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4 THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

CONTENTS

The pre-made salsa industry is expected to grow 3 percent annually over the next five years to $1 billion. The United States is the world salsa production and distribution hub, with the most exports going to Canada, Mexico, Japan and Australia.

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NOTEWORTHY STORIES

VEGAS THROUGH THE DECADES

ON THE COVER Magnet schools provide students focus that translates into success in other areas. (PHOTO BY L.E. BASKOW/STAFF)

LEARNING THEIR OWN WAY

When was the Desert Inn imploded? How much has the city’s population grown over the years?

And where did the Rat Pack get its start? We hit the highlights to make you a five-minute expert on the rich history of our 110-year-old city, starting with the decade when the desert outpost really started to kick up dirt.

Video game technology, engineering, music, farming, Web design, medicine, creative writing — local schools offer a variety of themed programs that have become popular with students. And Clark County School District Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky wants to add more.

THESE KIDS ARE SPELLBINDING

Words most of us can’t pronounce are little worry for the elite spellers of the National Spelling Bee. Nevada middle schoolers are competing now to be the next Dakota Jones.

MORE LIFE n Pets available for adoption, P32 n Calendar of events, P40 n Puzzles, P66

MORE NEWS

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No school left behind Governor has proposed big spending to upgrade Internet speed for rural schools.

Businesses can reap rewards by helping their workers attain goals in higher education. Offering tuition assistance makes employees happier and more productive, and it’s a perk that could help in the hiring process as it resonates with job candidates who are better, more dedicated workers.

OPINION

24

the sports book go national?

20 Could 26 Technology, popularity and economy make a compelling case for legalized sports betting.

INVESTING IN YOUR EMPLOYEES

Sinking of stadium a drag on development Land near Symphony Park may be stuck in limbo until the economy fully recovers.

38

Zombie nuclear waste dump needs to die It’s bad science and bad politics, but for some reason, the Yucca Mountain proposal keeps coming back.

Return of the King: Elvis back at Westgate New owners hope old showroom can succeed after being reborn as Graceland West.

POOL SHARK

Victor Hecker is so well respected, some swimmers move to Las Vegas just to train under him.

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PUBLISHER Donn Jersey (donn.jersey@gmgvegas.com)

EDITORIAL EDITOR Delen Goldberg (delen.goldberg@gmgvegas.com) MANAGING EDITOR Dave Mondt (dave.mondt@gmgvegas.com) DIGITAL EDITOR Sarah Burns (sarah.burns@gmgvegas.com) DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR, DIGITAL John Fritz (john.fritz@gmgvegas.com) DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR, NEWS Ellen Fiore (ellen.fiore@gmgvegas.com) EDITOR, EDITORIAL AND OPINION Matt Hufman (matt.hufman@gmgvegas.com) SENIOR EDITOR, SPORTS Ray Brewer (ray.brewer@gmgvegas.com) SENIOR EDITOR, A&E Don Chareunsy (don.chareunsy@gmgvegas.com) EDITOR AT LARGE John Katsilometes (john.katsilometes@gmgvegas.com) STAFF WRITERS Taylor Bern, Andrea Domanick, Case Keefer, Ana Ley, J.D. Morris, Amber Phillips, Kyle Roerink, Cy Ryan, Eli Segall, Conor Shine, Pashtana Usufzy, Jackie Valley, Leslie Ventura, Katie Visconti, Ian Whitaker COPY DESK CHIEF John Taylor COPY EDITORS Brian Deka, Jamie Gentner SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS EDITOR Craig Peterson DIGITAL COORDINATOR Adelaide Chen NIGHT WEB EDITOR Wade McAferty EDITORIAL CARTOONIST Mike Smith LIBRARY SERVICES SPECIALIST Rebecca Clifford-Cruz RESEARCHER Pashtana Usufzy OFFICE COORDINATOR Nadine Guy

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MARKETING & EVENTS DIRECTOR OF EVENTS Kristin Wilson EVENTS COORDINATOR Jordan Newsom

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THE SUNDAY 2360 Corporate Circle Third floor Henderson, NV 89074 (702) 990-2545 FOR BACK COPIES: $3.99/copy plus shipping. Call Doris Hollifield 702.990.8993 or email doris.hollifield@gmgvegas.com SUBSCRIPTIONS: Available for $40 for 6 mo (26 issues) or $75 for 1 yr (51 issues). To order, call 800-254-2610 JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA: #TheSunday Want more Las Vegas news? Follow @lasvegassun, @VEGASINC and @lasvegasweekly

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Four men’s college conference basketball tournaments.

Four automatic bids awarded.

One road: Tropicana Avenue

ORLEANS ARENA

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March 9 - 14, 2015 THOMAS & MACK CENTER

March 11 - 14, 2015 ORLEANS ARENA

March 11 - 14, 2015

MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA

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Photos courtesy of WAC, UNLV Athletics, WCC and Pac-12

March 5 - 10, 2015

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THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

NEWS

Send your news information to news@thesunday.com

MARCH 1 - MARCH 14

WEEK IN REVIEW WEEK AHEAD NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE

LAS VEGAS VALLEY, AND BEYOND

SPORTS

QUEENS OF THE COURT

Centennial High players begin to celebrate their win against Bishop Gorman as the clock winds down in the NIAA Division 1 state basketball championship. (L.E. BASKOW/STAFF)

MARCH 2

MARCH 3

MARCH 4

MARCH 9

MARCH 11

BUSH STOPS BY

DOMESTIC DISPUTE

MAYOR’S PITCH

GET REGISTERED

PIT BULL ATTACK

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush visited Las Vegas, using his 40-minute public appearance to try to distinguish himself from George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.

A gunman killed three people in an apparent domestic dispute before shooting himself.

The shooting took place at an apartment complex in the western valley.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman addressed a group of politically influential Latinos, saying she wants to create a retaildriven cultural hub for Latinos in Las Vegas.

City clerks in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson will register voters in person through March 17.

The primary for city council, mayor and judicial races is April 7.

Jesse Vonstaden, 29, is set to appear in court on charges her four pit bulls seriously injured a 65-year-old woman and a man who tried to intervene.

Police shot one of the dogs.

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Gap in life expectancy, in years, for babies born in different parts of the valley. Babies born in southeast Las Vegas are projected to live 87 years, while life expectancy is 71 years 9 miles north, near the Strip.

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9 THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

NEWS

SPORTS

BUSINESS

LIFE

GAMING

POLITICS

LIFE POLITICS

TITUS: AMTRAK, COME BACK Las Vegas hasn’t had passenger rail service since May 1997.

Rep. Dina Titus wants to bring the trains back. Titus asked for a return of the service last week when the House of Representatives approved $8 billion in funding for Amtrak over the next four years. Much of the money will be spent maintaining busy routes in the Northeast, but $300 million a year is available to build new routes. Titus wants a western route that could alleviate strain on Las Vegas’ highways and airports.

NEW LIFE FOR OLD TOYS Stuffed animals at a Goodwill sorting facility are bound up to be sold for reuse.

(L.E. BASKOW/STAFF)

DRIVEN BY SUPPORT OF EDUCATION MARCH 4

A BIG DISCOVERY

An auction of 230 classic vehicles from the Rogers’ Classic Car Museum drew a standing-room-only crowd of bidders and spectators to the South Point.

The auction raised $9.5 million to benefit the Rogers Foundation, which supports arts and education in Southern Nevada.

An international research group co-directed by a UNLV anthropologist published a report on a 2.8 million-year-old fossilized jaw bone touted as the earliest evidence of the human ancestor genus Homo.

The group found the fossil in 2013 in Ethiopia.

It predates previously discovered Homo fossils by 400,000 years.

$1B

Caesars Entertainment’s losses during the fourth quarter of 2014. It lost $1.75 billion during the same quarter in 2013.

POLITICS

PUSHING FOR A VOTE A controversial bill on school funding caused two GOP lawmakers to blow their tops in a stairwell of the Capitol Building.

Assemblyman John Moore accused Majority Floor Leader Paul Anderson of threatening him to try to compel him to change his vote. There was pushing, shoving and plenty of gossip flowing through the Legislature afterward.

2018

LOCAL

ON THE SCENE

Metro Police investigators take measurements on Boulder Highway after a car wreck killed two women.

(STEVE MARCUS/STAFF)

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E N T E R TA I N M E N T

Date by which the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will phase out elephants from its shows. Circus owners still have 43 elephants, 13 of which perform, but years of pressure from animal activists alleging abuse caused a “mood shift” among consumers, a circus executive said.

3/6/15 3:35 PM

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THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

Send your news information to news@thesunday.com

5-MINUTE EXPERT

Las V in an spur at th

VEGAS THROUGH THE YEARS

40s 50s 60s 70s

Vegas and El Cortez open in 1941.

• ElLastRancho Frontier opens in 1942.

Airport becomes McCarran Field.

• Alamo Flamingo opens in December 1946.

• The debuts in November 1944.

• Liberace performers at the time • Popular include Jimmy Durante, Martin and Lewis, and the Mills Brothers.

1940 population: Las Vegas: 8,422 Notable: The 1940s saw the expansion of the hotel-casino concept, where new facilities included pools, restaurants, coffee shops, gardens and parks in addition to a casino.

Before, hotels were simple, western bunkhouses with a casino in the lobby.

Vegas Vic

1950 population: 24,624 (+192.4%) Notable: By 1955, nearly 8 million people visit Las Vegas every year. In 1956, the 12-story g Fremont Hotel opens downtown, becoming the area’s tallest building, but more resortss continue to open on the Strip. UNLV holdss its first classes in 1957.

1942, actor • InClark Gable stayed at El Rancho Vegas after his wife, actress Carole Lombard, had been killed in a plane crash. He came to town to claim the body and spent the weekend pacing his room.

Inn opens in April 1950.

• Desert Vegas Morning Sun begins publishing in July 1950.

• Las Rouge, the area’s first integrated hotel, opens in 1955.

• Moulin open for business: Desert Inn, Sands, Dunes, New • Also Frontier, Sahara, Hacienda, Stardust and Tropicana in town include Nat King Cole and Red Skelton.

• Performers Frank Sinatra makes his first performance at the Desert

for the first time • Rat Pack performs in 1960, at Sands.

1960 population: 64,405 (+161.6%) Notable: The Limited Test Ban Treaty in October 1963 bans above-ground nuclear tests, which means tourists strolling the nighttime streets of Las Vegas no longer see the glow of an atomic fireball in the sky.

1970 population: 125,787 (+95.3%) Notable: After 837 sold-out shows in Las Vegas dating to 1969, Elvis performs his final engagement at the Hilton in December 1976.

In 1974, gambling is legalized in Atlantic City, N.J., providing Las Vegas’ first real U.S. competition.

10-11_5MinExpert_Vegas History_20150308.ind.indd 10

2000 Nota is im stalw was 1956 the s

Howard Hughes leaves Las Vegas in 1970 after becoming • Nevada’s largest private employer, largest casino owner

• • • •

1980 Nota when in No does smok peop

1990 Nota most Vega anot the o gond

Inn. Elvis makes his infamous (and not entirely successful) debut at New Frontier.

Ten major hotels open on the Strip and •Fremont Street.

Newton’s first show opens in 1963 at •theWayne Flamingo.

Las Vegas is released in 1964.

• Viva Howard Hughes arrives in a two-car private •train over Thanksgiving 1966.

Siegfried and Roy open in •1967 at Tropicana.

Aladdin opens with 400 • rooms.

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and largest property owner. He dies in 1976.

Hunter S. Thompson’s novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas comes out in 1971 and explores a whole new side of the city.

Liberace earns $125,000 per week in 1975, making him Las Vegas’ top-drawing performer. He opens his museum in 1979. (It closes in 2010, but might reopen.)

One-dollar slot machines cause a sensation in casinos.

National hotel corporations begin opening hotel-casinos, thanks to the Corporate Gaming Law passed in 1969.

2010 Nota meg rena beco beco Seve

The King dies in Memphis in 1977.

3/6/15 12:13 PM

actor Gable d at El s after ctress d, had plane came own to m the dy and nt the ekend ng his room.

5.

11 THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

Las Vegas became a town in 1905. During the early part of the 20th century, it was little more than a dusty village in an alluvial valley, named after the green meadows that were fed by naturally flowing springs. World War II spurred a population boom, and the rough-and-tumble town became a place to escape and have fun. Here is a look at the past eight decades and the people who lived, worked and played here. ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHRIS MORRIS | STAFF

80s 90s 00s 10s

experiences a slowdown in gambling due to Atlantic City legalizing gambling in 1974.

•TheVegas first legal casino to open on the East Coast is Resorts International in 1978.

Dere!” Marty Allen • “Hello and Rossi perform at the Maxim Hotel. Rooms are $29.50

d” at Kind” the D.I.

DEALS! Mickey Finn plays at the Landmark Hotel for $7.95 per person.

Thanksgiving dinner at Circus Circus costs $4.95!

Holiday Inn Galley Restaurant: $1.17 breakfast anytime, $2.47 lunch buffet.

Mirage opens in 1989 and changes guests’ expectations.

It’s the first major Strip hotel built since the early 1970s.

• • •

1980 population: 164,674 (+30.9%) Notable: A dark event starts the decade, when the MGM Grand hotel catches fire in November 1980. Although the fire doesn’t rise above the second floor, smoke fills the hotel. Eighty-seven people die and 700 more are injured.

•

wins the NCAA men’s basketball championship in 1990.

• UNLV Implosions: Dunes and its iconic 180-foot sign comes down • in 1993. TheThe Landmark falls in 1995; Sands in 1996.

During Jan Jones’ reign as mayor (’91-’99), hotel capacity • explodes from 70,000 hotel rooms to more than 130,000, and

1990 population: 258,295 (+56.9%) Notable: The 1990s could go down as the most active construction decade in Las Vegas. One sensational megahotel after another open, and each tries to out-theme the other. Pirates, King Tuts and Venetian gondolas populate the Strip.

• • •

UNLV men’s basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian

tourist volume more than doubles, from 15 million to 35 million visitors.

Fremont Street Experience is completed in 1995.

Stage shows became complex presentations including Cirque du Soleil’s “Nouvelle Experience.”

By 1999, the Las Vegas Valley’s population is more than 1.3 million residents.

Siegfried and Roy’s run of 30,000 shows ends in 2003 •when Roy Horn is mauled by a tiger.

Implosions: Rancho in 2000, Desert Inn in 2001, • Boardwalk inEl2006, Bourbon Street in 2006, Castaways

2000 population: 478,434 (+85.2%) er Notable: In November 2007, the New Frontier is imploded. While not as infamous as other stalwarts from the Rat Pack glory days, it n was where Elvis made his Las Vegas debut in m 1956, when he received a cool reception from o. the slightly older crowd than he was used to.

• • • •

in 2006, New Frontier in 2007 and Stardust in 2007.

After leveling the Desert Inn, Steve Wynn builds his first eponymous hotel in 2005.

Resorts expand and usher in a new era of luxury.

CityCenter, a concentrated mega-resort on 76 acres, opens in 2009 adding 4,800 hotel rooms.

Economic implosion of 2007-08 devastates Las Vegas. Unemployment in Nevada eventually tops 14 percent.

PAWN STARS: In 2009, a TV show debuted on the History •Channel chronicling the life and times of three generations of pawn brokers. By the early 2010s, Pawn Stars was a runaway hit, making the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop a tourist draw in Las Vegas.

Pawn Stars’ Harrisons

2010 population: 583,756 (+22.0%) Notable: The 2010s bring the opening of a new megaresort, the Cosmopolitan, and face-lifts and renamings of older properties. Imperial Palace becomes the Quad (then the Linq), Fitzgerald’s becomes the D, and Terribles becomes Silver Sevens, among other new names.

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and Madame • Wayland perform in “One of a

•

PAN STARS: Celebrity chefs such as Gordon Ramsay open high-end eateries all over town.

Wolfgang Puck, Bobby Flay, Emeril Lagasse, Giada De Laurentiis and Nobu Matsuhisa are just a few of the culinary gods to reign.

3/6/15 12:13 PM

12

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THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

COVER STORY

Send your news information to news@thesunday.com

DREAM

FARMING, AVIATION, GEOLOGY — TAKE YOUR PICK. FOCUSED LEARNING AT MAGNET SCHOOLS COULD BE THE KEY TO LAS VEGAS’ EDUCATION FUTURE STORY BY IAN WHITAKER | PHOTOS BY L.E. BASKOW

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t Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, students sing in the hallways and limber up in stairwells. At the Academy of Sports Marketing and Media Communications at Desert Pines High School, they shoot video news reports for PBS and run the only school-sponsored radio station in the state. At the Academy at Jim Bridger Middle School, pupils build robots and drones.

That’s in addition to taking regular classes.

The Clark County School District, while still struggling by several measures, has found its most pronounced success with magnet programs, specialty tracks that allow K-12 students to take in-depth classes in such professional fields as engineering, hospitality and law.

Magnet students report feeling more supported by educators, have higher attendance rates and perform well on standardized tests, studies show. Many have won national scholastic recognition and earned spots at top colleges.

A

3/6/15 3:30 PM

13 Students tend to cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts at the Moapa Valley High School laboratory farm.

THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

Bought in the 1950s, the Moapa Valley High School farm has been operated by the school and Future Farmers of America (now called FFA) for the past 60 years. Grant money paid for most of the initial equipment and facilities, but now the students support the school by selling the produce they grow.

AM BIG Magnet schools help unlock students’ innate desire to learn by ditching lectures in favor of hands-on experiences in subjects students find interesting, Rancho High School teacher Gary Archambeault said. Locally, there are magnets that focus on animation, aviation, Web design, finance, military leadership, geology, Chinese, culinary arts, sports marketing, public safety, costume design and mariachi music.

Clark County school officials plan next year to introduce seven new programs, increasing the number of students who can participate from about 5,724 to 8,570. The following year, four more magnets will open with another 400 seats. There are 319,000 students in the Clark County School District.

Because magnet school programs don’t cost parents tuition and any student in the district can apply, demand is high. The number of applicants dwarfs the number of seats available, and the district has only enough space to enroll about a third of students who’d like to attend.

What makes magnets so effective? To find out, you have to enter the classroom.

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MOAPA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL AGRICULTURE | 120 STUDENTS 2400 ST. JOSEPH ST., OVERTON

There are lots of smells at Moapa Valley High’s 40-acre farm — hay, manure, mulch. There, students plant, tend to, harvest and sell hundreds of bags of produce a year. Older students raise calves and steer. Students and administrators work more closely with FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America) than the school district.

The farm program isn’t a magnet per se, but it is similar to one in that students learn skills. The agriculture class is an elective, though students who work on the farm often outpace their peers in courses such as AP biology.

“We go in there knowing so much about photosynthesis and plants, the first two months of class were just review,” junior Bailey Kesl said.

Textbooks are manuals for tractors and heavy equipment. Students learn chemistry to keep soil fertile and business to keep the farm running efficiently.

The farm is where Baxter Baker, 16, learned how to trap problem animals. He used to want to be firefighter like his father. Now, he plans on becoming a government trapper.

“As I look for different places to catch animals, I learn how they lived there and how they survived,” Baker said.

3/6/15 3:30 PM

14 THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

COVER STORY

BROADENING HORIZONS Expanding magnet school programs has been Clark County Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky’s goal since he was hired in 2013.

WHAT ARE MAGNET SCHOOLS?

Magnets are themed programs that focus on specific curriculums within existing public schools — like schools within schools. Magnet students take specialized courses in a particular discipline or field, then attend general education classes with students from the entire student body of the school.

WHAT ARE THE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS? For elementary and middle school students, there are no specific requirements to attend a magnet school. Parents must submit an application online or at the school by the application deadline. ¶ If there are more applications than seats available, a computerized random lottery is used to select students. ¶ Most high school magnets have some admission criteria.

Students interested in applying should talk with their counselors or contact the magnet school to determine whether there are entrance criteria. Students also must submit an application online or at the school by the deadline. ¶ If there are more qualified applicants than seats available, a computerized random lottery is used.

HOW MUCH IS TUITION AT A MAGNET? There are no tuition, application or entrance fees for magnets.

CAN MAGNET STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES? Sometimes. Parents and students must check with the student’s zoned school in regard to eligibility. ¶ In school, magnet students aren’t kept separate from the general school population.

All students also share a lunch period.

ARE SIBLINGS KEPT TOGETHER? District officials try to avoid separating siblings but make no guarantee that family members will be admitted to the same school. ¶ The only exception made is for multiples. If one twin is accepted to a magnet, the other, if qualified, automatically will be offered a seat at the same school.

WHO CAN APPLY? Any student in grades kindergarten through nine living in the Clark County School District boundaries. Those applying to Las Vegas Academy of the Arts must be in at least 10th grade.

Magnet programs emerged in the 1960s to protest racially segregated schools. The street academies, as they were called, emphasized reading, writing and arithmetic, as well as African-American history, civil rights and community involvement. Today, magnets aim to improve student achievement, promote diversity and make students aware of career opportunities.

CAN I APPLY TO MULTIPLE MAGNETS?

SUPPLY AND DEMAND IN 2014, 16,679 STUDENTS APPLIED FOR 5,724 AVAILABLE MAGNET SEATS.

Students can apply to a maximum of three schools at each applicable grade level (elementary, middle and high school.) ¶ The most seats will be available for first, sixth and ninth grades. Students can enter a magnet program at any grade level, but availability depends on how many students leave the program.

WHAT ABOUT CTAs? Career and technical academies are similar to magnets in terms of offering specialized courses of study, but unlike magnets, each comprises a full school. They have a similar application process as magnets. There are seven career and technical academies in Clark County offering courses in dozens of subjects.

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SPECIAL EDUCATION, ENGLISH-LANGUAGE LEARNER, HOME-SCHOOLED, PRIVATE-SCHOOL OR CHARTER-SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND CLARK COUNTY MAGNET SCHOOLS.

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CLARK COUNTY’S MAGNET SCHOOLS 1 Canyon Springs High School ❑ Leadership and law prep 2 Clark High School ❑ Finance ❑ Teacher education ❑ Math, science and applied technology 3

❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Del Sol High School Costume design Dance Guitar Mariachi Music production Technical theater Theater

7 Rancho High School ❑ Aerospace engineering ❑ Private aviation ❑ Pre-medical

16 Roy Martin Middle School ❑ International baccalaureate

8 Valley High School ❑ Hospitality and tourism ❑ International baccalaureate

17 Thurman White Middle School ❑ Band ❑ Choir ❑ Dance ❑ Orchestra ❑ Theater

Bridger Middle School ❑ Science, technology, engineering, art and math 9

Cashman Middle School ❑ Science, technology, engineering and math 10

Gibson Middle School ❑ Leadership 11

4

❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Desert Pines High School Animation Culinary arts Radio production Sports marketing Video production

Eldorado High School ❑ Video game technology ❑ Web design 5

Las Vegas Academy of the Arts ❑ Band ❑ Chinese ❑ Creative writing ❑ Dance ❑ French ❑ Guitar ❑ Japanese ❑ Jazz ❑ Mariachi ❑ Orchestra ❑ Piano ❑ Spanish ❑ Technical theater ❑ Theater ❑ Video production ❑ Visual arts ❑ Vocal 6

Guinn Middle School ❑ Science, technology, engineering and math 12

13 Hyde Park Middle School ❑ Science, technology, engineering and math 14 Walter Johnson Junior High School ❑ Academy of International Studies 15 Knudson Middle School ❑ Band ❑ Dance ❑ Drama ❑ Mariachi ❑ Orchestra ❑ Television production ❑ Technical theater ❑ Technology/computer graphics ❑ Visual arts ❑ Vocal

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20

Bracken Elementary School ❑ Math and science 18

19 Kit Carson International Academy ❑ International baccalaureate

9

22

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19 21

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7 18 6

24

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20 Gilbert Magnet School ❑ Communication and creative arts

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21 Mabel Hoggard Elementary School ❑ Science, technology, engineering and math

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22 Jo Mackey Academy of Leadership ❑ Leadership and communications

■ HIGH SCHOOL

Gordon McCaw Elementary School STEAM Academy ❑ International studies

■ MIDDLE/JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

23

24 Clarence Piggott Elementary School ❑ International studies 25 Sandy Searles Miller Academy ❑ International baccalaureate

■ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

By 2017, approximately 9,170 students will participate in magnet school programs.

HOW DO THEY GET TO SCHOOL? The Clark County School District plans to add seven magnet programs in fall and another four in 2016. The additions mean almost 9,200 students will have access to the schools within schools.

But the expansion comes at a price: The district says it no longer wants to bus students to magnets far from their homes.

Many parents are angry, but district officials say the change is necessary to save money.

319,000 12-17_cover story_March_20150308.indd 15

THE CHANGE Under the current system, if a student from Henderson attends a magnet school in North Las Vegas, the school district buses the student there.

But that can mean long commutes and big bills to cover gas and employee time.

So officials propose splitting the valley into zones starting in fall.

Each magnet school would have its own zone, and any student living in that zone could be bused to school.

That’s how busing works for career and technical academies.

A student can attend a magnet

NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN ALL SCHOOLS IN THE CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT

school outside of his or her zone, but the student would have to find a different means of transportation.

WHAT ABOUT CHILDREN ALREADY IN MAGNETS? Current students would continue to be bused until they graduate, said Jhone Ebert, the district’s chief innovation officer.

HOW MUCH MONEY WOULD THE DISTRICT SAVE? $9 million a year. The district currently spends $43 million a year on transportation.

5,724

WHEN WILL THE ISSUE BE DECIDED? It’s unclear, but School Board trustees will have to address the issue before the start of the next school year.

ARE THERE ALTERNATIVES? District officials are considering two possible alternatives: ■ Collaborate with the Regional Transportation Commission to bus students to any magnet using existing bus routes.

■ Gradually introduce the changes over a period of several years.

THE NUMBER OF AVAILABLE MAGNET SEATS IN THE DISTRICT

3/6/15 3:31 PM

16 THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

COVER STORY

LAS VEGAS ACADEMY PERFORMING AND CREATIVE ARTS MAGNET 315 S. Seventh St., Las Vegas 1,848 APPLICANTS FOR 420 SEATS IN 2014 Don’t think of Las Vegas Academy of the Arts as a school. It’s more of a professional theater with a school around it.

“I’ve never had such a deep talent pool to draw from as a director,” said Erik Amblad, managing director of the school’s theater program. “They’re embracing a discipline here that most actors I know professionally don’t have.”

ON THEIR OWN Magnet schools do not receive any special state or federal funding.

First-year theater student Elena Cellitti pauses while classmates wander in character during an exercise at the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts.

Renowned directors and stage technicians work alongside students to stitch costumes, hammer sets together and dial in lighting. Students in the visual arts program snap photos, animate characters and make pottery.

A small group of senior acting students cloisters in a room to practice singing. Magnet students are given lots of space to work by themselves and with each other.

“When we are in the creative process, it makes us develop an aspect of critical thinking and maturity,” said Collen Whitton, 17.

“They’re challenged intellectually here,” theater teacher Megan Ahern said. “They’re just challenged through the arts.”

Science specialist Kim Law and students interact with Gertie, a Nigerian pygmy Goat.

RANC

AERO AND P

1900 SE

2,074 A FOR 31

MABEL HOGGARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH 950 N. Tonopah Drive, Las Vegas 1,201 APPLICANTS FOR 75 SEATS IN 2014

12-17_cover story_March_20150308.indd 16

At Mabel Hoggard Elementary School, learning is hands-on.

The science curriculum is devoid of textbooks.

Instead, students make miniature hot-air balloons to experiment with air density, and they build machines from Legos to learn mechanics.

In math, students not only tackle hard problems, they have to defend their answers and explain their reasoning.

Hoggard is Clark County’s first and most decorated magnet program.

“At my last school, (teachers) just told us the information and didn’t let the kids do anything,” said Oni Boulware, 8, a third-grader. Once she enrolled at Hoggard, Oni said, “I wanted to keep learning.”

GERTIE, THE GOAT Are you a plant that can be chewed or a loose object that can be dragged?

No? Then Gertie the goat is not interested.

The Nigerian pygmy goat is Mabel Hoggard’s unofficial mascot. She sometimes wears an old tie-dye T-shirt, frequently chews on anything and everything she can reach, follows around

Th Sc program onlooke It’s n hanging the ma capture the dro robots sight of compu Ranc 1997 an Aerona est and kind. M credit f school to colle Oxford Isaac aviation schools for kno in it. At student student Isaac fly over damag won thi ence co “I lov ing able see wh “I do th

school gardener and zooist Kim Law, and gets into all sorts of trouble.

But students love her, as they do all of the animals at Hoggard. The school’s science curriculum includes caring for animals such as a chinchilla, chameleon and marsupial sugar glider.

Students also raise and sell vegetables — at least the ones Gertie doesn’t get to.

3/6/15 3:32 PM

17 THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

Student Mark Omo flies a drone in a classroom at the Rancho High School Academy of Aviation magnet program.

RANCHO HIGH SCHOOL AEROSPACE, ENGINEERING AND PRE-MEDICINE MAGNET 1900 SEARLES AVE., LAS VEGAS 2,074 APPLICANTS FOR 310 SEATS IN 2014 The students in Rancho High School’s aerospace engineering program are used to a steady stream of onlookers.

It’s not the student-built biplane hanging from their workshop ceiling or the massive radial aircraft engine that captures attention. What draws looks are the drones whizzing around, the gigantic robots clanging on the floor and the sight of peers flying virtual airplanes on computers.

Rancho’s aviation magnet began in 1997 and is affiliated with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest and most distinguished school of its kind. Magnet students can earn college credit from Embry-Riddle with high school classes. Other graduates go on to college at MIT, Purdue, Harvard and Oxford.

Isaac Salmon, 17, said he always loved aviation but felt trapped in traditional schools that treated him like a receptacle for knowledge rather than a participant in it. At Rancho, projects are designed by students, not dictated by teachers, and students engineer their own creations.

Isaac helped develop a drone that can fly over cornfields and identify crops damaged by insects, an invention that won third place last year in a national science competition.

“I love the hands-on part of it and being able to actually touch and feel and see what you’re actually doing,” he said.

“I do this stuff for fun now.”

12-17_cover story_March_20150308.indd 17

In anticipation of the debut of Eldorado’s video game technology magnet, Principal John Anzalone changed the school crest, replacing its feather and quill with a laptop, and converted half the school library into a student union where students can play video games before and after school.

ELDORADO HIGH SCHOOL VIDEO GAME TECHNOLOGY AND WEB DESIGN MAGNET 1139 N. LINN LANE, LAS VEGAS 630 APPLICANTS FOR 365 SEATS IN 2015

School is out at Eldorado High School, except for a few students who stay behind to play video games in the school library.

You could call it research. The teens applied to Eldorado’s soonto-open video game technology magnet, where students will learn to code, design and build software.

“You get to build games,” program director Brandi Weekes said.

“That’s your lesson for the day.”

Derrek Buck, 15, wants in on the action — and the $21 billion soft-

ware industry as a beta tester for Nintendo. He hopes his number is called for a spot in the magnet. He thinks it would give him the skills he needs to break into a field he has been in love with since he was 5.

“I want to code games, animate them and even make the hardware for them,” Derrek said. “I hope to revolutionize gaming to the point where you’re physically in the game. I imagine going into the game and being in a whole new place.”

3/6/15 3:32 PM

18

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NEWS

Send your news information to news@thesunday.com

No school left behind Governor has proposed $50 million to upgrade computers, Internet speed in rural areas

The n erates answer gling w will tak comput Rura hurdles mium.

Two student istering had an of a me megaby speed-t Beca front de while s Superin “The school j Like Referen reading plete. T multipl “Our Duane County dle all t Barto for the comput In d ers, ad

A student works on math problems during a trial run of a new assessment test linked to the Common Core standards. The test must be taken online, but many schools in rural Nevada lack the necessary computers and data speed to allow that. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

BY IAN WHITAKER | STAFF WRITER

Next month, Nevada students will set aside their pens and paper to take an online test officials say will give administrators an unprecedented look at how well students are doing in reading and math. ¶ But in many of Nevada’s rural schools, there aren’t enough computers to go around. In many schools that do have the equipment, slow Internet connections mean only a few students can be online at once. Some schools have no access to the Internet at all. ¶ A plan

by Gov. Brian Sandoval to spend $50 million to buy computers, improve connectivity and expand classroom technology is expected to make its way through legislative hearings in the coming weeks, and data-storage company Switch is working with districts throughout Nevada to improve their data lines and digital capacities. In the meantime, school districts and the state Department of Education are scrambling to prepare for the rollout of the Web-based Smarter Balanced Assessment, meant to give officials a more in-depth look into students’ understanding of Common Core curriculum.

18-19_News_CommonCore_20150308.indd 18

3/5/15 4:44 PM

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NEWS

WHAT’S ON THE NEW TEST

WHAT SCHOOLS NEED

Here are two sample questions from the Smarter Balanced Assessment, which is meant to be completed by students on a computer.

School officials performed a statewide technology survey in 2014 to assess how many Nevada students were equipped to take a required state test this year. Some of the results are below. Districts have spent big bucks buying computers and improving Internet speed and connectivity, but work remains to close the technology gap.

FOURTH-GRADE LITERACY

SEVENTH-GRADE MATH

Read the sentences from the passage. Then answer the question.

The point on the number line shows the location of -3 1/2. Move each expression into a box to show its correct location on the number line.

“My grandma pulled the ball out, unwrapped it, and held it out for us to see.

The ball was scarred almost beyond rec-

491 STUDENTS

ognition. It had dog bite marks, dirt scuffs, and fraying seams. Right in the middle -31/2

was a big signature in black ink that I had

309 STUDENTS

somehow overlooked. It was smudged now and faded, but it still clearly said ‘Babe Ruth.’ I began to shake inside.”

Click on two phrases from the paragraph that help you understand the meaning of scarred.

GOAL:

-31/2 - 31/2

-31/2 - (-5)

-31/2 + 31/2

-31/2 + (-5)

Source: smarterbalanced.org

The new test is computer adaptive, meaning it generates new questions based on students’ incorrect answers to pinpoint exactly which skills they’re struggling with. All students in grades three through eight will take the test this year. To do so, each will need a computer and a reliable Internet connection.

Rural counties in the northeast face the biggest hurdles. There, high-speed broadband comes at a premium.

Two schools in Elko, for example, had nearly 700 students last year and no computers capable of administering the test. A middle school in White Pine County had an average download speed of less than a quarter of a megabyte per second. Statewide, the average is 37 megabytes per second, according to Ookla, an Internet speed-testing service.

Because of bandwidth limitations, workers at the front desks of some schools can’t even answer phones while students are in the computer lab, state Deputy Superintendent Steven Canavero said.

“The amount of data coming into and out of the school just isn’t big enough,” Canavero said.

Like the previous state assessment, the Criterion Referenced Test, the new test quizzes students on reading and math and takes about eight hours to complete. That’s eight hours of Internet usage per student, multiplied by dozens of students taking it at once.

“Our rural schools don’t have that capability,” said Duane Barton, computer systems manager for Elko County schools. “It’s simply not large enough to handle all that is required for the tests.”

Barton’s district had to buy 900 laptops to prepare for the test but still averages about six students per computer.

In districts where there aren’t enough computers, administrators are drawing up staggered test-

18-19_News_CommonCore_20150308.indd 19

ing schedules and plan to bus students from remote schools to more connected schools hours away to make sure everyone is tested.

“I think we’re going to scoot through,” State Education Technology Coordinator Kim Vidoni said.

Money is the biggest reason technology gaps persist.

It costs carriers more to build and maintain networks in hard-to-reach places, and costs are passed on to school districts, which don’t have the budgets to afford them.

Vidoni said a fiber-optic line to schools in Carlin and Spring Creek, about 15 miles from Elko, would cost $1 million to install and $14,000 a month to maintain.

In an urban area, similar maintenance costs $6,000 a month, Vidoni said.

Elko abandoned the idea of installing a fiber-optic line because of the cost.

The Clark County School District has had only one school, near Mount Charleston, that encountered problems with Internet connectivity, Assistant Superintendent Leslie Arnold said.

Vidoni and other Department of Education officials now are working to inventory each district’s equipment and technology. Switch is helping state officials identify data bottlenecks, while also undertaking a massive public-private project to improve their systems through a variety of means, including increasing the capacity of their fiber-optic lines or laying new ones. Switch’s goal is to raise the average speed to 1,000 megabytes per second.

Unless the Legislature passes Sandoval’s proposed $50 million spend, rural districts will continue to struggle.

“A lot of schools just don’t have the money to invest in technology,” Vidoni said. “This would level the playing field and bridge the divide.”

GOAL:

75

125

38

57

test-ready computers

LOVELOCK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Pershing

test-ready computers

YERINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Lyon

753 STUDENTS 675 STUDENTS

GOAL:

GOAL:

200

175 21

28

test-ready computers

SPRING CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL Elko

test-ready computers

SPRING CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Elko

SLOW COMPUTERS The minimum download speed needed to take the test is 20 kbps. Some schools were nowhere near that threshold when a technology survey was performed last year.

West Wendover Elementary School (Elko) 9.6 kbps per student East Valley Elementary School (Lyon) 5.7 kbps per student

Schurz Elementary School (Mineral) 6.6 kbps per student Amargosa Valley Elementary School (Nye) 4.8 kbps per student

3/5/15 4:44 PM

20 THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

Just one page of the numerous possible Super Bowl sports bets are displayed on the screen at the Westgate Superbook.

(L.E. BASKOW/STAFF)

RISE OF THE BOOK

Technology, popularity, economy combine to make compelling political case for legalized sports betting

BY J.D. MORRIS STAFF WRITER

Sports betting is having a big moment in the United States.

Prominent voices from professional sports and politics have indicated they’re willing to discuss expanding sports gambling, which is legal only in a handful of states. Meanwhile, Nevada has broadened the types of wagers it offers, and people appear to be betting on sports more than ever before.

CALLS TO EXPAND The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, passed by Congress in 1992, made sports betting illegal in almost every state. Nevada, Oregon, Montana and Delaware are exempt from the law, but beyond Nevada, wagering is allowed only on a limited basis.

So for now, Nevada is the only state with full-fledged legal sports betting, but that could change in the not-too-distant future.

20-21_News_SportsBetting_20150308.indd 20

Adam Silver, commissioner of the NBA, has said he supports legal sports betting. He told ESPN he spoke with commissioners of other sports leagues, and “all of them are interested in having a better understanding of the issue.”

U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who once tried to outlaw college sports betting in Nevada, told ESPN that “we need a debate in Congress” about allowing sports bets in more states.

“It has fully cascaded into a tidal wave of momentum,” said Daniel Wallach, a gaming and sports law attorney.

Wallach said there’s no question sports leagues are coming around to the idea of pulling sports gambling off the black market and regulating it.

In fact, the American Gaming Association made cracking down on illegal wagering a top priority for 2015. AGA President Geoff Freeman told a conference of mayors that his group is keeping tabs on sports gambling, the laws be-

BY THE NUMBERS

$116M

$119.4M

Amount legally wagered in Nevada on the Super Bowl in 2013

Amount legally wagered in Nevada on the Super Bowl in 2014

$3.9B

Amount wagered by sports bettors in Nevada in 2014

$3.8B

Amount the American Gaming Association estimated would be wagered illegally on the Super Bowl in 2015.

That’s a 7.7 percent increase from 2013

3/5/15 3:50 PM

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Send your news information to news@thesunday.com

MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

NEWS

NEVADA’S ANNUAL SPORTS POOL REVENUE

2014 REVENUE

Figures do not include revenue from race books. $250M

$227M $200M

$150M

$100M

$50M

0

’94

’95

’96

’97

’98

’99

’00

’01

’02

’03

’04

’05

’06

’07

’08

’09

’10

’11

’12

’13

’14

Source: UNLV Center for Gaming Research

hind it and the best course of action for the gaming industry.

POPULARITY SOARS While elected officials mull over a possible expansion, one point is clear: In the only state with legal sports books, the industry’s popularity has reached new heights.

Last year’s Super Bowl was the mostwagered game of all time, and this year was a close second. Sports books also saw a boost last summer during the World Cup. Nevada’s annual sports pool revenue, which doesn’t include race books, has grown consistently over the past few years, surpassing the peak it reached before the recession.

Would Nevada sports books continue to grow if more states had legal betting?

Experts’ opinions are split.

Joe Asher, CEO of William Hill U.S., doesn’t believe sports betting in other states would harm Nevada.

“Nothing beats coming out to Vegas for the opening weekend of March Madness,” Asher said.

But Union Gaming analyst Chris Jones said if sports books were to become legal in other markets, Nevada could suffer because “nothing trumps convenience.”

Jones said the loss wouldn’t be felt on the casino floor but in other areas of the gambling industry, such as food and beverage sales.

STATE-LEVEL EXPANSIONS Major athletic events such as the Super Bowl and March Madness have long meant big business for Nevada sports books. But the industry for years has been barred from taking bets on the

20-21_News_SportsBetting_20150308.indd 21

‘

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Gambling has increasingly become a popular and accepted form of entertainment in the United States. …

There is an obvious appetite among sports fans for a safe and legal way to wager on professional sporting events.”

— ADAM SILVER, NBA COMMISSIONER

‘ ‘ ‘

We need to have a talk with the American people, and we need to probably have hearings in Congress on the whole issue so we can build consensus.”

— SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, R-ARIZ.

Current law banning sports betting is clearly failing.”

— GEOFF FREEMAN, PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN GAMING ASSOCIATION

The idea of having a federal system to govern gambling — whatever that system is — uniformity at a federal level seems like a pretty good idea to me.”

— MLB COMMISSIONER ROB MANFRED

Olympic games.

Last month, the Nevada Gaming Commission changed regulations to permit Olympic wagering. Even though it’s not expected to bring in a huge amount of revenue, commission Chairman Tony Alamo said it’s a “big deal” that “globalizes the legitimacy of what we do.”

While Nevada diversifies the types of sports bettors can wager on, New Jersey has tried — so far unsuccessfully — just to break into the industry. Voters there passed a ballot measure saying they wanted sports betting, and Gov. Chris Christie signed a law permitting it, but no sports books have opened their doors yet because major sports leagues sued.

Now, New Jersey is in a legal battle with the leagues. The case is scheduled to be heard in federal court this month.

ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY There isn’t one clear explanation behind the growth of sports betting, but technology certainly has played a role.

These days, you don’t even have to visit a sports book to place a bet in Nevada.

People can gamble via their phones, using one of several popular apps.

Sports betting has become so popular that Asher said William Hill now gets about 40 percent of its handle from mobile devices. And the company’s in-person handle has increased, too.

The Internet also has fueled interest, as the popularity of fantasy sports has surged. Websites such as FanDuel offer cash prizes in daily online contests that many see as similar to gambling.

Wallach said the popularity of such sites has opened the eyes of the leagues to “all the good that can come from legalizing sports betting.”

3/5/15 3:50 PM

22 THE SUNDAY

CRE

MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

MOTORIST QUIZ Do you know these rules of the road?

Take this true/false test to find out.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SAFE DRIVER?

A DRIVER AND PEDESTRIAN ARE WAITING AT A SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION. THE DRIVER GETS A GREEN LIGHT AND IS TURNING RIGHT, THEREFORE HE HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY. False. The pedestrian always has the right of way, even though technically both the driver and pedestrian have a green light to go.

Because the pedestrian is vulnerable and the motorist is not, the pedestrian gets “superior right of way.” The same is true for flashing left-turn yellow arrows. Motorists must yield to pedestrians before making left turns.

Many Clark County motorists are still learning how to share the road with pedestrians No driver wants to be responsible for killing or injuring a pedestrian, but unfortunately, a growing number of Clark County drivers are finding themselves in that position. So far this year, there have been 12 pedestrian fatalities in Clark County, accounting for the majority of Nevada’s 13 pedestrian deaths. With a fatality nearly every week, the numbers go beyond statistics: We’re creating a dangerous environment, and we need to change it.

IT IS A DRIVER’S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE NOBODY IS IN THE ROAD. True. “I didn’t see him” won’t fly with police. If a pedestrian is stopped at a corner or a midblock crosswalk with his or her feet facing the crossing, it is illegal to pass. If you pass, you are breaking the law.

TIPS FOR MOTORISTS n Be cautious at all times and always expect pedestrians (even in areas that aren’t prone to much foot traffic). n Always slow down as you approach crosswalks and yield to pedestrians. n Stop before passing another vehicle stopped in a travel lane.

Always check to see whether that vehicle is stopped for a pedestrian. n If there is a school crossing guard present, wait for everyone, including the guard, to clear the road completely before proceeding. n Always yield to a blind person using a white cane or service animal.

This is the second of a two-part series aimed at preventing auto/pedestrian crashes.

Part 1 covers how to be a better pedestrian and can be found in the March 1 issue of The Sunday or online at lasvegassun.com.

IF THERE IS NO CROSSWALK AT AN INTERSECTION, THERE IS NO NEED TO YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS. False. Crosswalks exist at every intersection, even if they are not marked. Drivers must stop until the pedestrian reaches the opposite curb, unless there is a “safety zone” or concrete median in the road.

WHEN APPROACHING A MIDBLOCK CROSSWALK AND VEHICLES ARE STOPPED, YOU ALSO MUST STOP TO DETERMINE WHY THE OTHER DRIVERS ARE STOPPED. True. The onus is on the motorist to stop to make sure vehicles are not stopped for a pedestrian. Police can cite drivers who fail to stop.

22-23_NATIVE_NDPS_safe driving20150308.indd 22

3/5/15 4:52 PM

CREATED AND PRESENTED BY

NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

OPPOSITE-FACING TRAFFIC ALWAYS MUST STOP FOR SCHOOL BUSES. False. Follow the same rules you would for an emergency vehicle. If the street has a raised center median, only traffic traveling in the same direction as the school bus must stop. If the street has no raised median, traffic in both directions must stop.

IF A DRIVER TRAVELING 40 MPH HITS A PEDESTRIAN, 85 PERCENT OF THE TIME, THE PEDESTRIAN WILL DIE. True.

WHEN A PEDESTRIAN IS CROSSING, DRIVERS MUST STOP UNTIL THE PEDESTRIAN HAS REACHED THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET. False. When pedestrians are present, motorist must wait until the pedestrian has cleared all lanes in the direction of the motorists’ travel. However, once the pedestrian has cleared those lanes, motorists can proceed cautiously.

IT IS OK TO DRIVE BELOW THE SPEED LIMIT True. If a road is not well lit, motorists are advised to travel below the speed limit and watch for pedestrians. Even when drivers are on the lookout for people commuting on foot, it might be difficult to see them. It is critical for drivers to give themselves enough time to yield and stop for a pedestrian, even if the person is not walking in a crosswalk. Many roadways in Clark County are wide and dark, an ominous combination for pedestrians. Such streets invite drivers to speed, giving them less time to stop for pedestrians trying to cross the road.

22-23_NATIVE_NDPS_safe driving20150308.indd 23

3/5/15 4:54 PM

24

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NEWS

Send your news information to news@thesunday.com

A restaurant and hotel by celebrity chef Charlie Palmer is in the works for downtown Las Vegas, and has been since 2008. (STEVE MARCUS/STAFF FILE)

Sinking of stadium a drag on development Land near Symphony Park may be stuck in limbo until economy fully recovers

BY CONOR SHINE STAFF WRITER

When plans for a $200 million soccer stadium in downtown Las Vegas fell apart last month, so too did an opportunity to spawn development at Symphony Park.

The 61-acre parcel is the gem of the city’s real estate portfolio — a large, contiguous piece of land in the urban core with convenient freeway access, something few other cities have. But developing the former rail yard has been difficult.

Downtown’s greatest need is new housing. Bring in residents, experts say, and restaurants, retail and other busi-

24_News_SymphonyPark_20150308.indd 24

nesses will follow.

But Symphony Park is a tough sell for the type of housing that’s needed.

The biggest challenge is the cost of the land, valued between $3 million and $4 million an acre, according to a recent city appraisal. Most downtown parcels start at $1.5 million an acre.

Builders would need to charge high rents to recoup development costs, but downtown doesn’t need more “highrise glass towers that cost an arm and a leg,” said Brandon Wiegand, an executive vice president at Focus Commercial Group.

Instead, the area needs “achievable housing, something the majority of the demographic can take advantage of if they wanted to,” Wiegand said.

Success at Symphony Park will depend on how densely it can be developed and will require developers with

the vision and capital to support large projects, said Jeff LaPour, president of LaPour Partners, which developed Holsum Lofts on Charleston Boulevard.

“I think projects of those size are difficult to do in this market,” LaPour said.

“But I certainly think there’s room for a more modest version of multifamily housing and an opportunity for office space. Behind all those would come retail and other things.”

The only major project on the horizon for Symphony Park is a 150-bed skilled nursing center, which developer Michael Saltzman said is on track to begin construction this year and open in 2016. A restaurant and hotel by celebrity chef Charlie Palmer also has been in the works since 2008 and faces a critical appearance before the city council this year to determine the fate of the project.

A soccer stadium would have provided a serious boost to the site, serving as an anchor tenant and key attractor of visitors to the area. The plan also included a promise from developer Cordish Cos. to invest $250 million in new construction around the stadium.

Building a downtown stadium has been a priority for Mayor Carolyn Goodman and her husband and predecessor Oscar Goodman. If Carolyn Goodman wins re-election this year, it’s possible the push for a stadium could continue.

Until then, Symphony Park’s best bet is to wait — for the rest of downtown to develop and for more people to live, work and play there.

“We’re still in the recovery phase,” Wiegand said. “Development has been more conservative. It’s only a matter of time before people start to get more aggressive.”

3/5/15 3:49 PM

CREATED AND PRESENTED BY

ASK AN ATTORNEY

IT’S BICYCLE RIDING SEASON...

LEARN THE LAWS THAT AFFECT CYCLISTS AND DRIVERS After last week’s article on motorcycle safety, several readers asked me to comment on bicycle safety and the laws surrounding cyclists here in Las Vegas. Here are some tips and pointers to help us all share the road: ¶ First, bicycle riders, when you ride with traffic, you are considered vehicles, not JUDAH ZAKALIK pedestrians. In other words, bicyclists must follow the same rules of the road as cars. ¶ The biggest exception is in intersections, where turning vehicles must yield to cyclists continuing straight. ¶ When a bicyclist is crossing the road in a crosswalk as a pedestrian would, it is best to “walk” the bike so you move slower and appear larger.

PETERS & ASSOCIATES

1 Always wear a helmet, wear brightly colored clothes and keep your bike in good repair.

NEW LAW FOR CYCLISTS Nevada’s latest law affecting motorcycle and bicycle riders took effect Oct. 1, 2014. It states that if a rider — motorcycle, bicycle or otherwise — has waited for two traffic signal rotations at an intersection, he or she can move through, even if the light is red. The rider still must make sure he is safely yielding to pedestrians and other traffic. The law was introduced because motorcycles, bicycles and mopeds often are unable to trigger traffic light changes.

If you have a question you’d like to see answered by an attorney in a future issue, please write to questions@ PandALawFirm.com.

25 THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

2 Cyclists are required to ride on the right side of the road, unless he or she is planning to turn or overtake a vehicle.

3 Drivers passing bicycles on the driver’s right must move to the left lane when possible.

When changing lanes isn’t possible, drivers must give bicyclists three feet of space.

Please note: The information in this column is intended for general purposes only and is not to be considered legal or professional advice of any kind. You should seek advice that is specific to your problem before taking or refraining from any action and should not rely on the information in this column.

4 Motorists must yield the right of way to cyclists on a bicycle path or in a bike lane.

The RideRs Law FiRm Here at The Riders Law Firm, our attorneys are bikers and cyclists too. We’ve had our close-calls, and some of us at the firm have even been in accidents ourselves. We follow “The Rider’s Code”, look after our own, and take care of their families.

“We follow the Rider’s Code” It doesn’t matter if you ride a motorcycle, moped, or bicycle; if you’re on two wheels, you’re a rider. We’re local riders too, so we understand that the valley can be a dangerous place. Our lawyers ride and have the experience necessary to handle your case from your point of view. Often getting you more for your injuries than someone with no experience on two wheels. Drivers aren’t looking out for riders; we have to look our for each other.

The Riders Law Firm: Riders helping riders.

ACCIDENT • INJURY • WRONGFUL DEATH 702.4.RIDERS (702.474.3377) | www.TheRidersLawFirm.com | email: info@TheRidersLawFirm.com A Division of Peters and Associates, LLP

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THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

NEWS

Send your news information to news@thesunday.com

Plans for an Elvis attraction were revealed Feb. 26 at Westgate Las Vegas. The former Elvis theater will be remodeled to reflect the look of the showroom when Presley performed there. (COURTESY GRACELAND / WESTGATE LAS VEGAS)

Return of the King: Elvis back at Westgate

L

as Vegas remains the land of the Elvis impersonator, or as these jump-suited performers are known, Elvis tribute artists — ETAs for short.

They seem to be everywhere, posing for photos on Fremont Street, conducing weddings at the Viva Las Vegas wedding chapel and tooling around in pink convertible Cadillacs.

Now Elvis is returning to the very building where he regenerated his career.

Westgate Las Vegas is building its latest attraction, and it’s straight out of the summer of ’69. The hotel where Elvis performed 837 consecutive sold-out shows is opening “Graceland Presents Elvis: The Exhibition, The Show, The Experience” on April 23.

The promotional material announcing the show proudly reminds that Elvis “performed over 600 sold-out shows” at the International and, later, at the Las Vegas Hilton. Yep, Elvis performed more than 600 shows. And more than 700, and more than 800.

What makes that 837-show run especially remarkable is Elvis defied “soft” market trends. I hear this all the time,

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bling a 30,000-squareeven from strong-selling foot attraction to be filled shows, that there are exterwith dozens of jumpsuits, nal events that negatively high school yearbooks, affect ticket sales. It’s the motorcycles, cars, docufirst weekend of the NCAA ments and jewelry. The Tournament, or Super former Elvis theater is Bowl weekend, or the week being renovated to better between Christmas and reflect the venue when New Year’s Eve, or a lull in JOHN Presley was its headliner, convention business.

KATSILOMETES with booths returned to But those trends never the lower levels. (The were a factor for the Presshowroom was converted ley shows (although he did to a proper theater to allow for Andrew benefit from the fact that the only way Lloyd Weber’s “Starlight Express.”) The to see Elvis outside one-off arena ap1,600-seat theater, which also has been pearances was in Las Vegas.) Also, there home to Liberace, Wayne Newton and were far fewer shows in those days, far Barry Manilow, will be renamed the fewer hotels, and a lot less competition Elvis Presley International Showroom. for the entertainment dollar.

“When you close your eyes, you are But still: 837 is a monster number, going to think you are back in the Interlikely never to be duplicated. Even top national, listening to Elvis,” Westgate headliners such as Celine Dion and Resorts Chief Operating Officer Mark Britney Spears do well to sell 80 perWaltrip said. cent of tickets, and 75 percent is a Still, questions remain about how strong-enough number. As one person strong the Elvis brand and the Elvis connected to the booking industry told image are in Las Vegas. Officials with me, “If you’re selling 80 percent of the Elvis Presley Enterprises and Westgate house, you’re not scheduling enough founder David Siegel didn’t bother to shows.” do a market test of the Elvis Presley At the moment, workers are assem-

name. It’s just a shrug of the shoulders from those folks, who are banking that the Graceland West effort will attract the kind of steady business the “Star Trek Experience” drew before closing in September 2008.

The shuttering of “Star Trek” seemed to make sense at the time, as the Trek theme seemed to have played out, but the hotel has dearly missed the 300,000 annual visitors the show brought in during its decade-long run at the Hilton.

“We inherently knew, the minute we went to Graceland, how strong Elvis is,” Waltrip said. “When you talk to the employees who check the guests in, and ask, ‘Who are the Elvis fans?’ it is not an old crowd. The average age of a Graceland visitor is in the mid- to late-30s.”

Siegel also is a big Elvis fan. Siegel remembers first hearing that name in the mid-1950s and wondering, “Who would name their kid Elvis?”

Today, Siegel’s hotel hinges a large segment of its future on that name.

“Everybody knows who Elvis is,” Siegel said. “You can’t find anybody who doesn’t recognize the name Elvis Presley.”

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28 THE SUNDAY

CRE

MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

SUPPORTING A CHILD THROUGH LIFE’S HARDEST MEDICAL MOMENTS Child Life Specialists navigate the diffi cult task of explaining sickness, and even death, to those too young to understand

People support each other; it’s just what we do. We find our tribe, we keep them close, and we help them through good times and bad. But sometimes the bad becomes really bad, and finding the type of support you or a loved one needs during that time can be difficult. ¶ For parents, having a chronically ill or HOW TO seriously injured child goes far beyond the VOLUNTEER realm of really bad. It is an incomprehenIf you are interested in volunteering, visit sible struggle: It’s painful, overwhelmthe Sunrise Children ing and one of the greatest tests of love, Hospital’s website at courage and endurance anyone can face. ow.ly/JWNcr Most of us are not equipped to deal with such things on our own. That’s where child life specialists enter the picture — to soften the blow. ¶ Laura Gould and Millicent Ongaco are child life specialists at Sunrise Children’s Hospital. The role of a child life specialist is to provide social, emotional and educational support for children and teens in the hospital, as well as their parents, siblings and caregivers. “We know that the hospital is a very foreign and anxious environment, so we asses the needs of the patient and the family, and then try to ease that anxiety however we can,” Ongaco said.

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CREATED AND PRESENTED BY

SUNRISE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

Gould and Ongaco hinge everything they do on providing patients with comprehensive, developmentally appropriate education. “It’s very important that children understand what’s happening to their bodies during illness and during treatment,” Ongaco said. “Knowing what’s going on, and why, grants them a level of control, and they are then able to exercise realistic choices.”

“Oftentimes, we see that children, and adults even, who understand what’s happening to their body, especially during traumatic circumstances, don’t have nearly as much fear or worry,” Gould said. Explaining complicated medical procedures to adults usually is pretty straight forward, but explaining the same thing to children takes much more creativity and finesse, two traits Gould and Ongaco have in spades.

“We cater all of our explanations to the child’s development, so the younger they are, the more difficult it can be,” Gould said. “If a child is having trouble swallowing pills, for instance, we’ll sit down with them and start showing them different techniques that will help. Maybe we’ll start with swallowing a sprinkle, and then work our way up.

Sometimes it takes a while, but the day the child isn’t crying and panicking when they need to take their medication is so worth it.

Recently, we had a 6-year-old with cancer, so we explained what was happening using Red Hots as red blood cells, marshmallows as white blood cells and rice as platelets. Afterward, she was even able to teach some of the nursing students why she was in the hospital.”

Gould and Ongaco also use a technique called “medical play,” where they act out relevant medical procedures to familiarize a child with the process and the tools doctors and nurses will use. The Child Life Specialists use a blank cloth muslin doll, a play doctor’s kit and sometimes real medical equipment, such as an IV without the needle. “We’ll use the doll to explain, step-by-step, what will happen, or what has happened, during the procedure,” Ongaco said. “And then we’ll switch, and let them play the nurse and explain back to us. Depending on the child and their development, we’ll also use different language to help explain, like we’ll call a tourniquet a rubber band that hugs your arm really tight.”

SPECIALISTS, CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

“We deal with bereavement support, too, and that’s very difficult. It can be death bereavement or the bereavement of what their life used to be like, of the things that will never be the same again. You have to maintain the balance of empathizing but still providing support. ... You just have to stay focused on providing whatever it is they need,” Child Life Specialist Millicent Ongaco said. www.SunriseHealthInfo.com

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30 THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

CREATED AND PRESENTED BY SUNRISE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

SPECIALISTS, FROM PAGE 29

Message and data rates apply.For more info visit texterhelp.com

www.SunriseHealthInfo.com

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While Gould and Ongaco tailor the delivery of information to the child and his or her development, they never compromise the integrity of the information. “I like to stress the importance of honesty with children,” Gould said. “You don’t need to tell them every little detail, but if you’re not telling the truth, kids will pick up on that.” Often times, children’s fears are greater than the reality of the situation, so being open and honest, albeit gentle, can be comforting to them.

“Showing them what’s going to happen in a nonthreatening way helps them start to prepare coping mechanisms,” Gould continued. “It gives them realistic choices and lets them feel like they’re in control.”

As Gould and Ongaco stress the importance of the children being able to SOCIALIZATION IS make choices and mainIMPORTANT FOR PATIENTS tain a sense of control, Beyond education, child life it becomes clear how inspecialists Laura Gould and Milvested they are in their licent Ongaco strive to create a patients. The women world fit for children and teens in a very adult hospital environfocus on seeing past the ment. They work with pediatric children’s illnesses to nurses and volunteers to plan fun understand the kids for activities, recreation, play and who they are. While most socialization for their patients.

“The first thing the teens ask, kids run and skip at the especially, is if there are other playground, these chilteens their age there,” Ongaco dren get shuffled from said.

“Socialization at the hosexam room to exam room. pital is so important,” Gould Gould and Ongaco work said. “Their peers’ thoughts to ensure their patients and opinions can really help to maintain their identity shape their experience. There are things I can tell them to throughout that shuffle, comfort them, but it means so to be an active participant much more when it’s coming in establishing their new from a peer.” world order, and most “Sometimes during activities, they’ll start sharing about why importantly, to give their they’re there, and it’s amazing patients a stake in a life in how quickly they’ll build relawhich the future might be tionships from there,” Ongaco uncertain. said. “The parents do the same thing, too, and building those “We have kids who relationships are important will be at the hospital for because they need each other. months at a time, or kids They need to know they’re not who have to come back going through it alone.” regularly for treatment, and we get to know them really well,” Ongaco said.

“We also get to know, and work with, their families, parents, siblings, sometimes friends. And of course their stuffed animals,” Gould laughed.

“We know all their stuffed animals’ names, stories, all that.”

For Gould and Ongaco, the joy is found within the play, laughter and the “ah-ha!” moments when it’s clear their patients are starting to understand and cope. “It’s very rewarding to see those moments of understanding,” Gould said. “When they’re using the tools you gave them, when they know what they’re going through and that they’re not in trouble and they’re not being punished, they just have a condition and they’re able to get through it.”

“I’m grateful everyday that these children allow me to walk on this journey with them. I know how personal being in the hospital, being sick, the whole experience is and being able to help is very humbling.” — Millicent Ongaco, Child Life Specialist

3/5/15 4:11 PM

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THE SUNDAY

LIFE

MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

THE HISTORY n The National Spelling Bee was launched in 1925 by nine newspapers. The word that determined the champion: gladiolus. n In 1974 and 1977, the finals were broadcast as a taped primetime special on PBS. NE VA DA n From 1994 to STATE 2009, the finals were broadcast SPE LLI NG BE E live during the When: 10 a.m. March 14 day on ESPN. Where: Bishop n From 2006 to Gorman High School 2010, the finals were broadcast live on ABC. n From 2011 to 2014, the finals were broadcast live in prime time on ESPN.

Kasey Torres of San Angelo, Texas, spells the word “phaeton” correctly during the National Spelling Bee in 2014 in Oxon Hill, Md. (ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE)

THE RULES Once a contestant begins spelling a word, he or she cannot go back to change a letter.

THE WORDS The National Spelling Bee’s official dictionary, Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, and its addenda, have more than 472,000 word entries.

WHY IT IS CALLED A SPELLING “BEE” “Bees” refer to social gatherings where friends and neighbors join in a single activity such as sewing, quilting or barn raising.

“Spelling bee” is believed to be an American term that first appeared in print in 1875.

Las Vegas’ Dakota Jones was eliminated from the final round in 2011 by wrongly spelling “zanja” (an irrigation ditch) as “zangha.”

These are the words he spelled correctly: garibaldi, recidivist, whirlicote, espadon, solenne, talmouse, andouille, hexafoos, gravicembalo, zortzico, sarangousty, puszta and haori.

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Kids who leave us spellbound

BY TOM GORMAN STAFF WRITER

They never fail, year after year, to amaze us — the sixth-, seventhand eighth-graders who stand before the nation, and nervously, tentatively and then with great, if feigned, authority, spell words unfathomable to most of us.

Eudaemonic. Staphylococci. Feuilleton. Esquamulose. Stichomythia. Two of these words are so obscure, my spell checker challenges them. But they’re spelled correctly. And there are kids out there who live to spell them.

Nevada’s 36 best middle-school spellers will gather at 10 a.m. March 14 at Bishop Gorman High School to determine who will represent the state at the National Spelling Bee in May in Washington, D.C..

Can you spell competitiveness?

Theirs is a journey that began in classrooms throughout the state, where they prevailed over classmates to become their schools’ spelling champs, then faced another layer of competition to further whittle the competitors.

In Clark County, five youngsters qualified for the state finals — two from the School District, one representing Catholic schools, another representing

other private schools, and one representing home-schooled students.

The students have no idea what words they’ll be asked to spell. Many words will be taken from study guides offered by the sponsor of the National Spelling Bee, the media company E.W. Scripps. But in the final rounds of the state and national contest, the students will hear words they’ve possibly never encountered — words sent to Scripps from a national network of contributors whose names are top secret.

During the bee, spellers can ask for a word’s etymology and definition, and for the word to be used in a sentence. Students learn word origins, because their genesis can hint at their spelling. What sounds like a short i, for instance, may be a y if the word has Greek roots, such as synergy and Olympian. (Will this help me spell philhellenism? Probably not.)

“They’ve learned the idiosyncrasies of old languages to help them solve these puzzles,” said Melinda Brown, who runs the Nevada Spelling Bee, of which the Greenspun Media Group, publisher of The Sunday, is the primary sponsor. “Can I do that? No way. I remember, ‘i before e except after c.’ ” With the pressure of competition, it still can be easy for a student who has studied spelling three or four hours a day to misspell a relatively simple word. But

in the long run, the students are well on their way to successful lives because of their mastery of words, vocabulary and reading.

“Reading is the key to everything,” Brown said. “They all enjoy reading.

They’re all good writers. These skills will lead them to all kinds of successes, whether the kid becomes a computer programmer or a mathematician. Understanding language is key to success in anything you do.”

A case in point is Dakota Jones, the first Nevadan to make it to the final round of the National Spelling Bee. Jones was 14 at the time and ended his run in the top six. Today he’s 18 and plans to attend BYU after graduating from Northwest Career and Technical Academy.

Jones excels in math and chemistry, is a National Merit Scholar finalist and is part of a school team invited to participate in the National Science Bowl in May. He plays chess, too, but Jones’ favorite pastime is baking bread for the lunches he packs for school and making cookies and other desserts for his family.

Once, he messed up a recipe and added an extra half cup of flour. To save the batch, he recalculated the amounts needed for the other ingredients to preserve the recipe. All was saved.

That’s spelled i-m-p-r-o-v-i-s-a-t-i-o-n.

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LIFE

Send your news information to news@thesunday.com

LOOKING FOR A NEW BEST FRIEND?

The Animal Foundation and the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are shelters dedicated to finding homes for dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, turtles and more. Each week, we feature a selection of animals available for adoption.

Sheba (A820775)

Slytherin (A828923)

Cinnamon Swirl

Queen Ann

Age: 14-month-old spayed female Breed: Chihuahua mix Description: Sheba is a born snuggler who is very affectionate. She walks well on a leash and gives kisses to those she loves.

Adoption fee: $155

Age: 8-year-old Breed: Snake Description: Prefer not-so-furry friends? Give Slytherin somewhere warm to curl up, and he’ll be one happy pet.

Adoption fee: $35

Age: 5-month-old spayed female Breed: Tabby and white shorthair Description: Cinnamon Swirl loves to explore new rooms and thinks empty cardboard boxes are the most fascinating toys.

Adoption fee: $70

Age: 5-year-old spayed female Breed: Bully mix Description: Queen Ann loves going for picnics, playing with squeaky toys, splashing around in the water hose and giving doggie kisses on your chin.

Adoption fee: $40

Princess (A828227)

Nina (A827018)

Jenna

Titan

Age: 13-month-old spayed female Breed: Shorthaired rabbit Description: Princess gets along with children, new people and other rabbits.

Adoption fee: $25

Age: 13-month-old female Breed: Domestic shorthair Description: Nina is friendly with children, dogs and other cats.

Adoption fee: $80

Age: 11-year-old spayed female Breed: Maltese mix Description: Jenna is enthusiastic for a fresh start at 11 years old. She is recovering very well from extreme neglect.

Adoption fee: $40

Age: 3-year-old male Breed: American guinea pig Description: Titan is calm and reserved but likes being around gentle people.

Adoption fee: $10

Tessi (A824591)

Tamara (A824971)

Vincent & Maila

Goldie

Age: 3-year-old spayed female Breed: Domestic shorthair Description: Tessi is outgoing and curious, with an eagerness to explore the world with her new family. She needs to be the only pet in the household.

Adoption fee: $80

Age: 2-year-old female Breed: Pit bull terrier Description: Tamara is a smart, obedient pup looking to learn in exchange for treats. She knows how to sit on command, and her leash skills improve with every walk.

Adoption fee: $105

Age: 3-year-old neutered male and spayed female Breed: English spot and Chinchilla mix rabbits Description: Vincent and Maila are bonded for life and need a responsible, indoor-only home.

Adoption fee: $40 for the pair

Age: 7-year-old spayed female Breed: Cocker spaniel and golden retriever mix Description: Goldie is a sunny girl who is house-trained, crate-trained and compatible with friendly dogs and mature children.

Adoption fee: $50

ANIMAL FOUNDATION 702-384-3333 x131 | animalfoundation.com/adopt Animals are assigned a color next to their name indicating location: 655 N. Mojave Road, Las Vegas 286 W. Lake Mead Parkway, Henderson

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NEVADA SPCA 4800 W. Dewey Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89118 702-873-SPCA | www.nevadaspca.org

3/5/15 3:44 PM

PICK YOUR WAY TO

A NEW LEXUS NX!

CONTEST IS FREE TO ALL WILLIAM HILL REWARDS CLUB MEMBERS AND MOBILE SPORTS MEMBERS. VISIT WILLIAMHILL.US OR A FULL-SERVICE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK BEFORE SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2015 FOR MORE DETAILS. L AS VE GAS : Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel |Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino |E llis Island Casino |F our Queens R esort & Casino Hooters Casino Hotel |P laza Hotel & Casino |R iviera Hotel & Casino |S ilver S evens Hotel & Casino |S L S Hotel & Casino T he D Casino Hotel |T he Max Casino at T he Westin L as Vegas |T uscany S uites & Casino |Golden Gate Hotel Casino* HE NDE R S ON: Casino Valle Verde |Club F ortune Casino |My Casino |R ailroad Pass Hotel & Casino |S kyline Casino L onghorn Casino NOR T H L AS VE GAS L: ucky Club Casino & Hotel |Poker Palace Casino |S iegel S lots & S uites S ilver Nugget Casino |Bighorn Casino* (*Kiosk Only Location)

Must be 21 years of age or older and a William Hill Rewards Club member or a William Hill Mobile Sports member to participate. Membership is free. Management reserves all rights. See Official Rules for details.

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34 THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

SPORTS

‘WE SWIM LAP BY LAP, LAS VEGAS’ MASTER COACH KEEPS HIS STUDENTS YOUNG

Victo coache five day Desert in Las V

BY RAY BREWER | STAFF WRITER

(PHOTOS

WHITMO

y the time the sun peeks through the windows at Desert Breeze Pool, Victor Hecker’s swimmers have logged hundreds of laps. ¶ With a stopwatch hanging from his pocket, Hecker quickly rattles off times for the 30 or so swimmers. He knows each one’s strengths and weaknesses, and he has a plan to make them swim faster. ¶ The Las Vegas Masters adult swim team trains each weekday morning under Hecker’s watchful eye, listening carefully to the man considered one of the nation’s top masters coaches. ¶ Hecker, who has been coaching locally since the mid-1970s when he was hired as UNLV’s first swim coach, recently turned 80. But don’t let his age fool you.

B

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35 THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

M FOR VIC’ He’s still sharp, partially because he stays active coaching, and is in great physical condition.

“We know he is the best coach in the country, especially for adult amateurs,” said Karin Wegner, the club’s administrative assistant. “He is probably the best in the world. That’s why we come loyally every day.”

Hecker, a volunteer coach, never stops moving around the pool deck, watching each swimmer and documenting times. He gives pointers and offers encouragement.

Victor Hecker He never yells, because coaches swimming swimmers know what’s five days a week at expected.

Desert Breeze Pool He is so respected that in Las Vegas. some swimmers move (PHOTOS BY MIKAYLA WHITMORE/STAFF) to Las Vegas to be in his program. Club members wear shirts with the saying, “We swim for Vic.” “They want me here,” Hecker said. “I love that. I consider myself to be young because my swimmers look to me as being one of them.”

The results speak for themselves. At the U.S. Masters Swimming Spring National Championships in May, Hecker’s male and female teams both placed fourth out of more than 200 teams. In 2013, at the U.S. Masters Swimming Summer National Championships, Las Vegas took sixth, despite entering fewer swimmers than other clubs in contention.

The masters swim club includes a mix of former high school and college swimmers, late bloomers to

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LAS VEGAS MASTERS

When: 5:30-7 a.m. Monday through Friday; 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday Where: Desert Breeze Pool, 8275 Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas Cost: $50 per year to join the Las Vegas Masters; $48 annually for membership to U.S. Masters Swimming, a requirement to enter meets; $60 in pool fees for a three-month pass at Desert Breeze More information: Visit lvmswim.com

competitive swimming, retirees and record holders.

There are former Olympians and others who participated in the Olympic Trials. A former Olympian from Turkey posted his fastest time after coming to Hecker’s club.

Hecker demands everyone work hard in training, but there also are plenty of laughs and tremendous camaraderie. Hecker, without question, is the family’s patriarch.

“I can teach anyone how to swim and how to swim properly,” he said.

Take 80-year-old Will Rauch, who is a multiple national champion in his age group. He has been one of Hecker’s swimmers for the past 13 years.

Rauch was in his late 60s when he started swimming but saw his times improve almost immediately under Hecker’s tutelage. Soon, Rauch started winning races.

But, as with most of the swimmers, fast times aren’t his only goal.

“I’m 80 and healthy,” Rauch said. “This is exercise, you know. I owe it all to Vic and his coaching.”

Hecker came to Las Vegas in 1974 to start UNLV’s swim program. He had produced multiple All-Americans at the Lynwood Swim Club and Lynwood High in Southern California.

After a brief tenure at UNLV, he returned to the club scene with the Las Vegas Swim Club. The city was much smaller then, but Hecker’s swimmers competed against the nation’s top clubs.

Hecker spent a few years retired from coaching to build a real estate business but couldn’t resist getting back into the sport. He trained his daughter at the Las Vegas Municipal Pool when she swam for Palo Verde High in 2000. An adult swimmer who was practicing at the facility asked Hecker for some pointers, and soon he was working with a handful of adults.

“Every level of swimming, they come to me, because of what I know and what I can do,” Hecker said.

Hecker typically heads to the gym after practice, then to his real estate office to work. Three times a week, he conducts multiple practices in a day.

He doesn’t plan on slowing down. Neither do his swimmers.

“He doesn’t seem 80, right?” asked Melissa Giovanni, a club swimmer. “He always says we keep him young. I have never had a coach with so much enjoyment and excitement, just love for the sport.

He is so proud of everybody. You can’t help but want to work hard for him and train hard. Whatever he says, you do.”

3/5/15 2:38 PM

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THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

GAMING

Send your gaming information to gamingguide@thesunday.com

CASINO PROMOTIONS THE D AND GOLDEN GATE $25,000 NASCAR Pick the Winners Date: Through March 8 Information: Players can earn tickets on slots, table games, blackjack, dice and keno (the D only) to bet toward their favorite race car driver. After final race results are in, tickets placed in the NASCAR winner’s boxes will split a $25,000 prize (slot play or promotional chips) at each property.

Downtown Hoopstown shirt giveaway Date: March 19-22 Information: Play table games with a buy-in of $100 or more to earn a Tshirt commemorating the 2015 NCAA basketball tournament.

St. Patrick’s Day shirt giveaway Date: March 17 Information: Play table games with a buy-in of $100 or more to earn a St. Patrick’s Day T-shirt.

THE D Win Derek’s Hellcat Date: Through Aug. 29 Time: 6 p.m.

Information: Earn tickets for monthly drawings that culminate in the chance to win a 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat.

STATION CASINOS Last Man Standing College Basketball Elimination contest Date: Register before March 19 Information: It costs $25 per entry, but buy four entries and a fifth is free. The minimum guaranteed win is $50,000, with the Last Man Standing taking the entire pot. However, the prize likely will be higher because it is based on total entries. Players pick games against the point spread listed on the daily contest card, available in the sports book. Winning selections keep entries alive in the contest. Players who lose a round or fail to submit a daily selection are out of the contest.

$25,000, and when it does, players using their loyalty cards win $25 in free play. Once the bonus is hit, the progressive bonus resets at $10,000.

Road to the Big Dance Poker Room $100 hourly drawings Times and dates: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

March 20-23; 4-8 p.m. March 27-30; 3-9 p.m. April 5 Information: One poker seat will be selected randomly every hour to win $100.

Point multipliers Date: March 17 Information: Earn 5x points on reel machines and 2x points on video poker.

PALMS $40,000 Luck O’ the Irish drawings Date: Through March 27 Time: 7 p.m.

Information: Earn drawing tickets with slot play. Earn 2x entries from 4 to 6:30 p.m. and earn 5x entries from 8 p.m. to midnight Fridays. Drawings will be each Friday. Ten winners will be selected with a maximum prize of $3,000.

Play For Prizes – Keep the Cash Coming Date: Through March 13 Information: Points earned Monday through Friday may be combined and redeemed for up to $190 in cash per day.

Play for Prizes – Fill Your Tank Date: March 16-27 Information: Points earned Monday through Friday may be combined and redeemed for up to $390 in Chevron gift cards per day.

DOWNTOWN GRAND

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Audi A5 giveaway Date: Through March 28 Time: 8 p.m.

Information: Receive one drawing ticket for every 1,000 base points earned daily. Earn 50 drawing tickets and receive a two-night stay during the drawing weekend.

$500,000 Bingo Super Gala Date: March 16-17 Time: 8 a.m.

Information: This two-day bingo event offers a $250,000 prize pool each day.

An entry fee of $295 includes access both days.

Slots of Fun daily tournament Date: Through March 31 Time: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Information: Loyalty card members can buy in for $25. All participants receive $25 in slot play.

$600,000 March Money Madness Date: March Information: Players have a chance to win a progressive bonus while playing slot machines. The bonus will hit by

36-37_Gaming_20150308.indd 36

Information: Earn 300 base points and receive a bottle of liquor. Receive a different type each week.

Point multiplier Date: Saturdays in March Information: Earn 15x points on penny slots.

Giveaway days Date: Mondays in March Information: Earn 300 base points and receive a free kitchen gift.

Blackjack tournaments Date: Saturdays and Sundays in March Time: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, 2-4 p.m.

Sundays Information: $25 to enter. Top prize is at least $1,000.

Information: Earn 15x points on select Buffalo games.

Point multipliers Date: March 10, 11, 18 and 25 Information: Earn 10x points on slots and 6x points on video poker on March 10. Earn mystery multipliers up to 50x points on the other days.

Lucky 5 drawing Date: March 10 Time: 6:15 p.m.

Information: Earn entries through play.

Five people will win $500.

Take it or Trade it Date: March 13-14 Time: 8:15 p.m.

Information: Earn entries through play.

Fifteen winners can choose a $750 prize or trade it for a chance to win up to $2,500. Earn 4x entries March 9.

Get Lucky Date: March 17 Information: Earn 50 points to play the Lucky Pick Kiosk game.

$5,000 St. Patrick’s Day drawing Date: March 17 Time: 7 and 9 p.m.

Information: Play table games beginning March 9 to earn tickets. Win up to $1,000.

Young at Heart Date: Wednesdays Information: For players 50 and older.

Earn up to 50x points, participate in cash drawings, receive dining discounts and more.

March Hoopla drawing Date: March 20, 21, 27 and 28 Time: 6:15 and 8:15 p.m.

Information: Earn entries through play.

Fifty people will win $100.

HARD ROCK HOTEL GOLD COAST $72,000 Rollin’ for the Dough Date: Saturdays and Sundays in March Time: Saturday drawings at 8:15 p.m.

Information: Roll the dice on Saturdays for chance to win up to $3,600.

Five winners at each drawing. Play kiosk game on Sundays.

Point multiplier Date: March 20 and 27 Information: Earn 15x points on penny slots.

Giveaway days Date: Tuesdays in March Information: Earn 300 base points and receive a free set of drinking glasses.

Styles change weekly.

Multiply Your Cash Date: March 13 Information: Receive 13x points on slots and video poker on the first 1,300 base points.

Point multipliers Date: Wednesdays through March Information: Loyalty card members earn 20x points on reels and video reels and 7x points on video poker.

45+ Classic Rocker’s program Date: Thursdays through March Information: Members ages 45 and older receive 15x points on reels and video reels and 7x points on video poker. Guests who earn 100 base slot points win 5,000 bonus points (maximum of four per day).

SLS Gift giveaway Date: Through March 22 Information: Earn 250 slot points, 500 video poker points or make a $10 advance-deposit wager and receive a gift. Options include a deep dish pie plate, a canister set, ceramic bakeware and a stainless steel bowl set.

Play and Select Date: Mondays through Thursdays in March Information: Earn at least 300 base points for dining and free play deals.

Bonus points or mystery gift Date: Saturdays in March Information: Invited players who have made $10 average daily theoretical wagers can win free play, bonus points or a gift.

Buffalo multipliers Date: Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays in March

$187,500 Buckets for Bills giveaways Date: March 17-31

SUNCOAST

ORLEANS Lucky Liquor Date: Thursdays in March Time: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

3/5/15 2:37 PM

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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU Send your gaming information to gamingguide@thesunday.com

Time: 7 p.m.

Information: Nightly drawings for a chance to make a basket and win free play or cash. To participate, players must earn 25 slot or video poker points or have an average bet of $15 for one hour on a table game. Double entries can be earned Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

PLAZA Queen member slot tournament Date: Thursdays in March Time: 4 p.m.

Information: Loyalty members with “Queen” status are eligible to participate for chance to win $250.

King member slot tournament Date: Fridays in March Time: 4 p.m.

Information: Loyalty members with “King” status are eligible to participate for chance to win $500.

Ace member slot tournament Date: Saturdays in March Time: 4 p.m.

Information: Loyalty members with “Ace” status are eligible to participate for chance to win $1,000.

Bingo and Vino Date: March 11 Time: 7 p.m.

Information: $40 fee. Sponsored by Southern Wine and Spirits; fundraiser for Keep Memory Alive.

ALIANTE Point multipliers Date: Wednesdays in March Information: Earn 5x points on video poker and 10x points on all reels.

Seventeen Days of Lucky Leprechaun Date: Through March 28 Information: Swipe at any kiosk to redeem a leprechaun. Collect 17 leprechauns and receive a bonus March 29 worth up to $10,000. $60,000 Lucky Leprechaun drawings Date: Saturdays in March Time: 7:15 and 9:15 p.m.

Information: Ten names will be drawn for chance to win free play and cash. $5,000 Lucky Leprechaun Hot Seats Date: March 17 Time: Noon-4 p.m.

Information: Five participants each hour. Collect three lucky leprechauns to win $200 in free slot play.

50+ Play Day Spin to Win kiosk game Date: March Information: Earn 50 slot points and spin the wheel to win up to $500 in

36-37_Gaming_20150308.indd 37

slot play.

50+ $2,500 slot tournament Date: March 16 Time: Noon-4 p.m.

Information: Play in a 3-minute slot session. Top 25 scores will share $2,500 in slot play.

Spring Cleaning gift days Date: March 12-26 Information: Earn 250 points to receive a mystery gift.

RAMPART CASINO Point multipliers Date: Mondays in March Information: Receive 4x points on reels and 2x points on video poker. $6,500 Galleons of Gold mid-month drawing Date: Second Wednesday of every month Information: Players who earn 2,000 base points during the previous calendar month are invited to participate in the following month’s drawing. Ten winners will be chosen. $100,000 Wheel O’ Cash Date: Fridays and Saturdays in March Time: 6:15 and 8:15 p.m.

Information: Each drawing night, 16 people will spin the wheel three times and add up their prizes to win up to $2,500 cash. Earn 100 points from slot play or one hour of $10 table play for one entry. Earn 10x entries Mondays through Thursdays. $20,000 Lucky Leprechaun table games drawings Date: Fridays in March Time: 9 p.m.

Information: One hour of $10 table play earns one entry. $20,000 free slot play hot seat drawings Date: Thursdays in March Time: 2-8 p.m.

Information: Loyalty card members are eligible to win up to $200 in slot play during random drawings.

EL CORTEZ Jackpot Bonus Date: March Information: Loyalty card members who win a jackpot of $200 or more on a slot machine, a jackpot of $200 or more on a video poker 5-cent or lower denomination machine, a jackpot of $300 or more on a video poker 10cent or higher denomination machine or a jackpot of $200 or more on live keno will receive their choice of either $10 to $1,000 in free play or a bottle of Woodbridge wine.

Saturday Point Fever Date: Saturdays in March Information: Ten club members will be selected to win up to 100,000 points.

Players will receive one virtual drawing ticket for every 200 points earned each day during the week.

Wheel and Deal drawings Date: Saturdays in March Time: Noon Information: Earn entries by playing table games for a chance to win promotional chips.

WILLIAM HILL RACE & SPORTS BOOK Spring rewards Date: Through April 30 Information: Earn up to $100 cash back with every wager made on the mobile sports app.

THE SUNDAY

GAMING

MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

Absolut Elyx Vodka giveaway Date: March 23-25 Information: Receive a complimentary bottle of vodka for every 1,000 slot points earned or $300 of rated table predictable play. $30,000 Clovers of Cash slot tournament Date: March 17-19 Information: Entry fee is $50. Two daily $15,000 tournaments with options for re-buys each day. First place in each tournament wins $7,000.

Registration begins March 17, and the tournaments are March 18 and 19. $100,000 Tournament of Champions slot tournament Date: March 26-28 Information: Entry fee is $799; includes a three-night stay, tournament parties and more. First place is $50,000.

TUSCANY Point multipliers Date: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in March Information: Earn 10x points on reels and 7x points on video poker on Mondays and Fridays. Earn 5x points on all machines on Wednesdays.

Scratch and Win Date: Sundays in March Information: Earn 500 base points to receive a scratch card to win free play or points.

Gift Saturdays Date: March 14 and 28 Information: Earn 300 base points and receive an oven mitt or nonstick dish.

Jackets for Jacks Date: March Information: Get two suited jacks playing blackjack on the same day and win a Tuscany jacket.

ARIZONA CHARLIE’S (BOULDER, DECATUR LOCATIONS) Spring Cha-Ching giveaway Date: Fridays and Saturdays through March 28 Time: 8:15 p.m.

Information: For every 1,000 base points earned, guests can swipe and play a kiosk game to win free play, comps, gifts or entries into a $20,000 weekly cash drawing. Five cash winners at each drawing, with a $5,000 top prize.

GOLDEN NUGGET Jameson Irish Whiskey giveaway Date: March 16-18 Information: Receive a complimentary bottle of whiskey for every 1,000 slot points earned or $300 of rated table predictable play.

SILVERTON Leprechaun Lights Out – Swipe & Win Date: March 12, 19 and 26 Information: Earn 300 points and swipe your rewards card at any kiosk to win cash, slot play, dining credits and more.

Play For Pasta - Earn and Win Date: Tuesdays and Wednesdays in March Information: Earn 250 points for a $10 dining credit or 400 points for a pasta meal at Sundance Grill. $15,000 Point Challenge Date: March 22-31 Information: The top 25 slot point earners will win cash and slot play.

First place wins $5,000. $1,250 Humpday Hot Seat table games drawings Date: Wednesdays in March Time: 5-10 p.m.

Information: Eleven table games players will win $100 in chips. Drawings are every 30 minutes. $10,000 Reel and Win slot tournaments Date: Tuesdays in March Time: Noon-5 p.m.

Information: Loyalty card members receive one free entry; earn additional entries for every 100 points earned by 4 p.m. First place wins $1,000.

Senior Mondays Date: Mondays in March Information: For loyalty card members 50 and older. Enjoy dining discounts and drawings at 2, 4 and 6 p.m. for up to $1,000. One drawing entry earned for every 50 base slot, video poker and table game points.

3/5/15 2:37 PM

38

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

EDITORIAL

Send your feedback to news@thesunday.com

Zombie nuclear waste dump project needs to die

I

n the 1980s, the federal government started a long, and so far fruitless, effort to turn Nevada into a high-level nuclear waste

dump.

Despite overwhelming political odds, the state has successfully fought back and prevented the plan from moving forward.

But the project is the federal government’s version of a zombie. It looks dead and should be dead but keeps stumbling along.

Earlier this year, a Nuclear Regulatory Commission report left a narrow opening for the project to be revived once again.

Never mind that the Obama administration has all but closed the project, and forget that a blue-ribbon commission recommended the federal government look elsewhere and find a state that actually wants the dump. (Nevada doesn’t.)

The plan is pushed by powerful interests in the nation’s capital, notably the nuclear power industry, that have no concern about the well-being of Nevada.

Illinois Republican Congressman John Shimkus is so looking forward to sending his state’s nuclear power plant’s spent

fuel rods to Nevada, he says he and two colleagues on the House Energy and Commerce Committee will visit Yucca Mountain soon to check out the place.

Under the federal government’s plan, more than 77,000 tons of highly radioactive nuclear waste from commercial reactors would be sent here for burial at Yucca Mountain, a porous, volcanic ridge 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

Recently, The Washington Post editorialized on the NRC report, saying the federal government should open a dump in Nevada.

BAD POLITICS Supporters of the Yucca Mountain project blame politics for the project’s delays.

Of course, what they fail to acknowledge is that politics is the only reason the plan still is alive. Political interests in Washington have run roughshod over science, curtailed serious inquiries and pressed ahead despite the fact that significant work hasn’t been finished on the project.

Yucca Mountain was, in fact, named

the nation’s nuclear waste dump before the scientific process to find the best site was close to being completed.

WORSE POLITICS Nevada was chosen as the nation’s nuclear waste dump when the state had no clout in Washington. That allowed other states with more power to roll over Nevada.

To make matters worse, many of the supporters of Yucca Mountain are those who have fought the White House on Obamacare, saying it violates the 10th Amendment protection of states’ rights.

If that is the case, Nevada should be able to invoke states’ rights and reject the dump.

SAFETY CONCERNS Despite what the nuclear industry and its supporters in Congress say, several serious safety issues haven’t been addressed properly.

Although it worked on the project for decades, the federal government doesn’t have a definitive plan for how it would safely transport nuclear waste. It also has

serious issues with how it would contain the radiation within the ridge.

NO NEED TO MOVE IT The nuclear power industry has tried to make this a matter of national security, saying terrorists could target the waste.

But the reality is the waste has been stored safely for decades at nuclear reactors, which are secure sites. And if safety is a concern, why send nuclear waste on thousands of trips across the country during which the material could be targeted?

THE BOTTOM LINE So far, the Yucca Mountain project has cost roughly $14 billion, according to the Government Accountability Office, and the government could end up spending $100 billion or more trying to complete it.

That is nonsense. There are safer, cheaper and better ways to move ahead than the fanciful plan to send the nation’s waste to Nevada.

The government should — once and for all — back off the Yucca Mountain plan and let it die.

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40

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

LIFE

Send your feedback to events@thesunday.com

CONTENT CREATED AND PRESENTED

BY SOUTHERN WINE & SPIRITS

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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Drivers queue up for the start of the 2014 Kobalt 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This year’s race begins at noon March 8. (STEVE MARCUS/STAFF FILE)

1.5 oz Crown Royal Regal Apple whisky 3/4 oz Piehole Pecan Pie whiskey 2 oz lemon sour mix 1/2 oz ginger ale Lemon swath and mint leaves to garnish Dash of bitters METHOD Build drink over ice in a tall glass, starting with Crown Royal Apple, Piehole Pecan Pie and lemon sour mix. Stir.

Top with ginger ale and a dash of bitters. Garnish with lemon swath and mint leaves.

This drink combines the warm, rich flavors of homemade pie with hints of saltysweet lemonade. A twist on a summer classic, this drink is perfect as we get ready to transition from winter to spring — the robust flavors we crave in colder months paired with the refreshing kick we look forward to as it gets warm again.

Cocktail created by Francesco Lafranconi, executive director of mixology and spirits education at Southern Wine & Spirits.

40-41_Events_20150308.indd 40

SUNDAY, MARCH 8 Fresh52 Farmers Market: Browse fresh local produce, homemade foods, crafts, soaps and more. 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., free, Sansone Park Place, 9480 S. Eastern Ave., fresh52.com. *Also: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Tivoli Village, 302 S. Rampart Blvd.

Red Cross Month blood donation: Support the Red Cross mission by giving blood, volunteering, learning lifesaving skills or making a financial contribution.

9 a.m.-2 p.m., Congregation Ner Tamid, 55 N. Valle Verde Drive, redcrossblood.org. *Also: 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday, Mercedes of Henderson, 925 Auto Show Drive.

Kobalt 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: The stars of NASCAR’s premier series battle it out on a 1.5-mile tri-oval course. Noon, $69-$196, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 7000 Las Vegas Blvd.

North, lvms.com.

Sunday Assembly: The Las Vegas chapter of the Sunday Assembly hosts a nonsecular get-together to inspire people to live the best lives possible. The group’s motto: “The best bits of church but with no religion and

with awesome pop songs.”

12:30 p.m., free, The Meadows Las Vegas Clubhouse, 2900 S. Valley View Blvd., meetup.com/SundayAssembly-Las-Vegas.

Joe Williams Scholarship fundraising concert: Joe Williams Every Day Foundation scholarships provide UNLV jazz students financial assistance for the academic year. This year’s concert will feature vocalists Marlena Shaw, Jack Jones and Clint Holmes, with Don Cunningham and other special guests. 2 p.m., $25, Artemus Ham Concert Hall, UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, unlv.edu.

HypnoBirthing class: This five-week class offers self-hypnosis techniques for child birth. Includes lessons on breathing and exercise, nutrition, breastfeeding and post-partum care. Cost includes instruction for pregnant mother and her birth partner, plus a textbook, CD and binder. 6:309:30 p.m. Mondays through April 6, $275, Summerlin Hospital, 657 N. Town Center Drive, 702-3853331, hypnobirthinglasvegas.com.

Comedy Jam: Standup comedy from professional and up-andcoming comics. 7:30-9 p.m., free, The Crêpe at Tivoli Village, 440 S. Rampart Blvd., tivolivillagelv.com.

MONDAY, MARCH 9 TUESDAY, MARCH 10 Stroller Strides: Women can take part in this fitness program with their babies in tow. 8:30 a.m., $18 drop-in price, Town Square, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. South, lasvegas.fit4mom.com.

Needlework class: Learn embroidery, counted cross-stitch, needlepoint, candle-wicking and the hardanger stitch. Participants must provide their own supplies. Ages 50-plus. 9:30 a.m., free, West Flamingo Active Adult Center, 6255 W. Flamingo Road, 702-4557742.

Stroke support group: A meeting for stroke survivors, their caregivers and loved ones.

3-4 p.m., Centennial Hills Hospital, 6900 N. Durango Drive, 702-6291309.

Taste of Home Cooking School: Culinary specialist Eric Villegas will share home cooking tips and tricks while demonstrating step-by-step recipes for seasonal dishes.

5-8 p.m., $15-$40, Veil Pavilion, Silverton Casino, 3333 Blue Diamond Road, 702-263-7777.

3/5/15 2:34 PM

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41

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU Send your feedback to events@thesunday.com

Megan Phelps-Roper: The granddaughter of Westboro Baptist Church Pastor Fred Phelps will speak about LGBTQ rights and hate crimes.

7 p.m., free, the Gay and Lesbian Community Center, 401 S. Maryland Parkway, thecenterlv.org.

Campus town hall with UNLV President Len Jessup: UNLV President Len Jessup will host a town hall with campus and community members. 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., free, UNLV, Student Ballroom, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, UNLV.edu.

Engineering Humans to Survive Climate Change: S. Matthew Liao, an associate professor of philosophy at New York University, will discuss the biomedical modifications of humans to survive climate change. 7:30 p.m., free, Barrick Museum Auditorium, UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, unlv.edu.

John Tartaglia’s ImaginOcean: A black-light puppet show for kids of all ages. 6 p.m., $13-$20, Smith Center for the Performing Arts, 361 Symphony Park Ave., thesmithcenter. com.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11 Storytime in the Square: Bring your child to Town Square Park for interactive story time featuring classic children’s tales and new favorites. 11 a.m., free, Town Square, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. South, mytownsquarelasvegas.com.

St. Patrick’s Day luncheon: Wear green and enjoy an Irish-themed lunch. Advance registration required.

Ages 50-plus. 11:30 a.m., $7, Derfelt Senior Center at Lorenzi Park, 3343 W. Washington Ave., 702-229-6601.

UNLV Lee Business School MBA program information session: Lisa Davis, associate director of the Lee Business School MBA program, will discuss curriculum, entrance requirements and how to apply. 5:306:30 p.m., free, UNLV, Building WRI-C 302, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, unlv. edu/mba/infosessions.

Boozy Movie: Watch the 1999 crime film “Boondock Saints.” 7 p.m., free entry with cocktail purchase, Inspire Theater, 107 Las Vegas Blvd.

South, inspirelasvegas.com.

Art Night: Experiment with your creative side. Try painting, singing or poetry. Bring your own supplies or receive supplies on site with a purchased meal. 6-10 p.m., free, The Crêpe at Tivoli Village, 440 S. Rampart Blvd., tivolivillagelv.com.

THURSDAY, MARCH 12 Spring Tea Party: A pearl-themed celebration of mothers, featuring a variety of teas and sandwiches. Ages 50-plus. 11 a.m., $6, Doolittle Senior Center, 1930 N. J St., 702-229-6125.

St. Patrick’s lunch: Under the Rainbow: Enjoy corned beef and cabbage, potatoes and more. Ages 50-plus. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., $5, Las Vegas Senior Center, 451 E. Bonanza Road, 702-229-6454.

40-41_Events_20150308.indd 41

Empath series: Empaths typically have difficulty navigating through the day because emotions are felt without the proper tools to cope.

Shamanic practitioner and reiki master Vanessa Sandoval helps people connect and heal their souls.

7 p.m., $25-$60, Enchanted Forest Reiki Center, 800 N. Rainbow Blvd., Suite 100, enchantedforestreiki.com.

coverage under the Affordable Care Act and more. 5-7 p.m., free, Hermandad Mexicana, 2915 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 4, law.unlv.edu/ free-legal-education.html.

“Trouble in Tahiti”: Sin City Opera presents Leonard Bernstein’s one-act opera. 7 p.m., $10-$15, Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 S. McLeod Drive, 702-455-7340. *Also: Saturday.

“Once on This Island”: Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty transform “The Little Mermaid” into a Caribbean-infused musical. 8 p.m., $21, Smith Center for the Performing Arts, 361 Symphony Park Ave., thesmithcenter.com. *Also: Saturday and Sunday.

THE SUNDAY

LIFE

MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

Fashion Forward: Passport to Fashion: Sixty budding fashion designers from local high schools will present and model their designs, inspired by the theme “Passport to Fashion,” for a chance to win a grand prize. 2 p.m., $40-$60, Fashion Show Mall, 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. South, jllv. org.

Aladdin’s March Magic: A Neon Boneyard “Genie” will perform a dramatic reading of the “Aladdin” folktale. Participants will make “flying carpets” with paper and markers before “flying” their creations around the park. Designed for children in preschool through third grade who are accompanied by a parent or guardian. 5-7 p.m., $5, Neon Museum, 770 Las Vegas Blvd. North, neonmuseum.org.

SATURDAY, MARCH 14 The Three Faces of Tyranny: “Why Democracy Isn’t Always Possible”: A discussion about how the West should respond to the struggle of democracy and the strength of tyrannical regimes and movements including the Syrian civil war, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression and the threat of ISIS. Presented by Waller R. Newell, a professor of political science and philosophy at Carleton University. 7:30 p.m., free, UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, UNLV.edu.

FRIDAY, MARCH 13 Ward 2 Coffee with the Councilman: Join Las Vegas Councilman Bob Beers for coffee and conversation about what is happening in the city and ward. 7:30-9 a.m., Egg Works, 2025 Village Center Circle, 702-445-7330.

Garden tour: Learn which plants thrive in the desert, how to care for them and how to get blooms again next year. Meet in the courtyard. 10 a.m., free, UNLV Cooperative Extension Lifelong Learning Center, 8050 Paradise Road, 702-257-5555.

Easter Bunny: Photos with the Easter Bunny. The first 500 children to visit will receive a free gift bag. 10 a.m.-9 p.m., $22-$47, Galleria Mall, 1300 W. Sunset Road, 702-434-0087. *Also: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday; through April 4.

SUNDAY, MARCH 15 Tzedakah brunch: The 8th annual Tzedakah brunch showcases the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas’ work in the community. 11 a.m., Three Square Food Bank, 4190 N. Pecos Road, jewishlasvegas.com.

Live jazz: The Las Vegas Jazz Society presents vocalist Joni Janak with the Anderson Hall Project. 2-4 p.m., $12 for Jazz Society members, $15 general admission, Bootlegger Bistro, 7700 Las Vegas Blvd. South, vegasjazz.org, 702-313-6778.

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES ON PAGE 66 KEN KEN

L.A. TIMES CROSSWORD

Bicycle event: A 3-mile family bike ride. All riders are required to wear helmets, and a pre-ride bike safety check will be held. Riders are invited to wear green. Pre-registration is encouraged. 4:30 p.m., free, Cimarron Rose Community Center, 5591 N. Cimarron Road, 702-229-1607.

Southern Nevada Sons and Daughters of Erin St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival: The celebration includes a carnival, Irish entertainment, a car show and a parade.

Some activities may require paid admission. 5 p.m., free, Henderson Events Plaza, 200 S. Water St., cityofhenderson.com.

CELEBRITY CIPHER

Income tax education class: UNLV law students will present information about filing status, the earned income tax credit, the child tax credit, penalties for not having health

“IF YOU CONSIDER FILM AN ART FORM, AS SOME PEOPLE DO, THEN THE WESTERN WOULD BE A TRULY AMERICAN ART FORM.” — CLINT EASTWOOD

3/5/15 2:34 PM

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43 THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

Rose Mata, general manager of a Verizon Wireless Smart Store in Las Vegas, is pursuing a business management degree with the help of her employer.

(MIKAYLA WHITMORE/STAFF)

Investing in employees Businesses see rewards in helping their workers attain goals in higher education

BY ASHLEY OÑOZ-WRIGHT | SPECIAL TO VEGAS INC

Most days, 33-year-old Rose Mata can be found at the Verizon Wireless Smart Store on Nellis Boulevard. ¶ Mata, the store’s general manager, and her staff teach customers about the latest wireless technology and guide them in buying mobile devices. The store hosts wireless workshops that show people how to manage their smartphones and iPads. ¶ But after the store closes, Mata switches roles. She becomes the student. For the past year and a half, she has pursued a TUITION ASSISTANCE, CONTINUED ON PAGE 53

$186.49 $300M 61,200 $518K Closing price March 3 for a share of stock in Allegiant Travel Co., up 89 percent from a year ago and 433 percent from March 2009, when the stock market hit bottom during the recession.

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Settlement in a lawsuit against Bank of America by lenders who helped finance construction of the failed Fontainebleau.

Number of employers in Nevada during the fourth quarter of 2014, a record.

The previous record was 60,600 in the second quarter of 2008.

Average price per acre of land in Summerlin last year , compared with an average $355,000 per acre in 2013.

3/5/15 2:30 PM

44 THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

CONTENTS PUBLISHER Donn Jersey (donn.jersey@gmgvegas.com)

EDITORIAL

NOTEWORTHY STORIES

48 50 56 MEET: VOM FASS

From rare cognacs to exotic oils and fruit vinegars, a new family-owned shop on the Strip bills itself as a candy store for adults. Kim and Gary Weiss make it a point to bring unusual flavors to Las Vegas, and do it in a way that’s sustainable.

ALLEGIANT AIR STOCK SOARING

The low-cost carrier has managed to increase its price per share more than 400 percent since March 2009.

THE NOTES Giving, P46

TALKING POINTS Celebrate women’s impact in the tech industry, P49

DATA AND PUBLIC INFORMATION A listing of local bankruptcies, bid opportunities, brokered transactions, business licenses and building permits.

MORE VEGAS INC BUSINESS NEWS Calendar: Happenings and events, P55 The List: Private schools, P60

EDITOR Delen Goldberg (delen.goldberg@gmgvegas.com) MANAGING EDITOR Dave Mondt (dave.mondt@gmgvegas.com) DIGITAL EDITOR Sarah Burns (sarah.burns@gmgvegas.com) DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR, NEWS Ellen Fiore (ellen.fiore@gmgvegas.com) STAFF WRITERS Andrea Domanick, Ana Ley, J.D. Morris, Amber Phillips, Kyle Roerink, Cy Ryan, Eli Segall, Conor Shine, Jackie Valley, Katie Visconti, Ian Whitaker COPY DESK CHIEF John Taylor COPY EDITORS Brian Deka, Jamie Gentner SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS EDITOR Craig Peterson DIGITAL COORDINATOR Adelaide Chen EDITORIAL CARTOONIST Mike Smith LIBRARY SERVICES SPECIALIST Rebecca Clifford-Cruz RESEARCHER Pashtana Usufzy OFFICE COORDINATOR Nadine Guy

ART ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR Liz Brown (liz.brown@gmgvegas.com) ART DIRECTOR Scott Lien DESIGNER LeeAnn Elias PHOTO COORDINATOR Mikayla Whitmore PHOTOGRAPHERS L.E. Baskow, Christopher DeVargas, Steve Marcus

ADVERTISING ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER OF ONLINE MEDIA Katie Horton GROUP DIRECTOR OF SALES OPERATIONS Stephanie Reviea PUBLICATION COORDINATORS Kashmir Owens, Karen Parisi ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Jeff Jacobs EXTERNAL CONTENT MANAGER Emma Cauthorn ACCOUNT MANAGERS Katie Harrison, Breen Nolan, Sue Sran ADVERTISING MANAGERS Brianna Eck, Danielle El Kadi, Frank Feder, Kelly Gajewski, Kenneth Harmon, Trasie Mason SALES ASSISTANT Denise Arancibia EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Kristen Barnson

MARKETING & EVENTS DIRECTOR OF EVENTS Kristin Wilson EVENTS COORDINATOR Jordan Newsom

ALL THESE CONVENTIONS ARE GOING TO NEED SPACE Convention business is expected to deliver hundreds of millions of dollars to Southern Nevada this year.

Two new shows and 10 rotating conventions are expected to draw a combined 242,000 people and generate nearly $315 million in economic impact.

Magic: The Gathering Tournament for tradable card enthusiasts will be held in May, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s annual conference is planned for November.

Las Vegas is in the “group business” business.

Among the returning shows: the National Business Aviation Association Convention, Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute’s Pack Expo, International Sign Association Expo, Waste Expo and Association of Woodworking & Furnishing Suppliers Fair.

Although Las Vegas hosts more than 22,000 meetings and conventions annually, more are merrier — and better for our economy. Maybe the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is onto something with its plan to demolish the Riviera and expand onto the property.

PRODUCTION VICE PRESIDENT OF MANUFACTURING Maria Blondeaux ASSISTANT PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Paul Huntsberry PRODUCTION MANAGER Blue Uyeda PRODUCTION ARTIST Marissa Maheras, Dara Ricci ART DIRECTOR Sean Rademacher GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Michele Hamrick, Carlos Herrera TRAFFIC SUPERVISOR Estee Wright TRAFFIC COORDINATORS Kim Smith, Meagan Hodson

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR OF CIRCULATION Ron Gannon ROUTE MANAGER Joel Segler

GREENSPUN MEDIA GROUP CEO, PUBLISHER & EDITOR Brian Greenspun CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Robert Cauthorn GROUP PUBLISHER Travis Keys EXECUTIVE EDITOR Tom Gorman MANAGING EDITOR Ric Anderson CREATIVE DIRECTOR Erik Stein VOLUME 2, ISSUE 9 Vegas Inc, 2360 Corporate Circle, Third Floor, Henderson, NV 89074 is published each Sunday except the last Sunday of the year by Greenspun Media Group.

Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Prices is Pending at Henderson, NV and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: Vegas Inc Greenspun Media Group 2360 Corporate Circle, Third Floor Henderson, NV 89074 702.990.2545 For inquiries, write to: Vegas Inc 2360 Corporate Circle, Third Floor Henderson, NV 89074 For back copies: Doris Hollifield at 702.990.8993 or e-mail at doris.hollifield@gmgvegas.com For subscriptions: Call 800.254.2610, or visit vegasinc.com. For annual subscriptions, $50.

For single copies, $3.99.

— ELLEN FIORE

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46 THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

GIVING Send your business-related information to news@vegasinc.com

Foundation during the winter holiday season. The travel company flew more than 150 children to their wish destinations in 2014.

Popcornopolis donated 500 bags of popcorn to the Douglas J. Green Memorial Foundation’s “Munchies for the Military” program. Green, 23, died in 2011 during his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. His mother, Suni Erlanger, created the foundation and the “Munchies for the Military” drive to send care packages to deployed troops.

Darin Feinstein, founder of Fat Bar and owner of three local FatBurger restaurants, hosted a holiday lunch for Shade Tree residents. He also matched customers’ donations to the group, pledging up to $10,000.

City National Bank and Barnes & Noble collected books for local schools. City National also matched each book received with a monetary donation, pledging up to $100,000.

The ongoing partnership has awarded more than $800,000 to teachers for literary projects.

Vegas Stylez Hair Salon gave free makeovers to women in Shade Tree battered women’s program.

The 2014 Balloons With a Twist and HalloweenMart 20th Anniversary celebration and fundraiser generated almost $3,000 for Aid For AIDS Nevada, Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada, Create A Change Now and Legacy X. America First Credit Union donated $10,000 each to Christmas Box International, The Road Home, SafeNest, St. Anne’s Homeless Shelter, YCC of Northern Utah, Cathedral of the Madeline Good Shepherd Program, SHARE, Inc., Catholic Community Services and the Joyce Hansen Hall Food Bank.

More than 25 FirstService Residential employees volunteered with Cheyenne’s Magical School Bus Tours, which enables local students from at-risk elementary schools to visit the Magical Forest at Opportunity Village.

trict received $28,000 from the NV Energy Foundation to upgrade computers at City Hall Library.

The foundation also gave $10,000 to Goodwill of Southern Nevada’s Work Readiness Program, which holds workshops for job seekers.

Nevada State Bank underwrote $30,800 for the Las Vegas Veterans Memorial. Fifty-five bricks will be inscribed with the name of a service member from Nevada who served in Iraq or Afghanistan and who died since Sept. 11, 2001. The memorial will be built at the Grant Sawyer Building.

The bank also awarded a $20,000 Access to Housing and Economic Assistance for Development Grant to James Seastrand Helping Hands of North Las Vegas to help low-income seniors.

Advertising agency Robertson+ Partners unveiled its “Be Positive” campaign, which encourages community members to perform random acts of positivity and share them at facebook.com/bepositiveLV. The Las Vegas Speedway Children’s Charities awarded $5,000 to Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada. The money will be used for the Travel for Treatment program, which helps cover travel expenses for children diagnosed with cancer when treatment is unavailable in Southern Nevada.

Army Spcs.Jamie Olson and Larry Lemieux, graduates of the College of Southern Nevada’s air conditioning technology program, won the first two toolkits awarded through the Kenneth Goodrich CSN Post9/11 Veteran HVAC Employment Program. The kits include tools and diagnostics worth more than $1,000 that are necessary to start a career in the HVAC field.

Orangetheory Fitness Village Square at The Lakes and Anthem in Henderson donated airline miles to Let’s Bring ‘Em Home, a group that helps U.S. servicemen and women come home for holidays.

46_VINotes_20150308.indd 46

Members of the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors donated nearly $30,000 to several local charities: Catholic Charities, Family & Child Treatment, Foreclosed Upon Pets, Nevada Homeless Alliance, Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, Pet Awareness & Welfare Services, Project 150, Shade Tree, Street Teens, Walter Hoving Home, Safe Nest and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

The Public Education Foundation and Payless ShoeSource gave $20 shoe coupons to 300 students from Rex Bell, Crestwood, Paul Culley, Hollingsworth, Matt Kelly, J.T. McWilliams and John S. Park elementary schools. At a separate event, Mandarin Oriental donated $17,000 to the foundation to fund a school-supply resource center that saves teachers hundreds of dollars annually in out-of-pocket expenses.

The Las Vegas Hospitality Association gave gift bags to 300 students at Richard C. Priest Elementary School. The gift bags included shoes, socks, a coat, a sweater or shirt, a blanket, toys, books and other items.

The Providence master planned community donated almost 1,600 cans of food to Three Square Food Bank.

The Nellis Support Team donated $15,000 to Operation Warmheart for the “Adopt-A-Family” program, which provides food and toys to needy military families at Nellis and Creech Air Force Bases.

Bally employees, in partnership with the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation, raised more than $15,000 for five families in Southern Nevada.

Henderson Hyundai Superstore donated $4,000 to Stop DUI, dedicated to bringing awareness to the consequences of intoxicated driving.

New Song Church hosted a donation drive for the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth and collected a truckload of clothing, gift cards, toiletries and other items, as well as almost $1,000.

Bank of America donated $25,000 to Three Square Food Bank, the equivalent of 75,000 meals. The bank also awarded $136,700 to 10 local nonprofits that provide disaster aid, homelessness assistance and hunger relief.

Adolfo Quintero, co-owner of AGR Group, was among the executives who gathered with Marines at an annual dinner to celebrate the Toys for Tots Literacy Program. Attendees donated more than 100,000 books.

Baby’s Bounty received 125 car seats from K.I.D.S./Fashion Delivers, which collects new merchandise from retailers for families living in poverty.

The North Las Vegas Library Dis-

Allegiant Air provided travel for 33 children involved with Make-A-Wish

Matt Smith Physical Therapy collected almost 300 toys for the Light of the World Childhood Cancer Foundation, which offers spiritual, emotional and financial support to childhood cancer patients.

Fremont Street Experience donated $15,068 to Opportunity Village.

The Consumer Electronics Association donated $100,000 to Green Our Planet, Green Chips and Touro University to advance their work in energy efficiency. International CES exhibitors donated display and exhibit materials to Habitat for Humanity, Opportunity Village and Teacher Exchange.

The Caesars Foundation, AARP Foundation and Meals On Wheels Association of America created application assistance software for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The Caesars Foundation gave $150,000 to the pilot program, which will use tablet technology to assess eligibility and, where possible, complete and submit applications for benefits.

Right Now Air, an HVAC services provider, donated $1,500 to U.S. Vets-Las Vegas to provide supplies and warm clothing for almost 195 homeless veterans.

Mercadito Red Rock at Red Rock Resort sold tacos created by guest chefs to raise money for Share Our Strength, which aims to end childhood hunger. Participating chefs include John Gremo, Rick Moonen, Kim Canteenwalla, Alex Stratta and Patricio Sandoval.

After-School All-Stars Las Vegas received several donations to help the organization provide free afterschool academic and enrichment programs to more than 5,500 underprivileged students in Clark County.

Coca-Cola North America donated $20,000; Steven and Patricia Mizel donated $20,000; Jesse Waits donated $10,000; the Cashman Family Foundation donated $5,000; Elaine Wenger-Roesener donated $5,000; the Riseman Foundation donated $5,000, and the Sharon L. Bridwell Charitable Trust donated $3,500.

3/5/15 2:17 PM

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48

GET TO KNOW A LOCAL BUSINESS

THE SUNDAY

Send your business-related information to news@vegasinc.com

MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

BY THE NUMBERS

$200,000

Median price of a single-family home resale in January, according to the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors, up 70 percent from early 2012, when the Las Vegas housing market hit bottom.

2,992

Single-family homes flipped in Southern Nevada last year, down 19 percent from 2013, according to RealtyTrac.

$576.8 MILLION Gaming revenue on the Strip in January, up 15 percent from January 2013.

$4 MILLION

Approximate cost, per store, to convert six local Food 4 Less grocery stores to Smith’s Food and Drug stores.

Kim Weiss owns Vom Fass, which sells whiskeys and liqueurs on tap and lets shoppers sample them before purchasing. The company also sells wine, specialty oils and vinegars. (STEVE MARCUS/STAFF)

At rare family store on the Strip, ‘each product has a story’ Describe your business.

800

Number of former Food 4 Less employees hired by Smith’s.

$8 MILLION

Sales price of an 8,900-square-foot mansion in the Ridges, the most expensive home resale in the valley last year.

$10,000

Sales price of a 776-square-foot unit in the Desert Garden condominium complex, the cheapest home resale in the valley last year.

$970

Typical union worker’s weekly pay in 2014, compared with $763 for a nonunion worker, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

3.3 MILLION

Passengers who passed through McCarran International Airport’s gates in January, an increase of 0.3 percent from January 2014.

48-49_VI_MeetColumn_20150308.indd 48

Our shop is like a candy store for adults, where you get to come in and taste these products we have collected from around the world – from single-malt, single-cask scotches to whiskeys, cognacs and brandies, to extra virgin olive oils from the Mediterranean, to vinegars from Italy and Germany and France to spices like truffle salt, orange pepper, garlic pepper and bruschetta spice.

VOM FASS LAS VEGAS Address: 3377 Las Vegas Blvd. South inside the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian (near Tao) Phone: 702-388-2022 Email: info@vomfasslasvegas.com Website: vegas.vomfassusa.com Hours of operation: 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

Sunday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday Owned/operated by: Kim and Gary Weiss In business since: February

What are some of your most unusual liquors, oils and vinegars?

We have a Bunnahabhain 24-year single-malt, singlecask scotch from Islay that is bottled at 43 percent alcohol by volume with no caramel coloring and no chill filtering. We also have a Cognac Cuvee Paradis from the Grande Champagne region of Cognac, made by the Seguinot family, which has been making cognac since 1890.

All of our fruit vinegars are unique; they are made completely out of just fruit — so they taste just like fruit.

What makes your business unique?

Each product has a story. This business is about providing the best, but in a way that makes the world a better place.

The Moroccan oil is made by a consortium of Moroccan tribal women to raise their economic circumstances.

The calamansi vinegar is in our portfolio as a way of supporting a Filipino orphanage. The apple vinegar, which started the company, is a product of trying to preserve a heritage apple tree, Bodensee apple, that is native to Bavaria. We need to find a way to create a product that will provide the farmers a sustainable price so they won’t

cut their apple trees down and grow these GMO apples that look pretty but don’t have as much flavor. Everything that we do is very purposeful.

What’s the most important part of your job?

Customer service. It really is that simple: This is not rocket science. This is about treating people like they’re special, because they are; about giving them the best, because they deserve it; and at the same time, treating the world and the people who produce the products in a way that is respectful and allows them to continue to do that.

What is the best part about doing business here?

This is a crossroads of the world where people come for fun and excitement, and we’re excited to be a part of that because we think we provide a unique experience.

What obstacles has your business overcome?

We feel very blessed to have this opportunity, but a lot of it was about having the hutzpah to ask. You don’t find many family-owned businesses on the Strip, and it took a certain amount of hutzpah for us to even ask.

How can Nevada improve its business climate?

There are a lot of barriers to entry in Nevada, but a lot of it is just figuring out exactly all the licenses you need, all the hoops you need to jump through, all the people you need to talk to. This is our third store in our third state, and we found Nevada to be very highly regulated. If there were a way to streamline that, it would reduce the barriers to entry significantly.

3/5/15 1:01 PM

49

TALKING POINTS Send your business-related information to news@vegasinc.com

READER COMMENTS We want to hear from you. Visit vegasinc.com to post your opinion.

On Conor Shine’s lasvegassun.com story “Mayor Goodman, Anthony wrangle over stadium issue in radio debate”: Independent academic studies have consistently failed to find any economic development benefits justifying public subsidies. — Fair Balanced Bat Boy On Eli Segall’s vegasinc.com story “House flipping in Las Vegas has scaled back but continues to be lucrative”: A lot of new flippers come in and get stuck in houses and risk an awful lot to make very little or even lose some with a miscalculation.

— RichardoTubbs

THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

Celebrate women’s impact in tech industry

L

much higher number this year. ori Nguyen remembers attending a Nominees from all sectors are welcome in all tech-industry trade show 20 years categories. ago in Las Vegas and assessing the “The Rising Star award, for example, doesn’t crowd. need to be a startup,” Nguyen said. “A woman “It was 85 percent men,” said Nguyen, who could have accomplished a great deal in a short now owns three local tech businesses. time or established a business in a new market.”

Today, the share of Las Vegas women in Nationally, women who hold jobs in STEM tech jobs is vastly improved — some research (science, technology, engineering and suggests the percentage is higher here than the ELLEN mathematics) fields earn about 30 percent more national average — as Las Vegas and Nevada FIORE than women who work in other professions, embrace the tech sector. From the startups according to the White House Office of Science funded by Tony Hsieh’s Downtown Project to and Technology Policy. But while women have Switch’s plan to build millions more square feet about half the jobs in the nation, they account for fewer than for data storage, a strong tech industry has emerged.

25 percent of STEM jobs, the Commerce Department found.

Nguyen, who owns HiTech Vegas, and her colleagues at The goal of the Women in Technology Awards program Girls in Tech and Women Advancing want the women who is to recognize women’s accomplishments and encourage are vital to that development to be recognized. others to pursue tech careers.

The companies are collaborating on the second Las “A lot of women in tech fields can be isolated,” Nguyen Vegas Women in Technology Awards, which honor women said. “Either they’re self-employed or just go-go-go. This who have influenced the tech industry, demonstrated gives them a platform to collaborate, to celebrate their innovation and initiative and dedicated themselves to achievements and to share projects and ideas they’ve been furthering the industry and others in it. working on.”

Applications are being accepted through April 15. Awards So, Las Vegas, here’s a chance to shine a spotlight on will be given in five categories — High Tech Woman of the Year, the women helping our tech industry grow and thrive.

Rising Star, Community Service, Entrepreneur and Mentor.

Visit vegaswomentechawards.net to nominate the worthy Last year, when the window for applications was shorter, women you know. about 200 people were nominated. Nguyen hopes to draw a

SMITH’S WORLD

Mike Smith is an award-winning editorial cartoonist who also draws for the Las Vegas Sun. His work also is distributed nationally by King Features Syndicate.

See archives of his work at lasvegassun.com/smithsworld.

On Eli Segall’s vegasinc.com story “A tale of two ‘bargains’: One Las Vegas home sold for $8M, another sold for $10K”: Does this behemoth come with its own nuclear reactor to keep the bank of industrial AC units purring in August?

— topangapalooza On the bright side, somebody was able to purchase a reasonably priced home (though in a highly suspect neighborhood) without too much debt. Or any debt. If they can remain safe and keep the domicile secure, it might be a great return on investment.

— BuskinTederodemowitz

48-49_VI_MeetColumn_20150308.indd 49

3/5/15 1:01 PM

50

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MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

Allegiant’s fares stay low while its stock price soars

BY ELI SEGALL STAFF WRITER

If a family of four in Missoula, Mont., were to fly to Las Vegas for vacation this May, they’d pay at least $560 for tickets on budget carrier Allegiant Air. Not a bad deal — or they could scrap the getaway and buy a mere three shares of Allegiant’s ever-soaring stock.

The Las Vegas-based company, known for its cheap fares, large menu of add-on fees and consistent profits, is smaller than other carriers but has the highest-priced stock among U.S. airlines. It’s not the only one performing well, as the airline industry is popular with investors, despite aggravating fliers with cramped planes and extra charges.

Shares of Allegiant Travel Co., the carrier’s parent, closed Feb. 27 at $183.62 apiece. That’s up 87 percent from a year ago and more than 400 percent from March 2009, when the stock market hit bottom during the recession.

The rise has been a boon to shareholders, including majority owner and CEO Maurice “Maury” Gallagher, and has little, if any, direct benefit to the average flier. But shares keep rising in no small part because Allegiant has been profitable for 12 consecutive years while other carriers have gone bankrupt, been swallowed by rivals and slashed domestic service.

Firmly in the black, Allegiant has been flying more routes and buying more planes while keeping its fares far below industry average.

“It’s just been so consistent. They’ve never really had a down year that was serious like the rest,” Imperial Capital analyst Bob McAdoo said.

Some airlines’ stocks have grown faster since the market bottomed out.

Alaska Air Group traded at $3.49 per share at the time and is now at $63.65.

But no one’s stock price is higher than Allegiant’s, Stifel Nicolaus analyst Joe DeNardi said.

Not all analysts think the stock will keep climbing, though. Helane Becker of Cowen and Co. expects Allegiant to dip to $172 in the next six to 12 months, saying it’s “kind of problematic” when the airline offers tickets for next to nothing, as it did late last month with promotional airfare as low as $29 oneway.

But others say the stock price will only go up. DeNardi said Allegiant, which flies leisure travelers from small, underserved cities to warm-

50_VI_IBLV_20150308.indd 50

An Allegiant Air jet takes off from McCarran International Airport. The highly profitable airline based in Las Vegas is adding Airbus jets to its fleet, which is composed primarily of aging MD-80s. (ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE)

ALLEGIANT TRAVEL CO. PROFITS, 2004-14 $100M

$80M

$60M

$40M

$20M

$0

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

but since buying “three or weather vacation spots four shares equals the price with almost no competiof a vacation, they’d probtion on its routes, has “the ably balk,” Deutsche Bank best business model in the Securities analyst Michael industry.” He said its stock Linenberg recently said. could reach $220 a share by Linenberg, on a conferearly next year. ence call with analysts and One reason it outweighs GALLAGHER Allegiant executives, asked larger rivals such as SouthGallagher if he thought about splitting west and Delta is because Gallagher, and making the stock more affordable. unlike other airline bosses, has not “Does that make any sense, or are split his company’s shares. For inwe on the Warren Buffett, Berkshire stance, if you had one share worth Hathaway path?” he asked. $100, you could then have two at $50 Buffett, the famed billionaire ineach, making it cheaper for mom-andvestor, hasn’t split his conglomerate’s pop buyers but not diluting existing Class A shares, which are now worth investors’ holdings. $222,250 each.

More than a few fliers complain Gallagher said the board has “had about Allegiant — it ranked last debates” about splitting but “it’s hard among U.S. carriers a few years ago for to get a consensus,” adding that the on-time arrivals and charges for onstock has increased tenfold in eight board drinks, small carry-on luggage years. and boarding-pass printouts at the “It’s been good,” he said. airport. There are fliers who enjoy the Gallagher owns roughly 20 percent airline and probably want to invest,

of the company’s stock. The other main shareholders as of last spring were investment firms T. Rowe Price Associates, with a 15.1 percent stake; Renaissance Technologies, at 7.2 percent; and BlackRock, at 6.9 percent, according to a securities filing.

Big investors are happy with Gallagher, his airline and his dividend payments, and they aren’t looking to sell their holdings, analyst Becker said.

Asked if it would help if Gallagher opened the stock to average buyers, Becker said, “I don’t think he really cares who owns the stock.”

Despite its higher stock price, Allegiant’s size and market value — $3.2 billion as of Feb. 27 — pale in comparison to larger carriers that fly hundreds more planes and have issued hundreds of millions more shares than Allegiant.

Delta Air Lines’ stock closed at $44.52 on Feb. 27, valuing the carrier at $37.7 billion. Shares of Southwest Airlines, the busiest carrier by far at McCarran International Airport, were worth $43.24 each, giving the company a $29.8 billion market value.

And United Continental Holdings’ stock closed at $65.13, valuing the airline at $25.9 billion.

Unlike Allegiant, other airlines have split their shares. Southwest, for example, split 14 times between 1977 and 2001.

“Southwest kept splitting time and again to keep the price down,” McAdoo said.

Larger carriers aren’t aiming for big growth spurts, he said, but Allegiant added 25 routes last year and unveiled 22 more in late February.

It’s also adding aircraft. Allegiant, with a fleet largely composed of aging MD-80s, is buying Airbus jets in a shift to newer planes that don’t guzzle as much fuel.

The company is poised to have 80 aircraft — 53 MD-80s, six Boeing 757s and 21 Airbus A319s and A320s — by year’s end. It expects to grow to 103 aircraft by the end of 2018 by acquiring 23 more Airbus planes.

Allegiant buys oil for immediate delivery and doesn’t stock up for the future at pre-set prices, analysts said.

With crude oil selling for about $50 per barrel, down 50 percent from a year ago, Allegiant is poised to save a lot of money, boosting its bottom line and perhaps sending its stock even higher.

“With lower fuel prices like this, they’re going to do even better,” McAdoo said.

3/5/15 12:57 PM

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YOUR BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS NEWS

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MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

Slot mergers: Why they happened, and why they matter

BY J.D. MORRIS STAFF WRITER

The major slot machine company mergers that have recently occurred shouldn’t dramatically alter what gamblers experience on the casino floor, at least for now.

Still, what’s happening behind the scenes is significant for the gaming industry.

Late last month, state regulators gave their blessing to a $6.4 billion merger between slot maker International Game Technology and Italian lottery operator Gtech. The deal follows a $5.1 billion merger between slot maker Bally Technologies and lottery company Scientific Games.

IGT and Bally already were two of the most dominant slot machine companies, and they’re even bigger now.

They’re also not the only recent mergers on the equipment side of the gaming industry. For example, Global Cash Access, a company that provides casinos with financial equipment such as ATMs, merged with slot mak-

er Multimedia Games.

So why did all this merging happen?

And what’s the big deal, anyway?

WHY THE MERGERS HAPPENED The slot machine market became too crowded with companies. Eilers Research founder Todd Eilers said the market had been flat in recent years, so the best way for big companies to continue growing was to merge with others. He said a “pretty favorable lending market where you can get some pretty cheap debt” also helped.

HOW THEY AFFECT NEVADA A common outcome of corporate mergers is that “synergies” are identified and “streamlining” happens, to use corporate-speak, and people lose their jobs. That’s true in these cases, too. Executives from both companies have admitted their mergers would result in layoffs, although it’s not clear how many.

The new IGT corporate headquarters will be in the United Kingdom.

IGT representatives said some corporate jobs would be eliminated, but they stressed to regulators that they’d maintain a strong presence in Nevada. The company’s global gaming operations will be based in Las Vegas, where work will include game design and development. Some of that also will happen in Reno, where IGT will concentrate heavily on its manufacturing operations.

“Let’s face it: Las Vegas is the capital of casino gaming,” Richard Trachok, an attorney representing IGT, assured the Gaming Commission.

“Nobody is going to leave Las Vegas.”

Meanwhile, because of its merger with Bally, Scientific Games is moving its corporate headquarters from New York to Las Vegas, just off the 215 Beltway near Jones Boulevard. The move was important enough to warrant praise from Gov. Brian Sandoval, who said in a statement that it meant “hundreds of good-paying jobs for the people of Clark County and our state in the years to come.”

WHY THEY’RE IMPORTANT Bally and IGT combined, Eilers said, will control a majority of the market. Furthermore, the mergers are expanding the slot makers to include the lottery part of the gaming industry. That’s significant in terms of growth, although a lottery won’t spring up in Nevada anytime soon, because the state is constitutionally banned from authorizing one.

And expansion will benefit the companies in other ways — for instance, they’ll be able to spend much more money than their competitors on research and development.

Commissioner Randolph Townsend stressed at the IGT hearing that the mergers were “major financial transactions.” But they’re also important for the gaming industry, he said, because they signal an evolutionary shift.

“What it also talks to is the change in the industry,” Townsend said.

“This is really a technology industry now.”

PAHRUMP BALLOON FESTIVAL

March 20 – 22, 2015 Join us in Pahrump for a weekend of food, music, art, drone exhibitions, carnival games, and tethered hot air balloon rides.

VISITPAHRUMP.COM/EVENTS

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3/6/15 12:06 PM

52 THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

YOUR BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS NEWS Send your business-related information to news@vegasinc.com

From turmoil to turnaround?

New CEO on UMC’s status

BY CONOR SHINE STAFF WRITER

With two rounds of layoffs, the departure of two CEOs and a cash crunch that threatened the hospital’s ability to keep its lights on, 2014 was an especially trying year for the perpetually struggling University Medical Center.

But amid the turmoil, the turnover and the changes brought on by the Affordable Care Act, UMC turned a corner, new CEO Mason VanHouweling said.

“I think the community is going to be pleasantly surprised with the performance we’ve had this fiscal year,” VanHouweling said. “Especially these last six months, we’ve really gained momentum.”

In January, the hospital hit its monthly revenue goal while coming in under its projected expenses, the first time that’s happened in a long time.

VanHouweling, promoted from chief operating officer in December to replace the outgoing Lawrence Barnard, sees 2015 as a year of growth for UMC. The road is still littered with obstacles, namely the hospital’s reliance on a $71 million subsidy from Clark County needed to balance its budget. The hospital eliminated 390 positions and closed four satellite clinics to cut costs last year,

but VanHouweling said “there’s always going to be a county subsidy.”

County officials want to see that number shrink drastically as they try to find money to fill other needs at the county jail and Metro Police for the upcoming fiscal year that starts in July.

VanHouweling spends much of his 12-hour days meeting with physicians, as many as five or six a day, trying to recruit them to treat their patients at UMC. To provide those doctors with the tools they want, the hospital has added such technology as a minimally invasive robotic surgery device and highdefinition scopes.

Also helping UMC is a drop in the number of uninsured patients it sees, from a high of 36 percent to the current 15 percent, due to the Affordable Care Act, which VanHouweling said has helped level the playing field among local hospitals.

Turning around UMC isn’t guaranteed and there’s still much work left to be done, VanHouweling said, but with a new governing board in place and painful cuts already made, he’s looking forward to a brighter future.

“This hospital has been around 84 years,” he said. “We’re moving it in the right direction to sustain that for the next 84 years.”

Water rate hike OK’d for homes, businesses

BY CONOR SHINE STAFF WRITER

Water rates are going up for valley homes and businesses to help pay for a new $650 million pumping station that will keep water flowing into Las Vegas, even as Lake Mead shrinks.

The Clark County Commission, sitting as the board of the Las Vegas Valley Water District, voted this month to approve a fixed surcharge to water bills based on the size of the customer’s water meter.

The average homeowner will see monthly bills increase by $2.41 starting in 2016, with an increase of $3.61 per month in 2017 and $4.81 in 2018.

The added revenue will be used to help pay for the new pumping station at Lake Mead that will work even if lake elevation levels drop below 1,000 feet.

The project is a complement to the $817 million third intake straw being built at the lake to allow water to be drawn into the pumping station from lower elevations than the existing two intake straws.

The majority of construction on the third intake was completed in December, and the structure is expected to be operational

this summer.

Water levels at Lake Mead are at 1,089 feet and could drop to as low as 1,066 feet over the next two years, according to projections from the Bureau of Reclamation.

The lake level has been declining because of a severe drought over the past 15 years, and officials fear it could plunge further if the drought continues.

The need for a new pumping station and the proposed rate increase to pay for it were endorsed by a citizen-led committee of business and community leaders organized by the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

The rate increases still need to be approved by water districts in North Las Vegas, Henderson and Boulder City.

The hike comes after a separate increase to pay off construction debt on the third intake straw and other projects was approved in 2013. That increase will add $5 to residents monthly water bills by 2017.

County Commissioner Steve Sisolak said he thought the rate increases were justified.

“Rate increases are always difficult, but sometimes they’re necessary,” he said.

Public officials oppose proposed ads on Strip pedestrian bridges

BY CONOR SHINE STAFF WRITER

The Strip is saturated with advertisements, so what harm would there be adding a few more to the pedestrian bridges that span the boulevard?

A lot, according to several Clark County officials who spoke out against a bill in the Legislature that would allow advertisements on the publicly owned Strip structures.

Senate Bill 199 would allow for advertisements on the pedestrian bridges and their accompanying elevators and escalators, similar to advertisements at bus stops and monorail stations.

But county officials noted several problems with the proposal.

Public Works Director Denis Cederburg warned that stop lights at

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street level could blend in with the ads on the bridges, posing a safety hazard. Drivers distracted by the ads could also slow traffic flow and create safety problems, he said.

Metro Police Capt. Devin Ballard said his agency was concerned about advertising wraps on the glass barriers on the bridges.

“That, of course, for us would be a huge officer safety and public safety issue to have those blocked,” Ballard said. “(Now) you can see anybody sitting, standing (on the bridge). Those panels being covered up would keep us from being able to see that from street level.”

A final challenge is that several of the bridge landings stretch onto private property, and the county’s deals

with the land-owning casinos don’t allow for advertisements on those parts of the structures.

Sean Higgins, a lobbyist advocating for the bill, pointed out that the Senate bill would only authorize the advertisements and that the county commission would have final say on what types of signs were allowed.

Higgins added that there are advertisements that stretch over the roadways in several places, including at a monorail station spanning Desert Inn Road and at the entrance to Mandalay Bay. Higgins said his client was willing to leave the bridges out of any future advertising plans and focus only on the accompanying elevators and escalators if that’s what commissioners

wanted.

“We’ve agreed already if the bridges are taboo and there’s a safety issue, we’ll just walk away from those now,” he said.

But Higgins’ proposed compromise wasn’t enough for the majority of county commissioners who requested that staff not support the bill at the Legislature.

Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani said she didn’t approve of public structures being used for private advertisements, even if the bridges weren’t included in the plan.

“It creates a bigger problem for us that the money won’t resolve,” Giunchigliani said. “It’s whether or not advertising should be in our public right of way.”

3/6/15 12:06 PM

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YOUR BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS NEWS Send your business-related information to news@vegasinc.com

THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

TUITION ASSISTANCE, FROM PAGE 43

More than half of U.S. companies offered some form of grad school tuition assistance in 2013 degree in business management from the University of Phoenix using Verizon’s tuition assistance program.

Getting a college degree had been on her mind for years.

“I wanted to get my degree for so long, but I never thought I had the time,” Mata said. “Verizon’s flexibility and financial assistance are making it easier.”

Sixty-one percent of U.S. companies provided undergraduate tuition assistance to employees in 2013, and 59 percent offered assistance for graduate work, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.

Since its inception in 2000, the Verizon Wireless tuition assistance program has spent $51 million nationally furthering employees’ education.

Full-time and part-time employees are eligible for the program, which offers up to $8,000 a year for tuition at an accredited university.

Students maintain eligibility by earning at least a “C” in each course, and they must commit to continue working for Verizon for two years after they graduate.

Teresa Miller, left, confers with Susan Adamek over financial aid documents in the education department at St. Rose “Our program is designed to encourDominican Hospitals. Miller is an administrative assistant, and Adamek is director. (L.E. BASKOW/STAFF) age lifetime learning,” said Shelyse Anderson, associate director of talent “I’m so grateful I didn’t have to choose between my job Unlike Verizon, Dignity Health acquisition for Verizon Wireless. “By and my education. I work for a company that actually supports doesn’t require workers who receive removing financial barriers, we are tuition assistance to sign contracts able to help our employees achieve my decision to go back to school.” guaranteeing employment after gradtheir lifelong dreams of obtaining their Susan Adamek, director of education at St. Rose Dominican Hospitals uation. Full- and part-time workers education.” need only to have been with the comSusan Adamek is close to achieving pany for six months before becoming her dream. The director of education eligible for the 20-year-old tuition recritical-thinking skills.

“Happy employees mean a higher at St. Rose Dominican Hospitals not imbursement program.

Adamek said investing in employee rate of customer satisfaction,” Anderonly is in charge of the company’s tu“We haven’t needed to implement education is a good idea for many reason said. ition assistance program, she also is a a minimum-employment criteria besons, including a measurable improveWith plans to transform more than participant. Adamek expects to graducause our employees see how commitment in patient outcomes.

1,700 retail locations into Smart Stores ate in May from UNLV with a Ph.D. in ted we are to improving their lives, and In 2013, the Journal of Nursing Adover the next few years, Verizon is nursing education. it makes them want to stick around,” ministration released the results of a investing in recruiting and groom“I’m so grateful I didn’t have to Adamek said. study on staff education levels from 21 ing staff to meet expansion needs and choose between my job and my educaAdamek said being a part-time stuhealth care systems nationwide. Hoscustomer demands. Anderson says the tion,” Adamek said. “I work for a comdent has given her better insight into pitals staffed with more nurses with at tuition assistance program promotes pany that actually supports my decistaff needs and has made her a better least four-year degrees reported fewer personal and professional developsion to go back to school.” professional. complications and patient deaths. A ment, which in turn improves the comAdamek said her degree would have “I have become more conscious of similar study found an average reducpany culture and advances workers’ cost $45,000 if not for Dignity Health’s my instructors and am constantly tion of 7.47 deaths per 1,000 patients skill sets. tuition reimbursement program. With aware of new education research and treated by nurses with baccalaureate “Being a student has made me more the company contributing $5,200 a how it may benefit our staff,” she said. degrees. efficient as a general manager,” said year toward her education, Adamek Said Mata: “If you have a company “Our program not only develops Mata, who is taking two online courses. will pay roughly half the cost. that provides tuition assistance, don’t leaders, it creates an internal pipeline Mata said learning to juggle work Both Verizon Wireless and Dignity wait to take advantage of it. It will only for promotion and increases employee and school schedules improved her Health representatives said they had propel you forward in your career.” retention,” Adamek said. time management and sharpened her seen returns on their investment.

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3/5/15 2:30 PM

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3/4/15 11:11 1:03 PM 3/5/15 AM

55

YOUR BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS NEWS

THE SUNDAY

Send your business-related information to news@vegasinc.com

MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

Calendar of events MONDAY, MARCH 9 Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine seminar series Time: 2-3 p.m. Cost: Free Location: UNLV, Student Union Room 219, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas Information: Email Megan Svarz at nipm@unlv.edu Bioinformatics researcher Dongziao Zhu will present, “Deep Sequencing Analytics to Enable Precision Medicine.”

TUESDAY, MARCH 10 Conservation, Cultivation & Cannabis in Clark County Time: 7-9 a.m. Cost: $20 for U.S. Green Building Council Nevada Chapter members, $35 for nonmembers Location: The InNEVation Center, third floor, 6795 Edmond St., Las Vegas Information: Call 702-952-2468 John Laub of the Las Vegas Medical Marijuana Association will moderate a discussion about medical marijuana with Arnold Lopez, of NV Energy; Tom Perrigo, of the city of Las Vegas; John Perry, a cultivation and industry expert; and Nicola Kerslake, of Newbean Capital.

Henderson Chamber of Commerce networking breakfast Time: 7-9 a.m. Cost: $25 for Henderson Chamber members, $45 for nonmembers, additional $10 for walk-ins Location: Wildhorse Golf Club, 2100 W. Warm Springs Road, Henderson Information: Visit hendersonchamber.com/events Members of the chamber’s legislative committee will discuss issues that lawmakers will consider this session.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11 Roseman Medical School update Time: 8-9 a.m. Cost: Free Location: Roseman University of Health Sciences Summerlin Campus, Ralph & Betty Engelstad Research Building, second floor, 10530 Discovery Drive, Las Vegas Information: Email medicine@roseman.edu Dr. Mark A. Penn, founding dean of Roseman University’s College of Medicine, will discuss development of the college and its impact on the future of Southern Nevada.

Business networking event Time: 6 p.m. Cost: $20 Location: House of Blues Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South Information: Visit socialregister.com or call 702256-0123 Expand your network and establish valuable relationships with high-level executives and business owners in Las Vegas. Business attire required.

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An employee refills a jar of medical marijuana at a dispensary in Denver. (ANTHONY SOUFFLE/CHICAGO TRIBUNE)

THURSDAY, MARCH 12

Ave., Las Vegas

Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce networking mixer Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Cost: $10 for Asian Chamber

Information: Visit dannyvegaslive.com/events Keynote speaker will be Loren Slocum Lahav, a personal development seminar leader.

members, $15 for nonmembers

Location: Park Place Infiniti, 5555 W. Sahara Ave., Las Vegas Information: Email info@lvacc.org Meet new people. Share contacts, referrals and ideas.

Risk Management Society educational session and meeting: NRCP 30(b)(6) PMK Depositions Time: 11 a.m. Cost: $27 for members, $30 for nonmembers with RSVP

Location: Lawry’s, 4043 Howard Hughes Parkway, Las Vegas

Information: Visit nevada.rims.org

FRIDAY, MARCH 13 Small Business Association Women’s History Month event Time: 8:30 a.m.-noon Cost: Free Location: SBA office, Suite 400, 300 S. Fourth St., Las Vegas

Information: Call 702-734-3555 Successful businesswomen will share their knowledge and expertise about what it takes to start a business.

Attorney Justin Sember will discuss how a Person Most Knowledgeable, a person appointed by a corporation or government agency to testify on their behalf, should handle depositions.

The Affordable Care Act: Its Impact on Nevada Time: 6:30 p.m. Cost: Free Location: The InNEVation Center, third floor, 6795 Edmond St., Las Vegas

Information: Email Marni Unger at marni@jewish-

SATURDAY, MARCH 14 “Solving mysteries to owning a business” Time: 11:30 a.m. Cost: $30 for one person, $45 for two people Location: Urban Chamber of Commerce, 1951 Stella Lake St., Suite 30, Las Vegas Information: Email Cindy Vallar at cvallar@scorelv. org Learn about the pros and cons of the three most popular ways to get into business for yourself: starting a business from scratch, buying an existing business and buying a franchise. Learn about business entity types, including C-Corp, S-Corp, LLC, LLP and partnership.

lasvegas.com The Business and Professional Network of the Jewish Federation will present a panel discussion about the Affordable Care Act and how it affects residents and businesses in Nevada. Panelists include Dr. Mitchell Forman, dean of the medical school at Touro University; attorney Max Gakh; public policy expert Stacey Tovino; David Dahan, CEO of Orgill/ Singer & Associates; Rabbi Yitz Wyne of Young Israel Aish; and moderator Dr. Hugh Bassewitz.

Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine seminar series Time: 4-5 p.m. Cost: Free Location: UNLV, Science and Engineering Building auditorium, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas

Information: Email Megan Svarz at nipm@unlv.edu

TUESDAY, MARCH 17 Lady Vegas Business Club luncheon Time: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Cost: $30 Location: Siena Italian restaurant, 9500 W. Sahara

Dr. Vasu Punj of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, will present, “Forging a Genomics Path to Personalized Cancer Therapies.”

3/6/15 12:03 PM

56

THE DATA

THE SUNDAY

Send your business-related information to news@vegasinc.com

MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

Records and Transactions BID OPPORTUNITIES TUESDAY, MARCH 10 2:30 p.m.

Mobile training gallery State of Nevada, 8306 Annette Morfin at amorfin@admin. nv.gov 3 p.m.

Sahara Avenue and North Boulder Highway landscape maintenance Clark County, 603578 Ashley Blanco at ashley.blanco@ clarkcountynv.gov 3 p.m.

Annual requirements contract for forensic toxicology test Clark County, 603594 Jim Haining at jhaining@clarkcountynv.gov

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11 3 p.m.

Professional engineering services for on-demand quality assurance agency construction inspection services Clark County, SOQ 603583 Sandy Moody-Upton at scm@ clarkcountynv.gov

THURSDAY, MARCH 12 2 p.m.

Toilet paper State of Nevada, 8312 Nancy Feser at nfeser@admin. nv.gov 2:15 p.m.

Brocade load balance device State of Nevada, 8309 Marti Marsh at mmarsh@admin. nv.gov 2:15 p.m.

Animal Control horse impound improvements - Horseman’s Park Clark County, 603601 Sandy Moody-Upton at scm@ clarkcountynv.gov 2:15 p.m.

Government Center employee parking lot access control improvement Clark County, 603607 Sandy Moody-Upton at scm@ clarkcountynv.gov 3 p.m.

Contract for claims adjusting services for liability claims Clark County, 603577 Chetan Champaneri at chetanc@ clarkcountynv.gov

FRIDAY, MARCH 13 2:15 p.m.

Pecos Road and Russell Road resurfacing Clark County, 603597 Tom Boldt at tboldt@clarkcountynv.gov

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3 p.m.

Current production model various trailers Clark County, 603611 Sandra Mendoza at sda@clarkcountynv.gov 3 p.m.

Current production model water tender tanker Clark County, 603599 Sandra Mendoza at sda@clarkcountynv.gov

BROKERED TRANSACTIONS LEASES $393,348 for 12,600 square feet, industrial for 60 months 3500 John Peter Lee St., North Las Vegas 89032 Landlord: Cypress Creek Investments LLC Landlord agent: Amy Ogden and Danielle Steffen of Cushman & Wakefield Commerce Tenant: Fencing Specialist Inc. Tenant agent: Ben Millis of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank $360,581 for 3,304 square feet, office for 65 months 5888 W. Sunset Road, Suite 130, Las Vegas 89113 Landlord: HDI Las Vegas LLC Landlord agent: Katie Brase and Jerry Hagfeldt of MDL Group Tenant: Glory Global Solutions Inc. Tenant agent: Mike Dunn and Paula Lea of Cushman & Wakefield Commerce $231,056 for 1,400 square feet, retail for 62 months 1150 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas 89119 Landlord: Flamingo Maryland Investors LLC Landlord agent: Dan Hubbard and Todd Manning of Cushman & Wakefield Commerce Tenant: The Cupcakery LLC Tenant agent: Did not disclose $179,496 for 1,800 square feet, retail for 65 months 8090 Blue Diamond Road, Suite 180, Las Vegas 89178 Landlord: Sunstone Diamond LLC Landlord agent: Nelson Tressler and Michael Zobrist of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank Tenant: Bahuchar Trading LLC Tenant agent: Jaimee Yoshizawa of The RED Ltd. $105,840 for 1,400 square feet, retail for 63 months 3455 S. Durango Drive, Suite 112, Las Vegas 89117 Landlord: MDM Properties Nevada LLC Landlord agent: Chris Godino of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank Tenant: Maggie Reb/Belle De

Provence LLC dba La Maison De Maggie Tenant agent: Amy Kyzykyan of Realty One Group $47,187 for 749 square feet, retail for 39 months 40 Costa di Lago, Suite 100, Henderson 89011 Landlord: Signal Butte Investors LLC Landlord agent: Robert S. Hatrak II of Virtus Commercial Tenant: Shawn Elliott of Lobsterman’s Restaurant Tenant agent: Robert S. Hatrak II of Virtus Commercial

Re Address: 6955 N. Durango Drive, Suite 1002, Las Vegas Owner: Ron L. Kaltenbach LLC Quickee Burgers Business type: Food services or café Address: 3231 N. Decatur Blvd., Suite 122, Las Vegas Owner: QB Holdings LLC R&D Crafts Business type: Nonfarm product vendor Address: 302 S. Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas Owner: Ray Diaz

$37,464 for 37,464 square feet, retail for 36 months 3950 E. Sunset Road, Las Vegas 89120 Landlord: 3950 E. Sunset LLC Landlord agent: Dan Hubbard and Todd Manning of Cushman & Wakefield Commerce Tenant: Big Deluxe Tattoo (renewal) Tenant agent: Did not disclose

Red Eagle Business type: Automotive garage/service station (minor) Address: 208 W. Wyoming Ave., Las Vegas Owner: Arlen Crespin

BUSINESS LICENSES

Redefining Youth Business type: General retail sales Address: 1717 S. Decatur Blvd., Suite G52, Las Vegas Owner: Shanon Brooks

On the Go BBQ Business type: Food services or café Address: 6000 Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas Owner: Nicholas Williamson Papa Murphy’s Take n’ Bake Pizza Business type: Food services or café Address: 4900 W. Craig Road, Suite 4, Las Vegas Owner: DD Pizza Ltd. Park Avenue Maintenance Business type: Repair and maintenance Address: 9640 Toy Soldier St., Las Vegas Owner: Michael D. Park Pinoy Market Business type: Food specialty store Address: 6820 W. Sahara Ave., Suite 1, Las Vegas Owner: King James Liquidators Inc. Publicus Business type: Beer/wine cooler sales Address: 1126 Fremont St., Las Vegas Owner: Publicus LLC Pucker’Up Organic Lemonade Business type: Nonfarm product vendor Address: 302 S. Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas Owner: Mansur Ward Pulse Realty Group LLC Business type: Real estate

Red Tag Sales & Liquidation Business type: General retail sales Address: 6820 W. Sahara Ave., Suite 2, Las Vegas Owner: King James Liquidators Inc.

Rockapedia Business type: Publishing and newspapers Address: 5550 Painted Mirage Road, Suite 320, Las Vegas Owner: Rockapedia Inc. San Miguel Collection Business type: General retail sales Address: 707 Fremont St., Suite 1320, Las Vegas Owner: San Miguel Trading Enterprises Sandy Kim Business type: Independent massage therapist Address: 2400 S. Jones Blvd., Suite 14, Las Vegas Owner: Sandy Kim SBR Properties LLC Business type: Business space rent or lease Address: 8250 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 100, Las Vegas Owner: Bojan Stokic

Vegas Owner: Brittany Scalise Sexy Aphrodita Boutique Business type: General retail sales Address: 1616 Las Vegas Blvd.

South, Suite 150, Las Vegas Owner: Sexy Aphrodita LLC Silver Reef Biomedical Services Business type: Repair and maintenance Address: 3400 W. Desert Inn Road, Suite 22, Las Vegas Owner: Silver Reef Biomedical Services Inc. Simister and Branham Dental Business type: Professional services – medical Address: 4510 Meadows Lane, Suite B, Las Vegas Owner: Branham Dental LLC Sofia’s Pizza Business type: Beer/wine cooler sales Address: 821 N. Lamb Blvd., Suite 1, Las Vegas Owner: First R&G Associates LLC Southern Nevada Counseling Center Business type: Professional services Address: 6600 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 119, Las Vegas Owner: Southern Nevada Counseling Center LLC Span Worldwide LLC Business type: Tobacco sales/ lounge Address: 2233 Paradise Road, Suite 110, Las Vegas Owner: Shachi Thadhani Speedy Auto Service Center LLC Business type: Automotive garage (major) Address: 41 30th St., Las Vegas Owner: Janela Martinez Steve J. Skelton Business type: Real estate sales Address: 1820 E. Sahara Ave., Suite 101, Las Vegas Owner: Steve J. Skelton Sun’s Thai Food and Jerky Business type: Nonfarm product vendor Address: 300 N. Casino Center Blvd., Las Vegas Owner: Sun’s Beef Jerky Thai Style LLC

Seale & Beers CPAs LLC Business type: Professional services Address: 8250 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 100, Las Vegas Owner: Robert T. Beers

Symbiotech Inc. Business type: General retail sales Address: 601 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite 100, Las Vegas Owner: Donna Siler

Sensational Shine Cleaning Service Business type: Repair and maintenance Address: 1519 Highfield Court, Las

Tamica Minor Business type: Real estate sales Address: 10750 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 180, Las Vegas Owner: Tamica Minor

Thatguy Business Address Las Veg Owner: J

The Arts Business caterer Address Las Veg Owner: T

The Min Business moter Address Las Veg Owner: J

Top Cat Business tenance Address Suites 10 Owner: T

Top Dog Business tronic ci Address Las Veg Owner: M

Viva Sal Business establish Address Blvd., Su Owner: V

West Co Business agency Address Las Veg Owner: W tions LLC

Wieners Business Address Las Veg Owner: F

Wild Tru Business caterer Address Parkway Owner: W

BUILD

$2,186,9 2970 Co Vegas M.G. New

$901,77 930 Car Henders Juliet Pr

$896,07 930 Car Henders

3/6/15 2:12 PM

57

THE DATA

THE SUNDAY

Send your business-related information to news@vegasinc.com

MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

Records and Transactions Thatguy & Associates Inc. Business type: Photography Address: 6312 W. Cheyenne Ave., Las Vegas Owner: John Miranda The Arts Factory LLC Business type: Alcoholic beverage caterer Address: 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas Owner: The Arts Factory LLC The Mint 400 Business type: Professional promoter Address: 3475 Boulder Highway, Las Vegas Owner: Joshua F. Martelli Top Cat Cleaning Service Inc. Business type: Repair and maintenance Address: 2400 N. Tenaya Way, Suites 101-103, Las Vegas Owner: Thomas Cotton Top Dog Vapors Business type: Vapes and electronic cigarettes Address: 2251 S. Rainbow Blvd., Las Vegas Owner: Major Vapes LLC Viva Salon Business type: Cosmetological establishment Address: 10870 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 120, Las Vegas Owner: Viva Salon LLC West Coast Staffing Business type: Employment agency Address: 1500 E. Tropicana Ave., Las Vegas Owner: West Coast Staffing Solutions LLC Wienerschnitzel 441 Business type: Restaurant Address: 4470 E. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas Owner: Farouk Diab Wild Truffles Business type: Alcoholic beverage caterer Address: 495 S. Grand Central Parkway, Suite C, Las Vegas Owner: Wild Truffles LLC

BUILDING PERMITS $2,186,924, plumbing 2970 Coleman St., North Las Vegas M.G. Newell Corp. $901,772, residential-new 930 Carnegie St., Building 18, Henderson Juliet Property Co. $896,072, residential-new 930 Carnegie St., Building 1, Henderson

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Juliet Property Co. $896,072, residential-new 930 Carnegie St., Building 4, Henderson Juliet Property Co. $896,072, residential-new 930 Carnegie St., Building 5, Henderson Juliet Property Co. $896,072, residential-new 930 Carnegie St., Building 7, Henderson Juliet Property Co. $896,072 residential-new 930 Carnegie St., Building 8, Henderson Juliet Property Co. $896,072, residential-new 930 Carnegie St., Building 9, Henderson Juliet Property Co.

$531,876, residential-new 930 Carnegie St., Building 16, Henderson Juliet Property Co. $450,886, residential-new 930 Carnegie St., Building 6, Henderson Juliet Property Co. $350,000, tenant improvement 555 S. Grand Central Parkway, Suite 195, Las Vegas MC Construction Management $317,185, commercial-remodel 105 N. Pecos Road, Henderson Charger Construction LLC $270,000, tenant improvement 505 S. Grand Central Parkway, Suite 160, Las Vegas JA Stowell Construction Inc. $252,858, commercial-alteration 4711 Mitchell St., North Las Vegas LPS Contracting Inc.

$896,072, residential-new 930 Carnegie St., Building 10, Henderson Juliet Property Co.

$238,032 residential-new 7361 Fruitful Harvest Ave., Las Vegas DR Horton Inc.

$896,072, residential-new 930 Carnegie St., Building 11, Henderson Juliet Property Co.

$225,000 canopy 628 W. Craig Road, North Las Vegas Pace Contracting

$647,046, residential-new 930 Carnegie St., Building 15, Henderson Juliet Property Co.

$211,918, residential-new 9729 University Ridge Ave., Las Vegas Greystone Nevada LLC

$641,446, residential-new 930 Carnegie St., Building 3, Henderson Juliet Property Co.

$207,550, assembly group 930 Carnegie St., Henderson Juliet Property Co.

$641,446, residential-new 930 Carnegie St., Building 17, Henderson Juliet Property Co. $641,446, residential-new 930 Carnegie St., Building 13, Henderson Juliet Property Co. $550,000, tenant improvement 575 S. Grand Central Parkway, Suite 110, Las Vegas Sierra Contracting $534,726, residential-new 930 Carnegie St., Building 2, Henderson Juliet Property Co. $531,876, residential-new 930 Carnegie St., Building 12, Henderson Juliet Property Co. $531,876, residential-new 930 Carnegie St., Building 14, Henderson Juliet Property Co.

$199,259, residential-new 7351 Fruitful Harvest Ave., Las Vegas DR Horton Inc. $190,000, tenant improvement 888 W. Bonneville Ave., Las Vegas Whiting Turner Contracting Company $186,257, residential-new 819 Via Serenelia, Henderson Greystone Nevada LLC $180,427, residential-new 9728 University Ridge Ave., Las Vegas Greystone Nevada LLC $178,993, residential-new 2170 Trivero St., Henderson Pardee Homes of Nevada

Yesco LLC $170,342, residential-new 815 Via Serenelia, Henderson Greystone Nevada LLC $169,954, residential-new 2178 Trivero St., Henderson Pardee Homes of Nevada

$141,675, residential-new 2906 Shining Sun Way, Henderson Greystone Nevada LLC $140,498, residential-new 6935 Lakota Summit Court, Las Vegas DR Horton Inc.

$169,732, residential-new 823 Via Serenelia, Henderson Greystone Nevada LLC

$140,289, residential-new 1073 Aubrey Springs Ave., Henderson DR Horton Inc.

$169,732, residential-new 811 Via Serenelia, Henderson Greystone Nevada LLC

$136,795 residential-new 1109 Via della Costrella, Henderson Greystone Nevada LLC

$166,738, residential-new 3213 Porto Vittoria Ave., Henderson Toll Henderson LLC

$136,270, residential-new 7331 Fruitful Harvest Ave., Las Vegas DR Horton Inc.

$160,266, residential-new 298 Lindura Court, Las Vegas Toll South LV LLC

$135,464, residential-new 1009 Via Gandalfi, Henderson Century Communities of Nevada

$159,142, residential-new 2902 Shining Sun Way, Henderson Greystone Nevada LLC $157,478, residential-new 515 Fife St., Henderson FM Contracting LLC $157,277, residential-new 9725 University Ridge Ave., Las Vegas Greystone Nevada LLC $156,323, residential-new 12273 Catanzaro Ave., Las Vegas Ryland Homes $155,704, residential-new 2174 Trivero St., Henderson Pardee Homes of Nevada $149,493, residential-new 118 Via della Costrella, Henderson Greystone Nevada LLC $146,699, residential-new 6922 Lakota Summit Court, Las Vegas DR Horton Inc. $145,834, residential-new 1076 Aubrey Springs Ave., Henderson DR Horton Inc. $145,279, residential-new 929 Carson Bluff Ave., Henderson Ryland Homes $142,396, residential-new 1106 Echo Pass St., Henderson KB Home Nevada Inc.

$173,871, residential-new 7341 Fruitful Harvest Ave., Las Vegas DR Horton Inc.

$142,396, residential-new 729 Gulf Pearl Drive, Henderson KB Home Nevada Inc.

$171,818, sign 2427 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas

$141,675, residential-new 2898 Shining Sun Way, Henderson Greystone Nevada LLC

$135,177, residential-new 6925 Lakota Summit Court, Las Vegas DR Horton Inc. $135,177, residential-new 6932 Lakota Summit Court, Las Vegas DR Horton Inc. $135,177, residential-new 6905 Lakota Summit Court, Las Vegas DR Horton Inc.

CONVENTIONS CaterSource Event Solutions Annual Conference and Tradeshow 2015 Location: Las Vegas Convention Center Dates: March 10-11 Expected attendance: 9,000 Travel Goods Show 2015 Location: Las Vegas Convention Center Dates: March 10-12 Expected attendance: 4,000 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) 2015 Annual Conference Location: Caesars Palace Dates: March 11-14 Expected attendance: 1,600 Digital Signage Expo 2015 Location: Las Vegas Convention Center Dates: March 11-12 Expected attendance: 6,000 To receive a complete copy of Data Plus every week in Excel, please go to www.vegasinc.com/ subscribe

3/6/15 2:12 PM

AN EXCLUSIVE GALLERY OF MODERN, CONTEMPORARY COURTYARD STYLE HOMES DESIRABLY NESTLED ALONGSIDE BLACK MOUNTAIN IN HENDERSON. FLOOR PLANS FROM 2,820 SQ.FT. TO 3,220 SQ.FT.

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MON 1:00PM - 5:00PM TUES-SUN 10:00AM - 5:00PM

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This is being provided for informational purposes only. Not a commitment to lend. Not all borrowers will qualify. Prices, included features, availability and delivery dates are subject to change without notice or obligation and subject to builder discretion. Square footages are approximate. Terms and conditions vary and are subject to credit approval, market changes and availability. Images are an artists conception, actual homes may vary.

NO, IT’S NOT THE HANDLE TO YOUR NEW ION-FLUX HARD DRIVE. New technology is changing how you do business in Las Vegas. Even your equipment will help you work faster, smarter and more efficiently. And by upgrading to water-smart devices, you can receive up to $50,000 in rebates. Call our conservation specialists at 702.862.3736 to find out how you can start saving.

The Southern Nevada Water Authority is a not-for-profit water utility.

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200 E. Horizon Drive, Suite A, Henderson, NV 89015

059_tsd_030815.indd 1

3/6/15 5:07 PM

60

YOUR BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS NEWS

THE SUNDAY

Send your business-related information to news@vegasinc.com

MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

The List 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

CATEGORY: PRIVATE SCHOOLS (RANKED BY SPRING 2015 ENROLLMENT)

School

Enrollment Grades*

Tuition

Year established

Top executive

Faith Lutheran Middle School and High School 2015 S. Hualapai Way Las Vegas, NV 89117 702-804-4400 • faithlutheranlv.org

1,562

6-12

$10,500

1979

Steve Buuck, CEO

Bishop Gorman High School 5959 S. Hualapai Way Las Vegas, NV 89148 702-732-1945 • bishopgorman.org

1,400

9-12

$11,100-$12,500

1954

John Kilduff, president

The Meadows School 8601 Scholar Lane Las Vegas, NV 89128 702-254-1610 • themeadowsschool.org

875

Pre-K through 12

$9,590-$23,100

1984

Jeremy Gregersen, head of school

Las Vegas Day School 3275 Red Rock St. Las Vegas, NV 89146 702-362-1180 • lvds.com

845

Pre-K through 8

$5,850-$15,450

1961

Neil Daseler, director

Green Valley Christian School 711 N. Valle Verde Court Henderson, NV 89014 702-454-4056 • gvchristianschool.com

700

Pre-K through 12

$5,736-$7,400

1993

Stephanie Smith, junior/ senior schools principal; Deborah Ingalls, elementary school principal

Lake Mead Christian Academy 540 E. Lake Mead Parkway Henderson, NV 89015 702-565-5831 • lmca.org

680

Pre-K through 12

$6,530-$8,500

1989

Sue Blakeley, administrator

Adelson Educational Campus 9700 W. Hillpointe Road Las Vegas, NV 89134 702-255-4500 • adelsoncampus.org

640

Pre-K through 12

$14,000-$20,850 1980

Paul Schiffman, head of school

St. Viator Catholic School 4246 S. Eastern Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89119 702-732-4477 • stviatorschool.org

611

Pre-K through 8

$5,150-$7,600

1964

Kathleen Daulton, principal

The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain 10845 W. Desert Inn Road Las Vegas, NV 89135 702-949-3600 • adsrm.org

595

Pre-K through 8

$11,500-$22,300

2001

Dal Sohi, headmaster

Calvary Chapel Christian School 7175 W. Oquendo Road Las Vegas, NV 89113 702-248-8879 • cccslions.org

571

Pre-K through 12

$5,800-$7,560

1994

Rick Martin, superintendent

Mountain View Christian Schools 3900 E. Bonanza Road Las Vegas, NV 89110 702-452-1300 • mvcs.net

500

Pre-K through 12

$6,000-$8,000

1983

Crystal VanKempenMcClanahan, principal

Cornerstone Christian Academy 5825 W. Eldora Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89146 702-939-5050 • ccanv.com

495

Pre-K through 8

$5,400-$7,100

2001

James Whiddon, principal

Henderson International School 1165 Sandy Ridge Ave. Henderson, NV 89052 702-818-2100 • hendersonschool.com

400

Pre-K through 8

$9,200-$16,275

1992

Seth W. Ahlborn, headmaster

Lamb of God Lutheran School 6232 N. Jones Blvd.

Las Vegas, NV 89130 702-645-1626 • lambofgodlv.com

350

Pre-K through 5

Varies

2001

Sanna Klipfel, principal

International Christian Academy 8100 Westcliff Drive Las Vegas, NV 89145 702-869-1109 • ICALV.com

320

Pre-K through 8

$5,800-$5,957

1999

Robert Mekus, principal

* Grades category begins at pre-K, though some listed schools offer programs for younger children. Source: VEGAS INC research. It is not the intent of this list to endorse the participants or to imply that the listing of a company indicates its quality.

Although every attempt is made to ensure the accuracy and thoroughness of VEGAS INC lists, omissions sometimes occur. Please send corrections or additions on company letterhead to Pashtana Usufzy, researcher, VEGAS INC, 2360 Corporate Circle, Third Floor, Henderson, NV 89074.

60_VI_List_20150308.indd 60

3/6/15 12:02 PM

S T N E M Y A P Y 3 EAS OF $29.9/922*/15 OFFER EXPIRES 3

starring 100 vehicles including:

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Regular Admission $15. Must present this ad for redemption. 16 and under FREE with the purchase of one adult ticket.

Experience Extraordinary Catering

order.capriottis.com Visit Any of Our 33 Valley Locations

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Enjoy unlimited fun with over 20 slides and attractions and 2 NEW SLIDES opening this season.

Visit www.CowabungaBay.com to purchase your passes today *Plus a 1-time service fee charge. Payment Plan offer expires 3/22/15.

900 GALLERIA DRIVE • HENDERSON, NV

702-850-9000

061_tsd_030815.indd 1

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3365 E. Flamingo Road Ste. 2 Las Vegas, NV 89121

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3/5/15 5:06 PM

0000121739-01.indd 1

2/26/15 3:08 PM

Get 15% off Parts and Service at Subaru of Las Vegas Plus tax. Coupon valid through 3/31/15. Must present coupon at time of service. Doesn’t apply to prior service.

One coupon per guest, per visit. Not valid with any other offer. See dealer for full details.

Buy One Get One FREE Buffet or 50% OFF One Buffet at S7 Buffet

Must be at least 21 with valid photo ID and A-Play Card. Membership into the A-Play Club is free. Cannot be combined with any other offer.

Complimentary buffet value up to $12.99, additional fees apply on specialty, brunch and holiday buffets. Tax and Gratuity not included.

One coupon per person, per table. Dine in only. No cash value. Management reserves all rights. Expires 4/4/15. Settle to: 535

5385 W. SAHARA AVE. LAS VEGAS, NV. 89146

4100 PARADISE ROAD, LAS VEGAS, NV 89169

1 (888) 862-1880 www.SubaruOfLasVegas.com

(702) 733-7000 www.SilverSevensCasino.com

Buy 1 Get 1 Free Draft Beer

*Must be at least 21 with valid photo ID. Cannot be combined with any other offer.

No cash value. Management reserves all rights.

Not valid on holidays or during special events. Expires 3/31/2015.

FREE Bloody Mary or Mimosa and $5 OFF adult ticket to Gospel Brunch at House of Blues. *Subject to availability. Must present coupon when booking Gospel Brunch ticket; to get a drink ticket for free Bloody Mary or Mimosa.

Limit one coupon per customer. Not valid with any other offers. Offer is non-transferable and has no cash value.

Not valid on holidays. Management reserves all rights. Expires 3/28/15.

LOCATED CENTER STRIP AT THE LINQ UNDER THE WHEEL

HOUSE OF BLUES INSIDE MANDALAY BAY RESORT 3950 LAS VEGAS BLVD. S, LAS VEGAS, NV 89119

(702) 862-BOWL www.BrooklynBowl.com

(702) 632-7600 www.houseofblues.com/lasvegas

FREE Drink On Us at House of Blues Crossroads Bar

Get 10% OFF Any Purchase Over $30

Buy one drink and get the second FREE. *Good for one domestic beer, well drink or house wine, valid at the bar only. Must present this coupon when ordering drink.

Limit one coupon per customer. Not valid with any other offers. Offifer is non-transferable and has no cash value. Must be 21+ with valid ID. Management reserves all rights. Expires 3/28/15.

Bring this coupon and get 10% off your purchase of $30 or more in the HOB Company Store *Offer not valid on sundry items, CD’s, Santana Musical Instruments or Artwork. May not be used in conjunction with any other offers. Expires 3/28/15.

063-065_tsd_030815.indd 63

HOUSE OF BLUES INSIDE MANDALAY BAY RESORT 3950 LAS VEGAS BLVD. S, LAS VEGAS, NV 89119

HOUSE OF BLUES INSIDE MANDALAY BAY RESORT 3950 LAS VEGAS BLVD. S. LAS VEGAS, NV 89119

(702) 632-7600 www.houseofblues.com/lasvegas

(702) 632-7600 www.houseofblues.com/lasvegas

3/5/15 5:09 PM

FREE Drink at Sean Patrick’s

FREE Appetizer at Sean Patrick’s

Wine, well or domestic beer

Buy one appetizer and get the second FREE

*Expires 3/28/15. Please present coupon at time of order. No cash value. Management reserves all rights.

May not be combined with any other offer. See bar host for details.

VALID AT 3290 W. ANN ROAD and 6788 NORTH 5TH STREET ONLY. Settle to 1550.

*Expires 3/28/15. Please present coupon at time of order. No cash value. Maximum value at $9.99 on free appetizer.

Management reserves all rights. See bar host for details.

VALID AT 3290 W. ANN ROAD and 6788 NORTH 5TH STREET ONLY. Settle to 1560.

3290 W. ANN ROAD NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV 89031

6788 NORTH 5TH STREET NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV 89084

3290 W. ANN ROAD NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV 89031

6788 NORTH 5TH STREET NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV 89084

(702) 395-0492 www.pteglv.com

(702) 633-0901 www.pteglv.com

(702) 395-0492 www.pteglv.com

(702) 633-0901 www.pteglv.com

FREE Drink at Sean Patrick’s

FREE Appetizer at Sean Patrick’s

Wine, well or domestic beer

Buy one appetizer and get the second FREE

*Expires 3/28/15. Please present coupon at time of order. No cash value. Management reserves all rights.

May not be combined with any other offer. See bar host for details.

VALID AT 11930 SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS PKWY. and 8255 W. FLAMINGO ROAD ONLY. Settle to 1550.

*Expires 3/28/15. Please present coupon at time of order. No cash value. Maximum value at $9.99 on free appetizer.

Management reserves all rights. See bar host for details.

VALID AT 11930 SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS PKWY. and 8255 W. FLAMINGO ROAD ONLY. Settle to 1560.

11930 SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS PKWY. LAS VEGAS, NV 89141

8255 W. FLAMINGO ROAD LAS VEGAS, NV 89147

11930 SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS PKWY. LAS VEGAS, NV 89141

8255 W. FLAMINGO ROAD LAS VEGAS, NV 89147

(702) 837-0213 www.pteglv.com

(702) 227-9793 www.pteglv.com

(702) 837-0213 www.pteglv.com

(702) 227-9793 www.pteglv.com

FREE T-Shirt with the purchase of Video or Pictures *Limit one per person. Management reserves all rights. Expires 03/28/15.

$5 OFF Any Purchase of $30 or More Present this coupon at time of purchase. Management reserves all rights.Cannot be combined with any other discount or offer.

3565 LAS VEGAS BLVD. SOUTH #380, LAS VEGAS, NV 89109

(702) 303-3914 www.VegasExtremeSkydiving.com

063-065_tsd_030815.indd 64

169 E. TROPICANA, LAS VEGAS, NV 89109

6030 W. WINDMILL LN., LAS VEGAS, NV 89139

8544 BLUE DIAMOND, LAS VEGAS, NV 89178

(702) 262-9100

(702) 222-3030

(702) 629-2992

3/5/15 5:17 PM

$

1 OFF

$5 FREE Slot Play for New Members

725 S RACETRACK RD. HENDERSON, NV 89015 (702) 566-5555 www.clubfortunecasino.com

Must become a Player Rewards Card member to redeem.

Existing Player Rewards Card Members do not qualify.

Cannot be used in conjunction with any other free slot play offer.

Management reserves all rights. Limit of one (1) New Member free slot play offer per person and Player Rewards card.

Group #5303. Valid 3/08/15–3/14/15.

Per Carton of Cigarettes — NO LIMIT — Las Vegas Smoke Shop 1225 N. MAIN STREET, LV, NV 89101 (702) 366-1101 Snow Mountain Smoke Shop 11525 NU-WAV KAIV BLVD, LV, NV 89124 (702) 645-2957 www.LVPaiuteSmokeShop.com

20% OFF Entire Guest Check *One coupon, per table, per visit. Not valid with any other coupons or promotional offers. Coupon has no cash value. No change returned.

Taxes and gratuity not included. Valid at participating Denny’s restaurants.

Selection and prices may vary. Only original coupon accepted. Photocopied and Internet printed or purchased coupons are not valid. No substitutions. © 2014 DFO, LLC. Printed in the U.S.A. Offer ends 3.14.15.

$79 Round of Golf “Best Desert Course” – Golf Digest

1775 E. TROPICANA AVE. #30 LAS VEGAS, NV 89119 (702) 247-8766 www.cafemayakovsky.com

*Cannot be used to purchase Marlboro, Misty, KOOL or Pyramid.

NO LIMIT on any other brand of carton purchased. Excludes filtered cigars.

Must be 18 years of age or older. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. Limit one discount given per customer per day. Must present this coupon for redemption. Cannot be redeemed for cash.

No photocopies accepted.

COUPON EXPIRES 3/31/2015 COUPON CODE: TS SERVING LAS VEGAS SINCE 1978 NO ADDITIONAL TAX ON THE PAIUTE RESERVATION

FREE House Fusion Vodka Shot With Any Entrée Must present coupon. Expiration date: 3/22/15.

Limit 1 per customer and can’t be combined with any other offers.

One Free Order of Fried Pickles with purchase of regular priced entrée. *Dine in only. Must present coupon to redeem offer. Not valid with any other offer. Excludes holidays and special events.

Management reserves all rights. Not including tax or gratuity. One voucher per guest per visit.

*Some restrictions apply. MUST BOOK THROUGH THE GOLF CONCIERGE and mention this ad in The Sunday.

3850 LAS VEGAS BLVD. SO., LAS VEGAS, NV 89109

(702) 210-6101 www.par4golfmanagement.com/vacation-packages

$25Local OFF ID With

for New Members

*This offer cannot be combined with any other discount. Maximum weight restrictions apply. The use of drugs or alcohol is strictly prohibited prior to your participation. Not valid for online reservation or prior purchases. Management reserves all rights. Flyers under age 18 must have a parent or guardian present during flight training. Good for the month of March. Coupon code: TSD100

(702) 597-7991 www.dickslastresort.com

20% OFF Any of the Following Factory Recommended Services 15,000 miles | 30,000 miles | 45,000 miles 60,000 miles | 75,000 miles | 90,000 miles *Valid for Hyundai owners through 3/31/15. See dealer for complete details. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Must present at time of service.

063-065_tsd_030815.indd 65

200 CONVENTION CENTER DR, LAS VEGAS, NV 89109

6825 REDWOOD ST., LAS VEGAS, NV 89118 | I-215 & S. RAINBOW

(702) 731-4768 www.FlySpace.com

(702) 475-3015 www.ABCHyundai.com

3/6/15 2:40 PM

66

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

THE SUNDAY MARCH 8 - MARCH 14

LIFE

Send your thoughts to news@thesunday.com

L.A. TIMES CROSSWORD

“HIDE AND SEEK” BY ED SESSA

 ITUNES DOWNLOADS OF THE WEEK

BEST NEW APPS

MOVIES

3/8/15

XWORDEDITOR@AOL.COM

ACROSS 1 Head up, in a way 6 Future MD’s exam 10 Pick-me-up pill 15 Left, in slang 19 One on the trail 20 Short-cut pasta 21 Windy City hub 22 Opposite of a pan 23 *Come (to), more or less 25 Many a worm 26 Emphatic type: Abbr.

27 Adjust, as a spreadsheet 28 Company VIP 30 Observation platform 32 E Street Band guitarist Lofgren 34 “Mr. Pim Passes By” playwright 37 “Thank Heaven for Little Girls” musical 38 *Subject of lengthy debate 43 Versailles assembly 46 Line partitions: Abbr.

47 “Friendly Skies” co.

48 Observed 49 Observes 51 Former red state: Abbr.

52 Like the bell of a trumpet 55 Biblical shepherd 57 South Korean sportswear company 58 Was duly humiliated 60 *Union proposal?

64 IMO, in “Hamlet” 66 Spare tyre sites 67 Old “Oyez!” shouters 68 “__ of robins ...”

69 “Give Peace a Chance” co-writer, per Lennon 70 Colonial story 72 Holds tight 75 Metal-threaded fabrics 77 Diminished 81 *Play it safe 84 70-Across function 85 Fit to __ 86 Of no consequence 87 London borough 89 Network with a three-box logo 90 Admission of error 92 Swipe from 95 Cedar Rapids college 96 Fountain order

66_puzzles_20150308.indd 66

(AS OF MARCH 5)

1

“The Hobbit The Battle of The Five Armies” Action & Adventure, $19.99

2 3 4

“Big Hero 6” Action & Adventure, $19.99 “Foxcatcher” Drama, $14.99

5

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“Tinker Bill and the Legend of the NeverBeast” Kids & Family, $19.99

“Yousician Guitar” Education, free “Show Your Disney Side” Photo & Video, free “OmniGraffle 2” Productivity, $49.99 “NOGGIN” Education, free “Fountain” Lifestyle, free

©2015 TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.

97 Chief Powhatan’s son-in-law 98 *Mitigate 102 Reproductive cell 104 Lee __, first African-American to play in the Masters 105 Bearing a grudge 106 Scroll key 109 Where lines may be read 112 Pity-evoking quality 116 St. Patrick’s land 117 Medical co. in the DJIA 120 Hide-and-seek activity utilizing GPS ... and what is literally done in the answers to starred clues 122 In __ of: replacing 123 “Shaq Diesel” rapper 124 Regarding 125 Standing tall 126 Facility 127 __-Croatian language 128 Word with waffle or sugar 129 Bros DOWN 1 Scorch 2 Like many old soaps 3 Turner and others 4 Soft-wool sources 5 2014 World Cup site 6 Comedian Howard with a bowl-cut hair style 7 Whip handle 8 Bleu shade 9 Aboriginal emblems 10 Noodle 11 “What do we have here?!”

12 __ Criss, who plays Blaine on “Glee” 13 Twistable treat 14 “Gravity” effect 15 *Sulu, for one 16 Well beyond one’s prime 17 FEMA concern 18 Old TV host with an accordion 24 Neuter, as horses 29 Comic strip about a high schooler 31 Flounder, e.g.

33 Complains 35 __ Fál: Irish “stone of destiny”

“Don’t go yet” State in northeast India “Beau __” Heron relative Former Mideast org.

K-5 or K-6: Abbr.

Freud contemporary Nicholas and Alexander Mooch Puts in, as a political office __ benefit Like the town in a Ricky Nelson hit 54 Tops, slangily 56 Fundamental 59 *Trial movement 61 Blakley of “Nashville” 62 Digs for bats 63 Prayer 65 Canonized fifth-cen. pope 71 6-Across takers, e.g.

72 Offer to a guest 73 Move on 74 Guiding doctrines 76 Starlike 78 Jar Jar Binks’ home planet 79 Staff sequence 80 “Unleaded” drink 82 Sign of approval 83 “We are __ stuff / As dreams are made on”: Prospero 88 Tot’s piggy 91 Duel precursor, perhaps 93 Signed off on 94 Road alert 96 Sexy, in a way 98 Sawbuck 99 Lamentable 100 L-__: Parkinson’s treatment 101 Honored 103 Magic charms 106 Sports legend of 5-Down 107 Musical highlight 108 Taper off 110 Fallon’s predecessor 111 Poetic time 113 Ran, old-style 114 Fairy tale start 115 Mil. base drillers 118 Small application 119 “Idol” judge, familiarly 121 Central opening?

36 38 39 40 41 42 44 45 49 50 52 53

KenKen® is a registered trademark of Nextoy, LLC. ©2015 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved.

Dist. by Universal Uclick for UFS. www.kenken.com

without repeating.

Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging)

The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the

target numbers in the top-left corners.

Freebies: Fill in singlebox cages with the number in the top-left corner

For answers to this week’s puzzles, go to Page 41

3/6/15 12:01 PM

09840_LVW_AcuraOfLasVegas_AD_c4.indd 1 0000121486-01.indd 1

2/24/15 9:59 5:38 AM PM 2/25/15

09540_AGNDA_TSD_HCA_Ad.indd 2 0000101769-01.indd 1

1/19/15 1/19/15 12:02 2:40 PM