables.

Local gas price falls to $1.099: The Weekend Gas Watch compiled by the Automobile Club of Southern California found the average price of self-serve regular gasoline in Southern Nevada this week was 1 cent less than the previous week. The record price of $1.88 per gallon was set on March 27, 2000.

Court briefs for January 4, 2002: Two teenagers accused of stealing Clark County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury's car during a three-day crime spree were each sentenced to three to 10 years in prison by District Judge Jeffrey Sobel Thursday.

Health program makes it into the black: CARSON CITY -- The state employees health insurance program, which covers 55,000 workers, dependents and retirees, is in the black for the first time in several years.

Red Horse Squadron on mission: The squadron provides support, engineering and infrastructure for U.S. forces abroad, Nellis officials said.

Nevada's lawmakers will stay busy in 'off year': CARSON CITY -- The state Legislature won't meet this year, but there is work to be done.

Downtown minor league stadium idea revived: Diana Sahagun; Ending three months of silence on the topic, Southwest Sports Group officials are reviving the idea of building a minor-league baseball stadium on 61 acres of barren real estate downtown.

Bicyclists take holiday breather in LV before pedaling to Chile: Knowing this will be one of the last fun sites on their fund-raising adventure, two German bicyclists stopped in Las Vegas for New Year's, nearly a third of the way through their 10,000-mile trek from Canada to Chile.

Columnist Kate Maddox: Rose club snub a thorny issue: Kate Maddox; It had to hurt Slash's pride to be turned away at The Joint's door by former pal and bandmate Axl Rose.

Editorial: Don't let utility off the hook: There are a number of factors at work that make this more than just the usual rate case. It was less than a year ago that the nation was hit by the energy crisis, one that was made worse by the electric deregulation debacle in California. Utilities across the West, including here in Nevada, scrambled to make sure that they had enough power to keep the lights on. The wholesale costs of electricity skyrocketed as well, placing an additional burden on Nevada Power.

Last legs: Angie Wagner; Sequined dancers lie on the stage as it lowers them in front of an audience eager to be mesmerized by mystique and beauty. Swirls of orange and pink feathers come to life, fluttering and fading into a blur of a single graceful movement.

Tossing and turning: Shift workers often have trouble sleeping: By Emily Richmond; Applications The Clinical Research Center of Nevada is now accepting applicants for a study of shift-worker sleep disorder. Participants must be between 18 and 60 years of age and suffer from sleeping problems associated with their work schedules.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: St. Regis is a welcome day at the beach: Beach towns are not usually known for fine dining, so when I decided to take a holiday vacation at the St. Regis Resort at Dana Point in California I turned to friends for suggestions.

Obituaries for January 4, 2002: Soledad M. Aceron, 76, of Las Vegas died Wednesday in Henderson. She was born Feb. 6, 1925, in Pampanga, Philippines. A resident for four years, she was a homemaker and a member of Fatima Prayer Group and the St. Nino Prayer Group.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Huntridge is finally history: On New Year's Day David Lee walked into the old Huntridge Theatre with two other men and started tearing out the lights.

'Folies' still putting best foot forward: Joe Delaney; The Tropicana's new edition of "The Best of the Folies Bergere" is actually the 18th edition, the fourth under the aegis of Jerry Jackson, who has been associated with "Folies" since 1966.

West Las Vegas pioneer Sayles-House waves goodbye at 83: Rebecca Malone; Las Vegas lost one of its treasures Tuesday when Lovey Sayles-House, smiling and waving goodbye, died of a heart attack.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Lee, at Orleans, is in sixth decade of performing: Joe Delaney; Little Miss Dynamite, better known as Brenda Lee, appearing at The Orleans through Sunday, a star at the age of 6, is in her sixth decade as a recording artist and singing performer ... Despite her country roots, the late John Lennon once described Lee as having "the greatest rock 'n' roll voice of them all."

One city hesitates; another speeds up: Jeffrey Libby; With two tax committees meeting to find ways of increasing state revenue -- possibly at the expense of cities -- fast-growing Henderson and North Las Vegas are taking different paths to prepare.