VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: School provides space for the future

Friday, Aug. 29, 2003 | 5:42 a.m.

Las Vegans Audrey and Barry McCool -- whose son, Navy commander William McCool, died when the space shuttle Columbia was lost during re-entry in February -- are teaming with a Henderson elementary school to build a science building in his memory.

The first part of the project will be to bring the first educational space simulator and mission control system to the West Coast.

Michael O'Dowd, principal of Frank J. Laming Elementary School, told VegasBeat the facility will eventually house a greenhouse, a computer lab and a museum. But the simulator can be used immediately.

"The new Space Simulation Center will not be a play toy," O'Dowd said. "The students will learn how they need to apply math, spelling, reading, writing and reasoning to space travel.

"Studies show that by third grade many students have made a decision whether or not they are going to pursue a math or science career. We want to encourage aptitude and interest in those areas."

Barry McCool headlined a school assembly on Friday to do just that.

To raise funds for the center and to acquire the simulator, the McCools are being joined by Kevin Janison of KLAS Channel 8 and pols Harry Reid, John Ensign, Jon Porter and James Gibson for an Oct. 15 dinner, auction and student art sale at Green Valley Ranch Station Casino. McCool's parents, who each have a military background, both teach at UNLV's hotel college.

Three of a different kind were marveling at Tabu on Thursday night.

Robert Earl, after getting court approval for his Planet Hollywood takeover of the bankrupt Aladdin, was marveling to friends that there were 19 different lawyers in the courtroom representing various interests.

Hunky "Sex and the City" star Jason Lewis was marveling at the computer-generated images on the Tabu bar at MGM Grand.

And Jason Biggs -- star of "American Wedding," the nation's top-grossing movie at the start of the month and still a top 10 smash -- was marveling at the exotic Cathy Dobrovitch, the club's part-Slovakian, part-Australian VIP hostess.

Tickets for Celine Dion's December and January shows -- including a special New Year's Eve performance -- go on sale Monday. She takes a break Christmas week, when Jerry Seinfeld performs at The Colosseum Dec. 26 and Dec. 27. Tickets for his shows are on sale now.

Thanks to the new state entertainment tax, top-shelf Celine tickets are now $225.

Due in part to several cable channels featuring Las Vegas showgirls as part of their programming -- and a resulting clamor to see and meet 'em -- the producers of " Donn Arden's Jubilee!" at Bally's are going to offer backstage tours by an actual performer.

The one-hour All Access Backstage Walking Tour will be given at 2 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday to people more than 13 years old. The first tour is Sept. 15.

In temperament and girth, he resembles porky, volatile Miramax Films President Harvey Weinstein. Now local food trade magazine publisher Michael Politz is branching out to television.

Politz has been hired by the syndicated show "Extra" to do segments on celebrities and restaurants in Las Vegas, sort of a video version of the "sightings" sections of columns like this one.

For the first segment, he'll be doing walk-throughs of some hot celeb eateries with the chefs (including Brian Massie at N9NE, Charlie Palmer at Aureole and Michael White and Stephen Hanson at the new Fiamma Trattoria) and talk about which celebs have eaten there, and their meals of choice.

Live! From Las Vegas! It's a "Saturday Night Live" slot machine!

Show creator Lorne Michaels and stars representing every era of the show, from Dan Aykroyd to Kevin Nealon, will be at the Palms Sept. 17 to introduce the first five of a planned 20 different machines, each based on a memorable recurring skit from the show.

There will be slots based on Hans & Franz, John Belushi's samurai character, the Blues Brothers, the Coneheads and the Church Lady.

Isn't that special?