John Katsilometes catches up with a trash collector who has been given an offer he can’t refuse

Tuesday, May 8, 2007 | 7:41 a.m.

Cleotha Williams Jr. is the best pickup artist in the country.

The driver for the trash collection company Republic Services Inc. has been named Driver of the Year among all large commercial drivers in the nation. The Environmental Industry Associations , whose membership includes solid waste companies that operate 136,000 garbage trucks across the nation, selected Williams from a group of 20 nominees. Williams is to accept the award today in Atlanta at WasteExpo 2007, the waste industry's largest annual trade show. The Driver of the Year award is considered the highest honor given to a vehicle operator in the trash collection industry, for which safety is paramount.

The 38-year-old Williams, who lives in Henderson, has been in the business since age 18. He drives about 360 miles and performs 1,036 "lifts" per week, navigating such challenging city streets as Flamingo Road, Tropicana Avenue and Desert Inn Road. He says he experiences near-misses every day that threaten his sterling record.

"It's a lot harder to drive around (Las Vegas) now than ever," Williams said Monday afternoon by phone from Atlanta. "Everybody's in such a hurry now, and there is a lot of construction going on that people aren't aware of."

Williams has never been in an accident off the job, either, as safe driving is a family trait. His father spent 30 accident-free years with Republic Services. The elder Williams is now retired, and when the younger Williams was told he could bring a guest to Atlanta, he said, "I want Dad there." And that is no trash talk.

NoteMart

"Mystere" at Treasure Island is featured in the upcoming comedy "Knocked Up," due for release June 1. The movie is directed by "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" director Judd Apatow and stars Seth Rogen, who played one of Steve Carell's well-intentioned buddies in that film. "Mystere" figures into the "Knocked Up" plot as the show Rogen and his cohorts visit after taking some mind-altering chemicals during a zany trip to Vegas. On May 17 the show's cast and Cirque du Soleil cast are holding a private screening at Brenden Theatres at the Palms...

Worlds collide: Invited to "Stomp Out Loud" at Planet Hollywood on Monday night were 15 members of Momix, the renowned dance company founded 20 years ago by Moses Pendleton. Momix is considered the forerunner of Cirque du Soleil, and months ago Pendleton provided some ideas to Steve Wynn during the revamping of "Le Reve" at Wynn Las Vegas (which is not to imply that "Le Reve," created by Franco Dragone, is a Cirque show) ...

What is sure to be a captivating report, "Spying on the Home Front," is to air at 10 p.m. May 15 on Vegas PBS (Channel 10). The program is part of PBS's "Frontline" series, and according to a news release the hourlong show focuses on an FBI information sweep of Las Vegas hotels and rental car agencies conducted in December 2003.

Correspondent Hedrick Smith interviews then-Sheriff Bill Young and MGM Mirage exec Alan Feldman during the documentary, which centers on the FBI's widespread information-gathering efforts that targeted possible terrorists but also snared common folk, such as a couple from Kansas City who visited Vegas to get married.

I am here now: Friend in the field reports the plate BHERENW on a Toyota 4 Runner.