J. Patrick Coolican

Columnist

J. Patrick Coolican was born in Connecticut to a large, Irish Catholic family and then studied dead white male authors at the University of Notre Dame. He started his career during the 2000 presidential campaign, writing for a Web site he created with two friends. He's written for The Seattle Times, The Nation, LA Weekly and, since early 2006, for the Sun.

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On the horizon: A quick look at projects poised to shape downtown: Monday, June 4, 2012; While development remains fairly moribund in the rest of the Las Vegas Valley, there’s suddenly a diverse array of projects in various states of planning and completion downtown.
Want a grocery store downtown? Change is in your hands: Thursday, May 31, 2012; My colleague recently moved into a cool place in Soho Lofts in the Arts District—would someone please change the name of this otherwise worthy building?—and is mostly happy with downtown living. But he’s also discovering its frustrations
TVs, home goods, Gatorade and wisdom — all 99 cents at Henderson store: Friday, May 25, 2012; Regina Burns got in line for Thursday’s grand opening of the 99¢ Only Store on Wednesday at 2:30 a.m. She spent 30 hours securing a spot as one of the first nine customers, each of whom had the chance to buy a 22-inch flat-screen TV for, yes, 99 cents.
Though religious group's efforts are noble, tackling issues won't come without making enemies: Thursday, May 24, 2012; As Cantor Mariana Gindlin sang “Eili, Eili,” the packed ballroom at UNLV hushed. Just moments before, they were boisterous and cheerful, singing “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” Now, though, the solemnity of the Hebrew song hit the crowd fiercely, and I felt a bit of a chill.
Mind over muscle: Fitness coach Denise Dinger shapes the body and soul: To many in the Las Vegas Valley, she's a bodybuilding icon; to the women she trains, she's family; Wednesday, May 23, 2012; High above Las Vegas, in a suite at the Palms, Denise Dinger is acting as matriarch of a trippy family whose obsession isn’t spelling bees or stringed instruments or dance. It’s human muscle and the display of it. Her charges — “my girls,” she calls them — are nervous and a little giggly, butterflies before they take the stage at the Palms for the Jay Cutler Desert Classic, an amateur bodybuilding event.
In remembering Dr. Clarissa Engstrom, friends and family will mobilize efforts against suicide: Monday, May 21, 2012; When Dr. Clarissa Engstrom died, they came from all over America, like pilgrims offering tribute to a healer. And for many, that’s what she was. As a veterinarian, she treated and cured their animals, but she also treated the soul sickness that afflicts many humans. “I was instantly enamored by her presence,” said John Talley, who came from Florida for one of the memorial services here. When he met Engstrom, known to friends as “Gooey,” Talley was struggling to come out as a gay man and found himself alienated from family. “She said, ‘You’re amazing, and don’t let anyone tell you anything different.’ ”
Young veterans searching for work after serving the country deserve support: Friday, May 18, 2012; During Shaun Clark’s time in the U.S. Army, he was deployed as airborne infantry to Afghanistan, Iraq and to Haiti after the earthquake. He’s experienced more in three years than most of us will in a lifetime. At 21, he’s back home and asking: Now what?
Kudos to Harry Reid for knowing when politicians shouldn't talk in Congress: Thursday, May 17, 2012; Majority Leader Harry Reid reversed himself last week and came out in favor of reforming the Senate filibuster. Better late than never. It might seem obvious that Reid would back changes to the filibuster, but Reid, like many in the world’s most exclusive club, is an institutionalist and traditionalist.
Courageous first move could bring success to north portion of the Strip: Wednesday, May 16, 2012; Someone had to be first. Some guy in a hut had to have the courage to drink the juice of fermented grapes, and good things followed. Likewise, the north end of the Strip needed someone to have the courage to invest. Now that SBE Entertainment of Los Angeles and private equity group Stockbridge Real Estate are putting money into the shuttered Sahara, perhaps the 20-teens will eventually be known as the era when the action moved north on the Strip.
Teenage parents, trying to graduate, face enormous challenges: Sunday, May 13, 2012; Icalynn Gamble had quit going to school last fall, overwhelmed by the responsibilities of being an 18-year-old mother and dejected about her chances of graduating. That’s when a parade of dignitaries — including Clark County School District Superintendent Dwight Jones, state Sen. Steven Horsford and new Chaparral High School Principal Dave Wilson — knocked on her door on a Saturday morning and persuaded her to return.
Greener Block provides a snapshot of something good, but there's more work to do: Wednesday, May 9, 2012; I strolled around Build a Greener Block, which sought to dress up a somewhat neglected stretch of Main Street and turn it into a vibrant urban experience for a weekend, when I heard a new friend scoff that the raw food store was also selling tofu, which, of course, is processed.
With arbitration ruling, teachers union wins battle but comes out a loser: Friday, May 4, 2012; A conundrum: Polls show that teachers are some of the most admired people in America. Yet nearly half of the respondents in a 2011 Gallup poll said teachers unions hurt the quality of education, while just 26 percent said they helped.
How about delivering them from unfairness?: Monday, April 30, 2012; I received a press release recently that read, “A team of approximately 40 community volunteers and downtown supporters will ‘invade’ downtown Las Vegas on Friday, April 20 to perform a Random Act of Happiness.”
Odds on UFC President Dana White running his mouth? Very good: Friday, April 27, 2012; Imagine NFL commissioner Roger Goodell tweeting out that the Saints are 10-1 to win the Super Bowl next year. Yeah, probably not. But here’s Dana White, president of Ultimate Fighting Championship, on Twitter earlier today: “TUF Live tonight on FX the MGM has Sicilia -350 vs Saunders +290.”
Why is higher ed getting pushed around?: Thursday, April 26, 2012; The Redfield name can be seen all over campus at UNR. The Nell J. Redfield Foundation has given about $40 million during the past three decades for gems such as the auditorium in the math and science building, a student health clinic and the Redfield Theatre.
Renewable energy becomes fodder for the culture war at just the wrong moment: Monday, April 23, 2012; There’s no point hiding from it, especially in Nevada: The clean energy movement, despite rapid gains in recent years, faces a potential crisis as government support withers. I can hear the cheering from many conservatives, whose latest foray into identity politics is contempt for clean energy (more on that later) while either ignorantly or willfully ignoring decades of massive government support for fossil fuels and hydroelectric power such as the Hoover Dam.
The psychology of pimping, and how a community can help: Saturday, April 21, 2012; The 9-1-1 call is chilling: A woman, who has locked herself in a room after enduring a severe beating, screams. Then she screams again and again. If there are words, they are unintelligible, but terror can be conveyed without words.
What can be done with the city’s half-built corporate eyesores?: Saturday, April 21, 2012; Imagine if the guy who owned the house next door tore it down and started building a cool new palace. Then imagine that a third of the way into construction, he stopped building, leaving a half-finished shell for you to see from your window.
The weirdness of the Strip is what makes it cool — leave it be: Monday, April 16, 2012; The Clark County Commission has seemed lately like the Committee of “Get Off My Lawn!” It recently banned pets on the Strip. And it’s thrown some big fines at homeowners for violating the so-called “Party House Ordinance.”
The Strip needs more police, but casinos shouldn't foot the bill: Thursday, April 12, 2012; After an ugly spate of homicides on the Las Vegas Strip last summer, major hotel companies now pay to have Metro Police conduct extra patrols of our most important commercial district.
On second review, DA sticks by decision not to charge Henderson cop in kicking incident: Friday, April 6, 2012; District Attorney Steve Wolfson has issued a final answer and has once again decided not to bring charges against Henderson Police Sgt. Brett Seekatz, who was caught on video kicking Adam Greene in the head five times while Greene was being restrained by other officers.
In some cases, voters should have the keys taken away from them: Wednesday, April 4, 2012; Quick: Who did you vote for in the 2010 county recorder race? How about public administrator? County treasurer? Do you know what these elected officials do?
One woman's escape from human trafficking: Tuesday, April 3, 2012; The Las Vegas Valley has one of the worst human trafficking problems in the nation, with three times the number of juvenile arrests as New York City, despite the fact that we have only one-fourth the population.
A journey from good student to underage prostitute: Monday, April 2, 2012; Lauren was 16 in 2010, a good if slightly rebellious student at Advanced Technologies Academy, one of the best high schools in the valley. She went to a party one August night and met Darrell, then 20. She fell for him.
Don't question your HOA or you might get arrested: Friday, March 30, 2012; Don’t question your homeowners association because Henderson Police might arrest you. Here’s the story: Robert Frank and Tim Stebbins probably cared too much about the finances of their homeowners association, Sun City Anthem.
Millions for Newt Gingrich? Sheldon Adelson's money could have been better spent: Monday, March 26, 2012; Local kajillionaire Sheldon Adelson spent $16.5 million to help his friend Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign, and I think we can say with certainty it was a waste of money, like “John Carter” or building a condo tower on the Las Vegas Strip in 2007.
The view from under an evolving skyline: Sunday, March 25, 2012; It isn’t what it could be. But it isn’t what it used to be. That’s former planning commissioner Steve Evans talking about downtown and its new public buildings.
As gold bubble deflates, tired excuses will soon follow: Saturday, March 24, 2012; Well, no one could have predicted this: The Financial Times reports that “investors are losing their enthusiasm for gold as signs of improvement in the U.S. economy tempt them away from the traditional haven.” And if it’s made the financial press, you know the bubble has really started to deflate in earnest.
Culinary Union appears dug in for the long fight against Station Casinos: Friday, March 23, 2012; Do not underestimate D. Taylor. That’s what I came away with after an interview with the secretary-treasurer of the Culinary Union Local 226.
The Solyndra hippies are stealing our money: Thursday, March 22, 2012; Here’s the predictable response to President Barack Obama’s trip to Boulder City’s Copper Mountain Solar plant on Wednesday: Solar is for hippies; government doesn’t create jobs; Solyndra, Solyndra, Solyndra.
Nevada Republicans might be model for securing party's future: Monday, March 19, 2012; Gov. Brian Sandoval announced last week that he would allow higher taxes to continue rather than sunset next year, as scheduled, and there was a fair amount of kicking and screaming among Republican activists. But just wait a few years.
J. Patrick Coolican: Death to pizza!: Friday, March 16, 2012; I hate pizza. There, I said it. This isn’t an easy thing to admit, and for years, decades really, I suffered in silence. As with most foods, I judge pizza both by how it tastes and by how it makes me feel after I’m finished eating.
School finds measurable ways to help students achieve success: At Halle Hewetson Elementary, progress is the norm; Monday, March 12, 2012; Principal Lucy Keaton has a wall in the office at Halle Hewetson Elementary School that is covered with data, multi-colored charts that resemble something you might find at the Pentagon. The charts show that Keaton, her teachers, staff and students are excelling, a verdict cemented recently when the Clark County School District unveiled a new grading system—the “School Performance Framework”—and placed Hewetson among 37 “five star” elementary schools of 217 in the district.
Smith Center homage to Hoover Dam fitting statement on our past, future: Friday, March 9, 2012; What I like most about the Smith Center for the Performing Arts is that it’s ours. By that I mean it’s a cultural space for locals, but I also mean it’s an institution made possible by a homegrown, collective vision, organization and effort.
Clark County Commission shows its busybody side with party house ordinance and Strip pet ban: Thursday, March 8, 2012; The Clark County Commission has shown it’s not kidding around with it’s “party house” ordinance, while also bolstering its tough-on-crime bona fides by curtailing pets on the Strip.
The jail shouldn't be our community's largest psychiatric facility: Wednesday, March 7, 2012; Between 25 and 30 percent of inmates at the Clark County Detention Center are prescribed psychiatric medication. The largest psychiatric facility in Clark County? The jail.
Coolican optimistic about Vegas' future — or at least as optimistic as he ever is: Tuesday, March 6, 2012; We think of the Great Depression era as a time of hunger and darkness, when economic activity stopped and our grandparents learned to stuff money in the mattress. The reality is far more complex.
DA's decision not to prosecute Henderson officer will erode confidence in police: Monday, March 5, 2012; New Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson was met with an early test when confronted with whether to prosecute Sgt. Brett Seekatz, the Henderson police officer seen on video kicking a man in the head while he’s restrained.
Firefighters' newfound health has me feeling a little sick: Friday, March 2, 2012; I’m sure I’m not alone in thanking the good Lord that Clark County firefighters have experienced a miraculous wave of good health. Not long ago, our firehouses were sicker than your average kindergarten class. Sicker than Ferris Bueller.
HOA infighting an all-too-familiar Las Vegas experience: Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012; At the Casablanca Homeowners Association, a 55-and-older condo community in central Las Vegas, residents are in open combat, with nasty allegations being hurled at the board president.
Proposed water rate hike still gives some an almost-free lunch: Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012; The Southern Nevada Water Authority announced last month that it would raise water rates because its financial model — a perpetual stream of new residents paying to build water infrastructure — has collapsed with the end of growth.
Veterans suicide rate: The war at home: Friday, Feb. 24, 2012; We know that suicide is a terrible problem in Nevada, with a rate 50 percent higher than the national average. Among military veterans and especially young veterans, however, it’s a crisis, according to new data from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services.
College program might go away, and with it help for people, economy: Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012; There are 122 job openings for occupational therapists in Southern Nevada, and another 78 openings for occupational therapy assistants. People trained in the field help the disabled or people undergoing physical or cognitive changes become active and independent.
Was life really better when the Mob ruled Las Vegas?: Monday, Feb. 20, 2012; Things were better when the Mob ran this town. We hear this often enough to make it almost a cliché, and with last week’s opening of the Mob Museum, er, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, it seems like an argument worth examining.
Henderson police chief's retirement adds final scandal ingredient: Money: Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012; The city of Henderson has done its darndest over the past week to erode the already depleted stores of public trust in government.
Las Vegas’ image may discourage professional women from taking up residence: Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012; Las Vegas hosted the Lingerie Bowl during Super Bowl weekend, naturally. Following last year’s Rock ’n’ Roll Las Vegas Stiletto Dash, we have cemented our place as the premier city for athletic contests involving women who are scantily clad and/or in heels.
Coolican: Henderson officials out of loop on police brutality case, raising red flags: Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012; Henderson City Councilwoman Gerri Schroder only learned Monday that a Henderson Police officer was caught on tape kicking a restrained man in the head five times during a botched traffic stop in October 2010 that wound up costing the city $257,000.
Creativity, strong support system make for thriving city: Preview Las Vegas 2012 speakers offer hope, suggestions for improvement; Friday, Feb. 10, 2012; I’m generally skeptical of and resistant to pom-pom boosterism. So at the Chamber of Commerce’s annual Preview Las Vegas 2012 on Thursday, I snickered some at the optimism and good cheer.
Our success may hinge on embracing a bohemian philosophy: Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012; Richard Florida, author of “The Rise of the Creative Class,” argues that if cities are to be prosperous, they must embrace the “three Ts”: talent, technology and tolerance. He adds a seductive twist: To capture these three Ts, we must also embrace bohemianism.
Degradation of the Republican Party on display in Las Vegas: Friday, Feb. 3, 2012; It was a fitting closing chapter in the Republican presidential nominating contest, which has had all the gravitas of Mardi Gras. Donald Trump, the nation’s charlatan-in-chief, endorsed likely nominee Mitt Romney on Thursday in his fabulously classy, super glamorous, totally loathsome building near the Las Vegas Strip.