Columnist John Katsilometes: Why Cox Communications VP Steve Schorr was allowed to carry handguns to work

Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2005 | 8:29 a.m.

Fabulous Las Vegas runs Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday in the Las Vegas Sun. Reach John Katsilometes at kats@lasvegassun.com or at (702) 259-2327 or (702) 812-9812.

Two men in Las Vegas dressed up as Sheriff Bill Young for Halloween. One was Bill Young. The other was Steve Schorr.

Schorr, vice president of Cox Communications, dressed as Young as part of a contest at the Cox offices to see who could design the best Las Vegas-themed costume. Schorr paid close attention to detail, but did fudge on a couple of the costume's components.

"I have a bigger badge than he does. My hat is bigger than his," Schorr said Monday. "I have two guns, to his one gun."

Schorr said he is paying tribute to his friend, who is "The Cary Grant of all sheriffs, a great man who has a great image for our community."

Young did not dress up; one joke floated Monday was that he could not find a costume depicting a 40 percent pay raise (ba-dum-bum).

NoteMart

Return of 'Pack' man: One-time Las Vegas headliner David Cassidy is nothing if not determined. Years ago he vowed to bring "The Rat Pack Is Back" production show, which he debuted at the Desert Inn in 1999 and moved to the Sahara a year later, to a Broadway stage. He's close -- Friday it was announced that The Supper Club on West 47th Street (about half a block from Broadway) in Manhattan is opening "The Rat Pack Is Back" to previews on Nov. 17.

Cassidy and Don Reo drafted the script for the production, which is set on Dec. 12, 1961: Frank's 46th birthday.

This show has quite a history. While in Las Vegas the performance weathered a trademark infringement lawsuit (against the Desert Inn, not Cassidy) filed by the families of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. This year Cassidy himself filed a trademark and copyright infringement suit in federal court against Sandy Hackett's "Tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey and Dean" at the Greek Isles. The outcome is that both productions have survived, but Cassidy and Hackett have been battling in court for months ...

JACK ebbing?: The popularity of the "JACK" radio format -- in which radio stations play a seemingly random rotation of all pop music genres -- seems to be waning. One industry newsletter that tracks advertising sales reports that just one station in the country switched to JACK last week; before that no stations had turned over for four weeks (the Las Vegas JACK station is KKJJ-100.5 FM.).

As one radio personality recently related, the random format is like listening to an iPod that belongs to a total stranger ...

Baker serves: A friendly man I had not seen in about five years turned up at, of all places, a performance by Delisco at the Las Vegas Hilton a couple of weeks ago: Veterans Reporter newspaper editor Chuck N. Baker, who will host a Veterans Day special at noon Sunday on KTUD Channel 25 (Cox cable channel 14). Guests include Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., and Michael McKenzie, the American Legion chaplain and radio announcer who in September was inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Hall of Fame ...

Welcome, Mat: Sunrise Children's Hospital has scheduled an appearance by BMX star Mat Hoffman during a special public event that runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 12. Hoffman is said to be the greatest vertical ramp rider (meaning he catches some serious air) in BMX history. His performance runs from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and is free. On Nov. 16 the Children's Hospital expansion will officially open. The additions include a new pediatric intensive care floor, a new general pediatric floor, a new maternal-infant floor and a new pediatric dialysis and outpatient area.