Stories published May 3, 2002Las Vegas Sun

UNLV's Knight named MWC Coach of Year: Ryan Moore, who has led the Rebels in stroke average all season, became the second straight Rebel to earn the league's Freshman of the Year award, Moore was also named to the All-Mountain West Conference team, where he was joined by teammate Clark Corbett on the 10-man squad.

Rebels roll to win over BYU, 19-6: The win improved the Rebels to 25-23 overall, 10-12 in the MWC. The Cougars fell to 17-25-1, 10-11 in league play.

MWC teams have berths in 4 bowls: The Mountain West's third-place team will play the Big East's third, fourth or fifth-place team in the San Francisco Bowl on Dec. 31 at Pacific Bell Park.

Can anybody win this year's Run for the Roses?: Ralph Siraco; When the dust settles from Saturday's Kentucky Derby, most of those who have participated in the Run for the Roses will look back and not be all that surprised at the outcome. They will backtrack and see clearly why the winner captured America's most famous horse race.

LV slot maker sued over loan: Loren Piel, Innovative's executive vice president and general counsel, disputed Finova's claims, saying Innovative owes only $30,000 of the loan. "The loan was financing for a video gaming device for video game versions of blackjack, craps and roulette," he said.

Letter: New plate makes us look foolish: The sponsor of the bill approving this design, Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, possesses very poor judgment, and the plate's designer, Rick Bibbero, should be ashamed! Pathetic behavior like this tends to preserve Nevada's joke status in this nation.

Former supervisor indicted on charges of embezzlement: The indictment alleges that Pedro Mata sold slot machines and equipment to U.S. Gaming Exporters Inc. in Clayton, Ohio. Then $109,000 was transferred from a U.S. Gaming account to Mata's personal account at Las Vegas-based Cumorah Credit Union, according to the indictment.

Modern Art: Maturing Garfunkel focuses on tour and family: Kirk Baird; When: 8 p.m. today, through Sunday.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'callaghan: A book by Erik's grandpa: OUR LITTLE ONE ROOM SCHOOL in rural Wisconsin had a corner set aside for a library. We had 25 to 32 students attending grades 1 through 8. My mom was our teacher and also cooked our lunches made up of surplus commodities provided by the Roosevelt administration. The Great Depression was in full swing and the hot lunch was important to the kids during the cold winter months.

Judge limits coverage of LV firm's Internet gambling patent: David Strow; A Las Vegas Internet gaming company suffered a setback this week in its legal battle against Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho.

Coroner's jury blames man for his own death: Keith Paul; A coroner's inquest jury Thursday took only 12 minutes to clear three Metro Police officers of wrongdoing in the asphyxiation death of a man who struggled with them -- and in an unusual move, the jury ruled the person who caused the death was the slain man.

Cory may stay in campaign: Cory said when word spread he was backing out, he received several phone calls from supporters and potential contributors. Cory said he will gauge how much support he has before making a decision by May 20, the filing deadline.

Racing change recommended: The change could result in thousands of dollars in additional revenue for the state, since the change would give bettors a few split seconds of additional time in which to make a wager.

Long-awaited Neonopolis opens in downtown Vegas: Diana Sahagun; The face of downtown Las Vegas was transformed this morning with the opening of Neonopolis, a 200,000-square-foot entertainment complex seen as the cornerstone in the city's redevelopment efforts.

Blitzstein case figure Cino to be resentenced next month: Jace Radke; The resentencing of a reputed Chicago mob associate has been rescheduled for May 14 because the defendant couldn't travel to Las Vegas for a hearing today due to medical problems.

Some of Phyllis Diller's one-liners: AP; "A bachelor is a guy who never made the same mistake once."

Third student arrested in school threats: Kim Smith; A third Pahrump Valley High School student in as many days has been arrested for allegedly threatening to blow up the school and a fourth student could be arrested soon, authorities said.

Acquisitions prompt look at antitrust regulation: Nevada gaming regulators would have more say on whether industry mergers and acquisitions would be in the best interests of the state under a proposed regulation.

Las Vegas has big plans for NW area: When Sue Mariano looks out her living room window, she has a stunning view of the Las Vegas Valley.

Missing California teacher, student found here: Keith Paul; A California high school teacher was held without bond today in the Clark County jail after being found in a Strip hotel Thursday with one of her 15-year-old students.

Gambling plan in doubt: The tribe signed an agreement with former Gov. Mario Cuomo to build a casino on its Akwesasne reservation, along the St. Lawrence River, the paper said. Gov. George Pataki and the tribe amended the accord in 1999 to allow the casino to have electronic gambling machines.

Andersen dropped by United, Harrah's: CHICAGO -- Arthur Andersen LLP lost one of the biggest remaining blue-chip clients in its home city Thursday when UAL Corp., parent of United Airlines, dumped the troubled firm as its auditor after 67 years.

Casinos discuss ways to combat violence: Jeffrey Libby; Metro Police Deputy Chief Bill Young said today that he urged Laughlin casino executives to ban outlaw motorcycle gangs from their hotels at next year's Laughlin River Run motorcycle rally.

Ashcroft to meet terrorism task force: Jace Radke; Attorney General John Ashcroft is scheduled to visit Las Vegas on Wednesday to meet with Nevada's Anti-Terrorism Task Force.

NAACP angered by Paige visit: By Emily Richmond; Kevin Tate, interim chairman of the local committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said he learned of Paige's town hall meeting in North Las Vegas April 17 only after the event occurred.

Guinn promises teachers a raise: CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn says he will put enough money into his next budget for a 2 percent pay raise for schoolteachers, saying he is keeping a promise he made during the 2001 Legislature.

Enron pulling out of Nevada market: A subsidiary of fallen Houston energy giant Enron Corp. has decided to stop selling power to Sierra Pacific Resources and its subsidiaries, including Nevada Power Co.

State ranks 29th in taxes collected per resident: Cy Ryan and Timothy Pratt; Nevada collected $1,820 per resident in taxes in 2001, placing it 29th in the nation, according to a Census Bureau report released today on state tax collections.

Business briefs for May 3, 2002: SANTA ANA, Calif. -- PacifiCare Health Systems Inc., the biggest operator of Medicare health plans and a big insurer in Nevada, said it lost $858.8 million as it wrote down the value of acquisitions.

LVCVA says it will scale back spending for 2003: The public-private city marketing entity on Thursday gave its board of directors its first look at the spending plan, which anticipates lower revenues and spends less for advertising, but gives employees an average 6 percent pay boost.

Retail operator's profit soars: General Growth owns Boulevard and Meadows malls in Las Vegas.

Letter: I-15 trash gives bad impression: How can you let this first impression exist in a town that wallows in its glitter? I know there are two correctional facilities along that 10-mile strip. This seems to me to be one quick, economical solution. Drive out there and take a look -- it's really, really ugly.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Anderson deserves a showroom of his own: Joe Delaney; Bob Anderson is back where he belongs, starring in a Las Vegas showroom, even if it is a truncated, transformed nightclub at The Venetian ... It is interesting to note that the show, "The Main Event," is billed as "An Unauthorized Biography of the Sinatra Era," but Anderson does not portray Old Blue Eyes ... Anderson replicates all the other stars associated with Sinatra.

Ralph Siraco's picks for Saturday's races at Hollywood Park: 1st Race -- G L'S GOLD STRIKE - P. Val on Bean trainee, draws good post for sprint opener, G L's Strike Gold here? NATURE'S POWER - Bug boy Krigger atop Glatt trainee, draws good spot in claimer, backers hope Nature's Power enough to visit winners circle. Value Play -- SLEEPING TIGER

Are we helping the homeless enough? Goodman says yes: Oscar Goodman; Oscar Goodman is mayor of Las Vegas.

Arizona gambling vote delayed again: Scott Thomsen; PHOENIX -- The Senate has delayed until Monday its final vote on an agreement between Gov. Jane Hull and 17 Indian tribes to continue casino operations.

Blitzstein case figure to get new sentence: Jace Radke; A reputed Chicago mob associate was scheduled to be resentenced in U.S. District Court today after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a money-laundering charge.

Columnist Benjamin Grove: In health insurance battle, Reid discovers odd ally: Benjamin Grove; It's no surprise that Reid and Bush -- two high-profile leaders of their parties -- have been at odds on a variety of issues. But the No. 2 Senate Democrat's frustration with the president has grown even more noticeable in the last two weeks.

Young gun: James Stewart admits he is living a wonderful life.

State workers' insurance in the red: CARSON CITY -- The health insurance program that covers state workers, their dependents and retirees ran $2.5 million in the red during the first three months of the year.

Columnist Susan Snyder: A brief look at underwear: If women's regular underpants were made to fit we wouldn't need thong underwear.

Datebook for May 3, 2002: The "Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Film Festival" kicks off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday with a screening of 1953's "Tokyo Story" at West Charleston Library, 6301 W. Charleston Blvd. Call 507-3980.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Outlaw bikers now local problem: Just a day earlier, news reports coming out of Los Angeles told of increasing gang violence in that area. It had subsided during recent years but again was becoming more evident in that city. No explanation came with these news reports, but the motorcycle gangs have never been far from gang trouble.

Editorial: Toughen reporting rules for lobbyists: The Nevada Legislature meets for just four months in odd-numbered years, but that doesn't mean things shut down upon adjournment. The Interim Finance Committee, a panel comprised of lawmakers that makes multimillion-dollar appropriations, conducts business when the Legislature technically isn't in session. Lobbyists try to influence legislators on this committee and others, too, where interim legislative committees study issues and draft legislation for upcoming sessions of the Legislature.

Columnist Jon Ralston: Demise of the Democratic Party: Bow your heads in a moment of prayer for the corpse known as the Nevada Democratic Party. It lived a good, full life, once even thriving as the dominant party in terms of voters and officeholders. But on the eve of filing, this is a political party relegated to irrelevancy, bereft of any hope to go on and ready for entombment.

Columnist Sandy Thompson: Education must be a funding priority: Sandy Thompson; So why don't we increase education funding in the Las Vegas Valley to handle the increasing number of students in a continually growing community?

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

Blood drives: Wednesday: 2:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Feline is a swirl of issues: I will not share the bathroom with the cat.

Rebel women to face Ducks in NCAA event: Victoria Sun; The 18th-ranked UNLV women's tennis team gathered at coach Kevin Cory's office at the Fertitta Tennis Complex on Thursday to watch and listen on Cory's computer to the brackets being unveiled for the NCAA Division I women's team championships.

Clinton: It's time for us to build a world without walls: I want to begin my talk tonight by asking you to think about two apparently unrelated things. First of all think about a typical day in the life of this city and this state. Nevada, the fastest growing place in America. Young, open, vibrant, a symbol of our success in an interdependent world, benefiting from the collapse of borders and distances, the globalization of travel and trade, of technology and information and growing racial and ethnic diversity -- present here and in every other successful society on Earth.

Are we helping the homeless enough? Buer says more needs to be done: Brother David Buer; David Buer is a Franciscan brother and director of Poverello House, a daytime hospitality house for homeless men.

Dairy chief named to ethics position: CARSON CITY -- By a 4-2 vote, the state Ethics Commission decided it wanted an experienced administrator rather than a lawyer to be its next executive director.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: R-J blinded by hate: We may never know because it appears to be a full-time job for them. Take the former president's recent visit to Las Vegas to speak at UNLV for the Barbara Greenspun Lecture Series, for example. For those of you who are new to Las Vegas, anything that has the name Greenspun attached to it automatically qualifies for special treatment in the other paper. And, if the guest lecturer is Bill Clinton, he doesn't stand a chance. They don't know who to hate more!

Editorial: Another revelation of nuke waste follies: The men, who jumped off the train after a security guard pointed a gun at them, ultimately were apprehended. But if these men had been armed terrorists and had overwhelmed the security detail, there's no telling what they could have done. For the most part, Sept. 11 caused a dramatic shift in how we defend ourselves against terrorist attacks, which is why it is so outrageous that the federal government won't recognize that transporting nuclear waste would be an open invitation to terrorists.

Columnist Jerry Fink: Bono's show catching on at Sunset's Club Madrid: Fans of "The Dennis Bono Variety Hour" begin lining up outside Sunset Station's Club Madrid at 11:30 a.m. each Thursday.

Columnist Steve Guiremand: Retire Frohlich's jersey: Steve Guiremand; The jersey numbers of two former Lady Rebel basketball players, Misty Thomas (No. 4) and Pauline Jordan (No. 50), currently can be found retired to the rafters at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Mind over Matters: Kirk Baird; WEEKEND EDITION: May 5, 2002

Woman pleads for husband in tax case: Jace Radke; Katja Crosby broke down Tuesday as she pleaded with U.S. District Judge Roger Hunt not to send her husband to prison for filing a false tax return involving income the government said was made by trafficking in bootlegged compact discs.

Violin virtuoso Milenkovich finishes Philharmonic season: Marilyn LaRocque; What: Las Vegas Philharmonic Season Finale Concert.

Thursday's prep results: Bonanza 17, Western 6: Brandon Wllmott and Dustin Molisee had three hits apiece and Bobby McMurray and Andrew Smith both homered to lead the Bengals' assault. McMurray, Smith, Billy Osgood and C.J. Garcia each had two hits for Bonanza.

Attorney claims DA withheld key facts in killing: Kim Smith; Defense attorneys in a 7-year-old murder case are hoping to win the freedom of their client by alleging prosecutors withheld the statement of a key witness at his trial.

Letter: Government wastes water, too: I travel all over the valley and routinely see ball fields and school yards being watered for hours on end during the middle of the day. I also see government facilities with broken sprinklers pouring water into the street. Until our government officials are held accountable and set a good example, how do they expect the citizens to conserve?

Editorial: Be wary if taking new pills: The Food and Drug Administration doubts the 20 percent figure, but nevertheless acknowledges that, "Clearly, physicians and patients should be aware that recently marketed drugs are at risk of being found to cause unsuspected serious adverse effects." The Journal study found that pharmaceutical companies "frequently market new drugs heavily to both patients and clinicians before the full range of ADRs (adverse drug reactions) is ascertained." They report, for example, that nearly 20 million patients in the United States took at least one of the five drugs withdrawn from the market between September 1997 and September 1998.

Street of Dreams offers higher views, prices: What: Street of Dreams.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Bon Appetit event blows through Bellagio: Our town's leading chefs turned out in full force for the 13th Annual Bon Appetit Wine and Spirits Focus at Bellagio. The walk-around dining festival was to have been an outdoor event, but Mother Nature confused March with April and sent winds strong enough to bowl over any food exhibit.

Mom wants to reward daughter: This has been a rough year for a 13-year-old girl both at home and in school, her mother says. The mother and father divorced, which affected the girl. Her grades slipped, but she is working hard to improve them.

Camera removed from police dressing room: The camera was spotted and torn down last month by park police officers.

Review: Life goes on in 'Son's Room': Geoff Carter; "Son's Room"

Review: Allen fails to do 'Hollywood' justice: Geoff Carter; "Hollywood Ending"

Strugging 51s swept in 4-game series: Steve Addy; Among the countless indignities suffered by the 51s this week -- most of them self-inflicted -- the final cut was the cruelest of all Thursday night. And the week isn't even over.

Performing Arts for May 3, 2002: Plays staged

Scene Selection: The Coen brothers strike again: Geoff Carter; Why Billy Bob Thornton chose to work with Joel and Ethan Coen on the solid film noir "The Man Who Wasn't There": "Because (the Coens) consistently do not suck."

PCL box: Las Vegas - Colorado: WP--House. HBP--Alviso (by Beirne), Greene (by Speier).

Obituaries for May 3, 2002: Angela Avila, 67, of Las Vegas died Wednesday in Las Vegas. She was born Oct. 16, 1934, in Chicago. A resident for five years, she was a retired insurance representative and a member of the choir and Ladies Guild at Our Lady of Las Vegas Catholic Church.

State PUC decides against new probe of Nevada Power: But commission Chairman Donald Soderberg said Thursday that the issue could come up at future meetings.

Lobbying group hopes to rally more support for Israel: The head of the lobbying arm of Americans in support of Israel hopes his visit next week to Las Vegas will bring about more unity in the Jewish community to support the Middle Eastern nation.

513398326.html: Regarding David Gregory's April 29 letter, in which he stated his views of the off-road community and its "ignorance" to wildlife and land use:

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Rahal has tasted good and bad at Indy: Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the site of Bobby Rahal's most memorable moment in racing -- and his worst.

Review: Plot tangled in 'Spider-Man's' web: Geoff Carter; "Spider-Man"

North Las Vegas honored: North Las Vegas is one of the best cities in Southern Nevada in which to develop, according to a survey of top Nevada developers in a recent issue of Nevada Business Journal.

News briefs for May 3, 2002: A Las Vegas man has pleaded guilty to two felony counts of bilking four people out of $124,280 in a bank ATM investment scheme.

Letter: Nevada Power job cuts should start at the top: So now the company will threaten us with blackouts and how it can't do future hookups.

UNLV's Schneiter to play in men's tourney: Victoria Sun; UNLV men's tennis player Thomas Schneiter already has beaten the No. 1 ranked player in the country.

Probe launched over use of force by judicial bailiff: Kim Smith; An investigation has been launched against a judicial bailiff accused of using excessive force Thursday against the 19-year-old son of a man who died while police were taking him into custody in February, officials said.

On Display for May 3, 2002: "A Woven Tapestry of Perspective," two- and three-dimensional works by 10 artists, is on display through July 8 at Reed Whipple Cultural Center, 821 Las Vegas Blvd. North. Call 229-6074.

Posting a record food drive: WEEKEND EDITION: May 4, 2002

Fleshing the talent out of 'Skintight' performers at Harrah's: The cosmetically enhanced women of "Skintight" are nothing if not titillating.

Community briefs for May 3, 2002: The Nevada State Museum will present "Forty-Niners, Miners, and 19th Century Nevada," noon until 5 p.m. Saturday at the museum, 700 Twin Lakes Drive, at Lorenzi Park.

Clinton on political values, arsenic and Yucca Mountain: Question: What values do you believe make you a Democrat, and have your political values changed now that you are not president?

Editorial: Consistency missing in Yucca plan: The Washington Post article went on to document that Bush has used the sound-science argument to mow down other initiatives, such as new standards for arsenic levels in drinking water, increased fuel efficiency for automobiles, and a proposed ban on snowmobiling in Yellowstone National Park. On the latter issue, the Bush administration is currently embarrassed over a letter endorsing the ban that the Environmental Protection Agency sent last week to the National Park Service. Gale Norton, who heads the Interior Department, which oversees the park service, and Christie Whitman, who heads the EPA, are now scrambling to counter the letter, ...

Columnist Jeff German: DA hits 'sex trade' for boost in race: "It's our obligation to make life as hard for these clowns as we can possibly make it," a tough-talking Davidson told reporters.

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