Real Vegas Magazine | Real Top Lawyers - V1

Ste ve Dim o po ulo s, E sq .

Dim o po ulo s Law Firm

Las Vegas’ Premier Web Design Company

STARFIRE

WEB DESIGN

E x p erie nc e t he S ta r f ire Dif f ere nc e .

Starfire WebDe sign.c om 702.800.4447

|

5552 S Fort Apache #110 | Las Vegas, NV. 89148

The truth of the matter is you’re only as good as your support. Here at Real Vegas, we are forever grateful and appreciative of all the continued support! Without the names here, this publication would not be possible. As this inaugural issue is dedicated to the first-responders that grace one of our front covers, the victims, families of the 10.1 tragedy, as well as the Vegas Golden Knights.

This magazine is a result of our hard work, blood, sweat and tears and at Real Vegas magazine, we will NEVER claim to be a one man show. What we all do in contribution to each issue is truly a labor of love and from the bottom of our hearts, we proudly thank every writer, photographer, contributor in every way, shape and form. Without you this would all be impossible and telling the stories and providing rich content to our readers is very important to us.

Please feel free

to submit any editorial pieces for consideration to: info@realvegasmagazine.com and please follow and like us on social media and visit our website: realvegasmagazine.com

all and we hope you enjoy reading the contents as much as we enjoyed putting it all together!

Candice Wiener

Michael Rogers

Jennifer Burbank

Cassie Youssef

Phillip Cox

Blake Conover

Travis Heinrich

Siloh Moses

Scott Kerbs

Randy Bell

Andrea Dupper

Siloh Moses

Amanda Kay

Erik Lewin

Lynda Tache

Jennifer Bradley

Gerard Ramalho

Seth Grabel

Oscar Goodman

Jennifer Miller

Maverick Medcalf

Tyra Bell-Holland

AJ Moreno

Chris Craig

Jennifer Vaughan

Galit Ventura-Rozen

Dani Bradford

e

a

.

Pleas

le this M

zine

@RealVegasMagazine

c yc

ga

Re

Printed in the U.S.A.

»

\

EVERYONE

knows I am devoted to Las

Vegas and all it offers to our visitors and especially our community.

I live the brand by serving as the

Official Ambassador of Las Vegas tourism in my role as Chair of the Las Vegas Host Committee.

The Las

Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority created a permanent Host Committee in 2011 with two main objectives: 1.

To welcome the many business and

leisure visitors of Las Vegas’ citywide conventions and special events; 2.

To educate the local community

about the value of tourism to Southern Nevada.

By: Chair Oscar B. Goodman

Tourism is the lifeblood of our economy, supporting nearly half the jobs in the area and generating $59 billion in economic activity each year.

The LVCVA

was created in 1955 to bring visitors to the city and was funded by establishing a 5% room tax on all hotel rooms in the area. Beyond being able to promote Las Vegas and attract more visitors, the room tax has also been used to benefit everyone who lives here and create a better way of life for us all. Over the years, the visitor-generated room tax has been tapped for community benefits, including:

REAL VEGAS

//

03

RealVegasMagazine.com

• Room tax funds are dedicated to building and

fresh, new, innovative and cutting edge. The LVCVA

repairing schools.

is about to get under way on the largest infrastructure

• It is used for teacher salaries.

project in its history: the expansion and renovation

• Room tax is used for road construction in Clark

of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

County.

will add 1.4 million square feet of new space, with

• At one time, 90 percent of all parks built in Clark

at least 600,000 square feet of usable exhibit space.

County were paid for by room tax.

The project will allow the destination to attract more

• Through the LVCVA, room tax dollars were instrumental

business and allow existing clients to continue to grow

in building Sam Boyd Stadium, the Cashman Center,

their conventions.

The project

the Fremont Street Experience canopy and more.

If you’re interested in learning more about the tourism You can see how this brilliant idea has been a

industry’s impact on our community become a Las

tremendous asset for all of us here in Southern Nevada.

Vegas Host Committee Ambassador by registering on

The LVCVA is the only recipient of visitor-generated

our website www.lvcva.com/host. Remember, being

room tax dollars that reinvests them in the community

a great place to visit makes Las Vegas a great place

by growing the number of visitors who spend and buy

to live. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

goods and services locally and pay more in taxes,

@LVCVAimpact.

which means more money for all recipients. Tourism supports 41 percent of the local workforce, reduces every household’s annual tax by about $2,700 and increases.

»

continually enhances our community as visitation

Our greatest challenge is to continuously raise the bar and elevate our offerings and visitors’ experience.

In 1955, the target market were conventions to put heads in beds during the slow mid-week periods. We have done that in a big way – remaining the No. 1 trade show destination for the past 24 years, hosting 57 of the top 250 largest trade shows in North America last year. We have approximately 150,000 hotel rooms within our community – more than any other U.S. destination. Additionally, we have more than 11 million

L A S VEGA S C ON VEN T I ON

square feet of meeting and convention space with

A N D VI SI T OR S A U T H OR I T Y

more in development.

With nearly 22,000 meetings

held annually here in Las Vegas, the meetings industry

3 1 5 0 P a r a dis e R o a d, La s V e g a s N V 8 9109

702-892-0711

supports approximately 65,000 jobs with an economic impact of $9.8 billion on our community.

V is it La s V e g a s . c o m V e g a s M e a n s B u s in e s s . c o m

What keeps Las Vegas at the top is the consistent

LV CV A . c o m

evolution and reinvestment from hotel properties and From 2008 through 2016, reinvestment

totaled $31.6 billion. Reinvestment from 2017 through 2019 and beyond is estimated to be more than $15.7 billion, adding 14,000 additional hotel rooms.

No

destination is making this type of investment to stay

»

attractions.

»

Ryan Reaves ...enough said

UNLV arts

Against All Odds

Teachers who ROCK!

Food & Wine Festival

#realvegasstrong

REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

05

\

Unique Pathway to Success

V I R G I N I A T O A L E P A I , founder and CEO of World Wide Safety (WWS), is fond of saying she may have the very best job in the world. For years, she has been involved in the serious business of safety and opened WWS, a safety subcontracting business, in August 2013.

“I have a job that makes sure that the clients I serve every day, that their employees make it home safely to their families every night,” said Toalepai. “Nothing gives me greater satisfaction.”

Toalepai has put together one of the most disciplined and successful teams in the industry today, but she didn’t’ start out that way. “I started out five years ago, a recently divorced mother of four young daughters, with $12 in my pocket and the idea that I could help make a difference.”

Toalepai is not one of those people that takes the well-worn path. She has taken a very different path to business development. “I built my business through a different kind of networking,” she said. “ I’ve met just the right people, joined them, found out what they

were interested in, what their passion was in life; and we help support them in their pursuit.”

Toalepai and her team works closely with countless well-known

general

contractors,

specialty

trade

subcontractors, corporations and businesses of all sizes in the development of safety training programs and

practical

hazard

controls.

These

programs

include health/safety program development and implementation, site

safety

emergency

safety

inspections,

leadership regulatory

management,

fall

training,

job-

compliance, protection,

construction safety, respiratory protection, forklift training, SDS/hazardous materials/waste clean-up operations, health and safety management OSHA required training, and design and implementation of loss prevention initiatives.

Toalepai is what you call a serial entrepreneur.

She also founded 300 Productions, a music and record label, entertainment, film production and artist management company; HAALCROS Cleaning Solutions , a cleaning company; created a nonprofit organization, RYSHOC Family – a name created off

the first two letters of her children’s names – that offers

hosted by “Cousin Billy,” the group’s owner; and TV

career training to kids and youth, some who have

Host/Producer Courtney Perna from “Las Vegas Now”

been in foster care; and is currently working on plans

on KLAS-TV 8 is emceeing the program.

to build a hotel in her homeland of Samoa.

WWS’ previous inaugural Safety Awards have attracted “I recently experienced one of the my very best visits

sold-out crowds with more than 200 attendees at

back home to Samoa due to 300 Productions signing

each event.

on the new dance group – LE TIUMASALASALA from Samoa and led by Eterei D. Maiava, who is passionate

“It’s an absolute pleasure and a privilege to show

about

recognition to the companies and individuals leading

our

youth

and

future

generations,”

said

Toalepai.

these organizations that have demonstrated their commitment to safety excellence,” said Toalepai.

WWS has become the largest safety consultation

“They are passionate about keeping their employees

company in Nevada and one of the most successful

safe in the workplace and have excelled at building,

construction consultation companies in the U.S., a

facilitating and promoting safety programs that are

multimillion-dollar operation with 30 employees, and

clearly preventing accidents and saving lives.”

services more than 150 companies and 10,000 workers in several states throughout the nation.

Additionally, WWS will honor two dynamic, nonprofit organizations with funding as its “Giving Back”

“We are passionate about educating our clients and

recipients.

assisting them with their safety health and goals,” said Toalepai. “That’s why I created my annual Safety

WWS has opened up nominations to the public for

Awards, to recognize those companies and individuals

these awards, so check on their website at www.

who make safety their first priority.”

worldwidesafety.org if you know of a company or individual deserving of this recognition.

WWS will be hosting its “3rd Annual Safety Awards” on January 17, 2019 at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort

With its corporate headquarters in Las Vegas, WWS

(10325 Nu-Wav Kaiv Blvd.).

also has offices in Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Palm Springs and Livermore, California.

The celebration will be a traditional luau-themed affair, kicking off with a cocktail mix and mingle beginning

For more information about WWS’s progressive services,

at 5:30 p.m. The dinner and luau show will start at

visit worldwidesafety.org or call 702-355-4979.

6:30 p.m. The awards presentation, recognizing more than 40 organizations – ranging from small boutique operations to large corporations – that are committed to putting safety first, will follow. Attire is business casual. The luau show is being performed by Toa Luau,

VIRGINIA TOALEPAI is the founder and president of World Wide Safety (WWS). Her career in health and safety began more than 10 years ago as a safety consultant under Region 9 Safety Compliance. She has been involved in thousands of workplace inspections and hundreds of accident investigations in construction and general industry. An OSHA-authorized instructor, Virginia brings a sense of strategic focus, mature business judgment, and expert assistance in identifying, evaluating and resolving safety challenges. To her peers, she is widely respected as a versatile and trusted leader, with a proven ability to turn around struggling programs or build them from scratch.

From the

Candice Wiener WE

are excited to share this inaugural issue of Real Vegas magazine with you!

The last couple of

months, our team has worked diligently to bring you something fresh and new. As a former celebrated Publisher, I am a firm believer that “Fortune favors the bold”. To say that this move has been a rewarding challenge would be an understatement. In life, if you really want something, you have to go after it and have the faith that it will come together better than you could have ever imagined. For me, moving bravely and taking a chance was the only option. While at times things seemed a little rocky and a lot of challenges presented themselves, our team did our best to keep in mind that success comes outside of your comfort zone and the fact of the matter is that things needed to change. The true definition of insanity is if you keep doing the same thing expecting a different result; therefore, we boldly jumped head on into creating opportunity out of a devastating challenge to bring you rich content and some of the city’s best and treasured first responders, the infamous Vegas Golden Knight’s right wing, Ryan Reaves, among some other great content we think you will enjoy. Regarding our 2018 Real Top Lawyers of Las Vegas, staring on page 33 you will find some of the most intelligent and dedicated lawyers in Las Vegas. With varied skill sets and legal specialties, you will see that each and every attorney within these pages share a commonality with the Real Vegas magazine team. They have also at one point had to create their own luck in their careers by taking a leap of faith.

With the fall season coming to a start, we hope that you will stay connected with us on social media and with each subsequent issue. Please check out our new series: The Native Juice on page 18. This series will give a little bit of our vision and passion behind our city and our community. Showcasing the “Real Local Influencers” both past and present, this series was created to share the history of families that have lived in Las Vegas for multiple generations and the families that have helped shape our incredible city!

Remember what they say: “with no risk comes no reward!” If you are an entrepreneurial minded individual that is looking to ruffle some feathers to create a path of destiny in your life, we salute you!

Please feel free to reach out to our team with any editorial contributions, ideas and story submissions at: info@realvegasmagazine.com.

We hope that you will follow and continue to support us and our

upcoming events in which we would love to connect with you at!

Photo by Michael W. Rogers

Vegas Insider:

Vegas Golden Knights & City National Arena

our

right wing beast

RYAN REAVES

Vegas Insider:

Vegas Golden Knights & City National Arena

THEY

said Hockey doesn’t

belong in the desert. welcome to impossible! the

Vegas

Golden

the new team. Breaking history

goalie Fleury, centre Karrlson,

Well,

records,

Golden

rightwing

With

Knights;

season;

favorite Schmidt.

in

their

first

crowd

Just about

team to have the most wins

Knights sticker, everyone was

excitement,

when they earned their 34th

wearing VGK gear and yelling

overwhelming sense of the word

win of the season.

“Go

community.

Starting off their

December 3rd thru January 2nd

were a proud town.

2017-2018 preseason, VGK blew

VGK hadn’t lost one game, and

our CEO and our friends and

competetors like the Canucks,

in February broke the record

family had the privildege and

Avalanche, and Ducks out of

once again for the most points

oppurtinity to attend the last

the water. On October 1, 2017,

scored by an expansion team

game of the regular season.

against the San Jose Sharks, the

in their inaugural season when

The

Sharks

they got their 84th point of the

retired jersey number 58 and the

but that wasn’t the only defeat

season.

The Knights continued

whole stadium and what felt as

our city would feel on that day.

to give this city something to

though the whole city was at

During the night of October 1,

hope for, something to hang on

a standstill during this tribute.

58 people lost their lives and it

to, something to lift us up, be

We

was also a night that wouldn’t

thankful and root for.

silence

be forgotten by our beloved

after game, the seats at T-Mobile

the victims and tradgedy and

Vegas

As

would be filled at capacity, City

came together with even with

the NHL kicked off the offical

National Arena had a swarm

the San Jose Sharks fans as a

hockey

of

defeated

Golden season,

the

Knights,

Knights. the

Vegas

fans

first

and

inaugural season came humility, an

the

Reaves

every car had a Vegas Golden

and

became

Vegas

expansion

tears

Knights’

the

awaiting

Between

Vegas

stood in

GO!”

Golden

for

a

58

and

we

Myself,

Knights

second

rememberance

of

games

community. VGK continued on

Golden Knights paid tribute to

arrival,

parties

to defeat the San Jose Sharks

the 58 victims who lost their lives

began throughout Las Vegas.

becoming the first mondern-era

at the Route 91 Harvest Festival

Some believed hockey didn’t

expansion team from any of the

during the Vegas opener at the

belong in the desert; locals and

four major sports to win in their

T-Mobile arena on October 10th

the

division during their inaugural

playing a moving video tribute

was right where

in honor of the first responders,

In

victims, and the unity of our city.

first expansion team (since the

The Knights continued to wow

1979-1980 season) to make it

Vegas, the NHL, and the rest of

to the playoffs and all around

the country with their passion for

the

and

Knights March

valley

the

Game

Knights

watch

believed

they

fans

hockey

it belonged. became

cheered

season.

the

for

Welcome to impossible.

Photo by Michael W. Rogers

we are

impossible

Photo by @_kahlos_

“If you can’t

play hockey hungover , then you probably shouldn’t be

in the league....”

- Barstool Sprots

IT’S A SWEEP! The Vegas Golden Knights once

Cup Finals was that of a movie,

Final.

again made history winning the

outside of the T-Mobile arena,

officially signed with the Vegas

first round of playoffs against

crowds swarmed to watch the

Golden Knights for a two-year

the LA Kings all four games in a

infamous Lil John perform, the

contract.

row becoming the first team in

skilled Travis Barker line up with

known as the terminator and the

NHL histroy to sweep their first

our drum line, and our Chance

enforcer due to his presence

playoff series in their inaugural

mascot to take pictures with

and his history of agressiveness

season. Throughout the playoff

fans, as we patiently awaited

and known to engage in fights

season, fans continued to show

puck drop.

during games.

our beloved boys the support to

round to beat the Washington

conference

get them through their first ever

Captials, the next four games

Reaves said “Everybody on this

playoff series as they beat the

The

Knights,

team has something to prove,

Sharks in the second round, and

fans, and the community were

we all call ourselves the Golden

the Winnipeg Jets in the Western

defeated by the Captials for

Misfits for a reason. We’re doing

Conference Finals.

the Stanley Cup. However, Las

a good job of proving everybody

Vegas overall was undefeated.

wrong,” and that they did.

As VGK went first

Vegas

Golden

Stanley Cup Finals

As they say, the house always

HERE WE COME!

wins.

Crowds

As

gathered

throughout

In July of 2018, Reaves

On the ice, he is

During a news

alongside

Fleury,

When we had the opportunity to catch up with Reaves at City

we

prepare

ourselves

for

National

Arena’s

Mackenzie

the valley to support the Knights

the second season of our city

River Pizza Grill & Pub, he was

throughout this historic journey,

wide loved team, Real Vegas

as humble as one can be. The

even when the odds weren’t

magazine

pleasure

right wing beast, started skating

favorable.

a

and delight to meet terminator

when he was 5 years old, loves

city together that needed to

and right wing Ryan Reaves.

a good old IPA and dances to

see a glimmer of hope again.

Previously

the

Ed Sheeran during photoshoots.

Welcome to our turf, this is our

Penguins and the Blues, Reaves

Throughout the course of the

home. As the Knights prepared

joined the Knights in February,

shoot, Ryan was noticed by fans

for their biggest moments yet,

and

record

who were practicing on and off

we as locals, prepared ourselves

breaking season when he made

the ice and was humble enough

to support them, afterall, their

the game-winning goal in game

to stop and take pictures with

biggest

ours

5 against the Winnipeg Jets,

youngsters both on and off the

Game 1 of the Stanley

sending VGK to the Stanley Cup

ice.

too.

They

moments

brought

were

had

the

playing

assisted

in

for

the

16

REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

He was taking selfies with fans and their smiles were sheer excitement that he was so approachable and kind. As most Las Vegas locals are eagerly anticipating and awaiting the 2nd season and what it holds, we will be once again supporting our magnificent team and will be watching Ryan Reaves a little closer now that we got to know him a little more close and personal.

From all of the Real Vegas magazine staff, we’d like to give a heartfelt thank you to all the VGK players, the management and fans for being so supportive in our local community and we are looking forward to seeing the Vegas Golden Knight’s defy the odds again this year!

Photos by Michael W. Rogers

Photo by @_kahlos_

Notable Old School Ve g a s Families That Shaped Las

\

Ve g a s

IT’S not every day that an average local Las Vegas native is invited to sit down for lunch with the wellrespected Senator Richard Bryan. However, being that there is history between my late Grandfather and him, he politely obliged and generously offered some missing pieces to the puzzle of the Wiener history. Louis Wiener Jr. was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His family moved out here in the 1930’s and had a tailor shop off of Main Street, if I am not mistaken.

Louis Wiener, or “Poppa Lou” as us grandchildren called him, was a self-motivated and ambitious man.

He

attended college at the University of Reno before going to law school at University of California at Berkeley, and passed the Nevada State Bar in 1941. Louis Wiener Jr. was a remarkable man that greatly impacted the Las Vegas community, and although he didn’t sing praises of his contributions to our city, others did and still do so till this day.

Having been one of the very few bona-fide criminal defense attorneys here in town since the 1940’s was just one of his magnificent achievements throughout his life. In addition to represented such notable clients as Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, Howard Hughes, Red Fox, Frank Sinatra, and Kirk Kerkorian, Louis Wiener was also the longest tenured attorney in all of Southern Nevada, having practiced law in Las Vegas from 1941 to the time of his retirement and passing in 1996. He was also an integral part of Sunbelt Broadcasting, the parent company of Channel 3, which he owned.

»

By: Candice Wiener

Seemingly fit, I find it ironic to find myself in the Publishing and Media sector here in Las Vegas 31 years after Sunbelt Broadcasting was founded. Louis Wiener served on the Board of Directors for the Nevada Law Foundation, Boys’ Town, the Andre Agassi Foundation, and UNLV. He also provided countless philanthropic support for these foundations, as well as many other local businesses throughout the Las Vegas Valley.

The grandfather I remember was very gentle, generous, kind, and loving. He was full of wisdom and compassion for not just our family, but for the community in its entirety.

Very well respected throughout Las Vegas, I can recall a time in high school when I arrived late to my 4th period math class (I usually did since this class was right after lunch).

I recollect walking into class and quietly over to my desk. When the substitute teacher called me out and instructed me to go over to the tardy sheet and sign in, I thought to myself, our normal math teacher doesn’t ever usually make me sign in.

Reluctantly, I complied and

signed my name to the tardy sheet. It’s not like one tardy mark for the year was going to tarnish to my transcripts.

Then the substitute teacher began to introduce himself to the class. When he had finished, he proceeded to walk over to the teacher’s desk and review the tardy sheet. Seeing my last name as Wiener, he called me up to his desk and asked me if Louis Wiener was my father.

“No, he’s my grandfather,” I said. He replied, “Well, would

rode on the heels of that catastrophic event, that is still

you believe that? Your grandfather just so happened to

so fresh in our minds, to bring the community together

help me get started and funded my legal career back

and bring renewed Vegas pride.

in the days when I used to practice law. Let’s just erase

would like to dedicate this issue to my late Grandfather,

your name right off of that tardy list.”

Louis Wiener, Jr., who inspired me to give more than I

But additionally, I

take and be grateful for my blessings, and who taught It was at that point that I realized how much Louis

by example how to achieve success while funding other

Weiner had done for the community and just how broad

locals’ business opportunities and supporting our Real

his impact was.

This reaffirmed my passion for our

local community by giving back, and educating Las

community and renewed my pride in everything he had

Vegas locals on just what it means to be the Real source

done to help shape Southern Nevada and Las Vegas.

of local information and history – the Real influencers of

I intrinsically knew at a very young age that he was a

the Vegas valley, both past and present. We hope you

positive male role model in my life, and the lives of so

enjoy following and learning tidbits of information that

many more, and that he was genuinely a phenomenal

have previously only available to some of the smaller

leader and pioneer in the Las Vegas community.

local families that helped build and shape our city! Stay tuned for more interesting details encompassed with

Louis Wiener, Jr. was owner of many local businesses

“The Native Juice”.

and partner in many more, such as Davis Funeral Homes; one of my all-time favorites, the Alpine Village Inn;

Real Vegas magazine is THE ONLY local magazine that

and the breakfast spot that was where the main focus

is brought to you by locals, for locals, and will proudly

of our family solidarity came from, the Omelet House

provide you with relevant content within the pages of

on Charleston and Rancho (an all-time hidden gem if

each issue. We are looking to interview Vegas families

you’ve never been there). That was where I would sit

that have generations of born and raised locals from the

and soak up not just sports betting talk, but also the

grandchildren’s perspective.

various conversations of our city and mob culture. With

Las Vegas families that you would like to nominate

conversations about how Bugsy Siegel preferred to (and

for possible inclusion in an upcoming

not to) be addressed, as well as learning that Red Fox

series

was the first African-American to walk through the front

realvegasmagazine.com.

doors of a Las Vegas Casino, I was both fascinated and

also very receptive and open to any

immersed in the history and notoriety of Vegas history to

feedback or suggestions, so please

say the least.

always feel free to reach out to us!

With my grandfather’s many attributes to the local community, it was only natural that his legacy and name become part of his long-standing footprint on our community. Far beyond what he ever imagined, UNLV dedicated the name of their practice soccer field after him, as well as the UNLV Legal Law Library. And it was no coincidence when the family received the invite to the reveal of Louis Wiener, Jr. Elementary School, located close to one of his beloved friend, Battista Locatelli.

Subsequently, I have committed to running a series of “The Native Juice” stories each and every issue, introducing you to other notable families that have helped shaped Las Vegas into the city that we live in and love today.

This inaugural issue is a tribute to the 10.01.17 tragedy, and dedicated to the Vegas Golden Knights who truly

article,

please

If you have any notable

email We

info@ are

“long-standing footprint on our community.”

“It was in those days we became

\

»

THE time was shortly after 10pm, nearing the end of the shift, when an urgent sounding female voice came over the police scanner.

“Shots fired.

At least eighteen,

possibly nineteen victims.

Some

fatalities. This is an active shooter.”

I heard it myself and remember thinking, was this real? victims?

Nineteen

You can generally tell

the seriousness of a situation by the tone of the dispatcher’s voice.

The assignment editor, director, producer and I all heard it.

This

WAS as real as it gets! I ran to the studio and my co-staffers rushed to their positions as well.

We

knew we would be breaking into programming very shortly, even though we had no confirmation of what was actually going on, or what would happen next.

That for me was the start of One

October,

what

would

By: Gerard Ramalho

become

desperately wanted to know what

the single most significant event

was happening. The actual facts

of my broadcast career.

For the

unfortunately materialized slowly:

next five hours I would remain

The victims were at the Route 91

on set, eventually joined by my

Country Music Festival.

colleagues

Reed

and

were coming from Mandalay Bay.

My friend Phil

Clearly there would be more than

Ramos, a retired Metro Homicide

19 victims. That much we did know.

Detective, would join us as well.

Police and other authorities initially

What followed was a tidal wave

were not communicating with the

of information and questions. My

media as they would typically,

cell phone, everyone’s phone was

which sometimes occurs when a

buzzing non-stop. “I think there’s

situation is still fluid. We knew this

something going on at Mandalay

situation was unique, but it was

Bay.” “I think we’re under attack.”

frustrating. I personally had to rely

“Is this terrorism?”

After all, the

on my own police and fire sources

9-11 attackers did spend time in

who were providing me information

Las Vegas.

in a non-official capacity.

Latoya Silmon.

Cowan

The shots

We did our best to

The

analyze what was happening and

texts and information from the

broadcast information that was not

public however continued to pour

just factual, but helpful. I’d never

in, “There are multiple shooters

before felt such a responsibility at

and victims at several casinos.”

my job, or to my community. People

“We’re hearing there’s a shooter

REAL VEGAS

//

21

RealVegasMagazine.com

in a helicopter.” These turned out

people in the newsroom broke

not to be true, and thankfully we

down.

didn’t report them. It was difficult

Everyone knew someone at that

to determine what was real and

concert. I was also equally moved

what wasn’t. We knew there was

by how the community stepped

a lot of suffering, a lot of blood,

up,

and we also knew it was still in

elected

progress. Our two field reporters,

countless calls from people asking,

Nathan O’Neil and Christy Wilcox

“How can I help?” It was all very

had

humbling.

arrived

on

scene

within

minutes, so we cut to them live

And why wouldn’t they?

churches,

organizations,

officials.

I

received

One friend of mine

owns restaurants here in town and

as much as possible. I remember seeing panicked people running in the background of their video feed, also armored SWAT vehicles

now? Emotion set in for some of us

speeding through.

I thought to

as we heard about people being

myself, okay good Metro is on it.

carried out, young people, families

They’ll end this. I also remember

who had attended the concert

feeling a sense of pride about our

together.

Then I received a text

she temporarily shut them down

reporters and their willingness to

from our Chief Meteorologist Kevin

so that they could prepare and

brave a dangerous situation to

Janison, “What do we know? My

deliver meals for victim’s families

do their jobs. They too were First

daughter was at that concert.”

and first responders.

Responders.

We

many, many stories like this.

It was about that

also

received

phone

calls

There were The

time we started to receive cell

from two KSNV employees who

blood banks were turning people

phone footage with audio of the

were at the concert as well and

away

gun shots. So many shots fired. It

were still hunkered down behind

had more than enough blood

had to be automatic weapons.

a building waiting for evacuation

donations.

How

orders from police. It didn’t take

also came pouring in. Then came

long for us to realize this event, this

the miracle of the Vegas Golden

tragedy, would affect our entire

Knights. Amazing to think a brand

community.

many

victims

were

there

All of us!

because

they

already

Financial donations

Thankfully

new sports franchise could help

Kevin’s daughter and the two KSNV

heal and unite a community, but

employees did get out safely. Too

that’s exactly what happened.

many others did not.

One October and the days that Our

non-stop

coverage

continue for several days.

would I was

followed is a time when I grieved for my community,

impressed by my colleagues and

but also loved

the way they handled both the

my community

crisis and the response. We began

like never

to

before. It was in

learn

about

the

individuals

affected, and about the heroes

those days we

who acted bravely as shots were

became Vegas

still being fired.

Strong.

Again, these

were emotional days.

At times

22

REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

\

Making a Difference

»

By: Board Co-Chair, Jennifer Bradley

I HAVE been a proud board member, and current Co-

Anyone can help support the cause and fund local

Chair for the local American Cancer Society for the

programs and groundbreaking life-saving research by

past 5 years. The cause personally means so much

participating in our Making Strides Las Vegas walk

to me as my grandpa passed away from lung cancer

on October 28 at Red Rock Resort & Casino. Our

and I have had several friends and their children

national presenting sponsor is Avon, and also include

recently diagnosed, so I will continue to advocate the

local flagship sponsors: Station Casinos, Red Rock,

importance to help fight for a word without cancer. If

Caesars Entertainment, Smith’s Food & Drug, Molly’s

you are looking for a place to volunteer, The American

Gaming & Spirits and OptumCare Cancer Care.

Cancer Society is a global grassroot charity of nearly 2

Registration opens at 7am, with the program beginning

million volunteers dedicated to saving and celebrating

at 8am. This inspirational family friendly cause event

lives.

From breakthrough research, to free lodging

includes kid’s activities, photo opportunities with a big

near treatment, a 24/7/365 live helpline, free rides to

pink chair, Survivor VIP area with activities, pre-walk

treatment, and convening powerful activists to create

warmup and entertainment.

awareness and impact, the American Cancer Society

had more than 26,000 supporters and raised $700,000.

is attacking cancer from every angle.

Last year, we proudly

Cancer touches everyone and the need to continue

Over a dozen local business and community leaders

to create awareness, support, and cancer fighting

will unite to fight breast cancer with the American

research. “When I was in the second grade, my

Cancer Society as ambassadors who will encourage

mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was

community members to take action in the fight against

only 37 years old. I did not fully grasp the severity of

breast cancer. Each Real Men Wear Pink participant

our situation until a few weeks later when I heard my

accepts a fundraising challenge and will compete

mom crying behind a closed bathroom door.

I had

to be the top fundraiser among his peers by the end

never heard or seen her cry. My mom was the strongest

of the campaign. A few of the 13 notables from the

person I have ever met, so for her to break down was

Las Vegas business community, including Dr. David

a serious wake up call.

After a Mastectomy of her

Steinberg from the Steinberg Diagnostic Imaging

left breast and chemotherapy, my mom celebrated

centers; Philip Knott, Tivoli Village; Don Giancursio of

remission for almost 15 years, tearfully says, Amanda

United Healthcare; Aaron Rosenthal from Tropicana,

Klein, Co-Chair, American Cancer Society.

Las Vegas; Farhan Naqvi, Farhan Injury Law; Craig

“In that

time, she helped other patients in their fight.

She

Kirkland,

Nevada

State

Bank;

William

Jordan

,

would sit and listen to what they were going through

OptumCare Cancer Center; Chris Gellner, Fiesta

and could offer understanding and support.

She

Rancho; Howard Sheppard, Community Ambulance;

raised money for cancer research. She walked, she

Chuck Esposito, Sunset Station; and Gerard Ramahlo,

ran, and she wore pink ribbons. Despite all her efforts,

anchor at NBC 3/CW .

in 2005 the cancer came back this time, it had spread to her lymph nodes. In 2009 after more radiation

“In addition to wearing pink and raising awareness

and chemo therapy my mom lost her battle with this

about breast cancer, these men will be raising funds

terrible disease. But I continue her fight by advocating

to help the American Cancer Society attack cancer

for cancer research.”

from every angle and save more lives from breast cancer,” said Allen Oakley, Community Development Director for the American Cancer Society.

“Funds

raised help us save lives from breast cancer through early detection and prevention, innovative breast cancer research, and patient support.”

For

more

information

about

the

events

and

information, visit cancer.org.

Making Strides of Las Vegas

Additionally, we also encourage men to participate the fight against cancer with our REAL MEN WEAR PINK campaign. According to the American Cancer

Check-in and Registration opens at 7am

Society Cancer Facts & Figures 2018, an estimated

Program begins at 8am, walk starts at 830am

266,120 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and an estimated 40,920 will die

Family friendly, kid’s activities, photo opportunities

from the disease this year. In Nevada, over nearly

with big pink chair, Survivor VIP area with activities,

2,200 women will be diagnosed this year, and 390 are

pre-walk warmup and entertainment. 2017 brought

expected to die from the disease. Breast cancer is the

26,000 people and raised $700,000.

second leading cause of cancer death in women, and it is the most common cancer diagnosed in women

Funds local programs and services and groundbreaking

other than skin cancer.

life-saving research into new treatments and cures.

Health Tips From a Closet Healthy Girl »

By: Andrea Dupper

\

REAL VEGAS

FIRST,

you slept through the night. TEN THINGS! Next, find a place where you can sit quietly for ten minutes with

series. I’m a woman who has read enough health

your thoughts. A room in your house, outside on your

and wellness books to have earned a degree in nutrition (but I don’t have one). I’m the woman that has worked out with enough professionals to be a

with a positive body image and deflects by making the jokes about myself first.

have them.

Don’t be surprised if when you first start this practice

I live a life surrounded by women that are flawless, themselves that way.

I sit outside by

my pool as the sun comes up. Sit, with your favorite you have in your life and how fortunate you are to

professional, semi confidant woman that struggles

who

patio, a walk in your neighborhood.

coffee, tea, morning drink and think of all the things

certified trainer (but I’m not). I am a 46-year-old,

goddesses

25

RealVegasMagazine.com

grateful for. They can be as simple as you’re grateful

I want to tell you a little about who

I am, and why it’s important for me to write this

impeccable

//

fight

daily

to

see

I have a tribe of women who

are strong, independent, powerful career women with husbands and children that don’t see how remarkable they are and the impact they make. I wanted to write this article as the woman I am; the imperfect, flawed, intelligent, beautiful and remarkable woman, to help others just like me.

We as women, spend a

lot of time, programed by society, social media, television, Hollywood and our peers to judge ourselves.

We always see what we don’t have, who we’re not, how our bodies have failed to be perfect. I’ll share with you a recent morning.

“I’m grateful for the tribe of women in my life. I am grateful for their strength, when I am all out. Hmmm, strength, I remember when I could squat 600 lbs., now

This issue, I want to talk to you about mindset… because that’s what I’m working on. Mindset! It’s the most powerful thing we have as humans, as women, our free will, the ability to think for ourselves, to take in information and determine what to do with it. When we wake up every morning, we determine our mindset for the day. We decide how we’re going to experience the traffic on the 215 on the way into work. It can be a 30-minute commute to listen to your favorite audio book, a motivational book relaxing classical music, or your favorite radio station. Or it can be spent hating your life, the driver that cut you off, wondering why you go to this job you hate to begin with.

I weigh 600lbs. (which I don’t!!) Remember my legs, how ripped, now my thighs just rub together in a jello-y mess…

(remembering I am being grateful).

I am

grateful for my thighs that are strong enough to carry me day to day.”

So, you see, I am a work in progress. It takes time for us to change our mindset. We must train our brains, our thoughts just like we train our bodies. We owe it to ourselves to be the healthiest, strongest, and most grateful version of ourselves possible.

Learn to

love and appreciate the light

I don’t want to come off as some preachy, self-help, motivational guru, but when things work, they work.

There’s a billion-dollar industry that keeps proving it.

Try this for the next month: spend the first ten minutes of your day in gratitude. If you can’t do ten minutes, start with five and work your way up.

you don’t remain grateful.

Before your

feet ever touch the floor, think of ten things you are

you generate.

UNTIL NEXT TIME… BE GRATEFUL FOR

Fat thighs!

Doctor

DR. Sean Su, MD

Dr. Sean Su, MD, primary care physician is focused on providing experienced and passionate care to patients in the Las Vegas area.

Dr. Su is available to see patients for initial consultations and conservative pain procedures, with a special focus on serving patients who require medical care due to a personal injury. Dr. Su will conduct a patient evaluation and recommend an appropriate and efficient course of treatment.

Dr. Su offers convenient and flexible scheduling from his office in Northwest Summerlin. Same day appointments are available.

Sean Su, MD is a graduate of University of CaliforniaIrvine and earned his medical degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine. In private practice since 1999, Dr. Su provides primary care and cosmetic services to patients in the Las Vegas, Nevada Area

Call today to schedule an appointment

702.240.4242 2451 Professional Court, Ste 110, Las Vegas, NV 89128 Photography by Michael W. Rogers

Photo by Michael W. Rogers

Suzie Nguyen-Su, DDS is a Doctor of Dental Surgery, focused on providing full dental services ad creating beautiful smiles across the Las Vegas community.

Dr. Su is available to see patients for comprehensive and cosmetic dental services, including patients who require treatment due to a personal injury. Dr. Su will conduct an initial patient evaluation and conduct a specific course of treatment to address the patient’s needs.

Dr. Su offers convenient and flexible scheduling from her office in Northwest Summerlin. Same day appointments are available.

Suzie Nguyen-Su, DDS is a graduate of University of California-Irvine, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from UCLA. She completed an Advanced Specialty Education Program in Periodontics at Loma Linda School of Dentistry. Dr. Nguyen-Su is proud to serve the Las Vegas community, taking the time to address the personal needs of each of her patients.

D.D.S

S u z i e Ng u y e n - S u . D . D . S

Photo by Bryant Boucher

L a s Ve g a s Na t i ve AMY PURDY

»

By: Candice Wiener

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

29

\

REAL VEGAS

YOU

don’t know the definition of real

strength until you’ve met Amy Purdy.

Amy

Purdy is a dear childhood friend and I have had the pleasure of knowing her better than most.

Not only has this woman helped revolutionalize the prosthetics industry and created her very own charity that benefits sports aficionados that have lost a limb due to any extenuating circumstances including war survivors, etc., she also has impacted the Las Vegas community and certainly left her mark as a native born and raised Las Vegan.

Amy and I grew up together in Las Vegas and her family used to run the rodeo here in town.

I vividly remember going to the rodeo with her and her family each year.

I also have a

good recollection of a lot of various childhood memories like taking her dogs on our roller blades over the ramp on Smoke Ranch and

Rainbow and them dragging us right in front of oncoming traffic, but after we realized we were all ok and no one got injured, boy did we laugh and laugh about that for days!

That’s

just one of the fond memories of times we spent together growing up here in Las Vegas.

Amy Purdy was not your typical Vegas girl.

She always had a heart of gold and defied the odds in life not only personally but also professionally. She grew to have a passion for snowboarding and other outdoor sports. At the young and tender age of 19, she contracted Bacterial Meningitis while fighting for her life and ultimately lost both of her legs.

Amy is

now a professional snowboarder, a three-time Paralympic medalist and the most decorated Paralympic snowboarder in all of US history.

She has also widely excelled recently in the upper echelons of world-class athletics and is also a celebrated NY Times best-selling author.

30

REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

Amy is a true “Real Las Vegas Local Survivor” and we couldn’t be more honored to share a part of her story and journey with you. Amy’s beauty inside and out has made her a household name through countless interviews, articles and platforms.

She has inspired

millions of people through her TED talk, motivational speeches and social media platforms with her “Live At the age of 32, Amy appeared in CBS’s hit show, The

Inspired” message.

Amazing Race. She has toured and packed arenas all throughout the nation with the humble participation

Something you may not know about Amy is that she

of her friend, Oprah Winfrey.

She appeared in the

currently resides in Colorado and has a pet wild fox…

ABC’s hit show Dancing with the Stars with her

yes, you heard it right. A pet fox named Kit who visits

dancing partner Derek Hough and was the runner-up

her daily. There are absolutely no limits with Amy in

that season.

She was nationally acclaimed for her

both her personal and professional career so be sure

appearance on the Toyota Super Bowl commercial

to keep up to date and follow her social media pages

and she also has danced in front of hundreds of

for what’s next to come.

millions of viewers during the Opening Ceremonies of the 2016 Paralympic Games.

With 491,000+ social media followers, it’s not hard to see why

Purdy continues to spread her message of “why be

Amy became a household name.

ordinary when we were born to be extra-ordinary”

Find and follow her with her

which clearly speaks of her message and all of her

283k+ followers on Instagram

works. She believes firmly in “living & giving” and is the

@amypurdygurl

founder of her own non-profit organization Adaptive Action Sports through which she supports athletes and veterans with disabilities.

She has traveled to

underserved communities in the US, Africa and South America to share her message, and recently took on the role of Cultural Envoy to Brazil on behalf of the Ambassador and Consult General, bridging ties between the countries and inspiring women, youth and communities to live inspired lives.

"why be

ordinary when we

were born to be

She believes firmly in “living & giving� and is the founder of her own non-profit organization Adaptive Action Sports through which she supports athletes and veterans with disabilities. `

Photo by Bryant Boucher

Our rates have changed: Receive

40% off when you sign up for

Home and Auto Policy We will beat your rate or give you a

free gift card!

Maria Miuccio 4195 S Grand Canyon Dr. Suite 106 | Las Vegas, NV 89147 P 702.257.8888 | F 702.656.8888 MariaMiuccio@allstate.com

2018

Breedan and Associates ADAM BREEDAN

Marquis Aurbach Coffing ALBERT MARQUIS

Anthony Paglia AJ Kung Law

Injury Lawyer

AJ KUNG

ANTHONY PAGLIA

Massey and Associates Litt Law Firm

Law Firm

AMANDA LITT

AUGUSTA MASSEY

Bongiovi Law

Benson and Bingham

BOBBY MISKO

Mainor Wirth BRADLEY MAINOR

Cassady Law Offices BRANDI CASSADY

BEN BINGHAM

Dimopoulos Law Firm STEVE DIMOPOULOS Owner of Dimopoulos Injury law Firm and Ticket Trashers Ticket Attorneys.

Dimopoulos is a personal injury attorney and bar exam expert having scored in the 99th percentile (top-one-percentnationally) on the multistate bar exam.

Dimopoulos is licensed in three states (Nevada, Florida, and Michigan) and has recovered millions on behalf of his clients.

L

E

G

A

L

E

L

I

T E

•

7 0

2 .

8 0

0

.

6

0

0

0

Bertoldo Baker Carter and Smith BRETT CARTER

Hay Law CAROL HAY

The Hayes Law Firm

DALE HAYES

Eglet Prince DENNIS PRINCE

Lybarger Law Offices CHARLES LYBARGER

The Jacks Law Group DAVID JACKS

Ladah Law Firm DINA ROMAYA LADAH

Prudhomme Law Office ED PRUDHOMME

Dallas Horton and Eric Roy Law Firm ERIC ROY

Schwartz Flansburg FRANK FLANSBURG

Associates DALLAS HORTON Dallas Horton is the owner of Dallas Horton & Associates in Las Vegas. He is a fierce litigator who has received many multimillion-dollar results, verdicts, and settlements. Horton has been named a Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Nevada since 2009 and is AV-rated, the highest legal and ethical rating for lawyers.

SETTLE FOR MORE. Get Settlements with the Best.

Schedule your Free Consultation!

702.380.3100

GGRM Law

Bongiovi Law

GABE MARTINEZ

GINA BONGIOVI

Cogburn Law Offices

Mainor Wirth

JAMIE COGBURN

JOSEPH WIRTH

Hanratty Law Group

Cogburn Law Offices

KARI HANRATTY

KRISTIN COGBURN

Ruiz Law Firm

Adam Smith Law

LAWERENCE RUIZ

ADAM SMITH

Mckeller Law Offices MANDY MCKELLER

Henness and Haight MARK HENNESS

Adam Smith is a Las Vegas attorney with a unique combination of personal injury and complex litigation experience.

Adam’s legal practice was born out of a career specializing in complex problems.

Adam began his working career as an accountant and consultant with the world’s largest accounting firm. During that time, Adam helped coordinate a Chicago city-wide program helping underprivileged families complete tax returns and take advantage of tax credits and refunds. As an accountant, Adam consulted on massive legal cases and investigated complicated fraud schemes. These experiences led Adam to a passion for the law and its mandate for rigid ethics.

A D A M S M I T H has spent his entire career focused on helping those in need. This focus has helped Adam win numerous awards, including being honored for leadership, advocacy and client satisfaction. Adam uses his unique experience in personal injury and complex litigation to seek the best possible results for clients. Adam also does not shy away from difficult or contentious cases and issues. His experience includes trial, argument before the Nevada Supreme Court, and argument before the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Adam brings his passion and complex problem solving skills to every case

2340 PASEO DEL PRADO SUITE D203 LAS VEGAS, NV 89102

702.929.2289

702 Firm MICHAEL KANE

Ghandi Deeter Blackham NEDDA GHANDI

Mazzeo Law Firm PETER MAZZEO

Clear Counsel Law Group MICHAEL STEIN

Hutchison and Steffen PATTY LEE

Marquis Aurbach Coffing PHILLIP AURBACH

Reza Athari and Ladah Law Firm RAMZY LADAH

Associates REZA ATHARI

The Law Offices at

Cardenas Law Group ROB CARDENAS

Eglat Prince ROBERT EGLET

Garrett T. Ogata GARRETT T. OGATA Garrett T. Ogata attended The University of Maryland – School of Law in Baltimore, Maryland. He began his career as a law clerk for Judge Michael Douglas in Clark County, Nevada. He focuses his practice in DUI defense and criminal defense and is licensed to practice law in Nevada, California and Utah. Garrett has worked on numerous cases and can provide excellent representation for your case.

DUI CRIMINAL DEFENSE SEALING OF RECORDS TRAFFIC TICKETS

70 2 . 3 6 6 . 0 8 9 1 in fo@gto g ata. co m G T O G ATA . C O M

\

#METOO

is an all too serious movement

currently making headlines to avoid making mention of.

Many strong and powerful women have been

subjugated to inequality or a misogynistic leader and/ or boss, or significant other at one point in time in their life. Often times it has been said that “it’s not about what happens to you, but it is about how you react to the situation that matters”. This movement spread virally in October of 2017 on an international level.

As some say, where there’s one cockroach found crawling, there’s more than likely a ton of others behind that one.

This is true for women across the country

who have had enough, living in a time where we have continually accepted negative behavior by allowing it and not coming together to support one another and take a stand for what is right. This issue is dedicated to survivors. People who have survived any significant amount of abuse typically go one of two ways. They traditionally either take a stance of: whatever doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger, or they revert into a victim mentality blaming what’s happened to them for their circumstances.

The real local influencers featured

in this issue are the epitome of success and survival skills are a foundational and fundamental concept of their levels of achievement. And we hope you enjoy learning about these community leaders as much as we have putting together their stories.

The entire #METOO campaign aligns one common vision: “empowerment through empathy,” indicating that survivors of abuse are not alone when they go through challenging times and if we can share that same message of strength, courage and empathy in our own local community, we can all help heal and shape our city and support those who have tremendous potential to help make Las Vegas increasingly the best city to live in. Both women and men alike. Although the current movement and initiative is indicative

of women who have endured abuse, men are not exempt from suffering and enduring hardships, at least in my humble opinion. Not from a feminist standpoint, but from a humanitarian standpoint, feminism never did much for me, except for ensure that when raising my daughters as a single mother, I surely got to bring home the bacon, cook it up in the frying pan, and a special thank you to feminism; I was now able to clean up after it was served as well, then wake up and do it all over again. Not to say that I disagree with positive societal changes for women’s rights, but having strong, supportive male roles that back the positive changes is key.

This issue, we are pleased to showcase and highlight the first-responders that are featured on one of our front covers as well as the Vegas Golden Knights and we are beyond excited for another fascinating and incredible season this year! This issue is also dedicated to our amazing 2018 TOP Real Lawyers in Las Vegas.

Be it a traffic ticket, horrific criminal defense case or more complex litigation matter, we as locals know just how significant attorneys are and their positive impact on our community is absolutely crucial. A deep-felt thank you for what they do on a regular basis!

We certainly do hope that you enjoy this inaugural issue of Real Vegas magazine as much as we have putting it together as a team!

Please follow us on

social media @realvegasmagazine to stay up to date on upcoming events and happenings right here in our city. We do hope you will join us out for one of our upcoming events very soon!

Thank

you

for

your

continued

support to our advertisers and hope everyone has a wonderful fall season!

REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

but seriously, »

By: Candice Wiener

43

T h e L a s Ve g a s

&

REAL VEGAS

//

45

RealVegasMagazine.com

All photos by Margaret Pattillo

Infuses the Summerlin Area with World Renowned Chefs, Spirits and Local Ta l e n t

B y : Ty r a B e l l - H o l l a n d

\

\

Âť ON

OCTOBER

4-7,

Tivoli

Village will be transformed into a fully interactive foodie and vino-lover’s paradise as the Las Vegas Food & Wine Festival takes over the Tuscan style scape and cobblestone lined roads.

This world-class event produced by Barcelona Enterprises consists of over fifty world renowned chefs, both locally and internationally celebrated, as well as vintage wines, spirits and gourmet pastries.

The event takes place annually in Las

Vegas, and has named Tivoli Village as its home for 2018 as it will host the biggest crowd this festival has ever seen.

46

REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

Located in the posh enclave of Summerlin, Tivoli

Internationally recognized chefs will include chef Chris

Village got us closer to the perfect demographic

Santos of Tao Group, James Beard, award-winning

for our event,” said Alan Semsar, CEO of Barcelona

chef Francois Payard and master sushi chef Katsuya

Enterprises when asked why they chose Tivoli Village

Uechi.

as their home for 2018. “The property is the ideal, one stop experiential destination that serves the affluent

Aside from culinary delights, the Vegas Food & Wine

customer.”

festival will offer top-notch beverage service and related activations including a Ketel One Botanical cart, live mixologists that will encompass spirits such as Don Julio and Bulleit Burbon, as well as a private rosé themed benefit brunch to kick everything off while raising money for the year’s selected charity.

Each year, the event chooses a local charity to benefit, and this year’s charity is the American Cancer Society of Las Vegas.

Tivoli Village general manager Philip Knott committed to raising $2,500 for their Real Men Wear Pink

Campaign,

and

through

ticket proceeds, his commitment has already been surpassed.

The event will bring a mere 5,000 attendees to Tivoli

The

Village, and will be property-wide, incorporating many

experience that includes endless sips and bites. For

of the restaurants and retailers on property.

a more elevated VIP experience, private VIP cabanas

Some

event

offers

festival

access,

tasting

Marvin of Echo & Rig, Chef Leticia Mitchell of Leticia’s

service and elegant, secluded seating options. For

Mexican Cocina and Chef Mike Anderson from Brio

more information on the festival

Tuscan Grille. Other local Las Vegas based chefs will

and for last-minute tickets, visit

include Chef Matt Fresinski of Mercato Della Pescheria

vegasfoodandwine.com.

District One LV.

early

admission

are

Table and Kitchen Table Squared and Chef Khai Vu of

with

general

of the chefs local to Tivoli Village include Chef Sam

and Café Americano, Chef Javier Chavez of Kitchen

available

a

bottle

Embroidery shop Full Service Custom Apparel & Screen Printing

in North Las Vegas, Nevada

702.768.9822 3802 Civic Center Drive North Las Vegas, NV 89030

48

REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

3 WAYS To M a k e t h e L e a p f r o m

\

Âť THE

average

employee

that works full time will spend 1/3+

of

their

life

building

someone else’s dream. can

amount

to

over

That 90,000

hours in a lifetime. What if even a small portion of your time was spent building your own dream business? The leap from employee to entrepreneur can be terrifying for some.

Many

think they must quit their job and give the new venture 100% of their time. This mentality will many times stop someone that is currently an employee from

to

By : G a l i t Ve n t u ra - Roze n

attempting to make the leap. It

new business venture and still

is possible to start building your

continue to support their family

dream business while continuing

with their current job. Once my

to work in your current job to

clients realize they spend 1/3 of

have the security of a stable

their life working and building

income.

someone

Recognize that even

else’s

dream,

the

spending an hour a day on your

motivation is in place to start

new business venture is an hour

working on building their own

a day closer to building your

dream.

own dream. It is possible, and it

aware of your motivation for

is both amazing and rewarding

doing so. If the motivation is not

once you do.

there as well as the passion for

with

my

When working

business

It is important to be

coaching

the business you want to start or

clients we set up a plan and

take to the next level, the drive

a goal based on how many

to build the business will not

hours they can commit to their

follow.

REAL VEGAS

01

RealVegasMagazine.com

SCHEDULE THE TIME Set

up

calendar

time a

in

your

month

in

advance; weekly or even daily to work on your new business.

Life

happens

Even a small portion

and if the time is not set aside in advance, it will not happen.

//

We get into routines, fill our time with the

of your time was

to do list and forget that 5 minutes a day is 5 minutes closer to building your own dream.

spent building

Do not cancel

YOUR OWN DREAM

these scheduled appointments and take them just as seriously as you would a deadline at work.

BUSINESS?

»

KNOW YOUR WHY

02

When

making

the

leap to entrepreneur you

are

your

own

There will

Making a leap from employee to entrepreneur can

be days where you will

start from the smallest leap and grow into the largest

be exhausted or come

leap.

motivator.

You are unique and the way you approach

up with multiple excuses not to work on your business

starting on your path to your own business should be

after a long day’s work in your job. Knowing your why,

at your own pace. Do not mistake this with staying in

will give you the motivation to continue to work at

your comfort zone and not taking chances. You must

it. Your why can be many things but be clear about

make a different decision today to have a different

it. Building your own dream, making a better life for

outcome tomorrow.

yourself, doing what you love, making an impact in

entrepreneurs in America, if you want to be one of

the world and many more are just a few common

them you must make a different decision today to

examples.

have a different outcome tomorrow.

Over 27 million Americans are

Starting with

these three ways to make the leap can be your way to the many advantages of becoming an entrepreneur.

03

THE HOW

Galit Ventura-Rozen is a 20+ year entrepreneur,

“I don’t know how,”

business performance expert, professional speaker and

is the excuse I hear

mentor who works with businesses

the most from current

to increase their productivity and

employees wanting to

profits through attracting their ideal

start their own business.

client, entrepreneurial speaking,

My response, “The how

and more. She can be reached at

is the easy part!” There is an expert in this world for anything you do not know how to accomplish. As well as the resources, tools, education and more.

www.galitventurarozen.com

49

Âť

Jennifer Burbank is the owner of FNOM Worldwide, a Las Vegas event company. If there’s a restaurant that you would like for Jennifer to review please e-mail jburbank@fnomworldwide.com

By: Jennifer Burbank

Now, let’s talk food.

\

All photos by Bavette’s Steakhouse & Bar

RUNNING

my event business occupies about 95% of my world, so I

take full advantage of free time when life affords it by eating my way around our fabulous city. However; let’s just say that I may intentionally plan meetings, or “eatings” around lunch or dinner just for the sake of deleting the restaurants lingering in my Yelp bookmarks. So… I digress, let’s be real, I’m eating 100% of the time whether I’m busy or not. With that being said I feel it would be a great injustice not to share my vast cornucopia of dining experience with you, because it just might lead you to discover something exciting and new or could even save you some hard-earned cash that would be better spent elsewhere. Either way it would be my absolute pleasure to be your guiding dining light!

All photos by Bavette’s Steakhouse & Bar

First up on the menu, Bavette’s

than your reservation so that you

Steakhouse

Originally

can luxuriate at the bar with a

established in 2012 as Bavette’s

classic cocktail or two. My usual

&

Bar.

Bar & Boeuf in Chicago, the restaurant found its way to the top of a long list of steakhouses by ranking number one in Chicago Mag. Vegas was lucky enough to inherit this little gem in the fall of 2017. Bavette’s Steakhouse & Bar is situated in the newly renovated

Now why would a

N O N - M E AT E AT E R enjoy a steakhouse you ask?

request, a slightly dirty vodka martini with blue cheese olives, screams glamour when shaken and served by a well-dressed bartender in a crisp white shirt and black tie.

Now let’s talk food. Again, I am

Park MGM Las Vegas, formerly

not a carnivore nor have I ever

the

since

been, so yes I’m that girl who

opening its doors has claimed a

orders seafood in a steakhouse.

permanent position on my go to

Nevertheless; I have only heard

dining list. Now why would a non-

ranting and raving after my fellow

meat eater enjoy a steakhouse

carnivorous dining companions

you ask? Let me count the ways.

polish off a Ribeye Steak Frites or

Monte

Carlo,

and

Bone Marrow with caramelized As

you

enter

Bavette’s

the

red onion jam, apart from that 2

seductive dim lighting, vintage

million Chicago meat lovers can’t

furniture and soulful jazz transport

be wrong.

you back in time to an era where

delicious options for pescatarians

the liquor was scarce and the

and vegetarians, but vegans may

speakeasies were plentiful.

The

find it a little more challenging.

restaurant is of notable size but

Fear not my plant loving friends

it manages to somehow still feel

the

intimate, further magnifying the

making

romantic allure. Show up earlier

would strongly suggest calling in

staff

There are plenty of

is

always

open

accomodations,

but

to I

REAL VEGAS

advance to advise that there will be a vegan in the house.

For starters, you have to try the Baked Goat Cheese in red sauce served with savory garlic bread!

Most definitely a crowd pleaser, and for the lighter side go for the Mixed Green & Apple Salad with candied pecans and manchego; refreshing

and

delicious.

The

Broiled Salmon prepared medium rare melts in your mouth and the stand out sides include the savory and sweet Brussels Sprouts dusted with parmesan, the exceptionally decadent white cheddar Truffle Mac & Cheese, and the Wild Mushrooms

with

fine

herbs

that I would also recommend as

a

vegetarian

main

plate

due to the satisfyingly chewy consistency.

The servers are

all knowledgeable and overall customer service is on par.

One

negative

unfortunately

note some

is folks

that just

refuse to dress the part, so you can expect to see a pair of flipflops, a baseball cap or cargo shorts somewhere in the vicinity.

Frankly it just ruins the fantasy. If you’re considering a reservation at Bavette’s please don’t make this fashion faux pas, do your job and dress the part.

Inside Tip: You can bring a bottle of your favorite wine or champagne to enjoy with your dinner and Bavette’s will kindly waive the corkage fee if you gift a glass to a stranger, sharing is caring!

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

53

FNOM WORLDWIDE IS YOUR STRATEGIC EVENT PARTNER With A Proven Track Record You Can Rely On Us For Master Event Planning & Quality End-to-End Event Services.

Contact Us For A Free Event Estimate www.fnomworldwide.com 888.321.1985 X106

REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

All photos courtesy of UNLV

U N LV a r t s

»

By: Jennifer Vaughan

55

\ UNLV

is different, daring, and diverse, and the

arts at UNLV are too! For more than 40 years, we have presented high-quality, world-class artists, and we have another full year ahead of spectacular, surprising performances.

We are pleased to partner with Cirque Mechanics in launching their 2018-19 touring show, ‘42FT– A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels.’ They’ll work in our space with many students from the College of Fine Arts for a week, ending with a public performance Sept. 22.

The jazzy, poppy sounds of Gabriel Royal, a singersongwriter and cellist discovered in New York City subways, fill Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall on Oct. 12.

The students of Mariachi Herencia de México visit Las Vegas on their first major tour Nov. 16.

The Russian

National Ballet returns with The Sleeping Beautyon Feb. 4 to help you get in the mood for Valentine’s Day. Start March with an early St. Patrick’s Day celebration — Danú — one of today’s leading traditional Irish ensembles performs March 6.

The Nevada

Our

guitarists

this

season

are

a

diverse

group

Conservatory

representing flamenco, fingerstyle, and classical guitar.

Theatre is

Join us Oct. 5 to hear Grisha Goryachev, whose work

proud to

revives the tradition of the solo flamenco guitar artist.

announce its

Fingerstyle guitarist Andy McKee, whose work has been

2018-19 season!

seen millions of times on YouTube, performs Nov. 9. In 2019, Tengyue (T.Y.) Zhang (2017 Guitar Foundation of America first-prize winner) performs Feb. 8, and the

can see the four guitar concerts for less than $160 (a 15

Grammy-winning Jason Vieaux returns to Las Vegas on

percent discount) or the five chamber music concerts

April 12.

for less than $115 (also a 15 percent discount). Other discounts are based on the number of shows you

The

UNLV

Chamber

Music

Society

presents

the

buy: the more you buy the more you save!

Hermitage Piano Trio on Oct. 23 and the Takács Quartet on Feb. 26, in addition to three concerts by UNLV School

The Nevada Conservatory Theatre is proud to announce

of Music faculty members Sept. 20, Jan. 31, and April 9.

its 2018-19 season! This 15th anniversary season reflects the pioneer spirit of the creators of NCT at UNLV in 2003.

With our popular Design Your Own package, purchase

Each story reveals the passion and courage it takes to

all 14 shows with premier seats for $339 (that’s less than

stay true to yourself against the odds. Information on

$25 per ticket). You also may pick and choose. You

tickets and season specials are available online.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

BY OSCAR WILDE Directed by J.R. Sullivan

JUDY BAYLEY THEATRE

Sept. 28 – OCT. 7

THE CRUCIBLE BY ARTHUR MILLER Directed by Darren Weller

BLACK BOX THEATRE

Oct. 19 – 28

LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE JUDY BAYLEY THEATRE

Nov. 30 – Dec. 9

THE AFRICAN COMPANY PRESENTS “RICHARD III” BY CARLYLE BROWN Directed by Melissa Maxwell

JUDY BAYLEY THEATRE

Feb. 15 – 24

BLOOD WEDDING

BY FEDERICO GARCÍA LORCA Directed by Allegra Libonati

BLACK BOX THEATRE

March 8 – 17

LEGALLY BLONDE BY HEATHER HACH WITH MUSIC AND LYRICS

by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin

JUDY BAYLEY THEATRE

May 3 – 12

Jack Worthing is in love with glamorous Gwendolyn Fairfax but he has a secret: his double life as “Ernest Worthing.” His friend, Algernon Moncrieff, discovers his secret and adopts the persona of “Earnest” to woo his friend Jack’s ward, Cecily Cardew. What follows is a onslaught of uproarious mistakes flavored by the wittiest dialogue, not to mention tea and muffins. Oscar Wilde’s sparkling comedy teaches us all the importance of being Earnest.

F e a r . Anxiety. Jealousy. Witchcraft. Arthur Miller’s searing 1953 commentary on McCarthysim focuses on the village of Salem, Massachusetts, in the 1690s. A series of misfortunes, indiscretions, and local girls dancing “devilishly” in the woods lead to the infamous Salem witch trials.

This classic American drama explores what happens when a community turns against its own people.

The young and confident — perhaps overly confident — King of Navarre and his three loyal school friends make the ultimate oath: for three years they will study, fast, and give up sex. Their vow is instantly put to the test when the beautiful and charming Princess of France and her three witty ladies arrive at court.

What follows?

Subterfuge, shenanigans, and sonnets.

Shakespeare’s hilariously smart and sexy comedy shows the hard work of achieving love while coming of age.

New York. 1821. America’s first black theater company, the African Company, presents classic plays at a theater in downtown Manhattan for both black and white audiences. But they are challenged when they dare to put on Shakespeare’s Richard III at the same time as the powerful and popular Park Theatre. Carlyle Brown’s humorous and touching play, based on real-life events, dares to ask the question: Does Shakespeare belong to everyone?

On the morning of her arranged wedding, a young bride is visited by the former love of her life. Old passions of love and hate are rekindled when the two lovers escape together. Can their fervent ardor overcome the strictures of Catholic Spanish society? Through the lyrically haunting landscape of poet Federico García Lorca’s moon-soaked imagination, we see the penalties and the pleasures of rebelling against the status quo.

Based on the blockbuster movie starring Reese Witherspoon, this fabulously fun musical adaptation follows the adventures of West Coast sorority girl, Elle Woods. When her boyfriend dumps her to attend Harvard Law, Elle determines to win back his heart at any cost. How far will she go? Will she have to transform herself or will she hold on to her authentic Elle self? One thing’s for sure: Harvard Law will never be the same.

emphatically proves that artists are citizens of the world, that the world is in need of art, and that dance is a powerful language that transcends words and borders.

“Together

7”

features

an

exciting

collaborative

program of modern, jazz, ballet, and traditional Korean dance with choreography by UNLV dance faculty (Cathy Allen, Victoria Dale, Richard Havey, Louis Kavouras, and Dolly Kelepecz-Momot) and faculty from KNSU (James Jeon, Kim Hyun Nam, and Baek Hyun UNLV Dance

Soon). “Together 7” will include a special performance

The UNLV department of dance announces its 2018-

by College of Fine Arts Dean Nancy Uscher of UNLV

19 concert season, “A Season Together.” It features

dance composer Beth Mehocic’s Interactions, and

four unique concerts showcasing works created by

lighting by new UNLV dance design specialist Michael

UNLV dance faculty and BFA students, as well as

Jarett.

collaborations with multiple departments within the UNLV College of Fine Arts and a biennial international

Synchronicities | Nov. 15-18

collaboration with Korea National Sport University

November

(KNSU).

dances from the bachelor of fine arts dance majors.

promises

an

exciting

collection

of

“Synchronicities” presents these works in the Alta Ham Together 7 | Oct. 19-20

Fine Arts Dance Studio One (HFA, Room 111).

UNLV

The season kicks off with “Together 7,” a biennial

has been recognized by Backstage Magazine for its

concert celebrating the longstanding partnership

high-caliber choreography program.

between two great institutions of dance. In 2006, UNLV dance partnered with KNSU department of

Victoria Dale also will present a work in this concert

dance to produce “Together,” a concert of shared

that will travel and represent UNLV at the International

dance work.

Association

Over the past 12 years, an additional

six concerts developed. Come celebrate our seventh

of

Blacks

in

Dance

International

Conference in Dayton, Ohio, in January.

collaboration, “Together 7.”

The project allows 20 dance majors from KNSU to travel to Las Vegas, partner with UNLV dance and present a concert of dance works at the Judy Bayley Theatre.

While at UNLV, there is an exciting week of master classes and a chance to see how the phenomenon of dance manifests itself in each country. When the concert ends, the journey continues.

Twenty UNLV

dance majors will travel to Seoul, South Korea, and present the concert again; continue to experience the dance of Korea; and bask in the rich cultural offerings.

UNLV dance has a long tradition of international travel that broadens the aesthetic lives of young artists and

now on sale for $60

REAL VEGAS

//

59

RealVegasMagazine.com

Collective Visions | March 1-2

Harmonious Motions | April 25-28

UNLV dance has a deep respect for dance and

The

design. The department of dance is the only dance

collection of works choreographed by the bachelor

department in the nation with a dedicated degree

of

program

choreography. This show will be presented in the Alta

in

management.

dance

lighting,

“Collective

design,

Visions”

is

and a

stage

concert

season fine

arts

ends

with

majors

in

“Harmonious dance

Motions,”

performance

a

and

Ham Fine Arts Dance Studio One (HFA, Room 111).

where choreographers, visual artists, composers, and design artists collaborate to produce unique dance

Season tickets are now on sale for $60 at the UNLV

environments and visual worlds.

Performing Arts Center box office, located on the northeast end of campus attached to the south

Featuring choreography and design by UNLV’s award-

face of the parking garage. Maps and directions are

winning faculty, Cathy Allen, Victoria Dale, Richard

available online.

Havey, Michael Jarett, James Jeon, Beth Mehocic,

beginning Monday, Aug. 27, may be purchased for

Dolly Kelepecz-Momot, and Louis Kavouras, “Collective

$18 over the phone by calling (702) 895-ARTS (2787)

Visions” will be presented in the Judy Bayley Theatre.

or online at the PAC box office website. available

Discount

Individual show tickets, available

tickets

are

Ballot Measure Seeks to Expand and Protect the

\

»

THE

mid-term

elections

in

Nevada are around the corner and we Nevada voters will finally have the chance to speak our mind about the candidates for office.

The final tallies will decide your new leaders for various community and

district

offices

across

our

state. But did you know you can also cast a vote for YOURSELF in this election?

Ballot Question 1 will give you more personal rights.

Question

1 seeks to expand the voice and consideration that victims of crime receive while going through the criminal justice process with the suspect. have

The accused currently very

protected

important

under

Constitution.

the

However,

rights Nevada as

a

victim of a crime you don’t have the same level of rights in court.

Question 1, known as Marsy’s Law for Nevada, seeks to change that, once and for all.

According

Ly n d a Ta c h e Political Director, Marsy’s Law for Nevada

Uniform

crime. We didn’t ASK to have our

Crime Report of 2017, Nevada

to

the

FBI

belongings stolen, or be assaulted,

law

agencies

or be seriously injured, or worse.

reported more than 94-thousand

Most victims are innocent – in

cases of murder, rape, robbery,

the wrong place at the wrong

aggravated

burglary,

time, and targeted by criminals

larceny and vehicle theft: offenses

we’ve never met. It’s no wonder

known as “Index Offenses.” A YES

that Question 1/Marsy’s Law for

vote on Question 1 would bring

Nevada

about specific and reasonable

support among law enforcement

rules on behalf of victims of crime

leaders across Nevada including

who choose to be involved in

Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo,

the judicial process of their case.

District Attorney Steve Wolfson,

After all, if you’ve already been

Henderson Police Chief LaTesha

targeted by a criminal, don’t you

Watson, North Las Vegas Chief

deserve

Alex Perez-retired, and Boulder

enforcement

assault,

some

consideration

protections to

avoid

and

feeling

has

the

overwhelming

City Chief Tim Shea.

victimized again?

Among the most recent endorsers Most of us are not lawyers with

of

extensive

Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval,

knowledge

about

the stages of a court case.

Question

1/Marsy’s

Law

is

We

who is also our former Attorney

are dependent upon others to

General, and a US District Court

remember us, keep us informed,

Judge.

and make sure we don’t become

Marsy’s Law,” Governor Sandoval

“invisible” through the process. As

said.

victims we didn’t ASK to be there.

constitution

We didn’t ASK to be the victim of a

enforceable rights for victims of

“I am proud to endorse “It is time for Nevada’s to

contain

strong,

crime.

State including the Nevada Sheriffs

their case and the next steps, and

a

and Chiefs Association, Safe Nest,

consideration during court and

voice in the criminal justice system

SAFE House, Shade Tree, Family

penalty phases.

and

Promise,

will

Marsy’s Law for Nevada

guarantee ensure

victims

they

are

have

treated

Children’s

Advocacy

with the dignity and respect that

Alliance, Nevada Coalition Against

We ask every resident to consider

they deserve.

I urge all Nevada

Domestic and Sexual Violence, the

their rights and remember to

voters to join me in voting Yes on

Hispanic Chamber of Commerce,

cast a vote for YOURSELF in the

Question 1.”

10,000

November election. Yes on

Kids,

America/Las Also

uniting

with

victims

are

Police

Police Vegas,

Protective

Wives Las

of

Vegas

Association,

former two-term Nevada Attorney

Southern Nevada Police Athletic

General and current Nevada US

League, Veterans Village, and the

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto,

list goes on.

Question 1 for victims rights.

former Nevada Secretary of State and current US Senator Dean Heller,

Just

Lt. Governor Mark Hutchison, and

important

Attorney General Adam Laxalt.

Marsy’s Law supporters believe

They are joined by more than 150

that victims deserve a guaranteed

colleagues,

and

voice when reasonable during the

Silver

legal process, information about

organizations

civic

leaders,

across

the

as

the

accused

protected

have rights,

ArtisanFarmersMarket.com EVERY SUNDAY 9am - 3pm EVERY THURSDAY 3:30 - 8:30pm

62

REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

&

\

with Seth Grabel

RV: How did you get into Magic?

SG: I was a very shy kid growing up and often spent time alone. When alone I would draw or build some sort of contraption. It wasn’t until much later in life that I found a joy for entertaining with magic. I remember finding a book in the local library about magic and spent hours reading the book. It taught me all kinds of amazing things that I tried out in the mirror. Once I got the courage to perform it in front someone and they had such an amazing reaction, I started to perform magic everywhere I could.

REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

“I thought it would be really cool to be locked in a cop car and crushed by a 40-foot giant fire breathing machine.”

Photos by Jeff Pham

63

like accountants, scientists and engineers want to figure out the magic.

Creative people like writers, artists or

entertainers just enjoy it at face value.

RV: How do you make these illusions a reality?

SG: I love making things happen, in fact my tagline is “make magic happen”. When I get an idea, it’s always fun to reverse engineer the concept and make it happen. It’s often way more time and resources than I anticipated, but that’s what I signed up for. I get ideas from dreams, reading or researching. Then I get obsessed until it’s achieved. For example; I thought it would be really cool to be locked in a cop car and crushed by a 40-foot giant fire breathing machine. Two years later it came into reality on the Penn and Teller “FOOL US” show.

RV: What is in store for your career?

SG: I perform weekly on at Tahiti Village show and currently working on my next stunt. TV and movies are Photo by Suzy Martinez

time. It takes being prepared and situated properly to take advantage of the opportunities that come along. I

RV: Why do you do magic?

SG: It’s a rush of energy to be able to make others feel excited through magic.

the next focus. As a magician, doors open up all the

It’s so enjoyable when

will be flying to Catalina with IEX Helicopters tomorrow to do a special set of magic.

spectators give me reactions. As children we do things to get a reaction, when we grow up we often know what

...known for A m e r i c a ’ s G o t Ta l e n t

kind of actions will solicit a certain reaction. I love doing magic because I always get a different reaction from my spectators. Some people have a methodical mind and enjoy figuring out the trick where others just enjoy it for the fun. Often people who are good with numbers

RV: What’s it like to juggle family life and performing?

SG: As an entertainer, it’s extremely hard to have a family since there is a great deal of dedication to performing magic.

Getting married to Tammy and having kids is

the best thing I have ever done.

It gives meaning to

my life and gave me an inner focus that makes all the hard work worth every minute. We travel and bring the kids everywhere we go. They have become part of the magic package. We are a magical family.

RV: Who are your mentors?

SG: My father, Gary Grabel, is my biggest mentor. He taught me much of what I know about magic and business. When I started magic, one of my mentors was named George Millward. He specialized in dove magic.

He was a true magician as he loved the craft. Then met a Photo by Amanda Justice

magician named Carl Beck, or the Great Carlton as he is known. He became famous for his tigers and at one time

he was a college professor. Carl taught me philosophy

RV: What do you think of Vegas?

and physiology. Every day we learn something new and

SG: I love it! Vegas has been good to me. I really enjoy

the people who are around us influence you the most. I

the community and the melting pot of different people.

feel it’s best to surround yourself with people who enrich

It’s almost similar to the wild west, where everyone

you and make you a better person.

has something different they are excited about.

The

entertainment community in Vegas is flourishing and RV: What is your show like?

always interesting.

SG: Over the course of my career, I started performing with close up magic and then went on to stage magic.

RV: Tell us one thing about you that no one knows.

Now I am at a 200-seat theater at Tahiti Village.

It’s

SG: I love a clean house and am obsessed with my

intimate and also has stage performances. I do some

calendar. I schedule everything out, even my workouts

close up magic and entertain to a larger crowd. Most of

and showers.

my show is audience participation, the whole audience is involved and every show is a unique and memorable

RV: What is one thing you can’t live without?

time together.

SG: My wife, Tammy, and my kids. Tammy is my love. She helps keep me balanced and brings the best out of me.

RV: Why did you decide to be a performer?

My kids teach me all kinds of life lessons and they make

SG: It’s a labor of love. I love performing and giving the

life worth living.

audience all my energy. It’s a very unique experience on stage. Interestingly, putting myself out there in front

Seth Grabel is a magician, character actor and

of an audience humbles you. I have been on stage so

unscripted TV personality known for America’s Got

much, that sometimes I feel more at home when I am

Talent. His show is currently playing at Tahiti Village. Find

performing than in real life.

out more about Grabel at sethgrabel.com

“It’s a rush of energy to be able to make others feel excited through magic.”

Photo by Amanda Justice

C r e s t w o o d Te a c h e r

F o r G a r d e n P r o g r a m T h a t Tr a n s f o r m e d School and Community

Âť

By: The Smith Center f o r t h e P e r f o r m i n g A r t s

Photo by The Smith Center for the Performing Arts

\

REAL VEGAS

E V E R Y Friday

morning

at

Crestwood

Elementary School, a surprising scene takes place.

Dozens of third, fourth and fifth graders can be found eagerly raking, hoeing and weeding in gardens that cover a sprawling 20,000 square feet across the school campus.

Throughout the year,

teachers take their classes through the gardens for hands-on biology lessons, or to discuss vegetables and nutrition, or even just to enjoy quiet writing time in nature. “(Because of the gardens), the kids have started taking ownership in their school, because they planted that sunflower, or they know where the hummingbird’s nest is,” says Crestwood teacher Juliana Urtubey. She has good reason to be proud.

A recent recipient of a Heart of Education Award from The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, Urtubey raised $80,000 to create this sustainable outdoor classroom with multiple garden beds for her school.

It was largely for this reason Urtubey was

selected from several hundred finalists as a winner at the third-annual Heart of Education Awards, which The Smith Center created to honor outstanding teachers across Clark County School District (CCSD).

As a winner, Urtubey received a $5,000 cash prize and a $1,000 donation to her school – which of course she is investing to upgrade the gardens. “I’m really grateful, because I think it’s important for our students to see teachers succeed,” Urtubey says of receiving this award. “It’s important for all of us to do a little bit more than we have to do, if that helps inspire other teachers or other students to be more involved.”

67

RealVegasMagazine.com

Her hard work has made this vision a reality.

Her

fundraising efforts have expanded the program to include multiple gardens the students keep thriving, decorated with vibrant murals and sculptures by community artists. “It screams, ‘This is a wonderful place for your kid to come learn,’ versus, ‘This is an old building,’” Urtubey says. Now students can apply to join the Gnomies club that maintains the garden once a week, a responsibility that teaches students to weed, compost, harvest and even sell vegetables at a school farmers market.

Beyond

this, teachers integrate the gardens into all of their curricula, including science, health, language arts and more. Thanks to the gardens, the school has even become a certified waystation for monarch butterfly migration. “We let the teachers tailor the gardens to their needs,” Urtubey says.

NURTURING A GARDEN – AND A COMMUNITY The

gardens

even

involve

students’

families.

Many parents volunteer with the gardens and get involved with the school’s monthly farmers market, where families can even take produce home for free if they need a little extra food, Urtubey says.

The gardens provide a great opportunity for nonEnglish-speaking families to get involved, Urtubey adds.

“It erases the borders between the school

and the neighborhood,” she says.

RECOGNIZING VALUABLE TEACHERS The Smith Center created the Heart of Education

SPROUTING A DREAM No one can accuse Urtubey of not being involved.

She was approached five years ago by her principal to launch the garden program, and she jumped at the chance.

//

“I didn’t know anything about

gardening, but it sounded like a cool idea,” she remembers. “Our school is one of the older schools in the district, and it sounded like a great way to beautify the school.”

Awards

to

honor

teachers

just

like

Urtubey.

Targeting to promote recruitment and retention of high-quality teachers, this annual awards program recognizes CCSD educators who go above and beyond. Each year, The Smith Center honors over 700 finalists at a red-carpet event that includes live entertainment, swag bags and prominent keynote speakers like former Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden. The top 20 teachers are named winners, with each receiving a $5,000 cash prize and $1,000 donation.

Photo by The Smith Center for the Performing Arts

“Every day, educators go above and beyond, often making personal sacrifices, and yet never

“Every day

expect anything in return,” says Myron Martin, CEO and president of The Smith Center. “We believe our community can make a big difference with our education system by thanking these amazing individuals.”

NOMINATE A TEACHER TODAY

Any

community

member

can

nominate

an

outstanding CCSD teacher for the fourth-annual Heart of Education Awards from October 2018 through January 18, 2019. To nominate a teacher, visit TheHeartofEducation.org.

often making personal sacrifices, And yet never e x p e c t a n y t h i n g i n r e t u r n ,”

REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

U MC

Children’s Hospital Confronts Rise in Child Abuse Deaths

\

to educate families, prevent instances of abuse

PHYSICIANS

and

other

medical

professionals at UMC Children’s Hospital continue to see an alarming number of pediatric patients who require care for abuse-related injuries.

UMC alone

recorded a total of seven fatalities attributed to child abuse during the first eight months of 2018, matching the figure recorded throughout the entirety of 2017 and more than doubling the number of abuse-related deaths at UMC in 2016.

Prevention Handbook, available online at umcsn.com/ Documents/ChildAbusePreventionBooklet.pdf, which provides valuable information to help community members identify risk factors and signs of child abuse and neglect.

The book also includes details about

how community members can report suspected child abuse and neglect, in addition to many other helpful tools.

“Among the many topics covered within the

book, we included details about the importance of

UMC Children’s Hospital saw 20 confirmed cases of child abuse and neglect among patients admitted to the hospital from January through August of 2018.

The hospital admitted and cared for 29 victims of child abuse throughout all of 2017 and 18 victims in 2016.

“Children in our community deserve to live in a safe environment, and we cannot stand by as the death toll continues to rise,” said Dr. Jay Fisher, Medical Director of the Pediatric Emergency Department at UMC Children’s Hospital.

UMC Children’s Hospital recently released a Child Abuse

“To help prevent these

tragic injuries and deaths in our community, UMC Children’s Hospital is focused on educating parents and caregivers about the risks their children face.”

selecting an appropriate caregiver for your child, pointing out key behaviors typically exhibited by people who may harm children,” Dr. Fisher said.

In addition to the handbook, UMC Children’s Hospital also produced an educational video designed to raise awareness of the dangers associated with shaken baby syndrome, which can result in lifelong disabilities and death.

Since introducing the video earlier this

year, hundreds of families have viewed the video as part of the hospital’s new discharge process. The full video is available online at: youtube.com

69

The video includes a wealth of information about shaken baby syndrome, including signs and symptoms of traumatic injuries.

In addition, the video offers details about the

stresses associated with parenthood and the importance of taking a “time out” as a parent to prevent momentary lapses in judgment that can result in devastating injuries to fragile children.

Babies can cry for as many as five hours per day; this is how they communicate. Crying typically starts at 2 weeks of age, peaks at about 2 months of age and starts to slow down at around 4 to 6 months of age.

The video offers a number of effective techniques to soothe crying babies, including: • Rocking

And support is

• Feeding • Diaper changes

available in our

• Swaddling

c o m m u n i t y .”

• Pacifier use • Gentle bouncing • Walking • Talking, singing or playing music • Car rides • Bath time

Runge said parents should also ensure that anyone who

• White noise (smartphone apps available)

cares for their child is aware of the dangers of shaken baby

• Family/friend support

syndrome. She also urges parents to speak with babysitters and other potential caregivers about strategies for coping

If none of the above techniques are working, parents

when they feel stressed or frustrated.

should place the baby in a safe place, like the baby’s crib, and take a break.

If parents or caregivers feel stressed or frustrated by their child’s crying, they can reach out to UMC Children’s

“As a parent, it can be incredibly stressful to care for a

Hospital at 702-383-2000. Parents can also contact Prevent

baby who won’t stop crying. We want parents and other

Child Abuse Nevada at 702-895-5053 for additional support.

caregivers to recognize the value of taking a moment and stepping away from a child during tense situations,” said

“Parents are not alone, and support is available in our

Amy Runge, RN, Clinical Supervisor of the Healthy Living

community,” Runge said. “The Healthy Living Institute at

Institute at UMC. “This will help you cool down and regain

UMC offers a variety of parenting classes available at no

your composure.”

cost, including courses focused specifically on educating new parents” To report suspected child abuse or neglect, please call Clark County’s Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 702399-0081. To learn more about the resources and classes available at the Healthy Living Institute at UMC, please call 702-383-7353.

BESIDE YOU IN THE FIGHT AGAINST PAIN

311 North Buffalo Drive Ste. A | Las Vegas, NV 89145 702.476.9700 • cwpclv.com

EX-HOMELESS MAN

...shares what it’s like being homeless

and how you can make a difference in someone’s life… today.

His story could possibly change your perspective on life,

»

love, and contribution to society. Read on…

By: Siloh Moses

\ ONE

of the questions that I always seem to get is,

“What is worst part about being homeless?”

To be honest, everything, but there is one thing that stood out to me the most.

See, when I was homeless I didn’t have a car to sleep in, so I didn’t sleep in one, I didn’t have a couch to crash on, so I didn’t crash on one…instead I resulted to squatting in abandoned buildings and eating food where ever I could find it. This would include the occasional garbage can and back alley dumpsters.

I did that for seven months and when I finally got back on my feet, no matter who heard my story or who was in front of me, they seemed to always ask one of two questions. The most popular question out of the two is; “What is worst part about being homeless?” Most popular question number two I will cover in my next write up.

When you are homeless the best way to describe it is that you are a walking ghost. A walking shadow of your past self. You are no longer the car you once drove. You are no longer the friends that you once had. You are no longer wine parties and happy hour after work. You are no longer your job, your zip code, or your responsibilities of a mother or father. You are nothing. You are an empty, sad shell of what you once were…but that’s not the worst part.

“What is worst part about being homeless?” you ask?

Well, here is your answer.

The worst part about being homeless is not, not knowing when or what you will be eating or if you will be eating anything at all that night. It’s not, not having anywhere to go at the end of the day, like an address or a home, it’s not the lack of security or comfort, and it’s not the constant sleeping with one eye open to make sure no one steals your shoe laces off your feet while you are sleeping.

The worst part about being homeless…is how other people treat you…while you are homeless.

It’s the person that pulls up to a red light at a busy intersection, who sees you there with your cardboard sign, who quickly locks their doors, rolls up all their windows, turns up their stereo and takes out their cell phone and starts talking on it as if they just received a call. Doing all of this so that they do not have to acknowledge that you are there.

It’s the person who’s walking down the street, who comes to an intersection, who see’s you on the other side of the crosswalk, who purposefully crosses the street at that intersection, and continues walking in the same direction on the other side of the road so that they don’t have to pass you on yours.

When you are homeless, no one says “hi” to you, no one holds a door open for you, no one even acknowledges that you are alive and that is the worst part about being homeless.

People also ask me all the time “What can I do the next time I come across someone who is less fortunate (homeless)?”

I say, easy question. Even easier answer.

The next time you come across someone who is less fortunate at a red light or at a busy intersection and you do not have an emergency kit to give them (Emergency kits consist of a clear plastic sandwich bag filled with, a sandwich, a granola bar, a bottle of water and baby wipes…yes baby wipes) and you do not want to give them money…then you know what you can do? Wave “hello.” Let them know that they do exist.

Look them directly in the eye, wave and smile.

Now is everyone you come across going to be receptive to you? Are they going to appreciate your authentic generosity? Probably not, it all depends on where they are in their mindset, but for the one that is ready, for the one that smiles back, it reminds them that they are human. That they do exist and that makes all the difference in their world…and in yours.

74

REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

What gave me the drive to get back on my feet from

day make it out of my situation. That I was much bigger

being homeless myself was (and this is true) not the

than my current circumstance and it was all I needed

Five-dollar bill someone handed to me out of the

to gain the confidence I needed to make the decision

window of their car. It was not the sandwich that was

to get back on my feet. And it all started with a smile.

given to me when I was hungry (even though, yes that

helped, big time) it was the fact that someone took

So the next time you see someone standing at a busy

the time out of their day to remind me that I was alive.

intersection with their cardboard sign, the next time

They took five minutes out of their day to remind me

you see someone sleeping on a park bench, and the

that I was a real person.

next time you see someone across the street from you

at a cross walk that potentially looks less fortunate

They came by every day and spoke to me, reminded

(homeless) … Wave because you never know… you

me that I will once day do big things. That I will one

could be waving at the next version of me. – SM

Siloh Moses is the founder of WeWin360.com and #ServingHopeLV. He is Vegas Hometown Hero. He is also Vegas Top 100 Men of the Year. Esquire Top 40 under 40. Featured in INC Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine and Vice.

He’s also been recognized by the United States Congress and The United States Senate for his work in philanthropy. Connect with him by visiting WeWin360.com or by sending an email to WeWinFullCircle@gmail.com

W a v e b e c a u s e y o u n e v e r k n o w…

you could be waving at the next version of me.

– SM

A Day i n t h e L i fe of Ve g a s Lo c a l

#

\

Influencer

BORN on the east coast of Jersey, Slicklife is an artist, writer, producer, director, Entrepreneur, multi-faceted skilled local Las Vegan who found his path out west.

The definition of Slicklife is to famine before you feast, crawl before you fly, slum before you rule; and he has driven people’s hearts to living their best life. Slicklife’s message is a local movement. With over 20+ years of music experience Slick’s latest songs include “Turn It Up” (JackEL Remix), “Who Cares” (JackEL Remix) which videos gained over half a million views organically on YouTube alone. An avant-garde level of success for an independent artist creating, co-directing, editing and writing his own videos is unlike any other local musician walking a similar path. International success continued specially in Rome, Italy upon release and led to a studio collaboration with prestigious producer Mike Dem and Luca De Gregorio. The original “Who Cares” debut was exclusively premiered on Dace Music’s mail online store, Beatport, and the video was shot oversees during Greek Fashion Week. “Run It” was born shortly thereafter and is Slicklife’s latest debut single release.

»

By: Candice Wiener

In 2009, Slicklife started a 12-city tour in Canada.

14

performances in 12 days and during the tour Slicklife won an award being named the hottest single of the year by an unsigned artist from the DJ Stylist awards in Toronto, Canada. Slicklife produced and wrote the soundtrack for “Ghost Team 1” which won the Slam Dance Film Festival in Park City, Utah and Paramount Pictures immediately bought, picked up and released in theaters. The filmed contained all original music from Slicklife. In 2017 Slicklife met FVYDID in Las Vegas, a record label founded by music producer JackEL. JackEL and Slicklife’s bond grew and after their first collaborations together, decided to expand and create an entire album together. Slicklife’s art is created to motivate you, in a positive way.

Opening up for Nate Dogg, Ludacris, Juvenile has inspired Slicklife’s performance for capitivating the viewer leaving a remarkable imprint on any city in which he tours. Apart from Slicklife’s musical success he spends his time directing local talent music videos.

He handles artist development, producing and video directing. Currently Slick has made his own lane with his new genre of music, collaborating electronic dance, funk & hip hop together.

JackEL and Slicklife are changing

the musical game both here in Las Vegas and across the globe.

From a humble young high school friend, to a

bonafide leader paving the path in the Downtown local Las Vegas community, Slick is a force to be reckoned with and to follow. Slick not only has a bunch of heart for the music industry in general and here in Las Vegas locally, but he has helped taken care of his siblings, supported homeless here in Las Vegas and given back in many other ways to the Las Vegas local community with a special interest and emphasis on Downtown Las Vegas.

Follow him on social and stay updated

@SLICKLIFE

The Ultimate Significance and

of Being a

\

» ONE of my favorite speakers is John C. Maxwell.

He is also an author of many personal development books. One of his children’s books “Sometimes You Win, and Sometimes You Learn,” is a foundational piece in our library at home.

I love this book so

much, as its title has become a staple quote in our household.

As mothers with natural mama bear instincts, we want to protect our children at all cost.

Often times we

don’t realize that shielding them from necessary life experiences has the potential to handicap them.

Our family does not look at failure as shameful, but rather an opportunity for growth. Recently, I watched the movie “A Wrinkle in Time,” and one of my favorite

By: Jennifer Miller

A Jen-uwin Mama Bear

quotes is the one by Rumi. “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”

I look at each of our

failures as wounds that have the chance to have light enter and grow us from inside, in turn have that light shine outward to be a guide for those in the dark.

I believe as mothers and leaders, your obedience leads to others’ deliverance.

I love being a mother to my two boys, Jace (13) and JaxShai (9). Our days have bookends of intentional positivity. In the morning when I wake up, I meditate and pray first thing.

Then, with the boys, we have

posted on our mirror positive affirmations that we read.

This keeps us rooted in who we are, so that

when those challenges come our way, we default to our values and what we stand for. I know that society

78

REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

can only influence our core so much when we speak

I know from time to time we all indulge in things but we

our truths in who we know we are and who we hope

cannot allow our distractions to overwhelm us when

to become. At night, we have bedtime chats of our

we have decided to be a mother who is responsible

day and read from a book that we can all learn from

for another person’s life. Accepting this responsibility

together.

is the catalyst to every genuine maternal action.

These values also help when setbacks happen,

“My best recommendation

because like a tree that is deeply rooted, when the winds of adversity occur, we remain planted. I feel

to mothers and all

like it’s key to also show my boys what failure looks

parents alike is always to

like. I am transparent when things do not happen as

just genuinely love your

planned and show them that we choose our attitude in dealing with situations, and there is always a

children. It may sound silly,

solution and better day. Failing is an action, not a

but if we really love anyone,

noun. Therfore, we can never really be failures, unless

we take care of them.”

we are verbs.

My best recommendation to mothers and all parents

I realize it’s easier said than done with regards to time.

alike is always to just genuinely love your children.

I have a 40-hour work week, I own and operate my own

It may sound silly, but if we really love anyone, we

women’s basketball league with 15 teams and more

take care of them. And it’s interesting to me when I

than 80 women. I also have another business that I

hear mothers or parents say they love their children

partner with my husband, and I am on the horizon to

but give Facebook, hobbies, and friends more mental

start to bring awareness to a women’s empowerment

real estate. When was the last time you asked your

non-profit organization I started. No one has time, but

child what their favorite color was? What they dream

we make time for the things that matter. And at the

about? If they could meet anyone in the world who

end of the day, our kids are definitely what matter

would it be? And who is their hero?

most to me.

I encourage all mothers to study their children and

“I feel like it’s key to also show my boys what failure looks like”

ask what they like versus putting the phone or TV in front of them. Have a family meeting at least once a month to make sure that you are all in alignment with what your family values are and what your family believes in.

Be prepared

for discussion, especially with older children.

The sooner the

better. And remember, nothing is perfect but failure is essential to growth.

@iamj enuwi n

healing HEALING HANDS

by Janet

at Dolphin Court Salon & Day spa

Come experience peace, serenity and tranquility from tension, stress, pain, and anxiety is only phone call away.

Therapeutic Massage Specials:

$50 1 $75 90 for

for

hour

minutes

Services Provide:

Hot Stones, Swedish, Deep Tissue Massage, Scalp and Foot, and Prenatal

702.416.7563 healingtouchbyjanet@gmail.com 7331 West Lake Mead Blvd #103 Las Vegas, NV 89128

80

REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

Photos by Folded Flag Foundation

Ve g a s G o l d e n Kn i g h t s a n d Fo l d e d F l a g Fo u n d a t i o n

»

S u p p o r t i n g t h e V e g a s C o m m u n i t y By: Je n n i fe r Bra d l ey

\

REAL VEGAS

THE

Vegas Golden Knights Foundation, led by

President,

John

Coogan,

serves

as

the

primary

charitable link between the Vegas Golden Knights hockey team and the Las Vegas community.

The

foundation is focused on five priorities – fostering the physical, social and emotional growth of Las Vegas youth, with an emphasis on sports; making a sustainable, positive impact on health and wellness through

research,

enhancing

education

teaching

and

and

learning

prevention; through

K-12

public school programs; securing the future of Las Vegas military, first responders, and their families; and fighting hunger and homelessness by addressing their root causes.

Utilizing game activations, collaborative partnerships and

community-based

programs,

the

foundation

raises money for various local non-profits with out of the box fundraising events, 50/50 raffles at the games, mascot appearances, and signed jersey and memorabilia to engage fans at auctions. During the 2017-2018 inaugural season, the raffles generated several thousands of dollars for local charities.

“Our goal for 2018 is to ensure the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation is delivering the highest possible community

impact

to

Vegas,

through

creative

fundraising, partnerships, and outreach,” said John Coogan, President of the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation and Executive Director of The Folded Flag Foundation. “The Foundation represents the heart of the team and we wish to give back to the community, as Vegas has embraced our team with immense enthusiasm, spirit and open arms.”

Also guided by Coogan, The Folded Flag Foundation provides

educational

grants

to

surviving

family

members of military and government employees who have lost their lives as a result of hostile action or in an accident related to U.S. combat operations.

The

//

81

RealVegasMagazine.com

non-profit

organization,

hosts

golf,

culinary

experiences and events nationally in key cities, and provides 100 percent of all its donations directly to Gold Star Families in need. Scholarships and grants are available to qualifying spouses of fallen heroes and their children under the age of 26 to assist with a wide range of educational needs, including K-12 tuition and tuition for college/trade school.

Born

Âť

By: AJ Moreno

Photos by Robert Arndt Photography

\

Executive Producer: 1 Brand Media Group Las Vegas Marketing Specialist FREETIPS4VEGAS.COM

WHEN

it comes to a story growing up in a musical household in Midwestern Ohio, then moving on to living your

musical dream in fabulous Las Vegas, David Perrico is that story. I sat down with Perrico; who is an accomplished local Vegas trumpeter & music director for a one-on-one interview, where he shared with me the background to his humble beginnings in music.

REAL VEGAS

Born

and

raised

in

the

steel

mill

town

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

of

Youngstown, Ohio, Perrico was no stranger to music, his parents were big fans of music and his father played saxophone. He picked up playing the trumpet at age 9 and from there, his road to musical success began.

“Growing up in the 80’s, my influences were the rock bands, Foreigner, AC/DC, Van Halen, Rush… that kinda’ stuff, until I took the music a little bit more seriously and I got a scholarship to Youngstown State University at the age of 18 and became a Jazz and Classical performance

“You can’t do the Big Band stuff now, today. What

major,” said Perrico.

I did was took the Big Band format and fused it with the 80’s Rock stuff that I liked and grew up

Perrico credits his Dad as the main influencer in

listening to and wrote it out for a big band, that’s

the musical household when it came to listening to

how I developed a “Pop” Big Band that was

jazz music. He was also heavily influenced by some

geared to a concert setting” (Pop Evolution) “it

legendary jazz musicians like David Sanborn, Winton

really didn’t have the commercial appeal yet

Marsalis, Maynard Ferguson, Louis Armstrong, Harry

when I formed it, you know, a 20 piece band

James, Dizzy Gillespie, Chet Baker, Miles Davis,

size, payroll, venue....all that stuff” said Perrico.

Clifford Brown to name a few, and most of all by

However, it did lead to Perrico’s band landing

late 70’s trumpeter Chuck Mangione. Perrico adds

residencies at Stratosphere, Palms, Red Rock and

that he is also a fan of classical music; Bach, Mozart,

The Southpointe Resorts.

Beethoven.

name for Pop Strings Orchestra, it wasn’t even

I asked David Perrico what the inspiration for the

what we were calling it, it was something like

live musical productions that he produces and

Chamber Orchestra Pop or something” (Perrico

performs today in Las Vegas such as Pop Evolution,

stated, laughing).

Pop Strings Orchestra & Pop 40...

“When choosing the

“I’ve always

had my own bands since I was 18 playing in bars

Perrico’s pre-cursor band (Pop Evolution), started

in Youngtown, I had my first band called Kind of

at the Tuscany for fun; performing a few jazz and

Blue named after the Miles Davis Album, but then

pop covers with originals.

I went on the road for about 8 years traveling with

president of entertainment at Station Casinos saw

the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, I always loved the Big

the band, she approached Perrico with a mention

Bands,” adding that he was also a big fan of The

that there was an opening on Saturday nights at

Glen Miller Orchestra and Artie Shaw to name a few.

Red Rock Resort, but Perrico respectfully turned

When the then vice-

it down. “I felt like I was maybe a little too old and didn’t know the lounge scene” Perrico said, but later was affirmed that his band’s music would work out there. “So, from there I started Googling top 40 Hits and lounges and on YouTube checking out various clubs to see what was being played, to see what was current.”

83

84

REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

Fast forward to the current band production (Pop Strings Orchestra) which is made up of some of Vegas’s top local musicians who also perform in Las Vegas’ top headlining shows, consisting of a 7 all female string section combined with a core rhythm section of bass, keys, guitar and drums and a horn duo (trumpet & sax) and 3 amazing lead vocalists. The band now performs at their current residency at the world-famous Cleopatra’s Barge Showroom inside Caesars Palace.

Aside from the current showroom residency, the band performs for many corporate functions and events here in Las Vegas and in Scottsdale and Phoenix, AZ.

When asked what was in the future for Perrico

and the band, he replied that he’s looking into taking Pop Strings Orchestra to perform in other US Cities including national jazz festivals, small concert halls and even international live performance opportunities are on the horizon. He also adds that there are two new recorded CD compilations being released later this year, the first being a live recording (Pop Strings

Perrico also shares that he is the current Music Director

Orchestra) at Caesars Palace and the second a

for the former Late Show Band Leader the legendary

compilation of Perrico’s very own “contemporary

Paul Shaffer Orchestra after being discovered by Paul

pop” originals very much like the sound of legendary

Shaffer himself and then reaching out to Perrico for the

trumpeter Chuck Mangione.

opportunity. Perrico is also the Music Director for many other entertainers here in Las Vegas.

David Perrico and Pop Strings Orchestra is a mustsee live music show here in Las Vegas, the band has the most amazingly skilled musicians along with a killer arrangement of top 40 music from the 70’s 80’s, 90’s and todays hits infused with an amazing orchestral sound all arranged and written by David Perrico himself.

I would have to say, not such a bad story for a kid with early musical aspirations from Youngstown, Ohio.

You can visit David Perrico and Pop Strings Orchestra online @www.davidperricomusic.com and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @DavidPerricoMusic

#vegasstronger

86

i Hate REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

the

RAIDERS…

\

But I’m Excited They’re Coming

THERE isn’t a period in my life that I can recall not detesting the Raiders. LA or Oakland, I never liked them.

As a die-hard Chiefs fan – with one of the best rivalries in pro football – not only am I not allowed to like them, my guy won’t allow me to like them.

Black & silver? Lame. The bad boys of football? Weak.

A storied franchise? Man, we WERE the reason there is an AFC. So, when I heard that Las Vegas was getting a pro team, and that it was the Raiders, I was a bit taken back. That is, until I realized that I love it. And oh, do I love it.

Vegas is an unusual city. For a kid born and raised in a small town in Ohio, with roots and family from Kansas City, Missouri, Vegas was very both different and difficult for me to grow up within. It’s somehow both this beautiful suburb and this bustling, thriving city, cuddled up together in a harmoniously manner that most don’t expect. After all, we’re all supposed to live in a casino or resort, am I right? But somehow Las Vegas merges city life and suburbia in a seamless flow, and it’s a glorious experience for anyone who lives here or once called Vegas home.

»

Maverick Medcalf

Living here for the past twenty-five plus years, I’ve always felt Vegas needed pro teams. Maybe needed is not strong enough; Vegas DESERVED pro teams. Loyal, passionate fans that live and die with the teams that these now-locals supported in their previous cities is easily something that can channeled into this transplant town forging itself into a united community. But, alas, Vegas was never given that chance.

Well, until the

Golden Knights came knocking and, true-to-form, Vegas kicked in the door and made the Stanley Cup Finals in the inaugural season (go Knights, go)! As we witnessed with last year’s hockey season, that passion was a full mast and took over Vegas in a manner no one outside the city expected.

So why on earth would I excited that the Raiders are coming to town? It doesn’t make sense, does it?

Vegas deserves this team.

This city has earned a

professional football team, even if it is a transplant team with a fanbase that has a less-than-stellar history, because Vegas has a less-than-stellar reputation, as well.

Vegas deserves a team that doesn’t fit into traditional spaces because Vegas does not fit in traditional spaces;

REAL VEGAS

//

87

RealVegasMagazine.com

we succeed despite every measure that says we should not.

The Raiders have never conformed to anyone

or anything, and neither has Las Vegas.

That’s what

seemingly makes this an ideal fit.

Steelers

fans,

Dolphins

fans, or even Chiefs fans can now see their teams play Just looking at the financials, this is a huge win for the

by simply driving a few miles as opposed to flying to

city. It’s both a tourist and a local draw, the stadium will

another city. And these fans will buy tickets and go to

skyrocket UNLV’s football team into the next level (I’m

games to see their teams.

calling it now: 2-3 years playing in the new stadium and the big 12 comes knocking on The Rebel’s door), and

Gone will be the days of fights in the stands (I’ve heard

Vegas will finally be looked at as a legitimate town, even

the discussions of the straight-to-jail for fighting rumors

if we never cared to be one in the first place.

from city officials), and security and our incredible Metro officers will be standing guard. For possibly the first time

But looking beyond that measure, just as with the Knights,

in the Raiders history, families will attend games without

the loyalists can now see their teams play in Las Vegas.

fear.

Sure,

I’ll

cheer

on

the

Raiders directly – I’ll cheer on Las Vegas when they are not playing my Chiefs – but they’ll also have my respect and my support.

Like most residents here, I adore my city and I will stand with it. Knights fever has been amazing, but I fully expect the Raiders mania to sweep the valley like a dust storm.

“So, when I heard that Las Vegas was getting a pro team, and that it was the Raiders, I was a bit taken back. That is,

Photos by Michael W. Rogers

until I realized that I love it. And oh, do I love it.”

\

»

NORMALLY,

rental income is just like any other

income, and you have to pay income taxes on it. But a littleknown loophole in the tax law completely excludes certain amounts of rental income from your income taxes. And you don’t have to worry about reporting the income on your tax return, either, since it is tax-free.

By: Chris Craig

Do You Have One or More Residences?

You need to use this dwelling as a residence. Your dwelling is a residence for the year if the number of days that you use it for personal purposes exceeds the greater of:

> >

14 days or 10 percent of the days you rent the dwelling.

The tax law makes you count personal days as any days you

Two Requirements The two requirements for tax-free rental income are:

> Rent a dwelling that also qualifies as one of your residences. > Rent that residence for less than 15 days during the tax

rent the unit at less than its fair market value.

Short-Term Rentals

year.

With the growth of the sharing economy and services such

If you meet these requirements, (a) you don’t claim any

time using such a service.

as Airbnb, you might rent your residence for short periods of

deductions against the rental income and (b) you totally exclude that income, regardless of the amount, from your

If you stay with the less than 15 days of rent, you don’t have

gross income for the year. It’s that easy!

to worry about (a) real estate professional status, (b) the up

Example: You own a home and you go on vacation and

(c) the passive loss rules, or (d) the self- employment tax.

to $25,000 allowed deduction for active real estate rentals,

rent it out while you are gone, or you can rent your home out to your own C or S Corporation. The tax code excludes the rental income from your gross income and provides a

Nope. With less than 15 days rental of the residence, you exclude the income from taxation.

deduction to your company.

What If I Get a Form 1099?

Even though this tax loophole is straightforward, you need

should issue you a Form 1099-MISC for rents paid to you if the

If you use a third party to rent out your residence, that party

to be aware of a few issues that could impact how you can use this provision.

If your rental income travels the credit card route, you are unlikely to receive a merchant transaction Form-1099K from

Do You Have a Dwelling?

A dwelling unit includes a house, apartment, condominium, boat, mobile home, and similar property.

In addition,

proposed regulations require a dwelling unit to provide basic living accommodations, such as sleeping space, a toilet, and cooking facilities.

total amount paid during the tax year exceeds $600.

an online service such as Airbnb because such services do not have to report merchant account transactions when you have 200 or fewer transactions and $20,000 or less in gross proceeds from your rentals. Remember, you are on the less than 15-day rental program in this situation.

If you do receive a Form 1099 for the rental income, you should do the following to avoid an IRS inquiry:

>

Report the income on your tax return in the appropriate

location (Schedule E generally).

>

In the “Other Expenses” section of the schedule, enter

“Section 280A (g) Exclusion” and the amount of the income.

The rules are straightforward: 1. Rent for less than 15 days during the taxable year.

2.

Make sure that the property qualifies both (a) as a

residence (more than 14 days of personal use) and (b) as a dwelling.

This will zero-out the net income.

3.

Takeaways

If you receive a 1099-MISC or 1099-K reporting your

rental income to the IRS, show the rental income on the

If you rent one of your residences for less than 15 days per tax

appropriate schedule and then subtract it out.

year, the tax code turns a blind eye to both the deductions and income.

That’s really good news when you have a

I’m happy to discuss any of the answers above or to answer

good income from this rental, such as our homeowner in

other questions that you may have. As you know, I’m here

Annapolis who rented his home during the Naval Academy’s

for you. Please don’t hesitate to give

graduation ceremonies.

me a call.

Christopher M. Craig EA, LLM, MBA, CIRA WiKi Tax Adivsors LLC

Las Vegas Real Estate

»

By: Realtor Dani K Bradford

The Las Vegas Real Estate Market for 2018 has been on

Now is the time to get our there and buy while there are

fire. Realtor.com named Las Vegas as the #1 Real Estate

low interest rates. First, get prequalified with a lender. Ask

Market for 2018. It is definitely a seller’s market with very

questions about programs.

little inventory available. Properties are not staying on the

payment assistance programs available. Next, find yourself

market for a long period of time, if they are turn-key and

an experienced agent or a new agent with a present

priced correctly. There are instances of bidding wars and

mentor. You will need someone experienced to navigate

paying over appraisal in some cases.

the contracts, represent you during tough negotiations,

This trend seems

like it will continue for the next few years.

Our city has

major construction projects (i.e. the stadium is one project)

There are some nifty down

and protect your best interests. Finally, the most fun part, get out there and start home hunting!

happening, that will offer thousands of jobs and certainly bring new residents to the valley.

Interest rates are still low and the median home price is

Dani K Bradford Licensed Professional with Simply Vegas Real Estate

around $290,000. There are a lot of first-time home buyers taking advantage of these low rates and making the investment to own their home and not pay rent.

Dan iK B radf o rd@gm ail. c o m 702. 300. 7631

\

#REALVEGASSTRONG

OUR CITY , the entertainment capital of the world; as we know it, was forever transformed the night of 10.1.

Our community saw the meaning of #VegasStrong after the devastating tragedy. Being born and raised here in Las Vegas for 4 generations, it doesn’t matter much to me if you are a Las Vegas native or have moved here more recently; in more ways than one Las Vegas truly epitomized what the true definition of community means.

With blood donation locations being overwhelmed with an influx of donations city wide, it was one of the first signals and apparent overwhelming means of humbleness that our entire community experienced during the following days after the 10.1 tragedy.

For

us local philanthropists, this is a given day in and day out; however, for many other locals, this didn’t fully resonate until after the 10.1 tragedy.

Our community

truly embodied and symbolized what it means to be a

»

real Las Vegas local.

As a former restaurant manager and bartender, I

By: Candice

Wiener

remember all too well a previous active shooter incident in 2007 that took place at the New York, New York Casino upstairs by Coyote Ugly firing off shots inside of the casino, but nothing came close to the horrific awakening to the police scans of the 10.1 tragedy.

That night… at home and half awake, I can recollect hearing

“active

shooters

at

multiple

casinos”.

I

remember thinking to myself “Oh my God, has terrorism struck in our backyard?” Most Route 91 Harvest Festivals, I was on location covering the event with one of our photographers and friends that I would see throughout the course of the event. I don’t think there was one Las Vegas resident that wasn’t shocked by the tragedy and devastated.

As Americans, we will never forget the 9.11 incident and many other mass murders that have taken place in our lifetime; one not any more horrific than the latter; however, because this particular incident being the most prolific and major mass shooting in the US, as well as being right in our very own backyard, our Vegas born and raised pride sept throughout the entire nation.

Our hearts truly came together when we saw the imagery from the media with the 58 tribute crosses

strung along the patch of grass at the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign as well as the string of billboards dedicated to #VegasStrong.

REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

91

We were forever humbled

by the outpouring of love and respect that not only our community, but our entire nation brought together and in specific, the Fox 5 Surprise Squad showed up in full force with a brand-new truck and trailer for Zanis and his charity, based out of Aurora, Colorado. Owner and operator, 66year old retired carpenter, Greg Zanis, does this kind of tribute work for the various mass murders and tragedies that have happened here throughout the US footing expenses on his own dime. The founder started the initial cause after the murder of his step-father.

Zanis drove

nearly 2,000+ miles to deliver the 58 signs he dedicated in lieu of the Las Vegas tragedy that had taken place. With creative sponsorships like that of United Nissan, America First Credit Union, Albertsons, VONS, and more, they were able to gift Zanis with a brand-new truck and trailer to make his mission easier.

Zanis has been contributing his

own time, money and resources to create the crosses so graciously for tributes such as the 10.1 tragedy right here in our community and across the country for 20+ years and 20,000+ crosses.

To say our hearts were heavy and still are is an understatement.

Ve g a s

However, during times like these

will

it was refreshing to see locals

forever

coming together the way we

accentuating the positive and did. It makes me truly humbled

be

and honored to be a Las Vegas

united

local.

“The most effective defense against crime is cooperation and we are extremely fortunate to have well-established and trusted partners in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police

our

law

enforcement

reigned over our city on October 1, 2017, required unity, collaboration and strong partnerships and I’m proud to say that these were already in place in Las Vegas,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge, Aaron C. Rouse, Las Vegas Division.

The night of 10.1, we also had a tremendous response from UMC and our local medical professionals. “On the evening of October 1, UMC’s world-class team of medical professionals came together to save lives during our

“As soon as an active shooter incident occurs, the FBI assists

Bradford.

Department. Responding to the mass casualty that

Las

proactively

mass casualty incidents,” said FBI Special Agent Frederick

partners to

supplement resources as needed. In this case we sent investigators to the scene, stood up a command post, deployed evidence response teams, behavioral analysis and crisis management personnel. Another essential part of our operational response is our victim assistance program. The program provides a variety of support services to victims/family members, first responders, investigative teams, and other operational elements.

OVA assets available to support active shooter incidents include our field office victim specialists and members of our Victim Assistance Rapid Deployment Team from around the country, who are specially trained to handle

community’s greatest time of need,” said UMC Trauma Surgeon Dr. Brandon Snook. “At UMC, we found strength in the unwavering resilience of our patients and the overwhelming compassion of the community we serve.”

Our #RealVegasStrong event we hosted on September 28th at Tivoli Village was in honor of 10.1. A strong way to come together and memorialize the victims, first-responders and our entire city. Las Vegas will forever be united and #VegasStronger with each passing year and we are humbled to be a part of it.

We are all

#VegasStronger, one year later..

Our passion is creating easy, rewarding ways to get involved in the community and make a difference!

Running the largest

MOBILE FOOD PANTRY in Nevada!

#inspire #impact #change

@thejustoneprojectlv

“There were heroes who literally saved lives at the scene.”

When an

e ve ni ng o f lau g ht e r t u rne d

»

\

i n t o a N i g h t o f Te r r o r

THE

comedy club was quiet, the 10:00 show

ended, its last audience member gone.

Resident

headliner, Butch Bradley, club manager Kelly, one of the marketing guys and I curled around the little bar to knock back honey whiskey shots before heading home. It was all routine, until one of us checked our phone.

safety and danger. “What the hell are we going to do? We can’t just stay in here,” the marketing director said. “We can’t just go out there with no plan!” Who knows where the shooters are?” I said. The four of us stood still, our rising palpable panic. Wildly conflicting reports continued to trickle into our cell phone feeds.

“Maybe we can get up to the needle (the restaurant atop the Stratosphere Hotel with observation windows)

“What the hell?”

Something about how he said it

made us quit our bantering. “What is it?” We asked in unison. “The strip – it’s - under attack. There’s been a shooting.”

By: Erik Lewin

We all whipped our phones out and

announced the reports. “The Mandalay Bay got shot up!” “Nobody can go on the strip!” “Multiple shooters!

Shots fired at Paris! They could be anywhere!” They could be anywhere.

We stood in the dimly lit club, eyeing its shut black doors. Suddenly, they were now a divide between

and see what the hell is going on out there,” Butch said.

We slowly opened the doors and stepped

out into the hotel’s second floor. There was no one around. An eerie absence of life pervaded the space.

It was a quick few steps to the elevator which took us to the top. We stepped into the restaurant, which blared dance remixes like it was any other night. There were groups chattering away, drinking and carrying on without concern.

The juxtaposition of the tragic

events and their behavior was baffling; they couldn’t possibly know what was going on.

94

REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

But the place was filled with towering windows!

All

you could see were emergency lights! It was shocking

“Shots fired at Bellagio!” “Chasing a shooter through the lobby!”

to see the strip cleared out, with only first responders coming in.

The outbound highways were jammed

We continued to monitor these outrageous reports on

with traffic.

Hotels went dark.

It was a wide-scale

our phones. The scene unfolding through the windows

disruption of the entire strip. How these people could

presented like a number of lit dots that could not be

munch away on chicken wings was beyond me.

connected. We didn’t know if attacks were still in

REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

progress. In spite of the party atmosphere around us, the terror did not feel distant. It felt all too close. They could be anywhere.

Eventually, Butch and I agreed to try to get home.

Butch Bradley had

recently relocated to Las Vegas for a stand-up residency at LA Comedy Club. His arrival coincided with my own, though I moved here to live with my girlfriend. Butch and I hit it off right away; we sometimes performed on the same show, and often met up for coffee. We were both jubilant with our new opportunities, and with this city we now called home.

Atop the Stratosphere, we witnessed our new home take an unprecedented sucker punch to its very core. Shortly thereafter, we split from Kelly and the Marketing Director, only to discover the parking garage had been sealed off. Fortunately, Butch was parked elsewhere and lived on the other side of town, which meant we could still travel by local roads. And that’s just what we did.

We got into his Jeep and drove out toward Blue Diamond. We rode along the dark desert landscape. I rolled down the window and the windswept air felt thick and suffocating on my neck. An emergency vehicle raced by, its horn shrieking, the sound of an entire city hurting.

Suddenly, as if in a dream, this spectacle cut through the milieu; a blast of rock’n’roll rang out from within a glowing purple light. A shirtless man with dreadlocks sat behind a drum set hitched right on the back of a Jeep, banging away like it was a sold-out show at T-Mobile Arena. We pulled up alongside him at this gas station.

“Whooo! Yeah!” Butch screamed. He leapt out to jump and dance in front of the drummer like he was the biggest fan of this rock god, throwing his arms up and taking snapshots on his phone. I looked on from the passenger seat, bathed in a reflection of purple hues, overtaken by the sheer force of the drums. It was like being sucked into a momentary force-field; the music offered a respite from the fear. In that darkest moment, this drummer kept a vigil lit for all of Las Vegas. We made it to Butch’s place and stared at the news reports for what felt like hours, neither of us settled enough to sleep.

The images of the Mandalay Bay attack were harrowing. The barest of facts started to come through, such as the shooter’s identity, the toll of victims, and the search for a person of interest. The ill-conceived reports of other shooters and coordinated attacks began to be dispelled. It was a great comfort to have my new friend there.

95

96

REAL VEGAS

//

RealVegasMagazine.com

The morning light crept in to find me curled up on Butch’s recliner.

The night’s gruesome images

immediately leapt to mind. Over breakfast, our weary eyes communicated one thing – we had survived the night – yet knowing the worst truth – many had not.

The disorientation and horror I felt from that night was reminiscent of 9/11, where I woke up in Manhattan to news of the World Trade Center attacks. I ran up to the roof of my building, and saw the sky engulfed in black smoke.

Much like New York, the people of Las Vegas supported one another remarkably.

There’s something about tragedy that

“I could

reveals a basic human kindness. With all

scarcely look at

the problems in the world, compassion

The Mandalay

can feel impossibly far from our grasp, as

Bay; it stirred in

There were heroes who literally saved lives

if only coal miners are equipped to take

me such anger

at the scene. There were lines at blood

such a deep plunge. But the actions taken

and pain to

in New York and Las Vegas offer irrefutable

even glimpse

were people who provided meals to

proof that a universal love is real.

at its sign. I’m

victims and responders. There were many

ashamed of this,

who gave comfort to the frightened. We

but I look away

were all supported in our vulnerability. I

no more”.

must confess that for months after the

banks longer than at the DMV.

There

shooting, I could scarcely look at The Mandalay Bay; it stirred in me such anger and pain to even glimpse at its sign. I’m ashamed of this, but I look away no more.

It helped that Butch and I spoke with our friend Marty, a local stand-up comedic enthusiast, who was in the line of fire and survived! I am in awe of him and his strength to endure.

It’s not easy for him to put this

horror behind him, but trust me, he still laughs a lot.

Las Vegas may always have to bear this memory, this tragedy, but it can do so, while never losing its spirit, because we are #VegasStrong.

REAL VEGAS

//

A new life is always on the horizon.

Red Rock Fertility Center is Nevada’s 1st & only boutique-styled center. We specialize in personalized physician care & expertise in and intimate and cozy setting.

RealVegasMagazine.com

97

INNOVATOR. EDUCATOR. FOUNDER.

Plantiff & Defense Life Care Plans Medical Records Reviews Independent Medical Examinations ANDREW M. CASH, M.D • •

Board-Certified Orthopedic Spine Surgeon Fellowship-Trained Spine Surgeon

Minimall Invasive Center of Excellence

Disclv.com

702.630.DISC (3472)