Print edition for July 16, 2002

Editorial: Weed out unwanted sales calls: Advice is available from state and federal governments and from such consumer organizations as www.junkbusters.com, which provides an anti-telemarketing script that may discourage future calls. Consumers who follow all the advice, which includes writing letters to direct marketing associations -- may expect only limited success, however.

Letter: Good riddance to pledge phrase: The phrase "under God" should never have been put in the Pledge of Allegiance in the first place.

PCL box: Las Vegas - Fresno: WP--Caraccioli. PB--Rodriguez. BK--Caraccioli. HBP--Ellison (by Nance), Kinkade (by Pearson), Thurston (by Pearson).

Democrats file complaint over Porter campaign funds: Erin Neff; The Nevada Democratic Party filed a Federal Election Commission complaint Monday against Republican Jon Porter, accusing the congressional candidate of accepting $37,650 in excessive contributions during the first three months of the year.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Investor trust is lost: This is not a new revelation. Rather, it is a confirmation of what I and others have known for a long time. Whether in matters of family, or social or business concerns, her innate sense of right and wrong, coupled with a healthy dose of common sense, has never been found wanting.

Editorial: Sensible restrictions on running for office: Anna Kjorvestad, a member of the far-right Independent American Party of Nevada, is running for public administrator, too. But what makes her candidacy notable is that the 17-year-old, who will be 18 by Election Day, is even eligible to be elected because of her age. We don't want to discourage young people from being more politically active, but it is absurd that Nevada law would allow someone who has just turned 18 to be eligible for such an important position. There is no way that an individual at this early stage in her life can take on the complex job ...

Letter: Our government has cooked the books for years: It is true that several billion dollars is devastating to thousands of investors and future retirees of the above companies. However, trillions of dollars are involved in the Social Security program administered by Congress and White House occupants since 1936.

Letter: Court threatens U.S. sovereignty: "Almost every day the Israeli papers report another attempt to transform Israel into a pariah state -- like the recent statement by Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lind accusing Israel of war crimes. Israel's attorney general, Elyakim Rubenstein, has warned that the new International Criminal Court about to open in the Hague could begin targeting Israelis for supposed war crimes, including the mere act of moving to a settlement or even a Jewish neighborhood in East Jerusalem."

Letter: Another reason to end executions: Not all states have capital punishment. That simple fact points to grave anomalies within the system when whether a person lives or dies can depend not upon their innocence or guilt, but where that person lives, how much money he or she has, and all too often, it seems, skin color. Surely this is reason enough to end capital punishment. But there is more. Different studies have shown many have been found to be innocent after spending years on death row. How many more did not live to see the day?

Wednesday's horse racing entries: Post Time 1:15 p.m.

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

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Happy hour in the press box: One of the mantras of sports writing is "there's no cheering in the press box."

No headline required: AP; --

Columnist Susan Snyder: A tough cut -- no lion: It ended ended $115 later with something called "a lion cut."

Cher & Cher alike: Fans celebrate diva's legacy at Cher Convention 2002: By Kristen Peterson; The 42-year-old contestant from Phoenix had erred while answering Cher Questions No. 1 and 2.

Community briefs for July 16, 2002: The Nevada Equal Rights Commission, the agency charged with enforcing the state's employee discrimination laws, will hold its third quarter meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

Regulators OK slot system: SDS Coupon issues coupons that, when fed into a slot machine's bill validator, offer promotional credits that can't be cashed out. The system is one of several of Alliance's so-called "cashless" machine products -- systems that allow players to gamble by using and redeeming tickets rather than coins or bills.

Starting center Glaser quits Lady Rebels: Steve Guiremand; UNLV women's basketball coach Regina Miller knew she would have to replace one of her German National team members next season after three-time conference Player of the Year Linda Frohlich moved on to the WNBA's New York Liberty in the spring.

Wildfires taking toll on valley air quality: Ed Koch and Launce Rake; Unhealthful air quality readings were recorded in Clark County for a second straight day, with dangerously high levels registered Monday. Wind-whipped smoke from wildfires hovered as a thick gray haze over the Las Vegas Valley.

Woman injured in hit-and-run crash: Metro Police said the driver of a Plymouth Voyager apparently ran a stop sign and struck a car driven by JoAnna Frizzell of Las Vegas about 11:45 p.m. Monday at Hollywood Boulevard and Bonanza Road.

LV weighs new special events policy: Diana Sahagun; A proposed special events policy for the Las Vegas City Council would not curtail regular neighborhood meetings but would set new policies with the ultimate goal of bringing council members' spending to more equal levels.

New service from LV to Washington planned: America West will be the third carrier to offer nonstop service to the northern Virginia airport when it begins flights Dec. 26. United Airlines currently flies between McCarran and Dulles and National Airlines plans to start service next month. America West currently flies between Las Vegas and Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport and National Airlines will return to that market in October.

Berkley raps Pakistan in tennis controversy: The players, Amir Hadad of Israel and Aisam Ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan, were widely cheered for teaming up at Wimbledon earlier this month. Observers said they set an example of teamwork and friendship for warring Jews and Muslims.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Autopsy sheds little light on ring death: Dean Juipe; Boxing can be a deadly sport, as each of its participants knows so very well. And when one of them succumbs as the result of taking part in a fight, the others -- as well as the physicians who oversee their matches -- want to be able to specify not only the cause of that death but what preventive measures might have avoided it.

Residents can chat with mayor: Goodman will meet with residents from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Friday at the Starbucks at 7660 W. Cheyenne Avenue at Buffalo Drive. Friday's meeting takes place in Ward 4, which is represented by Councilman Larry Brown.

Murphy seeks bail while awaiting high court appeal: CARSON CITY -- Sandy Murphy's attorney has asked the Nevada Supreme Court to free her on bail pending the appeal of her conviction in the killing of Ted Binion.

No takers for MASH Village: By Timothy Pratt; The city of Las Vegas received only one answer in its call for a nonprofit to run a downtown homeless shelter when the shelter's current operator pulls out Oct. 1 -- and the answer was not yes or no, but a maybe.

Attorney general wants Calif. tribe to stop work on casino: Don Thompson; SACRAMENTO -- The state attorney general's office said Monday it has invoked, for the first time, a provision requiring an Indian tribe to negotiate over casino-related problems or risk losing its gambling compact with the state.

CFO leaves company: The company's chief operating officer, Peter Cleary, will serve as interim CFO while the company seeks a replacement.

State's teachers' pay rated 15th in the nation: By Emily Richmond; Nevada teachers rank 15th in the nation when it comes to their average paychecks -- $44,234 in 2001 -- a ranking that jumped six spots when the low cost of living in the Silver State was taken into account, according to a new study by the American Federation of Teachers.

Priest pleads not guilty in sex case: The Rev. Mark Roberts, 51, will go to trial May 19 before District Court Judge Donald Mosley on two counts of using a minor in the production of pornography, two counts of open and gross lewdness and five counts of child abuse or neglect.

Obituaries for July 16, 2002: Irene S. Beehler, 61, of Las Vegas died Sunday in a local hospice. She was born Nov. 5, 1940, in Athens, Greece. A resident for three years, she was a homemaker, a member of Zeta Tau Alpha, Orinda Women's Club, Las Vegas Welcome Wagon and CASA Program and a graduate of Penn State University.

Housing Authority makes plans to find new director: Diana Sahagun; It was business as usual at Monday's Las Vegas Housing Authority meeting, as residents questioned security practices and called on board members to tour declining housing sites.

Herrera holds slight donations edge: Erin Neff; The race for Nevada's 3rd Congressional District doesn't get much closer than the fund-raising totals for the two major candidates.

Top Vegas executives must now vouch for numbers: By Liz Benston; The Securities and Exchange Commission is requiring top executives at four of the world's largest gaming empires to verify the accuracy and completeness of their companies' latest financial statements.

UNLV hires Nash as assistant coach: Nash played four seasons at Bradley University, graduating in 1999 with a B.S. in graphic design.

Sandy Valley fighting to to hold onto water: Two sides in a battle over water in a small community 40 miles southwest of Las Vegas are asking a state court to referee their fight.

Deal reached with UPS: The deal was reached Monday night -- 16 days before the current, five-year contract was set to expire.

Findley out as Pines coach: Spencer Patterson; When his first-year Desert Pines squad went 0-7 in the fall of 1999, Jaguars coach Gary Findley didn't panic.

Bennett-Haron sees longtime dream come true in JP post: New Justice of the Peace Karen Bennett-Haron has wanted to be a judge since she worked as a law clerk for District Judge Tom Foley straight out of Texas Southern University law school.

Kindergarten called key tokids' success: By Emily Richmond; Children from America's poorest neighborhoods would have a better chance at success in school if they attended an extra four months of kindergarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers said Monday.

Numbers face scrutiny: Adam Geller; NEW YORK -- The Coca-Cola Co.'s decision to count stock options as an expense steps up pressure on other companies to do the same, or to at least explain their position on the hotly debated issue.

Garbage customers to join lawsuit: He plans to hire an outside company to notify all of the customers of the trash company, either through newspaper advertisements or direct mail. Once notified, all of the customers will become part of the lawsuit unless they request in writing to be removed, Cremen said.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Stewart supports Gibbs' decision to switch to Chevy: Tony Stewart has been driving Pontiacs since he began his stock-car career in the NASCAR Busch Series in 1996 with team owner Harry Ranier.

Big hike in tobacco tax called 'win, win, win': Erin Neff; Other states have higher per-pack cigarette taxes than Nevada:

Acrobats take flight in new AC Tropicana show: John Curran; ATLANTIC CITY -- After showcasing such ghoulish topics as torture methods, Titanic artifacts and backyard bone discoveries, one might say Tropicana Casino and Resort had nowhere to go but up.

More crews to fight blaze: Crews fighting Southern Nevada's first major wildfire of the year were expecting reinforcements today to double the number of firefighters battling the 1,600-acre blaze in the Spring Mountains.

Analyst upgrades rating: Maher increased second-quarter earnings estimate from 46 to 48 cents per share. His third quarter earnings estimate increased from 43 to 45 cents, and fourth quarter earnings rose from 44 to 45 cents.

Gamblers to appeal ruling on marketing of slots: By Liz Benston; Attorneys for a group of gamblers have sought permission to appeal a recent decision by a federal judge in Nevada that denied class action status to a potentially damaging lawsuit against the casino industry.

News briefs for July 16, 2002: A former Marine convicted of sexually assaulting a 32-year-old mother of three will go to trial again Dec. 2 -- 15 months after District Court Judge Kathy Hardcastle set Raymond Flores free and ordered a new trial.

Revenue beats expectations: Innovative Gaming projects third-quarter revenues will more than double again, to $5.5 million, while fourth-quarter revenues will yield $8.7 million.

Tropicana dealers vote to drop TWU: By Liz Benston; Dealers at the Tropicana Resort & Casino in Las Vegas voted overwhelmingly Saturday to drop the Transport Workers Union of America, reversing a vote to adopt union representation in January 2001.

LVCVA lands major Hispanic travel show: La Cumbre -- Spanish for "the top" or "the summit" -- is scheduled Sept. 3-6 at the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Las Vegas Hilton.

Wells Fargo profit surges; CEO prepares for Citibank: SAN FRANCISCO -- Wells Fargo & Co. Chief Executive Richard Kovacevich is getting a new neighbor: Sanford Weill.

Ex-UNLV standout Williams to divorce: Williams' second wife has film credits under her maiden name, Michelle Johnson. She made her movie debut in 1984 in "Blame It on Rio" and was in the 2000 football movie "The Replacements."

Two brothers found slain: The two were found about 3 p.m. in the condo in the 5000 block of South Spencer Street after the neighbor looked through a window, saw one apparently injured on the floor and called police.

Library offers history seen through Nixon's point of view: AP; At one point, he openly laughs about petty nuisances such as wiretaps of political enemies, his secret office tape recordings and the infamous White House "plumbers."

Motorcycle rider dies in collision: Ralph Locktish, 64, of Las Vegas pulled out of a parking lot onto Decatur Boulevard near Cheyenne Avenue about 4:15 a.m. The motorcycle hit the rear of the car, police said.