Las Vegas Gets Snow!
One of our readers contacted me by email about two weeks ago. She was wondering if there was still any snow on Mt. Charleston. I assured her there was.
Today, there is a whole lot more thanks to the winter storms that enveloped the Las Vegas Valley the last few days.
From the R-J:
Let it snow, let it snow! That was the battle cry heard from people sledding at Lee Canyon Friday. About 30 people used the day to take advantage of several feet of snow the week's storms dumped on Mount Charleston. Among the crowd were a group of airmen stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, enjoying their day off in the cold weather. One was Ken Henderson, 19, who made several runs down the steep, rolling hill on his stomach before he decided to try his luck standing. But Henderson soon discovered the $10 piece of plastic he'd bought at a discount store wasn't the sturdiest sled in the shed, and after a particularly nasty fall, he'd had enough. "My head is still ringing from the last time, man," he said. "I'm done." Henderson, who grew up in California, said he's lived in Las Vegas about seven months. He'd already made it through the scorching temperatures of the summer, he said, and wanted to try out the opposite. "It's a real change of pace from January in Vegas," said Henderson. "Out here it feels like a real winter." Snow also fell on Red Rock Canyon: 
Dr. Michael Green and Las Vegas History!
One of my favorite people is Dr. Michael Green. He teaches history at the College of Southern Nevada, he's a familiar face to my Untold Stories class, is one of my go-to guys when I need a historic question answered and is just a terrific guy.
He is also our inaugural guest for a new feature here at Classic Las Vegas. I will be interviewing various history and cultural gurus in Las Vegas right here.
Dr. Mike was kind enough to help me kick this new feature off.
So, without further ado here's Dr. Mike:
1) Why do you enjoy teaching Las Vegas history?
Besides teaching Las Vegas history—and general surveys—I specialize in the Civil War era. I would love to interview Lincoln or someone who knew him fairly well, but that doesn’t seem possible. But in Las Vegas, the people who made the history are here or one generation removed, and that adds an excitement and interest level for me and, I think, for others.
Also, to refer to my example, while there remains a great deal we do not know about the Civil War era, we know a lot. I always find it more interesting to study something not very well known to try to learn more about it, and so much of Las Vegas’s history is uncharted territory. Also, it is right here, waiting for us. I like to think of myself as being a public servant, and I think we serve the public when we do research on our community’s history.
2) Which part of Las Vegas history do you think needs more of the spotlight?
Ha! Just about all of it! Even the Strip, which gets so much attention—how much do we know about the business operations and the entertainment history? We need to know a lot more about what went on here in the community at all times, and especially before the dam. There have been some good studies of the broader Las Vegas community, but we need a lot more specialized work on everything from women to religion.
3) Which is your favorite era of Las Vegas history and why?
If you asked me another day, my answer would be different. To turn it around, I would find it fascinating to have been here when the Stewarts and Kiels were about the only ones around in the late nineteenth century and see just what was really going on. But I incline toward the 1950s: interesting people with interesting backgrounds, the Strip and downtown expanding, growth fast but reasonable, political change, incredible entertainment, and a civil rights movement really ramping up.
4) What is the significance of Las Vegas before WWII and in the post-war era?
Do you have a year for me to answer? Before World War II, Las Vegas wasn’t terribly significant. It was a pit stop and a small tourist town between Los Angeles and Salt Lake, dependent on the railroad first for jobs in its repair shops and then, when the railroad moved the shops, on tourists coming through on the train or via the old highway. Not that that era isn’t worthy and in need of further study, but Las Vegas didn’t matter yet on a regional and national—even international—scale in the way that it would and does. I think the era is incredibly valuable for us to examine for harbingers of what was to come, locally and nationally.
As for the postwar era, in 1994, Time proclaimed Las Vegas “the all-American city.” At about the same time, Marc Cooper did a great piece in The Village Voice about how Las Vegas operated, and it was far less, shall we say, glamorous than Time’s version.
I think that Las Vegas is in some ways symbolic of postwar America: a greater movement toward leisure and instant gratification, thanks partly to social changes (suburbanization, different mores and morals) and partly to inventions that make them possible (computers and jet airplanes). Las Vegas also is a fascinating way to look at the evolution of entertainment: showrooms used to resemble the Ed Sullivan show, which resembled vaudeville.
Now, with shorter attention spans, we have one-person shows with lots of bells and whistles or Cirque shows that are not in themselves star vehicles but sometimes are related to stars and/or use those bells and whistles.
5) What are your thoughts on the "Casino" the movie and myth vs. reality?
Let’s start with the point that “Casino” is a marvelous film, as film. It also does a very good job of conveying its time or milieu. Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi captured the aura of the time. The problem is that it’s terrible history.
For storytelling purposes, they combined several politicians into one, made Ace Rothstein look far abler than Lefty Rosenthal actually was (understandable when you have Robert DeNiro in the lead role), and attached far more significance to the affair between Joe Pesci’s and Sharon Stone’s characters than it actually had.
The reality is that the mob’s fall here had a lot more to do with federal and state investigations, which don’t transfer well to the screen, and Rosenthal’s incredible arrogance, best displayed in his confrontation with then-Gaming Commission chairman Harry Reid and his abominable television show.
6) Is the "Green Felt Jungle" a good book on the mob if so, why or why not?
My answer is yes and no. As with most books in that genre, Ed Reid and Ovid DeMaris have a lot of good information but are more interested in heat than in light. Also, a significant amount of the book is stuff that Reid reported in the Las Vegas Sun nearly a decade before—the Thunderbird case. But it has a lot of useful, interesting information, and it’s certainly a good read.
Thank you Dr. Mike!
LasVegasLynn
in Cultural Tourism, Current Day, Historical, Las Vegas History, Las Vegas Strip, Untold Stories, the mob
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City of Las Vegas and Cultural Arts
Our good friend and fellow Friend of Classic Las Vegas, Brian "Paco" Alvarez wants to get out the word about the City of Las Vegas and the Cultural Arts. Like Paco, we believe that Cultural Arts are essential to residents and without them, the educational programming that we do would be seriously hindered.
Read on to see how you can help, note the dates and do your part to help save Cultural Arts in the City of Las Vegas:
Over the next couple of months the City of Las Vegas will be holding a series of Town Hall meetings to discuss the economic impact of the downturn on the cities budget. It is extremely important that the citizens of Las Vegas participate in these meetings and express concerns over potential cutbacks to city services.
As someone who cares about the Cultural Arts in Las Vegas and understands the positive economic impact the arts has on a community I encourage you to engage your civic leaders about protecting this important asset. We are very fortunate to live in a community in which we can pick up the phone and talk to the very people we elected. We must remind our elected officials that the only way we can diversify our economy and bring creative businesses to Las Vegas is by our long-term sustained investment in the cultural arts.
Investments in museums, cultural centers, theater, public art and all the things that enrich the citizenry; these quality of life issues encourage economic diversification in a community. Creative businesses such as knowledge based companies, innovators, information technology and scores of others will not come to Las Vegas if we cannot demonstrate that we have the infrastructure that creative businesses demand for their workforce. Yes Nevada has a favorable tax environment for businesses to relocate here but have you noticed that they are not exactly flocking to the state nor Las Vegas for that matter? The reason is simple, we have a grossly underfunded educational system and the investment in our cultural infrastructure is minimal.
Whether you agree with me or not the truth of the matter is we cannot continue depending on one industry to sustain our economy. In addition it is not fair to that industry that we continue using them alone to sustain our budgets. These issues run far and deep in Nevada and will not be solved easily nor quickly but we can make a difference if we get involved.
Below is information related to the City of Las Vegas Town Hall meetings and how you can participate.
Town Hall meetings will be held in various locations throughout the city at various times with city council representatives from respective wards attending.
As part of the “Your City, Your Way” Initiative, Las Vegas residents weighed-in on city services and resources, and on what works and what doesn't through several forums including focus groups, a phone survey and on-line survey. The resident input is being used by city management and the City Council to help make informed, strategic decisions based on resident priorities. During the town hall meetings, city staff will present information on the city’s budget shortfall and potential reductions. Staff will also present information on Census 2010, followed by a question and answer period.
City of Las Vegas residents are encouraged to attend one of the Town Hall meetings scheduled at various locations throughout the city. Other Town Hall meetings will take place:
•Jan. 19, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. - Ward 5: City Council Chambers, 400 Stewart Ave.
•Jan. 25, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. - Ward 4: YMCA Durango Hills, 3521 N. Durango Drive
•Jan. 27, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. - Ward 3: East Las Vegas Community Center / Ballroom, 250 N. Eastern Ave.
•Feb. 9, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. - Ward 6: Centennial Hills YMCA, 6601 N. Buffalo Drive
•Feb. 16, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. - Ward 2: Veterans Memorial Leisure Services Center, 101 S. Pavilion Center Drive
•Feb. 18, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. - Ward 6: Northwest Career and Technical Academy / Training Room, 8200 W. Tropical Parkway
•Feb. 22, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. - Ward 3: Las Vegas Chuck Minker Sports Complex, 275 N. Mojave Road
•Feb. 24, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. - Ward 5: Southern Nevada Health District / Clemens Room, 625 Shadow Lane
•Feb. 27, 10 a.m. to Noon - Ward 1: YMCA Meadows Lane, 4141 Meadows Lane
•March 1, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. - Ward 4: Starbright Theater, 2215 Thomas Ryan Blvd.
•March 4, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. - Ward 1: Charleston Heights Arts Center / Theater, 800 S. Brush St.
For more information and to view the results of the recent phone survey and the focus groups, visit http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/yourcity or call 229-6501.
To learn about the many services, events and facilities available to residents visit the city Web site at http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/
LasVegasLynn
in Cultural Tourism, Current Day
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Vision Airlines, out of North Las Vegas, doing their part in Haiti
Pilots for a North Las Vegas-based airline are volunteering to fly in supplies and emergency crews to Haiti after Tuesday's devastating earthquake. Airspace over Port-au-Prince International is packed with planes and helicopters bringing disaster relief. There is no longer a control tower, and, at times, aircraft are forced to circle overhead for hours and wait for a chance to land on the runway, which is overflowing with emergency vehicles bringing medical supplies to the injured. It's difficult to tell whether they are alive or dead. U.S. Coast Guard and Air Force members are directing flights in and out -- standing by the runway using radios. Smoke billows in the distance on the hillside where the capital city of the Western Hemisphere's poorest country once stood -- swallowed by a massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake and battered by dozens of strong aftershocks. As planes descend, the crumbled buildings and rubble appear to crew members. And then you see them, the thousands of people wandering the streets aimlessly with horrific expressions of absolute terror and distress who are searching for loved ones. That's what pilot Michael Raymond saw Thursday afternoon as he flew in 37 rescue workers and seven search dogs from Miami to Port-au-Prince. The Boeing 737-400 then was loaded with 57 Americans, one of whom had suffered a back injury, to return to Miami. Airline employees have volunteered to fly supplies and bring back citizens to the United States. At least three Vision Airlines flights from Atlanta and Miami have made the three-hour round trip. Most have been delayed as planes wait their turn to land on the tiny airstrip. "When we had landing assured and you started recognizing streets, you see these thousands of people with a sense of hopelessness, they're just devastated," Raymond said. "As you were flying in, at the border of the airport, you can see people begging to get out of there." At one point, Raymond and his crew had to circle for two hours, it was a "scary thing" for the pilot. "You always plan ahead for holding, so we had plenty of fuel, but then we had to hold for so long," said Raymond, who has 31 years of flying experience. "Fuel became critical." There are places to get fuel in the Dominican Republic, he added. "It's a tough job," Raymond said. "There's a whole gamut of emotions as you're looking at workers coming up and down. You'll see a person lying on a stretcher with IVs and you don't know if they're dead or not." The biggest challenge for the crew in North Las Vegas is air traffic, said Jason Tolman, director of systems operations control for Vision Airlines. Usually the team manages sightseeing flights over the Grand Canyon. "We're communicating with airplanes and just trying to get as many flights down there with relief workers on board," Tolman said. "Everybody is eager to help out and doing whatever is necessary, but it's very stressful with long days and demanding issues. Big decisions need to be made under pressure, and that's the hardest part." As of right now, Vision Airlines is planning to make planes available for disaster relief indefinitely, Tolman added. Vision Airlines loaded planes in Miami and Atlanta with rescue workers, search dogs, water and medicine, and pilots are coping with the difficulties of disaster relief responsibilities on top of their work schedules.
Local Las Vegans await word from Haiti
Days after an earthquake destroyed Haiti's capital, local families are still searching for news about their loved ones in the Caribbean nation. Some of their worst fears have come true as stories of dead and dying family members buried under large debris are confirmed by surviving relatives and friends who were able to escape Tuesday's devastation.
Delivrance Jean-Charles, pastor of La Premiere Eglise Evangelique Haitienne de Las Vegas, found out her aunt and cousin were killed when their home collapsed on top of them. Their bodies are still inside the wreckage. "People keep moving big blocks and rubble by hand," she said. "It will take so long for them to reach all the people." Her 25-year-old niece is still missing after she left her work office and never came home. Family members "went in the house to check, but we don't know if she had time to get out," Jean-Charles said. "People saw her leave work. By the time the earthquake hit, they believe she didn't make it to the house yet. She might be dead under the rubble, but no one knows where she was exactly." Her cousin finally got through on the phone and described the city of Port-au-Prince smelling of rotting flesh as thousands lay dead on the streets. At least 7,000 bodies were laid to rest in a mass grave this week, some identified and others were not, she added. "We got cut off," she said. "For me it was a miracle to talk to someone in Port-au-Prince on the inside. I was feeling so down." Jean-Charles said she checks her cell phone every five minutes to see if someone is calling to update her on the well-being of friends and family. Her husband, Jeanot, is trying to find his nephews. His grandmother was killed in the quake. "My entire family, most of them live in the north part," he said. "Some go to school in Port-au-Prince. For some reason they didn't that day. If all of them were going to school they would be dead also." Kenson Desinor of the Las Vegas Haitian Disaster Relief Community said a relative who lives outside the capital was able to call him to say that many of his friends died. "A lot of people are starting to get information," Desinor said. "My friend had lots of nephews die, and lots of his other family members died too." Desinor said he has tried to call his relatives who live in Haiti but cannot get through to them. "I have heard from family, but not in the affected part," he said. "We have a lot of friends in the area, but you can reach people in other parts of the country. It's not that easy, sometimes (phone lines) connect, but it's hard to get connected."
