VegasBeat — Columnist Timothy McDarrah: Wishful thinking buoys Tenney

Friday, Jan. 23, 2004 | 4:44 a.m.

VegasBeat appears Sunday through Friday in the Las Vegas Sun. Timothy McDarrah can be reached at tim@lasvegassun.com or at (702) 259-4096.

WEEKEND EDITION

January 24 - 25, 2004

Popular KVBC Channel 3 newsman Kendall Tenney is going to hit the road.

No, he's not leaving his anchor perch. For the third consecutive year he's going to lead Saturday's Run-For-A-Wish, a 5K jaunt through the streets of downtown Las Vegas, to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to terminally ill children.

In addition to being a valuable fund-raising event, the run/walk has morphed into a real see-and-be-seen social scene.

"I am so grateful for the way all of Las Vegas has quickly responded to this little event," Tenney told VegasBeat by telephone just before he went on the air with his Thursday evening newscast.

This year participating with Tenney and his station colleagues Nina Radetich, Beth Fisher and John Fredericks (with his golden lab Jordan), are runners/walkers from across the Vegas political, culinary, social and media spectrum.

KVVU Channel 5's 10 p.m. anchor John Overall is scheduled to take part, Tenney said, as is Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, state attorney general Brian Sandoval, all of the Scintas, and Wynn Resorts executive Elizabeth Blau, to name but a very few.

Registration starts at 7:30 a.m. for the noncompetitive 9 a.m. event. To register, form your own team or find out more, call Make-A-Wish Foundation at (702) 212-9474.

Sen. John Ensign was at the opening of Thomas Keller's Bouchon Las Vegas brasserie at the new Venezia Tower at The Venetian on Thursday night.

Ensign and hotel owner Sheldon Adelson presented a welcoming proclamation to Keller, who also owns The French Laundry in Napa Valley, regarded as one of the hardest restaurants in the nation in which to secure a reservation.

Also paying respects to Keller at the opening was the creme de la creme of the Las Vegas food industry, including Kim Canteenwalla, Kevin Steussi, Olivier Dubreuil, Philippe Rispoli, Harry Morton, Kerry Simon, Joe Hernandez and Larry Ruvo.

We are always prompt to point out when Cirque du Soleil raises its ticket prices.

So when it offers a deal on something, it is fair to point that out, too.

Nevada residents who buy two regularly priced tickets to "Mystere," at Treasure Island, get a whole lot more. In addition to seating in the center of the orchestra section, locals receive a complimentary dinner at Kahunaville and VIP viewing of the "Sirens of TI" show from a private patio with a coupon for a free drink.

The Trick Art & Holography Museum has opened at the Stratosphere.

Trick Art is a unique brand of art, born in Japan, that uses techniques to "transform ordinary flat paintings into living, breathing, three-dimensional works," said Ginny Attisani, the hotel's mall operations manager, who addressed an opening-night gathering Wednesday.

There are 17 such museums in Japan that attracted more than 1.2 million visitors last year. This one is the first museum of its kind in the United States.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman was on CNN Wednesday, talking to Wolf Blitzer about homeland security and terrorism.

The anchor brought up the fact that Mohammad Atta, one of the alleged terrorists in the 9-11 attacks, stayed in Las Vegas just before the tragedy.

Blitzer asked Goodman what Atta might have been doing in Las Vegas.

"I've got to believe he had a pretty good time before he blew himself up," the mayor said.

Atta is believed to have hijacked American Airlines Flight 11, which rammed the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:45 a.m.

Goodman is scheduled to be back on the national airwaves this evening when he appears on the Fox News Channel show Sunday Best, which airs locally at 8 p.m. on Cox cable channel 21.

Fox Sports Channel football prognosticator and Henderson resident Wayne Allyn Root on Thursday hired former New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts head coach Ron Meyer to join his company, WinningEDGE.

"Handicapping is all about credibility," Root told VegasBeat. "We are proud to say that we offer the most credible, respected and successful collection of professional handicappers in the country."

Meyer joins Dallas Cowboys 1978 Super Bowl XII MVP Randy White and Emmy Award-winning sportscaster Chet Coppock, among others, in the Root stable.

OK, Wayne, tell us: Who do you like in the Super Bowl next Sunday?

"Actually, I haven't decided yet."