Print edition for September 20, 2002

Columnist Jeff German: Mob needs to start a retirement program: When Sam Manarite, an 83-year-old reputed soldier in New York's Genovese crime family, walked into the used car dealer's colorful glass-enclosed lobby and started firing off rounds two weeks ago, he yelled out: "Who do you guys think you're f...ing with?"

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: The White House request: Johnson's Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave him carte blanche approval to turn our armed forces on North Vietnam. This power would only expire "when the President shall determine that the peace and security of the area is reasonably assured by international conditions created by action of the United Nations or otherwise, except that it may be terminated earlier by concurrent resolution of the Congress."

Editorial: They're like canaries in a coal mine: It's bad enough the Defense Department wants to incinerate deadly chemicals so close to residential areas, but it's also dumbfounding that the Defense Department will incinerate the chemicals even though the local governments haven't had enough time to come up with an emergency preparedness plan if there is an accident. One of the reasons why local officials aren't ready to react in case there is a leak is because the Defense Department was late in providing emergency response funding. Meanwhile, the Army says it's not responsible for the protection of residents if a catastrophic accident happens. Besides, the Army contends ...

Columnist Susan Snyder: Making a push for quirky show: The VCR is set, and every Thursday evening it will be taping ABC's new interactive mystery series, "Push, Nevada."

Columnist Jerry Fink: Trying to find a gig is singer St. John's work: A brilliant entertainer with a long history in Las Vegas can't find a local gig. His or her talent is more appreciated in the Midwest or the South or in Europe, or even Laughlin.

This is truly a match made in heaven: WEEKEND EDITION: Sept. 21, 2002

Editorial: Meetings on Yucca must be open to all: Members of Congress ganged up on Nevada 15 years ago. They chose Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, as the only site in the nation to study as a possible burial ground for radioactive waste from the nation's nuclear power plants. Given the site's geological drawbacks and the transportation dangers, it's clear that the decision to single out Yucca Mountain was largely political. In denying that, Congress pointed to how clearly it was ensuring fairness: Nevada was to have access to all Yucca-related data generated by the federal government as it studied the site. This was so the ...

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: MTV2 lifts Vail on new video: That's because they will be up late tonight watching classmate Ashley Vail, 16, on the MTV2 show "120 Minutes."

Legalizing marijuana: Five major sticking points: WEEKEND EDITION: Sept. 22, 2002

Columnist Susan Snyder: Commute strategy not a gas: In the master bedroom.

Andre the Giant: WEEKEND EDITION: Sept. 22, 2002

Letter: No doubt, Bush will put us at odds with world: On the other hand, I "doubt" that President Bush has a policy of positive action to assist the increasing numbers of poor in an American society in which the gap between the wealthy and the poor continues to widen. I "doubt" that he will act to seek accessible, affordable health care for all Americans. I "doubt" that he understands the need to support proposals for alternative forms of energy.

Columnist Sal Sal DeFilippo: Raiders on roll after finding success on 'pass line': It didn't take long to figure out the Oakland Raiders' offensive strategy against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week.

Lightweight title fight postponed because of injury: The fight had been scheduled for the Mandalay Bay Events Center and slated to be televised by Home Box Office (HBO).

Editorial: We can't keep going on like this: Last week Gov. Kenny Guinn, faced with a dip in state revenues, ordered cuts to government programs so that the state's budget would be balanced. The reductions amounted to about 3 percent of the state's budget, and much of the sting from the cuts was lessened by delays to the start-up of some new programs and a hiring freeze. But that can't ignore the fact that most agencies in state government -- unlike their better-off agency cousins in local governments -- are bare-boned operations with meager staffs that are struggling just to provide a nominal level of services to Nevadans.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Firing of nursing home director may be legal, but not fair: My first reaction would have been to tell Fulkerson to take the job and shove it where the sun doesn't shine. I never have been very tolerant of people with less knowledge treating me as a little boy. A professional like Sias doesn't react like me, because this is the Navy veteran's first big job as a nursing home director. He doesn't need a blemish on his record and from what I have been able to learn, he doesn't deserve anything on his record in Boulder City other than high praise.

Legalizing marijuana: Nevada's smoke signal: WEEKEND EDITION: Sept. 22, 2002

Letter: Proper English is not taught: We have discussed phrases such as "like, you know," "n' stuff," "you guys" (to females), "really," etc. He said all of his teachers used these expressions.

Thursday Prep results: Bonanza 2, Centennial 1

Schools struggle with teacher sex cases: Kim Smith; WEEKEND EDITION: Sept. 22, 2002

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Hornish not ruling out NASCAR move: Immediately after winning Sunday's Chevy 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and his second consecutive Indy Racing League championship, Sam Hornish Jr. discounted rumors that he was interested in moving to NASCAR's Winston Cup Series.

Doctors' waiting rooms fill up as season changes: Erica D. Johnson; Though temperatures Wednesday topped 90 degrees, Rafael Valencia was freezing.

Former player convicted in gambling operation: George Atiyeh, 43, acknowledges having operated a sports wagering business, but said the bets were processed in Canada and the Caribbean, not in the United States.

Conservatory Theatre explores state of 'Virginia': Her response? It's a play she would never perform again.

Sultry 'Fosse' slithers and sizzles at Aladdin Theatre: Marilyn LaRocque; All the trademark moves of innovative, brilliant dancer, choreographer and director Bob Fosse vibrate across the stage of the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Judge moves against firm: U.S. District Judge Philip Pro on Tuesday ruled the defendants, which were sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission, are in civil contempt after they deliberately continued to violate the antifraud provisions of federal securities laws.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Beware: True equality has its drawbacks: Dean Juipe; Women better think twice before they get too excited about this gal who qualified for next year's Greater Hartford Open golf tournament. As in, do you really want to be treated as an athletic equal?

Scene Selection -- Geoff Carter: 'Monsters, Inc.' scares up a great DVD: The story of an alternate world populated by monsters that rely on the screams of children as an energy source -- and the cool-looking factory that mines those nocturnal terrors -- "Monsters" is the kind of movie that practically begs for behind-the-scenes coverage, and the disc provides it in abundance.

Saturday horse racing entries: 1st race 6 fur 3YO & up Mdn: 1a Ben's Good Deed (Gryder) 119; 2 Blaising A. J. (Bridgmohan) 119; 3 Joint Custody (Rojas) 119; 4a Mr Hilarious (Serrano) 112; 5 Cometary (Arroyo) 119; 6 Promise Mountain (Prado) 122; 7 Steves Sunny Comet (Santos) 119; 8b Pure Amazement (Espinoza) 119; 9 Pro Shopper (Woodhouse) 119; 10 Letthetigerloose (Luzzi) 119; 11 Gemerous (Carrero) 119; 12 Time Punch (Velazquez) 119; 13 Proster (Nelson) 119.

Park Place looking to trim costs: By Liz Benston; A slot club card, "cashless" slot machines and reduced labor costs are among several ways casino resort giant Park Place Entertainment Corp. of Las Vegas expects to cut expenses and boost returns, a company executive told a group of investors and industry observers at a trade show Thursday.

Grace under pressure: Recovering from tragedy, absence, Rush returns to concert stage: Spencer Patterson; "I've been in the band since I was 15 and we've been touring internationally since 1974, and I realize I took it all for granted after a while," Lifeson, 49, said in a recent phone interview from a hotel room in Calgary, Alberta.

State to feds: Stop secret meetings: CARSON CITY -- Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa and the director of the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects Thursday demanded the federal government conduct all Yucca Mountain meetings in public.

Report: Harrah's, Park Place may bid for casino operator: Based in Chester, W.Va., MTR is a likely acquisition candidate because of its low valuation and the fact that gambling companies want to expand into "racinos," places where racetracks are combined with slot machine casinos, Business Week said, citing LaLoggia, editor of the Superstock Investor, a newsletter that focuses on takeovers.

Columnist Barb Henderson: Catching a fish on a fly is habit forming: Barb Henderson; There's something truly wonderful about watching a fly-fisher cast while he/she stands in the waters of a flowing river. The rhythm and artistry of each cast brings the sport of fly-fishing alive with a spectacular atmosphere of solitude and serenity.

Committee approves Ensign airport bill: Congress set the deadline in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, with the goal of checking 100 percent of airport luggage by year's end.

Vargas thought he was ahead when De La Hoya KO'd him: Dean Juipe; The evidence suggests otherwise, but Fernando Vargas said Thursday he believes he was winning his fight with Oscar De La Hoya and might have won the bout if not for one punch at the end of the 10th round.

Community pulls together to fight gangs: Dan Kulin; North Las Vegas Councilwoman Shari Buck said the city needs more police officers, and the mother of a girl killed in a recent gang-related shooting agrees.

August passenger traffic down: Airport officials reported 3.25 million people used the airport in August, down 3.8 percent from the 3.38 million air passengers that used it in August 2001.

Columnist Steve Guiremand: Excitement abounds from coast to coast: Steve Guiremand; Anybody who thought the world of college football world be a lot duller without Steve Spurrier around should just take a look at some of this week's headlines:

Las Vegas Motor Speedway standings: SUPER QUICK

Reid, Ensign call for VA clinic replacement: Nevada's two U.S. senators have sent a joint letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi calling for a full-service medical center to replace the crumbling Addeliar D. Guy III VA Ambulatory Care Center.

Teacher sex case grows: Jace Radke; An elementary school teacher already facing allegations that he had sex with a female student was arrested Thursday night on additional charges after two more students accused him of abuse.

Economist: State's casino business on the rebound: CARSON CITY -- Business in Nevada casinos, which fell dramatically after Sept. 11, should return to a normal growth rate in the next two years, a state economist predicted Thursday.

Datebook for Sept. 20, 2002: Frank Scoblete signs his best selling gaming books 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at B. Dalton Booksellers, 3680 S. Maryland Parkway. 735-0008.

Water board pushes its bid for Nevada Power: A day after the region's public water agency and private electricity provider traded salvos, little substantive appears to have changed in the proposal to buy out and take public the electric company.

Sensitivity training set for six county divisions: Adrienne Packer; Clark County's newly created Office of Diversity has identified six county departments suitable for sensitivity training, including McCarran International Airport, the target of two publicized discrimination lawsuits.

On Display for Sept. 20, 2002: "America Marches Ahead," paintings by Norman Rockwell of the first 75 years of the 20th century, through Oct. 31 at Centaur Art Galleries at Fashion Show mall. 737-1234.

Historic black colleges ready to do battle in LV: Steve Guiremand; It's called the Silver Dollar Classic. But Saturday night's game between Grambling State and Tennessee State at Sam Boyd Stadium could just as easily be called the Black History Bowl.

Sun sports briefs: The UNLV baseball team will hold three instructional camps at Wilson Stadium this fall and winter.

Rebels look to pick up pieces: Steve Guiremand; NEXT UP

Construction halted at Nevada power plant: Duke Energy Corp. has stopped construction at its Moapa power plant 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas, citing a reduced demand for electricity.

Columnist Spencer Patterson: NIAA may cut size of state tourneys: Spencer Patterson; Three years after radically changing the way state champions are determined, Nevada's athletic administrators are considering doing so again, possibly as soon as next school year.

Columnist Erin Neff: Campaign ads aren't attacking the real issues: Erin Neff; Candidates are screaming at the top of their lungs, and with so few voters apparently listening, the cacophony has drowned out any utterance of the issues that matter.

Columnist Benjamin Grove: More ammunition for McCain: Benjamin Grove; In the last 2 1/2 years the maverick reformer and avid sports fan has taken on the gaming industry, pushing a bill that would outlaw betting on college sports in the one state where it's legal: Nevada. Influential gaming lobbyists and Nevada's small but vocal delegation in Congress have stifled the legislation, thwarting the tenacious McCain. The Arizona Republican insists the bill could help curb game-fixing, and generally decries the corruptive influence of gaming on college sports.

Columnist Jon Ralston: When coincidences go too far: "The question becomes, is this a sage thing to do? Is this something that you'd eventually think you might have to litigate against the people that you're going to take that money from, when you know you're going to hold an office when you're adverse to them?

Officer shoots suspect in car theft in head: The suspect, who has not yet been identified, was taken to University Medical Center where he remains in critical condition.

Political notebook: Kenny covers, while Hunt on defensive: Erin Neff; Clark County Commissioner Erin Kenny wasn't a part of two press conferences this week, but she certainly felt that both events would help her campaign for lieutenant governor.

Supreme Court justice talks to local judges, attorneys: Jace Radke; The first of two U.S. Supreme Court Justices visiting Las Vegas this month spoke to a group of more than 200 lawyers and judges Thursday at a luncheon at Bellagio.

Disaster drill called another building block in anti-terrorism: Mayor Oscar Goodman called Thursday's massive disaster drill that involved the community a success, and said there are lessons to be learned from the exercise at Cashman Center.

Letter: Stop outright lies to voters: But there has to be some recourse to outright lies other than the courts.

News briefs for Sept. 20, 2002: The Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday approved legislation introduced by Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., that will allow McCarran International Airport and roughly 40 other airports to miss a Dec. 31 deadline for installing new explosives detection machines.

Missile lights up western sky, police switchboards: An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile on an experimental flight lit up the Las Vegas Valley's western sky Thursday night.

College students go online to avoid bookstore lines: Jennifer Knight; This year Jarvie Hansen traded long lines for online when she bought her college textbooks.

Pro-nuke lobby urges OK on Yucca spending: President Bush in January asked Congress for $527 million for the Energy Department's nuclear waste dump project. Congress in July then approved construction of the site 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, and Bush asked lawmakers for another $66 million. The Energy Department needs the money to complete Yucca studies; to compile a complex application for a license to construct Yucca; and to develop a plan for hauling highly radioactive waste from nuclear reactors and U.S. defense sites nationwide to Nevada.

Killer gets life without parole: Kassard Omar Brown will formally be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole on Oct. 31 by District Judge Michael Cherry.

Editorial: More teeth needed in scofflaw penalty: A random sampling of the district courts in Washoe and Clark counties by legislative auditors shows that fines are being collected at a dismal 23 percent. Justice courts and municipal courts fared better, collecting at a rate of 81 percent. Currently, courts may order that people who haven't paid their fines be denied renewal of their driver's licenses. Partly because millions of dollars are at stake, at a time when the state is facing huge deficits, the Supreme Court wants the Legislature to add denial of vehicle registrations to the court's authority in imposing penalties on scofflaws.

Hadden won't go to prison: Kim Smith; A 33-year-old California teacher who pleaded guilty to seducing a 15-year-old student told a judge Thursday she is no Mary Kay Letourneau.

Children of slain woman get some satisfaction with first-degree murder verdict: Kim Smith; Shirley Rogers, a widower, raised six children. They grew up and became a teacher, a social worker, a nurse and volunteers in the community.

Sex offender charged in obscene phone calls, threats from jail: Kim Smith; A registered sex offender who was acquitted last month on sexual assault charges is now being held on $8 million bail on 19 felony counts of coercion.

2 more students accuse teacher: Jace Radke; An elementary school teacher already facing allegations that he had sex with a female student was arrested Thursday night on additional charges after two more students accused him of abuse.

Letter: Question 2 proponents have priorities wrong: What do you call it then when you propose to discriminate against a class of people who are seeking to join in a loving, committed, recognized union that for some reason the heterosexuals believe they have the only right to?

Obituaries for Sept. 20, 2002: Esther Cohen, 51, of North Las Vegas died Wednesday in a local health care center. She was born March 19, 1951, in the Bronx, N.Y. A resident for three years, she was a retired secretary for a state utility company.

Court: Ariz. governor can make Indian gaming deals: David Kravets; SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal appeals court has overturned an order that was blocking Arizona's governor from negotiating Indian gaming compacts without the Legislature's consent.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Japan buys new friend: If ever there has been cause for hate between two nations it has to be the Japanese colonial rule of the entire peninsula from 1910 until 1945 when the Chinese-supported communists, along with the Soviets, moved into the north and the United States drove the Japanese from the south. During the Japanese occupation the Koreans were used for slave labor in Japan and their young women were used as "comfort girls" by the occupying army.

Blood drives: Saturday: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Sun City Anthem, 2450 Hampton Road, Henderson; 7 a.m.-1 p.m., Plumber & Pipe Fitters, 760 N. Lamb Blvd.; 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Gibson Elementary School, 271 Leisure Circle, Henderson; 8 a.m.-noon, The Links Inc., 2100 E. St. Louis Ave.

Community briefs for Sept. 20, 2002: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area offers hikes, walks and programs free of charge. To make required reservations or for more information on the following or upcoming programs, call 363-1922:

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Doing some weeding at Grand Garden: Because of some technical problems, the two-hour reunion concert featuring the show's 30 finalists took nearly four hours to complete, which actually wasn't bad for a live TV taping.

Performing Arts for Sept. 20, 2002: Concerts

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Reid dinner part of Four Seasons' juggling act: Two weddings, a private prefight party for HBO and a dinner honoring Sen. Harry Reid would have taxed the resources of larger resorts, yet the Four Seasons never faltered.

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