Clovis Roundup
500 Club Continued from page 1 customers—many came just for the card room while others just came for the dining experience. Now, card players have space at the new casino where there are 21 card tables and a variety of games like Blackjack, Texas Hold ‘Em and Omaha Hi-Lo Split. The casino also has its own restaurant and bar. The original location in Old Town was able to expand to accommodate families and larger groups. The backroom, which once housed the card tables, was transformed into a rodeo-themed dining room, with its walls adorned with framed rodeo posters from years past and wooden plaques displaying local cattle brands. Before, only 25 people or so could be served in the bar area, but with the backroom converted for dining, the 500 Club can now serve up to 75 customers. Sarantos’ wife, Cindy Sarantos, said she was hesitant about opening the new location at first, but now knows it was the right move. “I wondered how, if we couldn’t keep six tables busy here, we were going to keep the whole casino full there,” Cindy said. “Well, when players had a big game here and it broke down, they wouldn’t want to go to smaller game. They would go to somewhere else that could accommodate what they were doing like Table Mountain or Club One. Now, there are enough tables and games that they don’t have to do that.” As the manager of the 500 Club location in Old Town, Cindy said that the best thing that has occurred since moving the
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card tables is that the Old Town location has become more familyoriented, which mirrors the rodeo lifestyle. “Now we can accommodate people here, where we didn’t have the space before,” Cindy said. When Louie Sarantos is not running back and forth between the two establishments, he’s out at the rodeo grounds. While he didn’t participate in rodeo growing up, it was a part of the culture he came to know hanging out in and around the 500 Club. He also shared some things in common Photo by Ron Sundquist with the cowboys that Local legends from left to right: Bill Lovelady, Ken Melchor, Louie Sarantos, John MacIsaac and Dave Agblsit. stopped in for a poker game or cold brew—he on rodeo weekend, but it was too much said. “It was a big deal and we were there enjoyed riding horseback and would ven- trouble and there were too many fights about three weeks. The sultan paid for all ture out to the foothills and mountains to at that point that it was tougher to stay of the equipment and livestock—about hunt and fish. He was also involved in cut- open.” 20 head of livestock from horses, mulls, ting horses at a young age. Today, he said, the rodeo is more fo- longhorn steers and buffalo—to be sent to Growing up around rodeo folk instilled cused than ever on being family-friendly. Oman and then he purchased all of it to western values in Sarantos, which is why Never a rodeo performer himself, Sa- keep it there. That’s how much the sultan in the early 1970s, the 500 Club was the rantos has aided the famous one-armed liked John Payne’s performance.” first bar to shut its doors during rodeo bandit, John Payne, driving the truck and While he said his first-hand experience weekend when some unsavory characters trailer of buffalo into the arena for Payne’s in the arena is limited, Sarantos said he is started coming to Clovis when the rodeo act. Having participated each time the per- proud to be a member of the Clovis Rodeo was in town. former came to the Clovis Rodeo, Saran- Association and is glad he has the oppor“Times have changed,” Sarantos said. tos was asked to travel to the middle-east- tunity to sponsor the rodeo each year. “In the 1970s, motorcycle gangs would ern country of Oman in 2010 with Payne, “The rodeo association and its directors come to town and it took several years for who performed for the Sultan of Oman. are very accommodating and have supthe local police department to weed them That adventure, Sarantos said, was one ported us throughout the years,” Sarantos out. In 1972, my bar was the first ever to of the best experiences of his life. said. “I’ve met some wonderful people close during the rodeo and I did that for a “The performance for the sultan hap- through the association, some great cowcouple years until things calmed down. It pens once every five years and it’s a camel boys and stock contractors, and I’m happy was huge for a business to close its doors and equestrian performance,” Sarantos to be associated with them.”
On Earth Day and Every Day
Save Our Planet Reduce Reduce waste by buying only what you need. Make a list before shopping and stick to it. Bring your own bag. Visit www.stopjunkmail.com and remove yourself from mail lists: save paper, save money, save time.
Reuse Reuse to save money and resources. Hold a garage sale with friends and neighbors to provide new homes for unwanted household items. Donate gently used household goods to charitable groups such as the Salvation Army, Goodwill, St. Vicent de Paul Society and other local charities in Clovis. You can also post or find items at www.craigslist.org or at www.freecycle.org.
Recycle Recycle every day! Recycle more and conserve resources for future generations. Materials to recycle include:
Plastic bottles & containers #1-7
An Environmental Partner You Can Count on Cardboard
Paper & newspapers
Egg cartons & cereal boxes
Glass bottles & jars
Aluminum & metal cans
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