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The upgrades here include life.
Jpegmafia
Photo Illustration by Ian Racoma
SUPERGUIDE
JPEGMAFIA
SCHOOL OF ROCK THE MUSICAL Thru 8/10, 8 p.m., Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, supersummer theatre.org
JANE
AUSTEN’S EMMA Thru 8/11, times vary, Majestic Repertory Theatre, majestic repertory.com
NEVADA CLAY GUILD: DIVERSITY IN CLAY 19TH ANNUAL MEMBER EXHIBIT Thru 8/24, times vary, Sahara West Library, thelibrarydistrict. org
KEITH PEDRO 7:30 p.m., Wiseguys Arts District, wiseguys comedy.com
ABOUT LAST NIGHT WITH JOHN PRICE 9 p.m., Foundation Room, houseof blues.com
FUNTCASE With Monstr, 1mposter, 10 p.m., We All Scream, seetickets.us
MORGAN WALLEN
With Jelly Roll, Nate Smith, Ella Langley, 6 p.m., & 8/9, Allegiant Stadium, ticketmaster.com
DEAD & COMPANY Thru 8/10, 7:30 p.m., Sphere, ticketmaster.com
KOZMIC BLUES 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com
THE SHIVAS With Beverly Chillz, Desert Island Boys, 9 p.m., Dive Bar, eventbrite.com
JPEGMAFIA is a hip-hop maverick who pushes boundaries with unflinching audacity. Born in New York, he spent his early years in Flatbush before moving to Alabama at 13, where he experienced a heightened level of racism that deeply influenced his music. At 18, he joined the U.S. Air Force, served in Iraq and was honorably discharged after standing up against abuse by his superiors. JPEG’s sound is a whirlwind of broken beats, eclectic samples, and an abrasive, sneering flow laced with sharp societal and political commentaries. The beats are a patchwork of inspirations, from Kanye West to Ol’ Dirty Bastard and MF Doom; he also takes influence from deep-cut anime like Cowboy Bebop and Wolf’s Rain. And his fifth studio album, I Lay Down My Life For You, was set to drop a week before he hits the Brooklyn Bowl stage. 7 p.m., $42+, Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com. –Gabriela Rodriguez
(Courtesy)
FRIDAY AUG 9
JANE’S ADDICTION
With Love and Rockets, 8 p.m., BleauLive Theater, ticketmaster.com. GAME NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
JERRY SEINFELD
8 p.m., & 8/10, the Colosseum, ticketmaster. com
KING BACH
7 & 9:30 p.m., Wiseguys Town Square, wise guyscomedy. com
MARIAH CAREY
8 p.m., & 8/10, Dolby Live, ticketmaster. com
SAMMY HAGAR
With Loverboy, 7 p.m., MGM Grand Garden Arena, axs.com
NE-YO
8 p.m., & 8/10, Encore Theater, ticketmaster. com
EPTIC
7 p.m., Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, seetickets.us
GIPSY KINGS FEATURING NICOLAS REYES
With Ginger Winn, 8 p.m., Red Rock Ballroom, ticketmaster. com
LUCKI
7 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticket master.com
ROOSEVELT 7 p.m., Swan Dive, swandivelv.com
Y2K AF 9 p.m., House of Blues, concerts.live nation.com
CATFISH JOHN 11:55 p.m., & 8/10, Front Yard at Ellis Island, ellisisland casino.com
The balance between diplomacy and nuclear warfare may be stressful to most, but it can also be unexpectedly fun, as War Games shows us. The Las Vegas-based developer of the tabletop game Proliferation: The Game of Nuclear Strategy is co-hosting a game night with the Atomic Museum. War Games’ creative team will lead matches, recommended for ages 13 and older, while museum team members are on hand to answer questions about the history of nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site. Players will select a player, expand their economy and engage in diplomacy, alliances and other tactics. In the backdrop, artifacts from our nuclear testing history will be on display. Unsettling, you say? Nah. It’s just some good, wholesome fun with nuclear warfare mixed in. 6 p.m., $20, Atomic Museum, atomic museum.vegas. –Shannon Miller
JUNIOR SANCHEZ
10 p.m., Discopussy, tixr.com
FRENCH MONTANA
10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, drais group.com
TYGA
10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, taogroup.com
JAMES KENNEDY 10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub. com
KID FUNK 10 p.m., Eight Lounge, eightloungelv. com
(Courtesy)
SUPERGUIDE
SATURDAY AUG 10
CHRIS YOUNG
8 p.m., Resorts World Theatre, axs.com
KOE WETZEL
With Kolby Cooper, Kat Hasty, 7 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com
YOUNG MIKO
8 p.m., BleauLive Theater, ticketmaster.com
NOIZU
With Joshwa, Tony Romera, Teko, Sin2win, 7 p.m., Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, seetickets. us
KEIKO MATSUI
8 p.m., Club Madrid, ticketmaster.com
LOST VAGRANTS
With 90 Proof, Alina, 8 p.m., Taverna Costera, tavernacostera. com
BLUEY’S BIG PLAY Times vary, & 8/11, Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter. com
LAS VEGAS
LIGHTS VS. DETROIT CITY FOOTBALL CLUB
7:30 p.m., Cashman Field, las vegaslightsfc.com
STEVEN PEARL
8 p.m., Veil Pavilion, silverton casino.com
ROCKIN’ REDHEAD
POOL PARTY
10 a.m., Sammy’s Island, palms.com
ZEDD
11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, taogroup.com
ILLENIUM
Noon, Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com
MARSHMELLO Noon, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com
THE CHAINSMOKERS 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com
AIRWOLF PARADISE
11:45 p.m., Discopussy, seetickets.us
JHENÉ AIKO
A rare and particular jewel in the often undistinguished world of R&B, Los Angeles native Jhené Aiko has been disarming audiences with her own brand of soothing soul since the early aughts. Aiko’s music often invokes the warm, sensuous style of Janet Jackson, while at other times, she will infuse deeply emotional messages into seemingly chill tracks, a la Sade—as she does on breezy brand-new single “Guidance,” which incorporates several of Aiko’s signature subtle, twirling vocal runs, reminiscent of one of her all-time faves, Brandy. “Guidance” has fans hoping a new album might be on the way, but Aiko just started the second half of her Magic Hour tour in her hometown that continues to showcase her 2020 work Chilombo. Now the tour lands on the Strip with standout supporting acts Coi Leray, Tink, Kiana Ledé and Umi. 7 p.m., $109+, MGM Grand Garden Arena, axs.com. –Brock Radke
SUNDAY AUG 11 MONDAY AUG 12 DO IT ALL
WALLOWS 7:30 p.m., the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com.
PRAIRIE DAWG
With Talking Hours, 9 p.m., Red Dwarf, reddwarflv. com
HAUNTED BRUNCH SHOW
10 a.m., B Side at House of Blues, ticket master.com
RICH HOMIE QUAN Noon, Daylight Beach Club, tixr.com
MICHAEL GRIMM 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com.
CARRIE UNDERWOOD 8 p.m., & 8/16-8/17, Resorts World Theatre, axs.com
THE KILLERS 8 p.m., & 8/16-8/17, the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com
SPACED With Pure Sport, Elevated Undergrounds, Run Your Luck, Mugatu, Bite the Hand, 6 p.m., Eagle Aerie Hall, dice.fm
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS OPEN PRACTICE 6 p.m., Allegiant Stadium, raiders.com
AUSTIN MILLZ With Deux Twins, 10 p.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com
LIFE AT THE LOCAL DINER
Winnie & Ethel’s owners
Aaron Lee and Mallory Gott serve up the brunches and roll with the punches
THE WEEKLY Q+A
(Wade Vandervort/Staff)
BY GEOFF CARTER
In December 2021, Aaron Lee and Mallory Gott entered Dapper Companies’ Las Vegas Coffee Shop Giveaway, with the grand prize being a fully built-out restaurant space in Dapper’s Huntridge Center. Lee, a veteran of Andy Richter’s and James Trees’ kitchens, and Gott, a creative specialist with a branding and interior design background, won the contest with Winnie & Ethel’s, a midcentury diner concept named for their grandmothers. They also got married shortly after, because when you’re winning, why not keep winning?
Today, Winnie & Ethel’s is cooking up rib-sticking breakfasts and lunches, serving them in a 1940s-inspired dining room that feels like it’s always been part of the 60-plus year-old Downtown shopping center. Their personal touches make the experience uniquely memorable, from Lee’s lovingly realized diner staples to Gott’s mismatched, thrifting-score coffee cups. And while the days aren’t always sunny-side up—the rooftop condenser for the diner’s walk-in refrigerator was vandalized just weeks ago—the couple is continually striving for better, recently introducing an after-hours, ticketed supper club that marries Winnie & Ethel’s humble charms to elevated cuisine. They took a few minutes after a busy lunch to talk about diner life.
What are your most popular dishes?
Aaron Lee: One of our most popular items is the classic diner breakfast. And a couple of months ago, we added a Southern breakfast; that’s like the diner breakfast with the three types of meat, but instead of our scratch sausage we have andouille sausage, and grits instead of hashbrowns. People really love that. And for lunch, our pot roast French dip is a huge seller. You worked in some prominent kitchens before W&E. Are there lessons you picked up there that resonate with you today?
AL: I think the biggest lesson that I’ve learned about owning my own place is that everything that happens is pretty much our money. When you’re a head chef or a sous chef somewhere else, you’re using someone else’s money. We try to use everything we can and try to save on costs while still having really good products.
So you really feel it when a dish breaks, when a burger burns …
Mallory Gott: Or when your walk-in gets irrevocably damaged.
Oof. We’ll rally for you—get everyone in the city down here, ordering French dips.
AL: That would be great!
MG: [Aaron] is so focused on not only making sure that the food is of a high quality, but that there is consistency … which as a sous chef, he did at Esther’s Kitchen as well. We’re thinking about the people that we brought into the team: How are they continuing to make sure that when he’s not here cooking everything, that it’s the same consistency? … [He’s] teaching people how to maintain that high standard.
AL: It’s a personal thing for me. If I’m very excited for us to go to breakfast and everything’s overcooked, you just get let down. I never want
anyone to have that feeling. So, we’ve always got crispy bacon. We cook our eggs a little softer than most, and if you want them hard, we’ll cook overhard eggs; we’re not against that. And we’ll do country-style whatever you want.
Did you once have late-night hours, or did I dream that?
MG: You’re right: When we opened, we started with dinner service. But we found it wasn’t financially self-sustaining, so we transitioned to seven days a week [breakfast and lunch]. But this supper club really is our foray back into eventually, hopefully being able to do dinner again [and] not be stressed out having people in here every night.
At your July supper club with James Trees, you served tuna crudo and whole fried bass with yam sauce—not at all what you’d expect at a diner.
MG: It’s a different theme every month. June was Summer Solstice; [July was] Feast of the Seven Fishes; next month will be Back to School. And we’ll have different collaborations. Tentatively, we’ll be collaborating with chef Roy Ellamar in September; we’re just waiting on that final signature.
Aaron, how much fun is it for you to mix it up like this? Hashbrowns by day, octopus carpaccio by night?
AL: I always tell Mallory that if we do another restaurant, I want to do something like a supper club. So, this is like practice for something in the future. The farther future.
MG: But first, we wanna take a vacation [laughs]. That’s the first step: take any vacation.
AL: It’s good to keep it going—to be doing that kind of food every once in a while, so I don’t get too rusty.
Learn more about Winnie & Ethel’s supper club dinners by joining the mailing list at winnieandethels.com.
HAPPENS HERE Health
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Fresh tech and changing habits are transforming Southern Nevada’s back-to-school
routine
Back-to-school season never fails to breed nostalgic feelings in adults. We’ve all been there. We remember the nervousness of packing our backpacks, getting on the bus, meeting our teachers and nding our desks. We remember the excitement of meeting friends old and new, and of discovering new ideas and new ways to express ourselves.
But maybe nostalgia’s not the right way to look at it. After all, technology has changed school life drastically for today’s kids. Paper and pencil has been replaced with Chromebooks; robots have been enlisted to help students; and arti cial intelligence has presented ethical dilemmas for learning. Today’s back-to-school experience is not the same as it was for previous generations.
To better understand how far we’ve come, the Weekly spoke with administrators and teachers on the frontlines of integrating technology in schools. We also learned some tips for preparing healthy lunches to power students through the day. (One thing that hasn’t changed—kids still need to eat.)
Happy learning!
(Shutterstock/Photo Illustration)
AI can potentially help both students and educators, if we do it right
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
For generations society had teetered between its love and fear of rapidly-developing technologies. Arti cial intelligence (AI) is the latest craze and its existence and integration into various sectors, including education, has sparked widespread debate. And while a majority of public discourse is chie y pointed at the cons of AI, there are those who see an upside to the technology.
What are the current discussions around the utilization of AI systems at school?
The Nevada Association of School Administrators is a nonpro t organization that serves the state’s pre-K through 12 educators. The group hosts professional learning workshops and conferences on a variety of topics for all positions within school districts—and have recently added focused courses on AI. The Weekly spoke with Je rey Geihs, the association’s executive director, to gather insight on AI in Nevada schools.
The controversy around [AI] is starting to diminish as time goes on, just like with any new technology that comes about. I remember when computers started being used more
heavily in schools; there was controversy around that. I remember when it started to be commonplace with every student having a cellphone, especially an iPhone—there’s certainly still controversy around that.
And that’s why the Nevada Association
of School Administrators has hosted many workshops and conferences on AI—to get ahead of the issue?
The reality is that it’s here and it’s not going anywhere. It’s getting used more and the fear is kids can use it to cheat. But there’s another reality—there are systems that schools and teachers can utilize to screen student work to make sure that they’re not cheating.
Are there ways for AI to be ethically used in schools?
AI can tailor educational experiences for individual kids. Teachers are working smarter, not harder, by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the kids, so that they can customize support.
Teachers can use it for administrative tasks, like grading, scheduling and managing student records, allowing more time to focus on lesson planning and instruction. That is the second aspect of it that I’ve seen our people really enhance. And they’ve really talked about some of the ways they can utilize virtual tutors. Also, what’s
really cool about interactive simulations … you can’t always travel to some of the places you’re studying, but AI lets kids see it, so it brings in that enrichment experience.
At what grade levels are we most likely to see AI being used?
It’s more typical at the secondary level, where students are asked to write more and produce more written narrative materials.
Many people are focusing on the cons of AI, but you bring up a lot of surprising pros.
Yes, well, AI will never replace teachers. AI or any of these other software tools that we use to be more sophisticated in diagnosing where kids are with their prociency, meeting where they are, using them to improve pro ciency levels, and monitoring those tools—none of those are replacements for teachers.
AI cannot manage classrooms. AI cannot create a positive climate and culture in a classroom. You always remember how someone makes you feel, right? AI cannot do that.
How to get kids involved in meal planning and other lunchbox tips
BY BROCK RADKE
Like many local parents, Lisa Cheplak is an expert on packing school lunches. The certified health and nutrition coach has worked with local schools and nonprofit organizations to show kids, teachers and parents how to grow their own gardens, cook healthy dishes and plan menus and meals. And she’s a mom, so she’s run into those busy times when you throw whatever you can find plus a bag of chips in a bag and send them on their way. She also knows that hot lunch options served by the Clark County School District are more nutritious than they get credit for, although sometimes long lines can cut into a productive lunchtime. That’s why we quizzed Cheplak for some tips on creating tasty, healthy, easy meals that pack up nicely, for those who want to go that route and are looking to simplify the process—and help build positive habits at home and at school.
Get the kids involved. “When my son got bored with the same old peanut butter and jelly, I asked, ‘What do you want? Let’s brainstorm,’” Cheplak says. “When anyone opens up the lunchbox, they want to be excited. It’s supposed to be a fun little break in the day.”
If your students have participated in creating that break—menu planning, preparation, maybe even growing food in a home garden— they’re more likely to enjoy lunch consistently and look forward to it.
Get colorful: eat the rainbow. Age doesn’t matter; we all eat with our eyes first. If a seemingly simple pasta salad is crowded with beautiful bright vegetables (cherry tomatoes, crisp carrots, vibrant green herbs, purple cauliflower), it’ll attract attention and o er a path to healthy habits.
Wrap it up. Meal preppers know to think beyond sandwiches and incorporate di erent ingredients into a fun wrap with tortillas, pitas, roti or other foldable foods. But you can easily create another fun alternative by slicing those wraps into pinwheels. “A little cream cheese on tortillas topped with veggies can look like sushi pieces and is really fun for kids,” she says. “And that’s something you can make the night before with them while they’re working on homework.”
Variety wins. “I like to change it up week to week. We’ll do nacho week, with whole grain chips and salsa in a separate container, maybe a little guacamole, and cheese sauce in its own container so they can build their nachos right there,” Cheplak says. “And it’s great to use reusable bags and containers, which are not as expensive as you might think. You can find them at a dollar store.”
(Shutterstock/Photo Illustration)
they are school
Comparing the school essentials of today and yesterday
BY SHANNON MILLER
We’ve all heard the stories about how our parents had to walk to school uphill both ways when they were a kid. And those kinds of comparisons are bound to come out when you think about the school supplies kids use today versus what their parents had years ago. The teachers about what they’re seeing in their classrooms nowadays, versus what they used when they were in school.
“Where things are today is really night-andday from where we used to be,” says Isaiah Thomas, a ninth-grade English teacher at Sierra Vista High School.
Chromebooks are becoming essential to the average school day. Students as young as kindergarten use Chromebooks for classwork, homework and enrichment games. The devices can store reference materials like a video going over a math problem.
“Especially nowadays, I think kids, because they’re exposed to so much screen time, they kind of value having something tangible in their hand that isn’t just on the screen,” Thomas says. “I don’t think we’re ever going to completely move away from analog.”
From Chromebooks to interactive whiteboards, the standard technology in schools is drastically di erent than anything older generations had. Case in point …
teachers ents are all the di
A Trapper Keeper might sound like some sort of spy device. It was essentially a binder with removable folders and a Velcro strap to close it. You may also remember the three-ring binder, which is still popular today. With all the electronic devices used in schools today, organizers for chargers come in handy, Dalton says. “At the school I worked at, teachers are all given a chargers organizer.”
Elise L. Wol Elementary School teacher Reina Dalton says the biggest disadvantage with Chromebooks is they don’t help so much with teaching spelling, thanks to autocorrect. She adds that it’s best to pair tech with paper and pencil to help with retention. (Courtesy/UNLV)
Robots are turning heads and delivering food at UNLV
(Shutterstock/Photo Illustration)
There’s a reason the expression goes “like nails on a chalkboard.” Chalkboards have several marks against them—the sound the chalk makes against the board, the dusty residue, and the fact that they’re not a digital touchscreen.
Whiteboards are still in classrooms, but they’re no longer the centerpieces they once used to be. “We usually defer to the electronic Smartboards,” Dalton says. Thomas says interactive whiteboards come in handy for annotating texts, and double as normal whiteboards.
Made famous (or infamous) in ‘80s films like Revenge of the Nerds, pocket protectors were a symbol of advanced nerddom. But they sure come in handy for storing pens safely in your breast pocket.
Like pocket protectors, you might be hard-pressed to find someone who actually uses bluelight glasses in school. And maybe that needs to change. After all, protecting your eyesight is not as uncool as losing it from looking at screens all day long.
It’s a cliché: college students ordering pizza delivery. In Las Vegas, getting a meal or a snack delivered to your dorm room is done a little di erently.
Two years ago, Starship Technologies and Grubhub teamed up to deploy a eet of robots delivering food to students across the UNLV campus. Using their phones and their campus dining program credits, students can easily place their order from UNLV Dining
or P.O.D. Market locations, and within about 15 minutes, the robot will show up at their door or classroom.
UNLV is not alone; Starship robots operate at more than 20 college campuses nationwide, among other global locations. It may seem like a fun novelty, but the useful robot deliveries also provide access to food for students with mobility challenges, and provide a solid late-night dining option.
“The main bene t to the program is being able to meet students where they’re at, and provide them with a convenient service to make their campus experience that much more easy, welcoming, and fun,” says UNLV Student A airs vice president Keith Rogers.
The program could soon expand after recent legislation passed that would enable the robots to move o campus and use Clark County side-
walks and crosswalks. A new ordinance is scheduled to be introduced to county commissioners this month, followed by a public hearing in September. “We are grateful to our state elected o cials who passed SB442, and our partners in Clark County who continue to work through this process for us to better serve 3,000-plus people who are not able to access these services,” Rogers says. –Brock Radke
IN THE NEWS
“One of the things that stood out to me about Tim is how his convictions on fighting for middle class families run deep. It’s personal. As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his own. We are going to build a great partnership.”
HOT SHOT
Students pick up school supplies at a Centennial Subaru booth during a Cox Back-toSchool fair at the Meadows Mall on August 3. The 2024 series was sponsored by Centennial Subaru. (Steve Marcus)
– partial statement from Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign announcing her running mate pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz
Weapons screening at school sports events
The Clark County School District will debut an enhanced “Weapons Detection System” in the coming school year for large-scale high school sporting events like varsity football and basketball games, and random school arrival screenings at middle and high schools.
“The district’s commitment to school safety is unwavering,” CCSD said in a statement. “We continuously seek ways to improve through the adoption of new technologies and appropriate training for our staff, ensuring a safe and secure learning environment for all.”
The devices will replace the standard metal detectors that the district previously used for years at sporting events.
CCSD has also done rotating random weapons screens during the school day at secondary schools since 2018.
CCSD said the new devices will screen students faster than previous
systems.
In April, the school board approved a $5 million-per-year contract with three companies—Remark Holdings, Alliance Technology Group and Mcintosh Communications—to provide a weapons detection system.
The Las Vegas-based Remark Holdings, also known as Remark AI, describes itself as “the industry leader in AI-powered analytics computer vision and smart agent solutions, (that) delivers an integrated suite of AI tools that help organizations understand their customer demographics and behavior while monitoring, understanding and acting on potential security threats in real time.”
CCSD Police confiscated 27 guns, 143 knives and 69 “other” weapons from district property last school year, according to police data. –Hillary Davis
FEDERAL RESPONSE TO RECORD HEAT
Clark County last week announced that so far this summer the total number of deaths in which heat was a factor stood at 63.
And there’s been plenty of heat to go around in Las Vegas, according to the National Weather Service: Temperatures here reached at least 105 degrees every day in July; in the weeklong stretch from July 6 to 12, the daily high reached at least 115 degrees; and on July 7 the temperature hit 120 degrees to mark the hottest day on record here.
“As we’ve seen here in Las Vegas, summers are getting hotter—we hit a record of 120 degrees—and so, they’re getting hotter, they’re lasting longer, they’re having greater consequences,” Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., said in an interview.
“These costs are great. There are health care costs; the environ-
WEATHER EDUCATION
mental cost, we’re losing water out of Lake Mead; you got more forest fires; and then the impacts on business and transportation.”
Titus and U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., have introduced bills to acknowledge the nation’s extreme heat events as major disasters and provide federal resources for affected communities.
Titus hopes legislation she proposed last month in the House will expand mitigation measures against extreme heat. The Extreme Weather and Heat Response Modernization Act would empower the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to better address extreme heat and to provide communities with more resources, including cooling centers, to keep people safe during extreme heat events, her office said.
The proposal calls for FEMA to create an advisory panel of
Desert Research Institute to use grant for microplastics education
representatives from national emergency management organizations and the 10 FEMA regions to review the process for setting incident periods for disaster declarations.
Titus’ legislation, her office said, is supported by the city of Las Vegas, Desert Research Institute and Natural Resources Defense Council. Rosen on Wednesday introduced legislation that would allow extreme heat to qualify as a major disaster under the Stafford Act, the 1987 bill that recognizes fires, floods, explosions and natural catastrophes such as hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes as disasters eligible for a major disaster declaration from the president. The bill was assigned to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for study.
–Grace Da Rocha
The STEM Education Team at Desert Research Institute has received a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to support environmental education in Nevada middle schools.
The $100,000 grant will fund the production of educational kits that raise awareness and understanding of the prevalence and role of microplastics in the environment.
The kits are available to Nevada schools and education programs free of charge. They can be requested at dri.edu/stem-education-program/green-boxes. –Staff
Majestic Repertory Theatre’s Scream’d: An Unauthorized Musical Parody, is getting ready to move.
The theater is aiming to bring the production, its most successful to date, to “other cities closer to home,” according to its recent newsletter.
Thanks to a donor, the company has secured the rights to stage the production in an undisclosed city “that was previously unthinkable,” and is laying the groundwork for that production in 2025.
According to the founding artistic director Troy Heard, MRT is working with a music supervisor to help clear music rights. This involves an advance against royalties for each song. Each time the production moves, it can cost in the ballpark of $10,000 for music licensing.
But Heard predicts moving the production can generate more income for the theater.
“If we have a fraction of the success elsewhere that we had in Las Vegas, Majestic Rep will earn an ongoing royalty stream from these productions, creating a passive income for the theater,” the theater’s newsletter reads. “But right now, the expenses involved are a step above what we can generate through general operations.”
To fund further expansion of Scream’d, the theater is asking for annual contributions.
Scream’d will return to MRT for a final encore beginning September 13.
–Gabriela Rodriguez
CCSD rolling out plan to restrict phone use in class
BY SHANNON MILLER
Assemblyman Reuben D’Silva is an 11th grade U.S. history teacher at Rancho High School. He says one of his biggest challenges is students using their cellphones during class.
“You’re pretty much competing against [the phones] for the students’ attention. Some students just do not give a damn at all. They’re just like, ‘You know I’m on my video game here. That’s what I’m doing. I know there’s a news segment we’re watching or there’s a classroom conversation taking place, but I just don’t care.’
“There’s no way of penalizing a student or getting that student to put their phone away, because they know that there’s no o cial policy,” D’Silva says.
But that could all change with a new initiative the school district is rolling out to reduce distractions and improve student learning and achievement. The Clark County School District announced that starting with the 2024-25 school year, students in grades 6-12 must place personal electronic devices in nonlocking, signal-blocking pouches during classroom instruction.
CCSD is not the only school district where policies restricting students’ phone use are taking hold. The Los Angeles Uni ed School District in June passed a ban on cellphones in classrooms that will go into e ect in January. Also in June, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom called for a statewide ban on cellphones. Virginia’s Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin went as far as issuing an executive order limiting students’ cellphone use in classrooms. And since last year, legislatures in Florida, Ohio and Indiana have passed laws restricting cellphone use in class.
Leaders expect less cellphone time will mean less distractions and improvements in academic performance and even students’ mental health. CCSD o cials say positive results have already been observed in schools that have piloted the cellphone pouches.
“Ten schools piloted the cell phone pouches last year with success leading us to expand the program to all our secondary schools,” CCSD Interim Superintendent Dr. Brenda Larsen-Mitchell said in a statement. “Every minute of instruction is important for student learning, and studies clearly show that cellphones distract students.”
According to a 2023 UNESCO Global Education Monitoring report looking at pre-primary through higher education in 14 countries, smartphones distract
students from learning. One study cited in the report found that it can take a student up to 20 minutes after receiving a noti cation to refocus on what they were learning once distracted.
Teachers aren’t the only ones worried about those distractions. Parents also are concerned about cellphones’ impact on learning and mental health.
“We are concerned about limiting distractions in the classroom and the detrimental e ects to learning, classroom activities and students’ mental health,” reads a partial statement from Nevada PTA President Elect Meredith Freeman. “Nevada PTA supports the CCSD initiative to use phone pouches in schools.”
Some parents have raised concerns about safety and being able to reach their child in an emergency. According to CCSD, students will be allowed to use their phones in between classes, during lunch and bus transportation and would be allowed to access them during emergencies and lockdowns.
D’Silva says he can see only positive outcomes from restricting cellphone use in classrooms, and that it would improve the learning environment substantially.
“This is a big deal. If we can pull this o , we will for sure see productivity levels increase in the classroom, unquestionably. We’ll have more attention focused on what’s going on in terms of the learning environment. There’ll be fewer distractions. This is going to be nothing but a good thing, if we can pull it o ,” he says.
Students’ attachments to their phones—which are developed over years—cannot be so easily broken with a mere phone pouch, though.
D’Silva acknowledges there will be challenges with implementing the districtwide initiative.
“It’s going to be a challenge, and students could go through withdrawal symptoms. … It could be an issue to a student who now has to disattach, and could have some kind of visceral, physical reaction to breaking away from the cellphone,” he says.
There will always be students who won’t comply. So administrative support will be key in implementing the new phone rules.
D’Silva compares the initiative to another initiative his school implemented requiring students to carry their school ID with them. Kids were noncompliant at rst, but after a year, sta were nally able to “normalize” the ID requirement. He expects a similar rollout for the phone pouches.
“We can’t allow students to get away with not putting their phones away. If a teacher asks for help from administration saying, ‘Hey, I have a certain student or group of students who are not abiding by this policy,’ then we really need the administration to put their foot down and help in that instance,”
D’Silva says.
As a state lawmaker, the assemblyman says he would be open to, but does not see a need to, legislate a statewide policy to restrict cellphones in class.
“I think right now, the approach is about leaving the decisions up to the districts, and let’s see how this plays out over the next year, two or three years,” he says.
“There are going to be some growing pains. [But] this is the digital age. We’re going to have to deal with these sorts of issues more seriously.”
Since its opening, UnCommons has quickly become a foodie favorite for locals and visitors alike, and boasts a world-renowned collection of eateries that satisfy any craving. Swing by California favorites such as Urth Caffé or SunLife Organics. Check out the “world’s best sandwich” at All’Antico Vinaio. Catch a game at General Admission. Hit up happy hour at Wineaux. Grab dinner at Amari Italian Kitchen, Rare Society or Siempre J.B. And if you’re in search of a nightcap, head to Todo Bien for a Tulum-inspired tiki tequileria and creative cocktail menu. UnCommons is the dining destination for everyone.
ALL’ANTICO VINAIO
Welcome to All’Antico Vinaio, the legendary, family-operated Florentine sandwich shop. Since 1991, the Mazzanti family has been running all locations of All’Antico Vinaio and attracting crowds of Italians and tourists who flock to the exceptional ingredients and freshly baked Tuscan schiacciata bread. Considered one of the best street food experiences in the world and dubbed the “home of the world’s best sandwiches” by Saveur magazine, guests can experience the very same ingredients at the UnCommons location as they would in Florence. Buon appetito!
AMARI ITALIAN KITCHEN AND WINE SHOP
AMARI Italian Kitchen and Wine Shop serves reimagined Italian American cuisine with a diverse wine list. Shareable plates, house-made focaccia, fragrant pastas, pizzas and modern interpretations of classic entrées are among AMARI’s signature creations. Open daily for happy hour and dinner, the eatery presents a vibrant dining room, spacious patio, energetic lounge and retail space. Can’t make it in the evening? Lunch is available Monday through Friday for takeout and delivery, and on Sunday, AMARI offers an opulent brunch and all-day happy hour.
GENERAL ADMISSION
General Admission is a sports lounge that combines an elevated dining experience with the energy of a neighborhood sports bar. Spanning nearly 7,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, each seat is strategically located to offer a prime view of one of 37 HDTVs and a 163inch LED screen. The sizable menu includes brunch, small plates, salads, sushi, burgers and more, alongside classic and signature cocktails, two dozen draft beers, and more than 200 spirits. It’s everything a sports fanatic could want, wrapped in a perfect food-centric package.
ADVERTORIAL PRESENTED BY UNCOMMONS
RARE SOCIETY (OPENING WINTER 2024)
Sink your teeth into Rare Society, the West Coast-based restaurant concept that pays homage to retro steakhouses. Chef Brad Wise has added modern touches to the vintage upscale dining concept by adding a wood-fired grill for meats, an on-premises dry ager, a progressive cocktail program and sustainably sourced seafood.
SIEMPRE J.B.
Siempre J.B. takes guests on a culinary journey inspired by the flavors of Mexico, where traditional dishes are elevated with the finest ingredients and the experience exceeds all expectations. Featuring Mexican cuisine from different regions, a craft cocktail and beverage program that embraces the flavors of the culture, and an elevated dining experience, Siempre J.B. is as good as it gets.
SUNLIFE ORGANICS
SunLife Organics is on a mission to love, heal and inspire. More than a juice and smoothie bar, the team at SunLife strives to create a way of life fueled by the belief that every customer matters. The company’s ethos is to view each interaction as an opportunity to connect and make a positive impact, however big or small, and it is committed to serving the highest-quality, organic ingredients to promote healing for everyone.
TODO BIEN
A bar unlike any other in Las Vegas, Todo Bien features a Sawmill Caguamita beer list, a selection of nonalcoholic agua frescas, and an array of handcrafted tiki cocktails made of tequila, mezcal, sotol and other spirits. With a passion for cocktail culture, Todo Bien uses imaginative techniques for their signature libations that are intended to remind guests that “all is good.”
URTH CAFFÉ
Since 1989, Urth Caffé has been roasting its heirloom, organic coffee and offering hand-selected fine teas. Only a handful of the world’s shade-grown, certified organic coffee beans produce the flavor, richness and aroma that make Urth Caffé’s coffee world famous. In addition to its beverages, Urth’s robust menu features healthconscious cuisine with a focus on direct relationships with family farms, sustainable ingredients and organic whenever possible.
WINEAUX
Created by James Beard Award-winning chef Shawn McClain, Master Sommelier Nick Hetzel, and restaurateurs Richard and Sarah Camarota, Wineaux is a curated wine market and bar. Wineaux’s expert staff guide patrons through a wine collection designed to encourage wine exploration for the seasoned collector and casual enthusiast, and Chef McClain’s food menu pairs with each handselected wine for a holistic experience. The takeaway counter also features charcuterie, cheese, caviar and other delicacies.
homes with modern style. Convenient commutes. And a foodie hotspot. It’s time to love where you live. Now Leasing.
GOING DEEPER
Koe Wetzel may want to “slow things down,” but it’s still big, fast and loud onstage
KOE WETZEL
With Kolby Cooper, Kat Hasty. August 10, 7 p.m., $45-$500. Theater at Virgin, axs.com.
(Courtesy)
MUSIC
BY BROCK RADKE
He’s not necessarily trying to shed the rowdy rebel rocker label he’s earned through a half-dozen albums and countless live performances, but country music rule-breaker Koe Wetzel is ready to change the pace.
“I’m getting older. I’m not the 20-year-old that’s going out and partying every night and acting crazy,” says the 32-year-old Texan. “I’ve got a wider view. It’s not that I’ve changed or turned a 180, it’s just stepping back and looking at the bigger picture. It’s gotten a lot bigger than any of us expected.”
Indeed, wearing out the road and giving it all has brought him and his band more of the same. Wetzel released 9 Lives last month and then launched the Damn Near Normal tour in his home state on July 27, which he’ll bring to the Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas this week. So he has even more musical ammunition to add to six gold records and 2.6 billion streams, but the new material strongly follows 2022’s acclaimed Hell Paso—not necessarily in tone or style, but by continuing to chart new pathways.
“I just wanted to slow things down a little bit,” Wetzel says. “Hell Paso was more of the rock side of us than we’ve done before ... but I don’t know if I’d call this new record country. It’s kind of all over the place. But I wanted to slow it down and be a bit more honest and open about my life and what people might not know about me, compared
to stories they’ve heard or things they’ve seen on social media.”
Wetzel says the mindset remains the same when it’s time to write and record: “You don’t go into it with the idea to make a certain type of music or conform to what people are asking for. It’s writing what we like to write, making music and how it comes out is how it comes out.”
Whatever direction he’s taking in the studio, rest assured Wetzel is amping things up when he takes the stage—he doesn’t know any other way. Collaborating with a variety of producers on 9 Lives has enriched and balanced the album’s sound, but fans should be excited about catching energetic new tracks like “Bar Song” and “Last Outlaw Alive” in the live space, as well as a curious cover of the late XXXTentacion’s “Depression and Obsession.”
Is Vegas a great place to play for a notorious partier? Better see for yourself.
“We usually take a little time to stick around and hit the tables afterward,” Wetzel says. “We all like to gamble a lot, and it used to be, let’s get done with the show and get to the tables as quick as possible.”
You’ve officially been invited to play with the band after the concert, if you can find them. “Absolutely, the more the merrier,” he says. “We’ve had this thing the last couple times where as soon as some fans come to the table, we started to hit on roulette. But if I start losing, we have to find a new table quick.”
Vegas Theatre Company aims to transform local theater
Love Love Love
Topdog Underdog
ACT I: THE BEGINNING
It takes guts to get on stage. It also takes guts to step out of the box and give lesser known projects the spotlight. Vegas Theatre Company has been doing just that for over 22 years, presenting itself as one of the Valley’s most innovative troupes.
Born in 2002 from the dreams of five UNLV graduates, the company, originally dubbed Cockroach Theatre, started out mounting shows in unconventional spaces—loading docks at midnight and various found venues across the city. Today, now classified as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and under the VTC name, the company has anchored itself in the Arts District’s Art Square complex since 2012.
”We’ve been here [at Art Square] 12 years, producing seasons of shows, leaning into new and neglected works that are created here,” says executive artistic director Daz Weller.
CLUElesque
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ • COURTESY
During a live theater performance, when the house lights fade, you’re not just a spectator of a production— you’re a participant in a living, breathing narrative. In the silence, you can almost hear the collective heartbeat of a roomful of strangers all waiting to be swept away by another’s pen, sound, costume or character. ¶ Local troupe Vegas Theatre Company strives to go beyond even that. Its artistic mission is to push the envelope beyond the bounds of storytelling. Here, every performance leaps into the exploration of the human condition— to that place where we go to laugh, to cry and to learn something about ourselves and the world.
ACT II: GROWING PAINS
Despite Vegas’ reputation as an entertainment destination, the theater company’s success hasn’t been a straight path. Despite its longevity, VTC continues to fight for recognition.
“Every day I’m down here working, inevitably someone walks by and says,
‘Oh, what’s this place? It’s a theater? I’ve never been here before’,” says Weller. “So the fight is to be able to reach out to a wider community, and certainly to people who live further away from Downtown.”
When the company first moved into its black box space at Art Square, organizers expected the Arts District to bloom. Post-pandemic, it finally has. But with that growth came new challenges.
“In the last few years, we’ve seen the area grow exponentially … it’s become the place to be,” Weller tells the Weekly “One of the challenges that comes with that is the cost of being here rises considerably.”
As a nonprofit VTC relies heavily on donations, but Nevada ranks dismally low in philanthropic donations, Weller says. “A nonprofit theater company generally would be looking to have their annual operating budget to sit around 50% to 60% contributed income, meaning sponsorships, and donations. The other 40% comes from earned income,” explains Weller. “At the moment, we have 10% contributed income and 90% earned income.”
Despite the financial hurdles, VTC has grown from an all-volunteer operation to one that pays its artists competitively. “We are so proud of the fact that we’re able to pay our artists—a huge portion of our operating budget actually goes to personnel,” says Weller. The administrative side remains largely volunteer-driven, with Weller and associates working as fulltime volunteers as well.
ACT III: LOOKING AHEAD
VTC continues to attract writers, actors, techies, and more, all driven by an inherent love of storytelling. Productions like the kinky immersive horror show Abandon and the burlesque parody CLUElesque tap into the company’s bold creativity and wow audiences. “We have so many extraordinary people in town who are creating new work and who want to be involved,” says Weller. “Some of the best talent from around the world is already living here because of those large commercial ventures on the Strip … that has great spillover effects for the local community.
“Vegas is kind of seen as a kind of cultural underdog,” Weller says. “No one really expects a lot from us, apart from large scale entertainment. To have these extraordinary new pieces of art happening here that can potentially move into the world is really exciting.”
PHOTOS BY RICHARD BRUSKY
Vegas Theatre Company 1025 S. 1st Street, theatre.vegas.
FOOD + DRINK
BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
BY BROCK RADKE
Las Vegas Valley residents have never tasted barbecue like this before—unless they’ve been to Utah.
The brand-new barbecue at Hog & Tradition melds favorite flavors
Hog & Tradition BBQ opened last month in Henderson, an expansion from the unique restaurant’s HallPass food hall spot in Salt Lake City. The local company behind SkinnyFats and other concepts is also involved in HallPass, and that Nevada-Utah connection paved the way for this barbecue arrival.
Chef and owner Geoff Patmides was cooking and serving classic American barbecue well before Hog & Tradition’s debut a few years ago, but this eatery brings together his substantial and disparate influences with delicious results.
“Initially it was a traditional, Texas-style barbecue spot, but after a few weeks, I just felt like, this is boring,”
Patmides says. “I was not going to be like the other guys, so it was, what can we do to switch it up?”
The obvious answer was to turn to his wife and her family food culture. “My wife is Dominican and I’ve always loved the food her mom cooks on a regular basis. I always wanted to incorporate that into a restaurant.”
Married for 16 years, Patmides had spent at least that long learning about Dominican cuisine and trying to impress his mother-in-law with his cooking. “[She] only started eating my food about six months ago,” he says with a laugh. “I love her and she loves me, but it’s a cultural thing.”
He started at the restaurant by cooking a full menu of traditional Dominican dishes on Sundays, and it took off quickly “because there’s nothing else like that in Salt Lake.”
The evolution of that blend is evident at the Hog &
Tradition here in Henderson, where you can get a smoked Cuban sandwich ($15) with chipotle mayo and chimichurri, or a standard two-meat combo plate ($23) with your choice of brisket, pulled pork, ribs, chicken or pork belly chicharron. (Insider tip: The mother-in-law loves the chicharron.)
“We’ve implemented it so it’s not fully Dominican, you can sit down and get the same barbecue experience you know, but you’re going to taste the seasonings, taste the difference,” Patmides says.
The best-seller in Utah, a brisket grilled cheese sandwich ($22), is also available here, but so far guests are trying everything via custom combos, taking home meats by the pound, and rounding out the meal with versatile side dishes ($5) like mac and cheese, rice and beans, collard greens, sweet plantains and ube cornbread. And don’t forget the tres leches cake ($7) for dessert.
GREATEST HITS ON THE STRIP
It seems like things just keep getting more expensive on the Las Vegas Strip, and dining deals aren’t as easy to find as they once were. That’s bad news for local epicureans who love to sample the latest and greatest the casinos have to offer— but those savvy diners also know where to find those experiences.
Close out your summer with a visit to one of three Tao Group Hospitality venues offering special $68 multi-course menus featuring signature dishes. It’s called the Summer of Hits, and at Hakkasan at MGM Grand—yes, there is a wondrous Chinese restaurant on the ground floor of that mega-nightclub—you can choose your favorite dim sum as the appetizer; opt for General Tso chicken, black pepper beef or roasted branzino for the main; pick noodles, rice or veggies on the side; and enjoy lychee raspberry dumplings for dessert.
HOG & TRADITION BBQ
221 N. Stephanie St., 702-577-3229, hogandtradition.
com. Daily, 5-10 p.m.
You can also check out the special menu at Beauty & Essex at the Cosmopolitan, featuring dishes such as tuna poke wonton tacos, Mexican street corn ravioli and gochujang salmon with black garlic risotto; and at Tao Asian Bistro at Venetian, where you’ll customize your dinner from Kung Pao chicken, sea bass satay, sweet and spicy Thai-style shrimp, and the pan-Asian institution’s signature sushi platter. It’s a lot of food and fun for a rock-solid price, but don’t delay— this deal expires come Labor Day. –Brock Radke
Tao’s Kung Pao chicken (Courtesy/Tao Group Hospitality)
(Courtesy/Mark DePaul for Hog & Tradition)
CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR AWARDS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER DEVARGAS
ROCKIN’ REDHEAD POOL PARTY
•FREE
TRE’S TIME
TRE’S TIME
Raiders second-year receiver Tre Tucker needs a big preseason to capitalize on bigger
BY CASE KEEFER
COSTA MESA, Calif. — At the end of Raiders’ minicamp this spring in Henderson, veteran receiver Jakobi Meyers joked he was ready for the team to get away for training camp so he could “beat up on Tre Tucker a little bit.”
Meyers ended up passing on the opportunity to playfully bully his younger, smaller fellow receiver, however, as the Raiders wrapped up three weeks spent in Southern California on August 8. Tucker was too laser-focused— and too muscular.
“He’s strong as hell now,” Meyers observed.
Tucker, the 5-foot-9, 185-pound third-round pick out of the University of Cincinnati last year, worked harder than anyone on the team in the o season, according to Meyers.
In many ways, it’s showed.
Tucker’s physique is more chiseled now as he dedicated himself to bulking up to both better embrace the physicality of the NFL and persevere through a long season. He somehow appears to have done it without losing a split-second of speed.
The 23-year-old was already arguably the fastest player on the team last year, and if anything, seems to have widened the gap this season. He’s consistently getting separation from defensive backs on his routes.
And yet, Tucker hasn’t capitalized on the strength and space in training camp as much as he should because he’s carrying one fatal aw—his hands.
opportunities
Tucker has probably dropped more passes than the rest of the receiving corps combined. It’s an issue he must clean up during the Raiders’ three-game preseason schedule, starting at the Minnesota Vikings on August 10, to fully claim the No. 3 receiver role that he’s penciled in to hold.
“I kind of know what I’m doing, what they expect from me,” Tucker said. “I know what I have to x from last year and obviously it’s just a continuing process. I have to go through this whole camp and continue it into the season.”
In a break from modern NFL norms and especially the Raiders’ organization the last ve years, now permanent coach Antonio Pierce says everyone on the roster will play in the preseason.
But top receiver Davante Adams and Meyers, the clear No. 2, are as proven as any duo in the league, so it seems highly unlikely they will play and risk injury beyond a series or two in each game.
That leaves Tucker shaping up as the featured receiver for the exhibition slate, where the Raiders will try to determine their starting quarterback out of second-year incumbent Aidan O’Connell and free-agent signing Gardner Minshew.
“One of my mentors, coaches always told me, ‘It doesn’t matter who’s throwing the ball, it’s our job to catch it to get their name in the paper,’ so I don’t really notice who’s throwing the ball,” Tucker said. “I just kind of go in the huddle and whatever play is called try to execute it and, at the
end of the day, come down with the football.”
Coming down with the football is not a new trouble spot for Tucker. He was similarly turning heads last training camp with his speed and playmaking ability but couldn’t always haul in the targets thrown his way.
He had a big drop along the sideline in a preseason game against the Cowboys, and the lack of sure hands seemed to reduce his role as a rookie. He made some big plays—including a pair of long touchdown catches in a historic 63-21 rout of the Chargers—but never logged more than 50% of the o ensive snaps until the nal two games of the season.
The Raiders are hoping he proves worthy of more work this year.
“He changed his body,” Pierce said of Tucker. “He was here the entire o season and got bigger, stronger and faster.”
The competition for playing time has also cratered. Once looking like a potentially deep receiving corps, the Raiders now sit relatively thin at the position. Veteran free-agent acquisition Michael Gallup shocked many in the organization, including Tucker, by retiring before the start of training camp. Fellow newcomer Jalen Guyton hasn’t practiced due to an undisclosed injury.
Behind Tucker, the Raiders’ receiver depth chart now mostly consists of undrafted free agents and a couple players who have bounced between the end of the active roster and practice squad the last couple years—Kristian
RAIDERS PRESEASON SCHEDULE
Aug. 10 at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m.
Aug. 17 vs. Dallas Cowboys, 7 p.m.
Aug. 23 vs. San Francisco 49ers, 7 p.m.
All games broadcast on Fox5 Vegas and KOMP 92.3 FM. Tickets to the two home games start at $88 on ticketmaster. com
Wilkerson and DJ Turner.
Wilkerson’s skillset might be more limited as he’s more of a possession guy, but he’s been the second most proli c receiver of training camp behind Meyers as the Raiders limit the superstar Adams’ workload.
“Knowing this is the NFL, no matter what, who’s here, they’re going to bring in someone so it’s going to be a competition,” Tucker said. “It’s my job to lose. I’m going to take that approach and whoever we bring in, whoever we get, just put my head down and keep working.”
If the Raiders don’t feel fully comfortable with three receivers by the start of the regular season, they could run even more two tight-end sets. Splitting out Brock Bowers, the tight end whom they selected in the rst round of this year’s draft, as more of a receiver is another option and something they’ve done throughout training camp.
It may not ultimately come to that. Tucker hasn’t put together the smoothest start, but the Raiders have shown no signs of losing faith in him.
And with the added emphasis they’re putting on the preseason, he should have a lot of chances still coming to succeed.
HENDERSON CHAMBER’S CAREER FAIR HELPS STUDENTS EXPLORE DIFFERENT FIELDS IN DEPTH
BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER
VEGAS INC STAFF
Lemon Doroshow has always been interested in a career in law or engineering.
An internship this summer at Broadbent & Associates, a prominent environmental consulting rm in Las Vegas, solidi ed those desires for the teenager. The “I Can Be” career fair hosted by the Henderson Chamber of Commerce connected him with the rm, where he explored civil and environmental engineering, and how they intersect with law.
“The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) side has always been one that I think prevails in terms of my interest,” Doroshow said. “What has been so conducive to my interest, for me, about this internship is the ability to see how these STEM concepts manifest within the career eld I want to go into.”
Doroshow, a recent graduate of the Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas’ Sandy Ridge campus, is headed to Johns Hopkins University in the fall, where he will major in civil engineering.
The internship allowed him experiences that he may not have had otherwise, Doroshow said.
“Being in school is a lot di erent from being in a career eld,” he said.
The career expo returned this year after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It made its debut at Coral Academy, and then continued a few months later at Foothill High School, said Amanda Ahmadzai, the Henderson chamber’s marketing director.
There are two more fairs planned for the fall at other Henderson schools, Ahmadzai said.
“The intent of the program is to showcase career paths to students that they may not be otherwise aware of or exposed to,” she said. “And we pair them up with industry professionals, like Broadbent & Associates, so they get this opportunity to learn about these di erent elds—different career clusters, as we call them—from the people who work in them.”
It’s also an opportunity for high school students to “face their fears,” Ahmadzai said, whether that means talking to people they don’t know about their career interests, answering questions about those
aspirations and so on.
“Those kids have access to this world of possibilities,” she said. “They can have interesting conversations with professionals and learn about what is available to them that they may not have otherwise. How else are they going to learn these things? How are they going to have access to one of the gentlemen who runs Broadbent? It can be di cult to get access to these professionals.”
Since the Henderson chamber’s rst “I Can Be” session this year, the organization has faced an overabundance of professional volunteers for the remaining events, Ahmadzai said.
“The advantage to us was just to be seen,” said Kirk Stowers, principal geologist and environmental division manager at Broadbent. “We’re always trying to get out in the community and engage people, so we have a pipeline of interested professionals coming into our eld.”
There’s been a lot of positive feedback from students, Ahmadazai noted.
It was bene cial to get a real idea of what a certain career eld may look like, compared to preconceived notions from social media or television, Doroshow emphasized.
“To actually know the details and the speci cs about how these di erent careers interact with each other on their day to day, as well as how you might become a professional in these di erent careers—it kind of gives students … a more indepth and maybe accurate idea of how di erent careers work,” he said.
The fair aligns with existing programs at Coral Academy, including one that coordinates workbased learning opportunities for students, like summer internships, so that they can apply what they learn in the classroom outside of it.
“Not only reading from the textbooks or learning the formulas or something, but you want to see where you are using this in (the) real world and in jobs and careers,” said Ercan Aydogdu, executive director and CEO of the Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas.
The expo at Coral Academy was unique because it invited students from eighth through 12th grade, instead of just targeting sophomores like it does typically, o cials noted. And, although that may
make Doroshow’s story unique, Ahmadzai said she would love to see more stories like his play out.
“We’re a chamber of commerce, we’re just always hoping to grow our membership base, to engage with the workforce—and up and coming workforce—in this manner,” she said. “We’re just so excited that it’s o to such a great restart.”
It’s important that students, especially sophomores in high school for whom the fair is put on, see it as an opportunity to explore career elds and see them in a new light, Doroshow said.
“If I could tell the demographic of this career fair one piece of advice, it would be: take advantage of it,” he said. “Actually, take it seriously. Don’t just drudge your way through it because there are opportunities to be had. And even outside of those opportunities, there’s a lot to learn.”
Lemon Doroshow (Courtesy)
GIVING
Las Vegas Women in Business for Good, a local giving circle created to support nonprofits serving Southern Nevada, announced its eighth grantee, Shine A Light Foundation, bringing the organization to $50,324 donated to community causes. More than 100 members make quarterly donations and through a members-only nomination and voting process select a nonprofit to receive the funds from each cycle. The group is led by Nicole Fabian, Ati Grinspun, Jennifer Inaba and Amanda Sprick
Assistance League of Las Vegas presented Olympia Companies Charitable Foundation executive director Angela Rock with the National Operation School Bell Award in recognition of the more than $1.2 million donated by the foundation to the local Operation School Bell program to date. Operation School Bell provides local students with a week’s worth of brand-new clothing
and other necessities. Students are identified by their school counselors.
In partnership with American First National Bank, A Greater Hope’s team embarked on a journey to make the 2024 Back to School Bash the best kickoff event yet, by turning challenging situations into opportunities. With a donation of $2,000, children in every AGH foster home will receive essential school supplies to start the new school year.
Approximately 2,000 backpacks loaded with school supplies were distributed to local students by volunteers from Bank of America. The distribution happened at the East Las Vegas Community Center as part of a community resource fair for adults and children, also including financial literacy education, career readiness sessions, screenings and vaccines and more. The resource fair was a community volunteer day for a
JOB LISTING
SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER sought by Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. (Las Vegas, NV) Develop and present software designs and plans with stakeholders and senior developers. Telecommuting permitted. MS+2 or BS+5 required. Apply by email to: Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. totalrewards@aristocrat.com (Reference Job code: NV1116CJ)
number of organizations throughout the valley and part of the UnidosUS Annual Conference in Las Vegas.
Communities In Schools of Nevada appointed Jessica Cole, Mike Kazmierski and Danny Ruiz to its board of directors. Cole started her career as a site coordinator for Communities In Schools. Ruiz, chief gaming officer at the Venetian, brings extensive experience in casino operations and strategy. Kazmierski is executive director of Strengthen Our Community, a nonprofit committed to developing cooperative, caring solutions to regional needs, emphasizing education, environmental sustainability, families, and good governance.
Signs of HOPE, a nonprofit dedicated to offering hope, help and healing to those affected by sexual violence and exploitation, received a $15,000 Clark County Outside Agency Grant.
JOB LISTING
GAME DESIGNER sought by Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. in Las Vegas, NV. Generating new & original math models for premium games. Requires: BS plus 2 years experience. Apply by email to: Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. totalrewards@aristocrat.com (Ref Job code: NV0501BD)
JOB LISTING
Utilities Coordinator Professional Associate at Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., Henderson, NV. Utility coordination on roadway and transportation projects. 10% local travel. Apply at: https://careers.jacobs.com/. Requisition# 15500.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WADE VANDERVORT
PREMIER CROSSWORD HOROSCOPES
BY FRANK LONGO
ROB BREZSNY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Legend tells us that the first person to drink tea was Chinese Emperor Shennong in 2737 BCE. And yet the first tea bag, an icon of convenience, didn’t become available until 1904. I don’t expect you will have to wait anywhere near that long to move from your promising new discoveries to the highly practical use of those discoveries.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I hope that in the coming months, Taurus, you will devote yourself to becoming even more masterful at activities you already do well. I hope you will attend lovingly to details and regard discipline as a high art—as if doing so is the most important gift you can give to life.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Wohlweh is a German word that means “good pain” or “pleasurable pain.” My favorite use of the word occurs when describing a deep-tissue massage that may be a bit harrowing even as it heals. That’s a great metaphor for the kind of wohlweh I expect for you in the coming days. Here’s a tip: The less you resist the strenuous “therapy,” the better you will feel.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): To get the good results you want, you may have to generate a lot of raw material—and that could take a while. Still, I believe that in the end, you will think the strenuous effort has been well worth it.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I love the fact that Antarctica is untouched and untamed. Inspired by this singular land, I’d love for you to enjoy a phase of wild sovereignty in the coming weeks. What can you do to express yourself with maximum freedom, answering to the sacred laws of your own ardent nature?
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I advise you to consult with the spirits of deceased family members in the coming weeks. I suspect they have a lot to tell you. At the very least, I hope you will explore how you might benefit from studying and pondering your ancestors’ lives.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) : Libran tennis player Naomi Osaka is one of the highest-paid women athletes ever. She is also a staunch political activist. Why do I bring this to your attention? Because now is an excellent time to synergize your pragmatic devotion to financial success with idealistic work on behalf of noble causes.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In the coming months, you will be wise to surround yourself with influences that support and encourage you. If anyone persistently underestimates you, they should not play a prominent role in your life’s beautiful drama.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Many Sagittarians I know are thinking expansively, daring spicy challenges and attempting fun feats. Are you contemplating comparable adventures? Now is an excellent time for them.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): When I opened my fortune cookie, I found a message that read, “If you would just shut up, you could hear God’s voice.” I stopped talking and writing for two days. Forty-five hours into the experiment, I did indeed hear God’s voice say, “Thanks for making space to hear me. I love you and want you to thrive.” In accordance with your astrological omens, Capricorn, I invite you to do what I did.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Scientists at the University of California devised a cheap and fast method for unboiling an egg. Their effort wasn’t frivolous. They were working with principles that could be valuable in treating certain cancers. Now I’m inviting you to experiment with metaphorical equivalents of unboiling eggs, Aquarius. You are in a phase when you will have extra power to undo results you’re bored with or unsatisfied with.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Every week, I imbibe all the honey from an eight-ounce jar, mostly in my cups of hot tea. To create that treat for me, bees made a million visits to flowers, collecting nectar. This horoscope may not be the result of a million thoughts, but the number is large. What’s the equivalent in your life, Pisces? What creative
and processing do you do? Now is a good time to revise, refine, and deepen your relationship with it.
