Stories published October 25, 2002Las Vegas Sun

Columnist Dal DeFilippo: Saints finally cover -- the long and hard way: Dal DeFilippo; One of the thrills of sports betting is figuring out, well before it unfolds, precisely what it will take to win, or lose, a game against the spread.

Former trader pleads guilty in fraud case: Brian Witte; BALTIMORE -- A former currency trader accused of hiding $691 million in losses at Allfirst bank pleaded guilty Thursday in one of the largest bank fraud cases in U.S. history.

Insurer's stock plunges: Insurer's stock plunges

County islands to float away: Dan Kulin; The dots on area maps that are the islands of unincorporated land surrounded by--but not part of -- Las Vegas, could get smaller.

Financial indicators mixed: Existing single-family homes sold at a 5.4 million-unit annual rate in September, up 1.9 percent from August, the National Association of Realtors said. Sales of new homes rose 0.4 percent to a record 1.02 million rate, the Commerce Department said.

Thursday's prep results: BOYS TENNIS

Saturday's horse racing entries: OAK TREE MEETING

Black activists decry shooting of teenager: Jen Lawson; The New Black Panther Party and other black activist organizations are speaking out against the shooting last week of a 16-year-old boy by a Metro Police officer.

News briefs for Oct. 25, 2002: At last Southern Nevada's weather is going to feel like fall.

Sunset rolls at state tennis event: Adam Candee; The 4A state tennis finals in Reno are all-Sunset Region affairs.

Goodman wants more say in developing of prime 61 acres: Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman has asked City Manager Doug Selby to look into the possibility of the mayor's office overseeing development of 61 acres of prime downtown land.

Husband of murder victim hopes killer 'burns in hell': Kim Smith; Roland Howard met his wife, Linda, when they were 14. On Thursday he had harsh words for the sous chef who is said to have killed her in a fit of anger over being fired.

Ex-councilman Hawkins to be honored for service: The event to honor Hawkins' contributions to the community as both a civic leader and developer will begin at 6 p.m. at the Venetian Hotel.

Columnist Dean Juipe: UNLV could use someone like Kazor: Dean Juipe; Steve Kazor has held a succession of football coaching jobs and would likely be interested in another, if the right opportunity came along.

Horses for all courses ready to run: Ralph Siraco; Since inception, the Breeders' Cup has billed itself as the day that champions come together to compete on the sport's championship day of racing.

Prep Playoff Scenarios: NORTHEAST DIVISION

Automaker's credit rating cut: S&P lowered ratings one level to BBB from BBB+ on Ford and its Ford Motor Credit Co. unit. Ford had consolidated debt of $162 billion as of Sept. 30, and the new ratings are two levels above junk status.

New bus route geared for seniors in northwest: The Regional Transportation Commission launched a new route targeting seniors in the Sun City Summerlin and Desert Shores areas Thursday. Route 713 operates Tuesdays and Thursdays and stops at three community centers, the Rainbow Library, Target, Mountain View Medical Center, Vons, Smith's and Walgreen's.

Centennial stays unbeaten: Adam Candee; THURSDAY'S SCORES

Prep football standings: CLASS 4A

Columnist Steve Guiremand: CBS likes UNLV-WVA in San Francisco Bowl: Steve Guiremand; The folks at the Mountain West Conference offices, not to mention UNLV, sure hope the people at CBS SportsLine.com know a thing or two when it comes to making bowl game predictions.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Saturday's races at Santa Anita: Saturday's card

DRI scientist named to U.N. expert panel studying deserts: David Mouat, a 15-year DRI geoecologist, is one of 25 scientists and natural resource managers selected worldwide to develop a work plan on land use and land management issues for the U.N. convention.

Las Vegas Area Fishing Report: Updated Oct. 25, 2002

Letter: Bush creates uncertainty: He now has the nerve to try to privatize part of that. Anytime anyone wants to invest extra money in the stock market they are free to do so -- or go gamble in a Las Vegas casino.

Columnist Benjamin Grove: Lame-duck Congress still has plenty left to do: Benjamin Grove; Lawmakers had split town to campaign in their districts, leaving piles of work behind for a post-election "lame-duck" session next month.

Gianopulos, head of prominent LV family, dies at 100: Helen Gianopulos left her native Greek isle homeland of Crete as a teenager, but she never forgot her language or her culture.

Editorial: Constable candidates receive endorsements: In the Las Vegas township, Robert "Bobby G" Gronauer, a Democrat, would like another term. Gronauer is energetic, gregarious and, most importantly, has transformed the constable's office in just four years, modernizing it and making it more professional. All the deputy constables employed by Gronauer must be certified under the state's Peace Officers Standards and Training program. Until Gronauer took over, there was no requirement that deputies have this basic law enforcement training. In addition, under the previous administration, no one in the office spoke Spanish. But now five of the eight members of his clerical staff can speak Spanish, ...

Whistleblower's complaint rejected: CARSON CITY -- A federal jury has rejected an estimated $190,000 claim by a former state investigator who said he was the victim of retaliation by his superiors for blowing the whistle on a case of misconduct.

Columnist Barb Henderson: Plenty to do on Nevada Day: Barb Henderson; The State of Nevada honors and celebrates our state holiday on the last Friday in October. But it was on Oct. 31, 1864, when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Nevada's admission to the union as the 36th state.

Fast as he ever was: NHRA schedule

School police seek direct 911 link: By Emily Richmond; The Clark County School District's police chief is pushing for a new telephone system that would allow his officers to respond more quickly to 911 calls placed from campus telephones.

Political notebook: Campaign fliers become family affairs: Erin Neff; Politicians routinely use their families in campaign ads.

Obituaries for Oct. 25, 2002: Marie DeJesus Alejo, 80, of Las Vegas died Oct. 18 in a local convalescent hospital. She was born March 26, 1922, in Mexico. A resident for five years, she was a homemaker.

Letter: Social Security recipients not getting their due: In the year 2002 my wife and I ended up with a combined net loss of $29 per month after a large increase in our supplemental medical insurance coverage.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Learning the hard way: Today let me ask: Who are James Martin, James 'Sonny' Buchanan, Premkumar Walekar, Sarah Ramos, Lori Ann Lewis-Rivera, Pascal Charlot, Dean Meyers, Kenneth Bridges and Linda Franklin?

Letter: Question 9 is pointless: Sure, we will have a law that stipulates that marijuana can be used. However, this law will contradict with federal law. Chances are that even if we have this law, it will go to federal court, possibly even the Supreme Court, where it will most likely deem this issue as unconstitutional.

Analyst's program helps planners with projections: WEEKEND EDITION: Oct. 27, 2002

Charges to stand in carjackings, two related deaths: Kim Smith; Attorneys for a Las Vegas teen facing the death penalty in connection with two fatal carjackings were unsuccessful Thursday in their getting half of the charges dismissed.

Performing arts for October 25, 2002: Song

Columnist Susan Snyder: The glory is often in the fight: The last time I saw Joaquin Alvarez really happy was the day I turned 40.

Tribute group Fair Play leaves fans wanting more: Already bursting at the seams, Riviera's Le Bistro Theatre has shoehorned another act into its busy schedule.

Scene Selection -- Geoff Carter: 'Beauty' stands test of time: Walt Disney Pictures' "Beauty and the Beast," now available on DVD (Disney DVD, $29.99), had its genius recognized almost immediately upon its release -- a comparative rarity for Disney's animated films.

Columnist Jerry Fink: Forward Motion trumpets its emotion on Sahara stage: Practitioners of Buddhism generally seem to be a laid-back lot, low-keyed meditators who close their eyes and search for the peace and tranquility of an inner world.

Editorial: Tragic plane crash cost Nevada a friend: Wellstone's vote was a testament to his political courage: A utility in his state said failure to solve the waste problem could shut down one of Minnesota's nuclear power plants. And most states with nuclear waste want to get rid of it as fast as they can, which put enormous pressure on officials like Wellstone to vote for Yucca Mountain. Not only Nevada, but the entire United States as well, has lost a friend who wasn't afraid to stand up for what's right -- politics be damned.

Different scene for Beatles in 1964: Spencer Patterson; It sounds like a match made in heaven -- The Beatles in Las Vegas -- but the band's 1964 visit to town barely created a stir for the Fab Four themselves.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Tear down this wall: In Washington, D.C., U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan has again ordered the release of the names of Cheney's select group that contributed to the development of a policy overly friendly to energy corporations. The first time he issued a similar order it was appealed by Cheney's lawyers and they were given another hour-long hearing, and last week Sullivan repeated his demand. Next month they will probably claim executive privilege to keep the names secret.

The tighter the race, the more likely the mudslinging: Erin Neff; WEEKEND EDITION: Oct. 27, 2002

School district wants to suspend former union head: By Emily Richmond; Clark County School District officials want to suspend the former head of the district's support employees' union for allegedly failing to disclose an arrest while he was in charge of the union.

Columnist Erin Neff: Question 2 is about creating a culture of discrimination: Erin Neff; That is, most of America feels that way.

Guest Columnist Larry Dixon: Quiet time key in loud sport: It's Friday and we hit the track today at 5 for our first round of qualifying for the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals.

Community briefs for Oct. 25, 2002: Lake Mead Hospital Medical Center, 1409 E. Lake Mead Blvd., North Las Vegas, will host a blood drive from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday at the hospital.

Letter: Lumpectomy is a better choice: With the study and results on mastectomy vs. lumpectomy, it has shown considerable factors that both surgeries are equally advantageous. I think it will persuade those women, who believe that undergoing mastectomy is the better alternative, to change their minds and consider lumpectomy instead.

McCartney tour offers a rare glimpse at rock history: Spencer Patterson; Sadly, the public's chances of catching a former Beatle in action are dwindling with each passing year.

UNLV's Moore picked for prestigious event: The All-America Golf Classic, slated for Nov. 25-26 at the El Paso Country Club, has been hosted by the Sun Bowl Association since 1974.

Columnist Jon Ralston: Question 2: It's all about love, not hate: A lot of my friends think I shouldn't be so honest, that I should try, as so many of us are doing, to pretend that I support the Protection of Marriage purely out of love for the institution. You see, we are motivated out of love, not hate.

Datebook for October 25, 2002: Las Vegas' Cultural Affairs Division and the Southern Nevada Old Time Contra Dancers will hold an "Old Time Barn Dance" at 7 p.m. Saturday at Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 S. Brush St. Admission is $6; students and military $3; under 15 free. 229-6383.

Wife indicted in man's slaying: Kim Smith; Seven months after her brother was arrested in the murder of her husband, Susanne Carno is now facing charges on the same slaying.

On Display for October 25, 2002: "America Marches Ahead," paintings by Norman Rockwell of the first 75 years of the 20th century, through Thursday at Centaur Art Galleries on the main level of Fashion Show mall. 737-1234.

Bull riders hope to cash in on TV deal: Forget the 18-wheelers that transport the bulls to and from the cities and arenas that comprise the Pro Bull Riders tour, or all those shiny pickup trucks in the parking lot.

Rebels recall Brisco: Steve Guiremand; NEXT UP

Onstage, Ozzy remains a hallow figure: Spencer Patterson; Halloween week and Ozzy Osbourne. They used to go together like mom and apple pie.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Returns look good for Bally's team: Well, not necessarily.

Dolphins player dropped from lawsuit alleging rape: Kim Smith; Miami Dolphins wide receiver and Las Vegas resident Dedric Ward has been dismissed from a lawsuit filed by a woman who claims he and three other professional football players sexually assaulted her in May 2000.

Editorial: Family Court candidates are endorsed: Division G was created by the 1995 Legislature to break the logjam of juvenile cases. Judge Cynthia Dianne Steel became the division's first judge in 1997 and has been Family Court's presiding judge for the past three years. She has excelled in both administrative matters and judicial decisions. Additionally, she has worked outside the courtroom for Southern Nevada families, having been one of the driving forces behind Donna's House, Clark County's first supervised child visitation and exchange center. The Sun endorses Judge Cynthia Dianne Steel.

Racial profiling charged in corrections officer's suit: Jace Radke; A Metro Police corrections officer is alleging that he was detained and handcuffed for more than an hour by North Las Vegas Police earlier this month as a result of racial profiling.

There's more than a ghost of a chance for Halloween danger: Erica D. Johnson; As parents purchase Halloween costumes for their children, firefighters want them to keep in mind the dangers of flammable materials.

Fixing a taxing problem: By Steve Kanigher; A task force that has been studying Nevada's tax structure is on the verge of recommending new or increased business, entertainment, property and sin taxes to enable the state to avoid projected budget deficits through 2010.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Pedregon in hot pursuit of his boss: With two races remaining in the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series, Tony Pedregon trails his boss and teammate, John Force, by 13 points in the Funny Car standings.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Gourmet Shanken stirs wine, food aficionados: Bon vivant and entrepreneur Marvin Shanken has managed to combine his lust for the good life with a successful business devoted to some of his favorite things.

Killer pleads for leniency, must serve at least 32 years: Kim Smith; Cedric Flemons told a courtroom full of people Thursday not to judge him until they, too, have had a gun pointed at their heads.

Columnist Jeff German: Thompsons make best arguments against pot initiative: Thompson was at a stoplight Aug. 9 minding her own business, probably thinking about her next column, when 21-year-old John Simbrat slammed his SUV into her car and killed her.

Halloween happenings: Freakling Bros. Inc. is presenting three haunted houses for the 11th straight year. The Dungeon will be at United Artists Theatre at Rainbow Boulevard and Smoke Ranch Road; the Mortuary will be at Nellis Boulevard and Bonanza Road; and the Black Box will be at Sunset Station, Henderson. Admission to each haunted house is $8 and all will be open 6:30 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays and 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays through Nov. 2. Under 5 not allowed; under 12 must be accompanied. 362-3327.

The Crosby Show: Spencer Patterson; Who: David Crosby and Judy Collins.

Letter: Demonstrators are only free here: I spent 20 years in the Air Force (retired in 1996), and though I am against a war with Iraq, I support my government 100 percent. I also support the rights of those who were demonstrating. That's what freedom and our government is all about. You can't pick and choose.

Arrest made in killing of 'Specks': Metro Police homicide detectives have arrested a homeless handyman in connection with the murder of a former "Our Gang" actor.

UNLV women lose to Brigham Young: Nickie Olson and Jessika Vasquez scored for the Rebels, who play at Utah on Saturday afternoon.

Symphony Orchestra of Mexico stops at Ham Hall: Marilyn LaRocque; What: Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Mexico.

Editorial: More than new policy is required: Chancellor Jane Nichols has acted correctly in announcing a new university system policy that restricts the access Board of Regents members have to student and employee records. Over the past two weeks, as more became known about the actions of Regent Linda Howard, the issue turned critical and needed immediate attention, as opposed to waiting for December's meeting of the regents. Nichols' firm policy now is that any regent requesting student or personnel information must do so through her. Previously, the policy had been fuzzy and Howard took advantage of it, gaining records from university staff about two students and ...

LV's Agassi ousted from event in Russia: Also, two-time defending champion Marat Safin lost to wild card Vladimir Voltchkov.

Campaign ads are accentuating the negative: Erin Neff; WEEKEND EDITION: Oct. 27, 2002

Stratosphere names a chief executive: The Stratosphere has not officially operated with a chief executive since financier Carl Icahn acquired the property in 1998. Brown, who will continue to report to Icahn, has served as one of three key executives responsible for overall operations at the Stratosphere.

Nevada declared disaster area: Cy Ryan and Mary Manning; CARSON CITY -- U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman has declared all 17 counties in Nevada as primary disaster areas because of the losses caused by the drought.

Ex-undersheriff backs Question 9: A former Metro Police undersheriff has come out in support of Question 9, the marijuana initiative.

Columnist Jeff German: Slinging mud on the Internet: Ordinarily that wouldn't be much of a story except for the fact that Gray doesn't work for Sobel, a 12-year veteran on the bench. Gray works for attorney Jackie Glass, who is running against Sobel.

Pot initiative opponents plan rally at newspaper: Opponents of Question 9 were scheduled to hold a rally outside the Las Vegas Sun building in Henderson today, where the husband and daughter of Sun Associate Editor and Vice President Sandy Thompson were expected to urge voters to defeat the measure.

School energy conservation pays off: By Emily Richmond; An aggressive conservation program by the Clark County School District has yielded significant benefits -- $3 million was shaved off the annual energy bill for the past academic year.

Boyd, Aztar results differ in third quarter: By Liz Benston; Boyd Gaming Corp. became the fourth Las Vegas casino giant to report an increase in earnings, cash flow and revenues for the third quarter. Unlike its Strip-dominant competitors, Boyd on Thursday attributed its growth mainly to the acquisition of a new property and the initiation of permanent dockside gambling at an Indiana riverboat casino.

Sierra Design in agreements with Aristocrat, WMS: Sierra Design, a technology supplier with offices in Las Vegas and Reno, was one of four recently awarded a contract by the New York Lottery to provide video lottery terminals at racetrack facilities in New York.

Second director sells shares: DiCesare sold the shares for $17.685 a share. After the transactions, he directly owned 375,478 common shares.

Computer betting system OK'd: Brendan Riley; CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Gaming Commission agreed Thursday to grant a limited license to a company that has developed a closed-loop computer system for betting on horse races.

Regulators weigh more testimony on work cards: CARSON CITY -- Casino employees are entitled to privacy rights on the information stored in state files gathered in the investigations for work cards, civil and workers' rights organizations said Thursday.

Smoking ban hurts operator: The smoking restrictions introduced last month reduced gaming revenue 6.6 percent and are predicted to result in a 3.2 percent annual decline, the company said, the newspaper reported.

Details of casino plans unveiled: Huntington attorney and businessman John Hankins released the plans at a news conference Thursday in the lobby of the Frederick Building, the proposed site for the gambling facility.

Regent calls black colleague 'orangutan': Jennifer Knight; In a public push to call for colleague Linda Howard's resignation, university system Regent Mark Alden on Thursday called the board's only black member an "orangutan."

Wynn stock now trading: Shares in Wynn Resorts Ltd. began trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market today, a bittersweet achievement for Las Vegas casino executive Steve Wynn in his bid to finance the $2.4 billion Le Reve resort on the Strip.

Hunt, Kenny engage in most heated exchange of campaign: Erin Neff; Debate The debate between Lorraine Hunt and Erin Kenny will be rebroadcast on Las Vegas ONE, cable channels 1 and 39 at 3 a.m. and 9 a.m. Saturday and at 4 p.m.Sunday.

Racists gaining ground at local schools: Jen Lawson; The National Alliance, considered the largest white supremacist group on the American far right, has a strong presence in the Las Vegas Valley, Detective Pete Colos of Metro's Gang Crimes section said Thursday.

Children found safe after fatal shooting: Rescued unharmed from the man's bullet-sprayed car, a silver Pontiac, were two children -- an infant and a toddler.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Voicing support of Anderson: There is hardly any other explanation for why Bob Anderson isn't a superstar.

Hyperbarics: Life-saving technology for divers to diabetics: WEEKEND EDITION: Oct. 26, 2002

Say Cheese: Spencer Patterson; They've been called the heirs to the jam-band throne, and for the past two years members of String Cheese Incident have sat at the head of that table.

Club ferrets out kids who want to help critters: Erica D. Johnson; WEEKEND EDITION: Oct. 26, 2002

Columnist Susan Snyder: We're not necessarily isolated: Cautious, because we're not sure they're the only ones -- or even the ones -- who shot and killed 10 people and injured three others.