Print edition for January 6, 2006

Showroom: Vegas' gamble with Broadway is not always a sure thing: The musicals "Hairspray" (Luxor) and "Phantom of the Opera" (Venetian) soon will join "Avenue Q" (Wynn Las Vegas) and "Mamma Mia!" (Mandalay Bay) on the Strip, as Broadway productions continue their migration West.

Air quality improving throughout the valley: Jennifer Shubinski; Richmond American Homes of Nevada Inc. 30

Chicago fattest, Baltimore fittest, men's magazine says: AP; TOP 25 FATTEST CITIES:

Excuse the Interjection: Is the college basketball season too long?: Jeff Haney's take: While it's hard to argue the season should be any longer, at least with all those extra games on the schedule, no single regular-season game becomes a do-or-die affair. There's plenty of time to rebound from an inopportune loss.

Columnist Jeff Haney: On Brent Crow -- Does he know more beans about betting than Boston?: By Jeff Haney; Before going on to attend the University of Alabama, Brent Crow played basketball in junior college and recalls facing opponents who advanced to the NBA.What he remembers most, though, were the bus rides.

Editorial: Slowing progress to a crawl: Choking off funds for research and development grants is likely to have serious implications not only for the nation's universities, but also for nearly every other sector of society. Health care providers, businesses and individual consumers are all affected. Each year hundreds of new and safer products, and advances in medicines and medical procedures, have their origins in university research.

County blushes over gay comedy: J. Craig Anderson; The Las Vegas Little Theatre company has staged hundreds of plays in its 28-year history, including a handful that involved bare flesh.

Letter: Jews for Jesus brings to mind an old lesson: One morning during the summer, my father was on his way to work as a dress presser in a garment center sweatshop on Seventh Avenue, and as an 8-year-old, I thought I would accompany him part way to the subway. When we passed the old frame house, one of the ladies came running out and proffered a pamphlet to my father. Much to the consternation of my friends, he tipped his hat, thanked her and placed it under his arm. She walked away in triumph and my friends whispered "mishimit" (turncoat).

Letter: High schoolers ignore crosswalks: I live in a neighborhood just north of Craig Road. On the other side of Craig Road is Cheyenne High School. Each day when school lets out there must be a least 50 to 100 high school students who cross Craig Road.

Editorial: Crowning a true champion: Texas quarterback Vince Young ran for 200 yards and passed for 267 more in leading his team to a stunning 41-38 upset victory over top-ranked USC, which had its 34-game winning streak snapped. Texas' dramatic win was spectacular, as Young scored one of his three touchdown runs in the final 19 seconds of the game.

Columnist John Katsilometes: Gearing up for the monthly downtown confab, First Friday: A quick glance at my new George W. Bushisms calendar shows it is time again for First Friday, the monthly downtown hobnob and walk-around at 18b (formerly known as the Arts District). Catch a free trolley from the Clark County Government Center from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. to get there from here.

Flashpoint for Jan. 6, 2006: There's a meeting next week -- not just the Ethics Commission or Pharmacy Board -- that might be worth watching. And only watching. It's the Study Committee on Lawyer Advertising, made up of lawyers and judges who are concerned, they say, that the commercials "do not diminish the public's respect for lawyers, the image of lawyers and/or the image of the legal system of Nevada." No reason for that to happen, especially since the announcement declares, without a hint of hubris: "The meeting will not be interactive and there will be no Q & A at the event." Public comment ...

Jerry's Lounge: Bell rung in as new host at Bootlegger Bistro: After five years of hosting the weekend revue "Off the Cuff" at the Bootlegger Bistro, illness has forced Sonny King to relinquish his throne.

Columnist Jeff German: On how the valley strip clubs' infighting has caused the courts to get involved: Sometimes I think the valley's lucrative topless nightclubs don't understand how good they've got it.

Editorial: Debunking the SUV safety myth: The research, compiled by the State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., could come as a surprise to millions of parents who have purchased the larger, more expensive SUVs for safety reasons. According to the study, published in the journal Pediatrics, children younger than 16 who wore proper safety restraints faced an injury risk of about 1.7 percent whether they were riding in passenger cars or SUVs.

Red Rock cleanup begins: Cleanup work at the former gypsum mine surrounded by Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area has begun.

Columnist Tom Gorman: One man's view of Las Vegas in 20 years: You probably heard the news that Boyd Gaming wants to replace the venerable Stardust with a $4 billion complex featuring 5,300 hotel rooms, shops, restaurants and convention space, to be called Echelon Place. It's supposed to open in about five years.

Nearly half of Nevada students need remedial courses: By Christina Littlefield; Percentage of students needing remediation from 2002 to 2005:

Letter: Film tries to validate destructive lifestyle: According to the Centers for Disease Control, only 2.3 percent of men claim to be homosexual. The University of Chicago's "Social Organization of Sexuality" study puts it at 2 percent.

Arts Notes: Top organ aficionados pipe up at Rando Recital Hall: The Southern Nevada chapter of the American Guild of Organists will be pulling out all the stops -- literally -- this weekend by hosting the Southwestern region's midwinter conclave.

Columnist Jon Ralston: Sharing some thoughts on questionable political donations: Andre Agassi has donated money to Harry Reid. If that campaign cash has accomplished nothing else besides the risible shibboleth -- access to good government -- perhaps the tennis star needs to remind the Senate minority leader of his most famous quote: Image is everything.