Shot at free money in NLV, but few takers

Monday, May 14, 2007 | 7:04 a.m.

In the Las Vegas Valley you can gamble not just in Strip casinos, but in gas stations, supermarkets and bars. All will gladly take your money.

So you'd figure it wouldn't be difficult to persuade people to enter a free drawing for a full college scholarship.

But strangely, that hasn't been the case in North Las Vegas.

To build interest in a 160-acre development at Fifth Street and Craig Road, city officials launched a contest in January to name the project, which will feature more than 1 million square feet of retail, 20-plus restaurants, and 800 condominiums and apartments.

The person who submits the winning name will get a $25,000 shopping spree from the complex's developer, Michigan-based Celebration Centers of America. More than 100 other prizes, ranging from truck leases to weeklong cruises to savings bonds, will be awarded randomly.

The granddaddy of them all is a full-ride scholarship, including room and board, to any college in the United States. At an Ivy League school back East, that could be worth $250,000 or so.

In his State of the City address, Mayor Mike Montandon joked that he would be entering the contest, then keeping the prize to go back to law school.

A May 6 deadline was set for the contest, open only to North Las Vegas residents. It came and went with only a few entries via the Internet - at theheartofnlv.com - or by mail. So the deadline was extended to June 23. But even after a booth was set up at a city festival recently, entries still total only about 3,000 in the city of 200,000.

"I guess I'm a frustrated game show host," said Linden Nelson, chairman and chief executive of Celebration Centers of America. "I thought it would be a cool prize."

Nelson hopes to triple the number of entries. At last weekend's festival, his teenage children worked the booth collecting entries. Mailers also have been sent to city residents.

The winners will be announced during the city's Fourth of July celebration.

For one lucky winner, the celebration will last four years.