All content is copyright Las Vegas Weekly LLC. Las Vegas Weekly is published Thursdays and distributed throughout Southern Nevada. Readers are permitted one free copy per issue. Additional copies are $2, available back issues $3.
ADVERTISING DEADLINE EVERY THURSDAY AT 5 P.M.
16 COMMUNITY COMEBACK
Restoring the Historic Westside neighborhood to its glory days is going to take a village.
10 PLAN YOUR WEEK
The Saddle Club debuts its country-themed bash at Daylight Beach Club, L’Etape Las Vegas cycles around Red Rock and more this week.
24 NEWS
U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford from Nevada is “pissed” and poised to stand up to Trump tariffs and spending cuts.
28 SPORTS New Raiders general manager John Spytek should be praised for his initial NFL Draft class.
30 MUSIC
Las Vegas rapper ChiefDVB holds on to what he loves with his sixth record Save the Roach
32 STAGE
Celebrate May the Fourth with the opening of burlesque parody The Empire Strips Back at the Rio.
36 FOOD & DRINK
Emmitt’s splits the difference between a steakhouse and seafood restaurant, with familiar classics mixed in.
Josue Gomez prepares a dish at the chef’s counter at HaSalon. Read more on page 37. (Wade Vandervort)
SUPERGUIDE
THURSDAY MAY 1
FRIDAY MAY 2
KING HANNAH
“I know becoming obsessed with one musician and listening repeatedly,” sings Hannah Merrick in King Hannah’s latest single “Leftovers,” dryly adding another “repeatedly” for emphasis. It’s easy to imagine the music of this Liverpool-based duo kindling that bottomless need. Their 2024 album Big Swimmer, a shimmering work defined by the push-and-pull of Craig Whittle’s buzzy lo-fi guitars and Merrick’s languid, breathy vocals, earned them favorable comparisons to everyone from Mazzy Star to Liz Phair to John Prine, but there’s something more there, something wholly unique waiting to emerge. And it could just happen at this Swan Dive show presented by Dirty Rock and Roll Dance Party and—wait for it—Neon Reverb, whose name we’re awfully glad to see attached to a Downtown show once again. Solid local acts Joobilee and Deacon Hill play opening sets. 8 p.m., $12-$15, Swan Dive, swandivelv.com.
–Geo Carter
PRETENDERS
8 p.m., Encore Theater, ticket master.com
SUPERHEAVEN With Glare, Spy, Prize Horse, 7 p.m., Fremont Country Club, seetickets.us
LAS VEGAS AVIATORS VS. TACOMA RAINIERS
6:35 p.m. (& thru 5/4, times vary), Las Vegas Ballpark, ticket master.com
LEI DAY PARADE
6 p.m., Downtown Summerlin, summerlin.com
HOME + HISTORY
LAS VEGAS Thru 5/4, times & venues vary, nevada preservation.org
JEFF WITTEK
7 p.m., Wiseguys Town Square, wiseguyscomedy. com
7:30 p.m., & 5/3, Encore Theater, ticketmaster. com
JERRY SEINFELD
8 p.m., & 5/3, the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com
MATT RIFE
8 p.m., MGM Grand Garden Arena, axs.com
JIM JEFFERIES
8 p.m., & 5/3, Palazzo Theatre, ticketmaster.com
FIRST FRIDAY
5 p.m., Arts District, flv.org
SAMMY HAGAR
8 p.m., & 5/3, 5/7, Dolby Live, ticketmaster.com
HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS
3 p.m., Strat Swim & Social Pool, tickets. thestrat.com
SMINO With Samara Cyn, 6:30 p.m., House of Blues, concerts.livenation. com
With Jelly Roll, Sierra Ferrell, 7:30 p.m., Allegiant Stadium, ticketmaster.com
KYGO
11 a.m., Palm Tree Beach Club, taogroup.com
DIPLO
11 a.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com
DAVID GUETTA
11:30 a.m., LIV Beach, livnightclub.com
TIËSTO
11 a.m., Tao Beach, taogroup.com
TITO DOUBLE P 10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com
FAT JOE
10:30 p.m., Jewel Nightclub, taogroup.com
GUCCI MANE
10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com
ZEDD
10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com
STEVE AOKI 10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, taogroup.com
THE CHAINSMOKERS 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com
JUNGLE
10:30 p.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com
TINA FEY & AMY POEHLER 6 p.m., Resorts World Theatre, axs.com
CASEY ROCKET 7 & 9:30 p.m., & 5/4, Wiseguys Town Square, wiseguyscomedy. com
Mandalay Bay’s Daylight Beach Club likes to make us wait a bit, opening for the season a little later than the other pool parties on the Strip. But it’s always worth the wait, and this year marks the debut of Saddle Club, a country-themed bash designed as the perfect pre-party to the Post Malone and Jelly Roll show at Allegiant Stadium. And if you’re gonna go country up in the club, there’s no better choice in Las Vegas than Dee Jay Silver, the first-ever DJ to sign with a Nashville record label. Even if you’re not headed to the concert, poolside at Daylight is the place to be Saturday. 11 a.m., $30+, Daylight Beach Club, tixr.com. –Brock Radke
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. MINNESOTA WILD Game 7 (if necessary), time TBD, T-Mobile Arena, axs.com
LAS VEGAS LIGHTS FC VS. LOUDOUN UNITED FC 7:30 p.m., Cashman Field, las vegaslightsfc.com
VEGAS KNIGHT HAWKS VS. NORTHERN ARIZONA WRANGLERS 6 p.m., Lee’s Family Forum, axs.com
J BALVIN
8 p.m., Michelob Ultra Arena, axs.com
GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC 7:30 p.m., House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com
DIGABLE PLANETS
With Vic Smith, 7 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com
B.SLADE 8 p.m., Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com
TRAIN
With The Calling, 8 p.m., M Pool, ticketmaster.com
SUPERGUIDE
BOXING: INOUE VS. CARDENAS
3 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com
VEGAS THRILL VS. COLUMBUS FURY
6 p.m., Lee’s Family Forum, axs.com
O.A.R. With Phantom Planet, 6:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com
UNLV SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
3 p.m., Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, unlv.edu
STEVE AOKI & ZEDD
11 a.m., Palm Tree Beach Club, taogroup.com
NELLY
Noon, Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com
112 Noon, Daylight Beach Club, tixr.com
WAKA FLOCKA Noon, Drai’s Beachclub, draisgroup.com
BOB MOSES Noon, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com
EXCISION
10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com
* Spotlight events are sponsored
SUNDAY MAY 4
LIL JON 11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, taogroup.com
L’ETAPE LAS VEGAS BY TOUR DE FRANCE
MONDAY MAY 5
After its debut in 2023 and its cancellation last year due to high winds, L’Etape Las Vegas will once again bring hundreds of amateur cyclists to Summerlin and Red Rock Canyon for closedcourse races of 75, 45 and 25 miles, starting at the Las Vegas Ballpark and zooming around Red Rock’s Scenic Loop. There’s also a 14-mile family ride and an expanded Vendor Village featuring plenty of exhibitors, food trucks and more; local favorites Gizmo Cycling and Pedal & Pour will be there, too. L’Etape is all about amateurs getting to race like the pros, so expect an elevated experience across the board. 7 a.m., registration prices vary, Las Vegas Ballpark, lasvegas.letapeseries.com. –Brock Radke
SPOTLIGHT EVENT
FIESTA LIKE THERE’S NO TOMORROW Fremont Street Experience is turning all the way up for Cinco de Mayo, May 3-5. It’s the ultimate fiesta bringing the spiciest beats, coolest drinks and three stages packed with live Latin entertainment by groups like The Outlaw Mariachi, Banda Despierto and Mariachi Franco de Las Vegas. Celebrate Mexican heritage and culture with traditional roving mariachi, Folklórico dancers and even contemporary rock mariachi! It isn’t just a party—it’s the Cinco de Mayo Ultimate Fiesta at Fremont Street Experience. Visit vegasexperience.com to view the full entertainment lineup.
ARTS IN THE CENTER: MARIACHI EXTRAVAGANZA With Mariachi Revolución & Mariachi Joya, 7 p.m., Composers Room, universe.com
EXHIBIT: THE OLD SPANISH TRAIL Thru 7/7, Thu.-Mon. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Nevada State Museum, lasvegas nvmuseum.org
LOS PLATANOS 10 p.m., Sand Dollar Lounge, thesanddollarlv. com
MONDAYS DARK 8 p.m., the Space, mondaysdark. com
DJ DYNAMIQ 10:30 p.m., Jewel Nightclub, taogroup.com
SUPERGUIDE
PRESEASON:
LAS VEGAS ACES VS. PHOENIX
MERCURY
7 p.m., Michelob Ultra Arena, axs.com
EXHIBIT: WOMEN’S RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS
Thru 5/17, Tue.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, unlv.edu
JC CURRAIS 8 p.m., & 5/7, LA Comedy Club, bestvegascomedy. com
DON BARNHART With Guy Fessenden, thru 5/10, 7 p.m., Hennessey’s Tavern, delirious comedyclub.com
ROB GUSON 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com
DIANA KRALL
7:30 p.m., Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter. com.
JAZZ VEGAS ORCHESTRA 7:30 p.m., Notoriety, notorietylive.com
JUNO BIRCH 7:30 p.m., Wiseguys Town Square, wiseguys comedy.com RL GRIME 10:30 p.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
“Imagine a neighborhood that had everything it needed within its own borders,” says Katherine Duncan-Reed, executive director of Harrison House. “It was like an island in itself. … Everything that Las Vegas had, the Westside had, but it was exclusive. It was just a vibrant, beaming, blooming community.”
We’re standing just outside Harrison House, and the desert wind carries faint echoes of music and memory. Sammy Davis Jr. once slept here. Nat King Cole and Pearl Bailey, too. Down the block, the Moulin Rouge Hotel and Casino—the rst integrated casino in the country—was alive with movement, smoke, jazz and Black excellence. That was then.
Duncan-Reed walks the cracked pavement like a curator of living history. She gestures at invisible landmarks as if they’re still standing and retells the stories of this community’s past.
LEADERS OF THE HISTORIC WESTSIDE REFLECT ON ITS PAST AND DREAM OF ITS FUTURE
Through the 1950s, segregation carved the city into halves. On the “wrong” side of the railroad tracks bloomed a community that, despite its imposed limitations, thrived. Residents—many descendants of the Jim Crow South—built a new life in the Las Vegas Valley. There was pride. There was power.
But when the city desegregated in 1960, it didn’t come with investment. Residents left, businesses closed, and after decades of neglect, what was once a vibrant neighborhood became a ghost of its former self.
“This area deserves to thrive like it used to,” says Tameka Henry, executive director of the Obodo Collective, a nonpro t founded in the Historic Westside in 2020. “I was born and raised here, and when I was a younger girl, there were places that you can go to after church, to have a meal, or to shop, and now we don’t have that throughout the neighborhood.”
Formal e orts to revitalize the area exist in the City of Las Vegas’ HUNDRED Plan. Short for Historic Urban Neighborhood Design Redevelopment, the plan was rst developed in 2016, and a master plan was unveiled to the City Council in 2023. It’s a framework. But more than that, it’s a reckoning—a long-overdue attempt to honor what the Historic Westside was, and to imagine what it can still become.
And the signs are already appearing. Jackson Avenue—once booming with restaurants, clubs and entertainment—was revitalized in 2023 with new sidewalks, streetlights and trees. On C Street, the Historic Westside Education and Training Center is taking shape, as is a redesigned West Las Vegas Library on Martin Luther King Boulevard.
“The HUNDRED Plan was a community e ort. It’s the foundational document that the community said how they want this community’s future to be,” says Las Vegas Councilwoman Shondra Summers-Armstrong. “We’re going to do everything we can to move as many of the concepts in that plan forward to the bene t and growth of this community.”
In this neighborhood, people still remember what once was. And as new developments come into the frame, they know that true progress is measured in honoring that legacy and the people who live there.
Obodo Greengrocer
Harrison House
Councilwoman Shondra SummersArmstrong
Katherine Duncan–Reed Neighborhood signage
TAMEKA HENRY OBODO COLLECTIVE
Tameka Henry moves with a quiet confidence through the urban garden, her hands brushing through the abundant leafy greens swaying in the morning breeze. Rows of vibrant produce stretch out before her, and it’s almost surreal to think that just four years ago, this space was nothing more than an empty lot.
As she pauses to inspect which bunches are ready for harvest, there’s a moment of unspoken acknowledgment of the how far Obodo Collective has come. The transformation is tangible, not just in the earth beneath her feet but in the renewed sense of possibility for the neighborhood.
When it comes to revitalization, Henry says the focus should be on residents’ basic needs first.
“Transportation, access to healthcare providers that are close to the area … making a livable wage in the area. That’s why we’re excited about the different potentials and possibilities of, be it a hotel coming, be it the CSN school that’s coming there, where people can get the training and education,” Henry says.
As executive director of the nonprofit Obodo Collective, she adds that one of the most pressing issues in the Historic Westside today is the lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables. According to Three Square Food Bank, the ZIP code where the Historic Westside sits, 89106, has one of the Valley’s highest food insecurity rates. More than one in five residents doesn’t have access to enough food to lead a healthy lifestyle. Grocery stores are few and far between.
Powered by a deep bench of volunteers, the Obodo Collective is constantly striving to meet the community’s needs through programs addressing hunger, housing and other needs, including child care and mental health.
The nonprofit just opened the Obodo Greengrocer in February, in partnership with the Southern Nevada Health District. The produce store provides locally grown fruits, vegetables, herbs and more to shoppers within the Historic Westside and beyond.
According to Henry, Obodo Collective requests feedback from customers, asking them what types of produce they’d like to see
on the shelves, as well as gauging how shoppers feel about their price points.
“Over the past year we harvested just over 1,000 pounds of food. Many of our customers live within the neighborhood [but] we get shoppers from all over the Valley,” Henry says.
“We’ve been wanting to get more people in the door. We’ve done canvassing door-to-door to the surrounding neighbors and neighborhood to let them know that we are there. ... Because it’s not just our store. It’s a store that’s there for the community so they can have access.”
The Obodo Collective’s mission—grounded in the three core pillars of food security, affordable housing and job opportunity—aligns closely with what the HUNDRED Plan hopes to deliver. Henry is realistic—hopeful, but cautious—when it comes to results.
“My hopes are that those homeowners, or those who rent, don’t become displaced and that they’re able to reap the benefits of the new developments that are proposed,” she says. “You have to have like-minded and like-spirited connections to see the project through.”
TOP The urban garden (Wade Vandervort/Staff) BOTTOM Obodo Greengrocer (Steve Marcus/Staff)
COUNCILWOMAN
SHONDRA SUMMERSARMSTRONG
LAS VEGAS WARD 5
As a longtime resident of West Las Vegas, Shondra Summers-Armstrong’s approach to revitalization is rooted in respect for the community’s deep history.
Speaking with the Weekly at the Historic Westside School, Vegas’ first integrated school, she looks up at a wall of richly colored stained glass featuring images from the area’s multiple churches.
She believes progress should preserve the integrity of the Westside, not overwrite it, and that economic opportunity and cultural preservation must go hand in hand.
Trust-building between residents and developers is foundational, she says. The process of redevelopment isn’t just about infrastructure; it’s about ensuring the longtime residents benefit from the changes.
“You have to come correct,” she emphasizes, speaking of the developers coming to the Historic Westside. “You can’t just come in and build something that erases what’s already here.”
She might be referring to Clark County’s attempt to build public housing on the site of the Moulin Rouge. The 2019 proposal by the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority was met with criticism and tabled thereafter.
She could also be nodding to the seven-story Harlem Nights casino complex proposed for the corner of Jackson Avenue and F Street. Developer Shlomo Meiri describes the project as a “catalyst for economic revitalization” that would bring tourists and more hospitality jobs to the area.
“We want people to come over here. We want commerce, we want tourism, we want cultural attractions. And so we’re excited about any development that wants to come and talk to us about what they want to do,” says Summers-Armstrong.
Public projects have also emerged as examples of what true, community-driven initiatives look like—projects that honor the history while ensuring the neighborhood’s
future prosperity.
The councilwoman is particularly optimistic about the Historic Westside Education and Training Center (see page 20), slated to finish construction this fall, and the West Las Vegas Library, slated for completion in 2026. Putting those resources directly in the neighborhood could help eliminate the need for residents to have a car, with bus routes connecting them to other areas of town.
Not just the City of Las Vegas, but also Clark County has invested in infrastructure in the Historic Westside like the Lake Mead Microbusiness Park. The property is to have 76 workforce housing units and over 20,000 square feet of retail, office, restaurant and “entrepreneur space.” It’s expected to be completed by 2026.
“That’s the brainchild of Commissioner [William] McCurdy. It’s an amazing idea to have housing where people are connected to transportation. ... People can live, get training on the bottom and take those trainings into the community, to work good jobs,” Summers-Armstrong says.
She emphasizes the city’s “wraparound approach” in its initiatives for housing, work and education.
The city also has shown interest in expanding cultural resources in the Historic Westside, namely an African-American Museum. In 2022, it approved a contract with Gallagher & Associates, known for the National Museum of African-American Music in Nashville and our own Mob Museum, to develop a master plan for the project.
“The African American Museum & Cultural Center is in the planning stages, and the city has a contract with world-renowned museum designers Gallagher & Associates to develop a master plan for the project,” a spokesman for the city says.
(Wade Vandervort/Staff)
KATHERINE DUNCAN-REED
As we stand in front of Harrison House and look back into the not-so-far past, we can almost still hear the ringing of laughter and music that once filled the Historic Westside. Preservers of history like Katherine Duncan-Reed certainly do.
“You had grandparents, children and great-grandchildren all in the same neighborhood. That’s a different dynamic than you would have in any place else in the city,” she says. “And the people who lived here all have similar backgrounds because they’re coming from the deep plantations in the South and they’re getting
freedom and prosperity for the first time.”
It wasn’t just a place to live. It was a place for entertainment and culture, especially with the Moulin Rouge in the neighborhood. Opened in May 1955, the integrated hotel lasted only fiveand-a-half months before it closed. Marred by random fires between 2003 and 2017, all that is left of it is an empty lot dotted with weeds.
Duncan-Reed attempted to preserve the casino’s history, but those blazes led to the building’s final demise.
“I had fought to save that property and lost and lost and lost, and when they finally burned it
down, I was like, ‘Oh my God, there’s nothing left of our history,’” she says.
But where one door might have closed, another opened. Duncan-Reed uncovered the Harrison House. In 1942, Westside resident Genevieve Harrison opened her home to traveling entertainers, business people and divorcing couples who couldn’t stay in Strip hotels due to segregation laws. Duncan-Reed now runs the historical landmark with funding and assistance from the Commission for Cultural Centers and Historic Preservation.
“I didn’t even know it was a Green Book destination,” she says, referencing the 1949 “Green Book” advising Black travelers how to stay safe and where to find food and accommodations when traveling. “I got into it more, started researching it [and it] started to come alive.”
Her vision for the Historic Westside largely centers around bringing tourism to the neighborhood. Her nonprofit is working with UNLV to “investigate” the neighborhood as a destination. She says there’s plenty for people to see, including the Pioneer Trail, an urban walking trail that passes several historical sites including the Moulin Rouge lot and Harrison house.
“We’ve got a lot of history. You saw how many historic sites there were on that Pioneer Trail. That’s all in our little neighborhood. We’re looking to become a historic district … a place for families to really come and be,” she says.
Duncan-Reed sees the Harrison House, which has ramped up its tours recently, as a compass for what revitalization and redevelopment could look like when it’s led by the community.
As the Historic Westside still works to shed a long-standing pattern of neglect, Harrison House offers a fresh take, one rooted in advocacy, culture, and ownership.
“People see this as a top destination—for development, for housing, for hotels. But it has to be done right,” Duncan-Reed says.
HARRISON HOUSE
(Wade Vandervort/Staff)
New education and training center to bring workforce development to the Historic Westside
Las Vegas’ Black community’s contributions to the city’s industries are immeasurable.
Black workers helped build the railroads that brought some of Vegas’ earliest settlers. They also were instrumental in public works projects like Hoover Dam and wartime e orts at the Basic Magnesium plant in Henderson. They established the rst integrated hotel and casino in the country, the Moulin Rouge. And entertainers like Sammy Davis Jr. and Nat King Cole helped de ne Las Vegas as the entertainment capital of the world.
While the Black community helped turn Las Vegas into the prosperous place it is today, the city hasn’t always returned the favor. But now, a new facility that broke ground in May 2024 could cater to the workforce in Vegas’ historically Black neighborhood.
“The Historic Westside Education and Training Center is a workforce training center, and what that means to us is really a diverse set of resources in a post-secondary space,” says Stavan Corbett, executive director of the Division of Workforce at the College of Southern Nevada.
“There’s de nitely a high focus in terms of bringing diverse resources as it relates to talent development, upward mobility for economic growth—not only for the
community at a macro level, but also individually for the residents of West Las Vegas.”
The $16.4 million, 15,000-square-foot facility will provide credentialed job training programs in advanced manufacturing, health care, technology and construction trades, all in-demand jobs that pay a living wage ($18 to $28 per hour, Corbett says) and help build the foundations for prosperity in a long-neglected neighborhood.
With the understanding that a ordability is a barrier for some to obtain higher education, CSN o ers tuition support based on eligibility. The college receives grants from the Nevada Department of Training and Rehabilitation, which can be put toward students’ tuition.
“Ninety-six to 97% of our existing students do receive tuition support,” Corbett says.
The training center, a project of the City of Las Vegas and CSN, is expected to be completed in August 2025.
–Shannon Miller
IN THE NEWS
Three Square faces rising need amid shrinking federal support
Three Square food bank is already feeling the effects of President Donald Trump’s cuts to federal programs, having received 1.5 million fewer pounds of food this year compared with the same period a year ago. That equals about 1.25 million meals, the organization said.
“We really have to continue planning for lots of different possible contingencies,” said Beth Martino, Three Square’s president.
The United States Department of Agriculture canceled a $4 million
EDUCATION
grant earlier this year that would have supplied locally grown food for Three Square and its upstate counterpart, the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, through Home Feeds Nevada. At the same time, USDA cut $500 million nationwide for the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which also provides food to organizations like Three Square.
Three Square officials are monitoring how congressional Republicans will meet the trillions of dollars for tax and government spending cuts
approved earlier this month in their budget framework. On the table, according to a list published by The New York Times, is rolling back expansion of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and capping federal support of Medicaid.
While neither SNAP nor Medicaid have traditionally funded food banks directly, cutting into those services would further strain people’s wallets and potentially force them into needing Three Square’s resources.
–Kyle Chouinard
NSU offers cannabis courses
Nevada State University is now offering three online workforce training programs geared toward careers in the state’s growing cannabis industry. The courses—which provide certificates for cultivation, retail and product development—are offered in partnership with Green Flower, a national training provider.
“With cannabis becoming a critical industry in Nevada, this new certification program creates a pathway to the careers that will shape the future of this industry,” said NSU President DeRionne Pollard.
Certificate programs are designed to teach skills needed for cultivating indoors and outdoors, opening a dispensary and creating cannabis products such as tinctures, edibles and topicals.
Each program is nine weeks long, and courses begin monthly. The courses are priced at $800. For a limited time, enrollees can save $150 with the discount code NSUFIRST. More information and registration is available at cannabisworkforce.nevadastate.edu –Shannon Miller
“Summertime weather in Las Vegas starts earlier and lasts longer, so why shouldn’t our fireworks?”
–Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza. The Downtown hotel will resume its summer fireworks shows every Friday starting May 2 through September 26.
HOT SHOT
Attendees mingle at a VIP grand opening for a new Adidas store at the BLVD Las Vegas on April 24. The 16,000-squarefoot store spans two levels and includes a “Made for You” personalization studio.
)
Theater fans rejoice! Super Summer Theatre has announced the return of its beloved outdoor production series at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park. The 2025 season kicks off May 28 with a rock-fueled retelling of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, followed by SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical, which runs through July. Legally Blonde: The Musical and Singin’ In the Rain will then cap off the last weeks of summer. Tickets go on sale May 1, starting at $25, at supersummertheatre. org. –Amber Sampson
(Wade Vandervort/ Staff
EXPERIENCE & TRAVEL TO THE BEAUTIFUL ISLANDS
Enjoy an unforgettable celebration of music and dance honoring the vibrant Aloha spirit!
West Charleston Library
Friday, May 2 • 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Windmill Library
Saturday, May 3 • 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Whitney Library
Saturday, May 3 • 7 p.m. - 8:15 p.m.
AGE GROUP:ALL
ASIAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL INFORMATION SESSION
Learn about available resources, including a culturally sensitive food bank, SNAP assistance, citizenship assistance, health care assistance, and clinics.
Spring Valley Library
Wednesday, May 7 • 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Enterprise Library
Friday, May 16 • 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Spring Valley Library
Wednesday, May 21 • 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
AGE GROUP: ADULTS
HYDROPONICS FOR KIDS
Learn about Larry Itliong, a Filipino American who organized agricultural workers, and dig into gardening basics!
Learn about the process that helps to bring harmony and peace within yourself, the people in your life, and the world around you.
Windmill Library Saturday, May 24
12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
AGE GROUP: TWEENS, TEENS & ADULTS
NEWS A SEAT AT THE TABLE
U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford from Nevada ‘pissed’ at Trump tariffs and spending cuts
BY TYLER SCHNEIDER
It was a viral moment when a politician’s frustration brimmed over.
“WTF? Who’s in charge? ... It looks like your boss just pulled the rug out from under you and paused the tariffs, the taxes on the American people. ... This is amateur hour and it needs to stop,” said U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., in an April 9 House Ways and Means Committee hearing.
He was talking to President Donald Trump’s new U.S. Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, who was briefing legislators on the president’s trade agenda, which leaned heavily on reciprocal tariffs. Midway through the presentation, Trump announced that he was temporarily dropping the rates for some countries—a development Horsford believes Greer wasn’t previously aware of.
“I wish I could feel some empathy, but the empathy I have is for the American people whose very well-being and livelihoods are being affected. This is not a game,” Horsford said.
Representing Nevada’s Fourth Congressional District, which includes Southern Nevada and Nye County, Horsford gives Nevada a seat at the table in Washington. Like any other politician, he’s fighting for the interests of his constituents. And lately, a lot of that has been in direct opposition to the Trump administration and its policies.
One of the biggest offenders is Trump’s
new unofficial government department, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was formed to cut down on what the administration says is government waste, fraud and abuse. It’s already ushered in sweeping layoffs and funding cuts that may threaten popular social benefit programs like Social Security.
The effort has led to numerous lawsuits. According to Just Security, a law and policy journal based at New York University’s Reiss Center on Law and Security, of the 208 cases filed against the Trump administration, 35 involve DOGE. Billionaire Elon Musk has been the public face of the department thus far, but as a temporary government employee, he can only serve 130 days per year—a timeframe that will expire in May.
Horsford has helped lead the charge in the legislative branch to demand more transparency from Trump and DOGE through his current role on the House Ways and Means Committee and the affiliated Health and Social Security subcommittees. He’s also one of just two Democrats participating in the House-based Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus—an unaffiliated, informal spur of Trump and Musk’s department. The caucus has met twice since forming late last year.
The congressman recently spoke with the Weekly about his quest to hold the administration accountable.
Why did you join the House DOGE Caucus, and how active has the group been since it held its first meeting last December?
If there are going to be conversations about cuts that impact my constituents, I need to be in the room to defend them. There are areas that we could make government work better for the people, and that’s also why I’m at the table. Because of the illegal actions of Elon Musk and the court cases, this caucus hasn’t been engaged at the same level as when we first met. But it’s my understanding that the staff just met recently, and so I’m hopeful that we’ll get back to doing the job that we are elected to do.
The group was formed in response to Trump and Musk’s DOGE-fueled push to curb what the administration labels as government waste. So far, this has included massive funding cuts for federal agencies that oversee popular programs like Social Security. How concerned should Nevadans be about the possibility of losing some of their benefits?
Whether it’s their efforts to defund Social Security by closing offices and laying off 7,000 people or doing the same at the [Department of Veterans Affairs], their whole approach appears to be to demonize and downsize in an attempt to privatize these agencies, rather than making them work for the people who’ve paid into the system. I have 143,000 constituents who are Social Security beneficiaries. For about 70% of them, that is their sole source of income, and it’s the primary source for everybody else.
This is not an entitlement, this is an earned benefit, and these are people have paid into the system their entire life. At a time when housing costs are high, groceries are going up, and with the co-pays and everything else they have to manage, the last thing they need is to miss a check or have their entire benefit affected.
One week after Trump placed hefty reciprocal tariffs on foreign-made goods, he took to his social media platform, Truth Social, where he announced a 90day pause on those rates for dozens of countries. Earlier that morning, he post-
ed “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!”
When the news broke, you were still in a House committee hearing with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. You asked him if Trump’s actions qualified as “market manipulation,” which he denied. Can you walk us through that viral moment?
At first, I was there to ask questions about the effect of these tariffs on tourism, because we’ve already seen a 17% decline of international tourists since January. I wanted to ask about that. However, within minutes of finding out this news, I literally watched as the trade representative was notified by his staff that the pauses were going into effect. You could see the surprise on his face, and then it was my time to question him. I did get rather irate by saying “WTF.” But the crux of the question is, was there market manipulation? If so, who knew it and who benefited from it?
Market manipulation is a felony and it’s fraud. And those who are responsible for it—if that is what occurred—need to be held accountable, including going to jail.
You recently joined your Democratic peers on the Ways and Means Committee to issue an official Resolution of Inquiry asking the Trump administration and DOGE to submit records related to their efforts to close Social Security offices and lay off staff. What else are you doing to hold them accountable?
Within a day of that Ways and Means hearing, we saw $300 billion in increased profits by billionaires as a result of what I consider to be insider trading information. I led a letter, along with my colleagues, demanding disclosure on who knew what, when, about the change in the tariff policy and details about any stock transactions that those individuals took part in around that critical time period.
Going forward, as a member of the Ways and Means Committee, about 80% of the Republican budget has to come through us—especially all the tax and health care provisions, the impacts to the libraries, [National] Park Service and the TSA workers at Harry Reid International Airport. Whether it’s layoffs, tariffs, taxes or budget cuts,
these are all impacts that everyday Nevadans are feeling, including small businesses. I’m pissed, I’m outraged, and I’m just trying to make sure there’s awareness.
Trump floated the possibility of eliminating taxes on tipped wages during his 2024 campaign. Your new bill, the TIPS Act, would accomplish this while also raising the substandard minimum wage for service industry workers to the federal minimum wage. Do you see it garnering bipartisan support?
Yes, I’m working hard to get Republican support. Obviously, the president made this a central part of his campaign here in Nevada. I believe that if he’s serious about passing no tax on tips, there’s only one bill that achieves the policy of lifting up tipped workers, and it’s my TIPS Act.
Only six states in the country have a minimum wage for tip workers. Nevada, fortunately, is one of them. But in most states, tipped workers can make as little as $2.13 an hour. The Legislature and the governor could also end the minimum wage for tipped workers, and there have been attempts by the industry to roll back those wage gains here. So, having a federal law that guarantees tipped workers are paid at least the federal minimum wage is well past time.
In celebration of our 50th anniversary, our customers “care to care” by proudly supporting vital programs and services provided by Goodwill and other local nonprofits.
This month, we’re supporting
Educating children and families about the natural world
This month, we’re supporting +
Goodwill® Training Scholarships
Saving the waste in people and things since 1975
HEALTHYHAULSPORTS
Left: Running back Ashton Jeanty celebrates after being drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders. Below: Jeanty with coach Pete Carroll, left, and general manager John Spytek, right. (Je Roberson/ David Becker/ AP Photo)
New Raiders general manager
John Spytek should be praised for his initial NFL Draft class
BY CASE KEEFER
The stoneface look Raiders general manager John Spytek sported while preparing for the NFL Draft in the last few months nally faded. No longer paranoid about giving away any information about the team’s player personnel strategy, Spytek came into his post-draft news conference grinning.
The 44-year-old admitted to some exhaustion after three days with minimal sleep, but the adrenaline borne out of assembling his rst Silver and Black rookie class overpowered it.
“Really an amazing amount of work to get the right 26 new men into the Raiders organization, but you’ve got to do that to nd the right ones,” Spytek said. “We’re really con dent that we did a great job this week and we’re excited to get these guys here.”
Spytek has every right to feel self-assured after a highly successful debut draft in Las Vegas.
No, that doesn’t mean all 11 of his picks—the Raiders’ biggest draft class in 18 years—and 15 undrafted free-agent signings will work out. Despite the popularity of immediate post-draft grades and analysis, it will take years to determine the group’s success on the eld.
ing approach was not getting xated on certain players but rather acquiring more picks to maximize chances of hitting on di erence-makers in an otherwise highly inexact practice.
The problem is, the work is now gospel in many NFL front o ces and it’s become more di cult to execute it. Trading down requires some combination of adept negotiation tactics, quick critical-thinking skills and plain old luck.
Spytek probably had a combination of the three when he twice dealt down during day two of the draft, acquiring a pair of extra picks.
One thing is for sure: The moves weren’t by accident. The only regret Spytek shared in his nal news conference was that he didn’t nd a way to trade again on the third and nal day.
With a mindset like that, the Raiders are in good hands moving forward.
The Raiders are bee ng up their analytical e orts under a new minority ownership group, which includes seven-time Super Bowl winner and Spytek con dant Tom Brady, and the savvy drafting mentality might have been one of the rst bene ts.
RAIDERS 2025 DRAFT CLASS
Jacksonville Jaguars side that originally held the No. 5 overall selection. Getting a running back of Jeanty’s caliber was important to new coach Pete Carroll. Spytek himself mentioned multiple times that he prefers building teams from the trenches, but for the Raiders to be at their best the next few years, he and Carroll will need to compromise and merge their philosophies.
The only thing that can really be judged right after the draft is a general manager’s process. Spytek’s should get high marks from even the harshest critics.
Las Vegas came into the draft with as many, if not more, needs than any team in the NFL after a 4-13 season and a free agency period where it bled impact defensive starters. The Raiders were desperate for upgrades at o ensive line, back eld, wide receiver, interior defensive line, linebacker and cornerback.
They addressed every one of the categories in the draft, most of them with multiple players.
And they did it in part with what’s mathematically the shrewdest strategy to take in the draft—trading down. A 63-page Harvard research project in 2012 found that the optimal draft-
The only choice that seems at odds with a more forward-thinking approach is the Raiders’ rst-round pick, running back Ashton Jeanty. Taking a running back that high is a no-no from an analytical perspective, especially for a team with so many other weaknesses elsewhere, including notably in run blocking.
There’s a reason why a running back hadn’t been taken as high as Jeanty at No. 6 since Saquon Barkley went No. 2 to the New York Giants seven years ago.
But there are valid excuses to making an exception for Jeanty, the Heisman Trophy runner-up at Boise State last year. For one, the pick wasn’t a reach like so many other of the Raiders’ rst-round skill-position targets over the years.
Several, if not most teams had Jeanty as a top ve player in the draft and reportedly inquired about trading up to pick him, mostly with a
Picking Jeanty could have been one of the rst examples of their collaboration in motion. Spytek also mentioned third-round cornerback Darien Porter as a Carroll-in uenced pick.
The Iowa State product is raw, having only recently moved to the position, but has the size and length Carroll likes to coach at the position. Spytek also got several of his preferred big, athletic linemen in the draft, including third-round guard/ tackle Caleb Rogers, third-round tackle Charles Grant, fourth-round defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway and sixthround defensive tackle JJ Pegues. Every player taken isn’t going to turn into a star, or even a starter, but going with the volume approach makes it more likely the Raiders lled some of their holes.
After the 2025 NFL Draft, it’s looking increasingly likely the franchise is in competent hands.
Tommy Mellott Montana State, wide receiver/ quarterback
No. 215 overall (sixth round)
Cam Miller
North Dakota State, quarterback
No. 222 overall (seventh round)
Cody Lindenberg
Minnesota, linebacker
MUSIC
NATURAL HIGH
CHIEFDVB
(Courtesy/Keene Dadian)
Las Vegas rapper ChiefDVB holds on to what he loves with Save the Roach
BY AMBER SAMPSON
You wouldn’t know it by the way he’s been rapidly releasing projects, but ChiefDVB has been waiting on this one. Earlier this year, the local rapper finally delivered his sixth record, Save the Roach, an 11-track opus showcasing Chiefy at the height of his craft and at the center of his dream.
“It’s kind of been a looming thing in my life for the past seven years or something, the Save the Roach concept,” says the artist born Daniel Van Billiard. “I finally then started picking my favorite songs that I’ve ever made that I haven’t released, and usually I don’t do that when I’m making projects.”
The Save the Roach title originally started as a joke between ChiefDVB and his friends. But it’s since become a meaningful metaphor for preserving his passion for hip-hop and for whatever “gets you the highest.”
“People just give up what they love so easy,” he says. “And it’s like, I get it. There’s life, jobs, all that, but that’s really what’s gonna save you.”
That love for music has led the emcee down some divinely interesting paths. While perfecting his audio engineering skills, he struck up a friendship with Pat Hundley, a Grammy Award-winning engineer of the Studio at the Palms, where stars like Celine Dion, Rihanna and Elton John have recorded. Together, they lent their expertise to Lady Gaga’s 2024 album, Harlequin.
“That was honestly an incredible experience. I’ve been working with Pat for multiple years now. He’s kind of been my mentor,” ChiefDVB says. “We did the Lady Gaga thing for three weeks during her residency. She would come in the morning, sing her ass off all day and go wreck the residency and sing all night. The album’s freaking dope. There were a lot of parts to it but it was sick.”
On Save the Roach, ChiefDVB applies that experience, delivering his best mix to his most meaningful project yet. At first listen, it’s a mosaic of moods, with Chief flexing his pen on the free-flowing boom-bap of “Amber Grey” and the sax-tinged melodies of “Monica,” featuring local R&B singer B. Rose.
“When I’m not writing or rapping, I just want to be involved in great records in general. I can’t sing like B. Rose, but I can help her and still be a part of the record and not have to be the record,” he says.
“That also gets me juiced because I can’t play instruments like that, but if I can record saxophone in here and it sounds freaking awesome, hell yeah. Music is a super emotion.”
There’s a considerable amount of synergy and soul on Save the Roach, thanks in part to Chief bringing local producers DJ Finyl and Trade Voorhees among others into the studio, along with longtime collaborators like Wave MMLZ. He seasons the album with those contributions, creating a palatable experience for every kind of listener.
“I always think about it as not easy to perform this album because it’s not really the hype album. That’s why I had to add the ‘Creekside Crowdsurf’ song. I needed at least one of them,” he says.
“And ‘Fishbowlz’ was transformed into a whole song that was on a YouTube beat that was weird, and then I had Trade remake drums, I had Jose Orozco play keys and I made [local R&B singer] Onmywave sing. That one means a lot.”
The wordsmith recently took Save the Roach on a small tour to Europe. But he uses every chance he gets to throw credit back to his hometown. The album is rife with references to Las Vegas, which Chief says has been his way of recognizing the city as the incomparable entertainment capital that it is.
Burlesque parody
The Empire Strips Back bumps into Vegas’ lightspace
BY GEOFF CARTER
The story begins, as it did in 11 feature lms, a long time ago in a place far, far away. In 2011, at a tiny Sydney, Australia venue called The Vanguard, impresario Russall S. Beattie debuted a Star Warsthemed burlesque parody, The Empire Strips Back, for an intended three-night run. And not unlike a certain Corellian freighter that blasted its way out of Mos Eisley, it just … took o .
“They started playing larger and larger venues in Australia and touring it around the country,” says Las Vegas-based theatrical producer David Foster, whose company acquired the touring rights to the show in 2023.
“They brought it to the States a couple of times, touring it like a band, doing single-night performances.”
Since then, The Empire Strips Back has own from one side of this galaxy to the other, kid, landing sold-out touring engagements in more than 40 cities including Paris, New York and San Francisco. And when it lands in Las Vegas on May 4—a sort of holy day for the Star Wars faithful—you’ll be able to pilot your speeder to the Rio (use the free parking, Luke!) and nally learn what Stormtroopers wear underneath that useless armor plating.
The good-natured campiness of Star Wars, always present in a storytelling universe peopled with puppets and “scuzzy ner erders,” is fully awakened.
“They have their comic moments, but the lms take themselves very seriously,” Foster says. “Combining that with the silly, sexy fun of burlesque creates a sort of alchemical reaction.”
And it’s not just about putting Leia in the metal bikini and calling it a day.
THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK Opening May 4, Wednesday-Monday, times vary, $39-$99. Rio, theempire stripsback. com/lasvegas.
“Those rst few movies … well, they’re patriarchal. Even with the character of Leia, it’s all about guys. So, there’s also something about having strong women performing assertive dance in a tough, sexy way. That sort of turns it around on the movies, as well. … The women in the show have agency. The women are strong.” Foster says that agency is re ected in the show’s audience mix. “The audience is 50-50 male to female. I’ve seen groups of women at this show screaming in the way they might scream at Thunder From Down Under or Magic Mike. ... Its [appeal is] surprisingly broad.”
Having said that, we can now answer the short, vital question you’ve wanted to ask for several hundred words now.
“You are absolutely welcome to bring your lightsaber. Just don’t turn it on during the show,” Foster says, chuckling. “And you’re welcome to come dressed as whoever you want.”
And if you don’t own a lightsaber or a wig that looks like two crescent rolls glued to your head, there may be something in The Empire Strips Back that appeals to you anyway. It’s just fun, and fun is universal.
“When I met [my wife] Kim, she’d never seen Star Wars . I was shocked that such a person existed. But she really enjoyed the show,” Foster says. “It really is just in the aether, right? It’s soaked into people’s DNA. They may not even remember seeing Star Wars , but they know it.”
(Courtesy/ Craig Ridgwell)
LASER PRECISION, ENDLESS CREATION
The Emmitt’s engraved tomahawk steak with Creole shrimp and patatas bravas (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
With one year under its belt, Emmitt’s Vegas is ready to advance the ball
BY BROCK RADKE
If the last year was the debut season for Emmitt’s Vegas on the Strip, this dining destination should probably be considered for Rookie of the Year honors.
The restaurant’s namesake and founder, NFL legend Emmitt Smith, won that award in 1990. Obviously, it wasn’t a fluke, as Smith went on to a Hall of Fame career and is still football’s all-time leading rusher. Now his Las Vegas restaurant is poised to follow up on its own early success, and according to executive chef Antwan Ellis, it’s all about putting the right players in the right positions.
“There has most definitely been a learning curve. I’ve been doing this for 27 years, from a very young age, but the biggest thing when I came here was making sure we chose the right people to work with to be able to be successful,” Ellis says. “I need to be able to learn from the team, and show them my skills, also. We feed off each other, and you have to do that because in Las Vegas, it’s a different market.”
Emmitt’s opened on March 28, 2024, after various delays dashed original plans to open in 2023 at Fashion Show Las Vegas. Ellis was living in Bermuda and vacationing in the States when he was approached about leading the kitchen, and although he knew very little about American football or Smith, that didn’t stop an instant connection from forming.
“It was one of those things where you meet someone and things feel right,” Ellis says. “As I learned more about him and realized the level of athlete he was and the achievements he’s had, the level of humility he displays for who he is, I thought that was amazing.”
The chef notes the restaurant still maintains many team members that opened it up last year, “and
that’s the driving force ensuring we understood the goal Emmitt had, the path he wanted the restaurant to go. We stuck to it and here we are, making sure we continue to get better and improve on everything because we do want to be one of the best in the city.”
The menu at Emmitt’s spans weekend brunch and lunch and nightly dinner and offers more than meets the eye. It splits the difference between a steakhouse and a seafood restaurant, with familiar classics mixed in. And there’s a clear focus on special-occasion dining, evidenced by the recent Easter brunch extravaganza and the upcoming Mother’s Day menu.
Weekend favorites range from Creole shrimp ($25) and hamachi carpaccio ($26) with crispy garlic and jalapeño, to a wild mushroom and spinach frittata ($18) or a shaved prime rib cheesesteak sandwich ($27).
Evening diners don’t skip the sushi—complemented by seafood towers and raw bar offerings—including the Emmitt Roll ($22), layered with tuna, king salmon, hamachi, avocado, spicy serrano chilies and sweet eel sauce.
In addition to prime wet-aged steaks and the signature 44-ounce tomahawk ribeye from acclaimed purveyor Pat LaFrieda Meats, main dish options could also go the oceanic route with Maine lobster tempura ($65) or jumbo lump crab cake ($35), or stay on solid terrain with a thick pork chop ($56) served with butternut puree and green apple fennel slaw or the indulgent Bolognese on pappardelle pasta ($34) made with dry-aged beef trim.
Next up in the Emmitt’s playbook is converting the upstairs area into “more of an elegantly casual place people can come on the daily to have a more relaxed meal,” Ellis says. This Strip-front space was formerly the Sugar Factory, and the transformation is all but complete. “We want to do something that follows what we do downstairs, not pretentious, very welcoming, and be able to offer a slightly tailgate-ish type of atmosphere upstairs.”
Sounds like the right play to call.
HaSalon unveils a springtime menu full of fresh flavors and feels
Israeli celebrity chef Eyal Shani opened the globally recognized restaurant HaSalon in Tel Aviv nearly 20 years ago, garnering praise for its dramatic flavors and artful presentation. Shani honors his ingredients down to the last stem, and that’s especially noticeable in the new spring menu at the Venetian, where HaSalon expanded two years ago.
At a recent omakase-style tasting led by chef Ivan Villasana, we took a seat at the chef’s counter, one of the best spots in the house. Here, you can observe chefs pulling fresh tomatoes from the stem and gathering bunches of grapes for the next course, a true garden-to-plate experience. Everything within reach of the counter, from fruit to fresh lemons and pasta, may wind up in your dish.
Favorites for the table include HaSalon’s bruschetta, topped with caramelized grapes, Humboldt Fog goat cheese and honey ($34). Appearing every bit like a Renaissance painting come to life, it’s almost too gorgeous to eat. But you’ll soon move past that thought once its salty-sweet profile hits the palate.
HaSalon’s handmade pastas, namely the sweet pea tortellini ($32) tossed in an earthy sage butter, is also a springtime delight. For the main course, fill up your glass of -red and try the seasonal lamb shank ($76), which comes with a steaming pot of spring veggies. The rich meat has been braised in just water, creating a tender, fall-off-the-bone consistency worth raving about.
If spring is one of the nicest times of the year in Las Vegas, we can’t think of a better way to spend it than here.
SAFETY DEPOSIT BOXES NOT JUST FOR THE RICH ANYMORE
BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF
Terry Downes remembers the elderly woman who visited her safety deposit box several times a week. Staff noticed she often appeared emotional after the visits. Eventually, she confided that inside were cherished mementos of her late husband—a handkerchief, jewelry and photographs connecting her to precious memories.
“That woman could never in a million years have got a safety deposit box with the bank,” Downes explained, “and yet, to her, that stuff was the most valuable thing she’s ever had in her whole life.”
It’s stories like these that drive Downes, founder and CEO of MySafe, a robotics-powered safety deposit box company that expanded to Southern Nevada. The innovative security solution has three locations across the Valley—on Durango Drive, Rainbow Boulevard and Valle Verde Drive in Henderson—with plans for 27 total U.S. sites over the next 18 months.
“We’ve had a fantastic reaction,” Downes said. “Nevada made it easy from a structural point of view.”
The units, which come from a Japanese manufacturer and incorporate robotics technology, are operating in financial institutions through-
out South Korea, Japan and various major banks across Asia, Downes explained. “I can’t take credit for creating them,” he quipped.
The MySafe deposit boxes are stored with “every piece of security you can think of,” he said, including vibration sensors and earthquake and fire alarms.
The boxes are vacuum-packed in an armored vault, creating a sealed unit that Downes emphasized is not a traditional room with a door you can walk through.
“Basically they put an ATM on the front of it, except that, instead of cash coming out, it’s your safety deposit box that pops up in front of you,” he said. “So that’s the actual physical infrastructure.”
Among other security measures, guests must insert their finger into a biometric reader that measures blood flow, which differs from a fingerprint in that the client must be alive when using the device, Downes said. The box is then delivered by the robotics within 10 seconds in a private room, he said.
“You’re the only person in the world with a key to that box,” Downes said. “They’re unique. There’s no replacements. There’s no spare. We don’t keep a box. You’re completely in there on your own.”
Michael Johnston, a retired Henderson Police Department captain who now operates Code 4 Consulting & Private Investigation, praised MySafe’s four-layer security approach that clients must pass through to access their safety deposit box: card access, four-digit PINs, biometrics and an individual key.
“So those four layers, coupled with their external security—the vault dynamics, the protections that it gives, the automation portion, the isolated rooms, and of course, all their security surveillance—makes for a very safe location for someone to access their valuables,” Johnston said.
The concept behind MySafe emerged when Downes, an Irish native with military and corporate security experience, identified a gap in the market after banks began reducing safety deposit box services due to profitability concerns.
“In Ireland, it was a very ugly problem,” Downes recalled. “I was asked if I could take a look to see what the solution was. And I very quickly realized the problem we had in Ireland was exactly the same to a greater or lesser extent, in many, many countries all over the world.”
Downes emphasized that MySafe locations are designed to be small and community-oriented, with each site serving approximately 300 clients. This approach has already made a difference for customers who previously couldn’t access such services through traditional banks, he said.
“It completely changed the face of the industry and made it accessible and convenient,” Downes said. “And the banks, for at least a decade more, have been telling the market, ‘Nobody wants this. This is old fashioned. The service isn’t required anymore.’ But ... nothing could be further from the truth.”
Terry Downes, CEO of MySafe, locks and opens a robotic safety deposit box.
(Steve Marcus/Steve)
VEGAS INC NOTES
Spotlighting the best in business
Dr. Alison Netski has been appointed interim dean of the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV and interim vice president for health affairs at the university. She most recently served as vice dean of clinical affairs, professor of psychiatry and behavioral health, and chair of the UNLV Health Board of Directors. Netski takes over for Dr. Marc Kahn, who served as dean for the past five years. Kahn will transition into the role of chief of hematology in the department of internal medicine.
Deep Roots Harvest celebrated the grand opening of its latest Nevada location at 580 Parkson Road in Henderson. It’s the company’s first new dispensary since its acquisition of The Source in October.
Resorts World Las Vegas appointed Jennifer Roberts as chief compliance officer and Greg Shulman as executive vice president of international marketing. The founder of her own gaming law firm, Roberts Gaming Law Ltd., Roberts has more than 20 years of legal experience. She most recently served as vice president and general counsel at WynnBET. Shulman has over 30 years of experience in the gaming industry. He previously served as vice president of casino marketing for Palms Casino Resort.
The Las Vegas City Council approved the employment contract of Bryan Smith as city auditor. Smith has been with the city for more than 26 years and has over 34 years of audit experience. He has worked as an auditor, senior auditor and audit manager to improve the city’s operations and internal controls. Smith replaces Radford Snelding,
who retired last year.
Tacotarian announced the launch of its franchise program, clearing the way for entrepreneurs to open restaurants across the U.S.
After analyzing published works of more than 30 million scientific researchers, ScholarGPS named Dr. Jeffrey Cummings of UNLV’s Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine the World’s #1 Ranked Scholar. Cummings, who previously served as founding director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, has authored or co-authored more than 1,100 published works. In addition to his top ranking in specialty categories of dementia and drug development, he’s also ranked as the world’s second-most prolific scholar in Alzheimer’s and cognitive disorder research.
Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada celebrated the groundbreaking of its new Advocacy & Justice Complex, where survivors of violent crime can find access to justice, healing and support. With the number of community members Legal Aid Center services quadrupling, the new center will relieve the growing demand the current facility is not equipped to handle. The future complex is expected to open in September of 2026.
Southern Hills Hospital & Medical Center was recognized as one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals in the teaching category. The independent quality analysis is provided by Premier, Inc. and reported in Fortune It’s the fourth consecutive year Southern Hills Hospital has made the top 100 list.
Q+A: TIMOTHY GALLUZI
Top Tech Awards 2024 Honoree and Chief Information Officer for the State of Nevada reflects on program’s impact
What is it like to win a Top Tech Award?
It is an honor to be recognized by peers and industry leaders. It brings a profound sense of gratitude to represent an organization composed of brilliant technologists and to work with folks who understand the true meaning of service.
Why is it important to have a technology recognition awards program in Las Vegas?
The Top Tech Awards gives us an opportunity to shed light on those who are moving our industry and community forward. Recognizing and celebrating these achievements have a ripple effect: When people see their efforts acknowledged and celebrated, it inspires an even greater commitment to innovation and service.
What advice would you give aspiring innovators looking to make an impact on the tech industry?
Take a chance on yourself. Trust that you have the capability and the capacity to do amazing things, to make an impact on the lives of the people around you. If that means taking that class to get a certificate, enrolling in a higher education program, or going for that promotion, stop selling yourself short. Be relentless in your curiosity, never stop learning and don’t wait around for permission to grow.
PREMIER CROSSWORD
“LOOK
A LITTLE LOWER” BY
FRANK LONGO
HOROSCOPES
BREZSNY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Gravitate away from huge, expansive visions, and instead work creatively within existing constraints. For now, at least, “less is more” should be your operative motto. Meditate on how apparent limitations might lead to inviting innovations. Seek out abundance in unlikely places.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus author Nellie Bly (1864–1922) was a daring trailblazer. Her reporting on the New York’s Women’s Lunatic Asylum prompted major reforms there. I nominate Bly as your role model for the foreseeable future. You are poised for epic, even heroic adventures, in service to a greater good. (PS: Bly also made a solo trip around the world and wrote 15 books.)
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini painter Henri Rousseau never saw a jungle in person. In fact, he never left France. But he painted some of modern art’s most vivid jungle scenes by visiting zoos and botanical gardens, and by using his imagination. I urge you to follow his lead. Through the joyful, extravagant power of your imagination, get the inspiration and education you need.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): More than usual, you need and deserve to call on support and help. Don’t be shy about getting the exact boosts you require. It’s time to harvest the favors you are owed and to be specific in articulating your wishes.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): This is a perfect time to boldly showcase your beauty and magnificence, even as you fully display your talents and assets. I brazenly predict that your enthusiastic expression of self-love will be a good influence on almost everyone you encounter.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo poet and visual artist Dorothea Tanning had a motto: “Keep your eye on your inner world and keep away from ads, idiots and movie stars.” You are now in a phase when you’re wise to heed her counsel. Your soul’s depths have a lot to teach you. Your deep intuition is full of useful revelations. Don’t get distracted from them by listening too much to ads, idiots and celebrities.
“Thanks -- God!”
Far from cool
Bread variety
Jewelry designer Picasso
Tenants
Office phone no., often
Bouquets-toorder co.
Sluggishness
Hog food
Part of ETA: Abbr.
Painter Mary
Fashionable,
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You have a substantial capacity to rewrite your plans and adjust your mindset. And this talent of yours will be especially available to you in the coming weeks. Your flexibility and adaptability will not only help you navigate surprises but may also open up exciting new opportunities.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Is there a sanctuary you can retreat to? A relaxing oasis where you can slip away from the world’s colorful madness? You have every right to escape the rotting status quo and give yourself full permission to hide from pressure, demands and expectations. It’s time for focused relief and regeneration.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I invite you to transform potentially challenging elements in your life into sources of strength. Can you find ways to incorporate iffy factors instead of eliminating them? I assure you that you have the power to recognize value in things others may neglect or reject.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I recommend you adopt renowned Capricorn author Henry Miller’s counsel on the subject of wonders and marvels. Miller wrote, “The miracle is that the honey is always there, right under your nose, only you were too busy searching elsewhere to realize it.” Here’s another gem from Miller: He advised us “to make the miracle more and more miraculous, to swear allegiance to nothing, but live only miraculously, think only miraculously, die miraculously.”
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): For now, everything depends on your foundation, your roots and your support system. If I were you, I would devote myself to nurturing them. Please note that you’re not in any jeopardy. But your graduation to your next set of interesting challenges will require you to be snugly stable, secure and steady. This is one time when being thoroughly ensconced in your comfort zone is a beautiful asset, not a detriment to be transcended.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The coming weeks are a favorable time for you to build symbolic bridges. I hope you will link resources that aren’t yet linked. I hope you will work to connect people whose merger would help you, and I hope you will begin planning to move from where you are now to the next chapter of your life.
Babyface: Live in Las Vegas
Friday May 9 & Saturday May 10
8 PM
Gilsons
Friday May 16
7 PM
DL Hughley
Saturday June 7
8 PM
BOOK TICKETS
BACKSTORY
THE GREAT CHEF RUN | JAMES REGIONAL SPORTS PARK | APRIL 26, 2025 There are two things Las Vegas does with more fun and imagination than most anyone else: hospitality and philanthropy. Those two disciplines joined forces as hundreds of participants garbed in toques blanche (you know, those white chef hats, but in fancy French) and T-shirts styled to resemble chef whites took to the paths of the southwest valley’s James Regional Sports Park to run, walk or jog in The Great Chef Run, a fundraising event with proceeds benefiting scholarships for Nevada students pursuing careers in hospitality Runners received a wooden spoon upon completion of the 5K course; and beneficiaries of the run will receive the boost they need to put on one of these uniforms for real. Question: Did anyone say “BEHIND YOU!” and “CORNER!” as they passed each other? Because that seems pretty appropriate. –Geoff Carter
