The historic Berkley Square Neighborhood, located in West Las Vegas, has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  The Register, a National Park Service Program, is the nation’s official list of cultural resources worthy of recognition and preservation. The city of Las Vegas Planning & Development Department nominated the neighborhood on behalf of the Berkley Square residents after a consultant’s report found that the neighborhood met the National Register criteria for historic district designation.

  “I am thrilled that the National Park Service has recognized this important and historic neighborhood. This is truly an incredible honor for our community,” Ward 5 Councilman Ricki Y. Barlow said.  

 The Berkley Square Historic District is located about one and one-half miles from downtown Las Vegas near Owens Avenue and D Street, and is bound by Byrnes and Leonard avenues on the north and south, respectively, and G and D Streets on the west and east, respectively.

The district includes 148 homes constructed in 1954-55 in the Contemporary Ranch style with two models that varied by roof type, porch overhang and façade finishes and fenestration. The neighborhood was designed according to Federal Housing Administration standards of the day, showing concern for traffic and pedestrian safety with limited access points and sidewalks separated from the streets by a grass strip.

Berkley Square is the first subdivision to be built in Nevada by and for African-American residents of Las Vegas. It was designed in 1949 by Paul R. Williams, an internationally-known African-American architect from Los Angeles who made great strides for his race in the profession.

The developers and builders comprise an A-list of prominent African-American community activists and civic leaders, including financier Thomas L. Berkley, an attorney, media owner, developer and civil rights advocate from Oakland, Calif. It was also financed by Edward A. Freeman and J. J. Byrnes of Los Angeles. The developer was Leonard A. Wilson of Las Vegas. Construction was supervised by Harry L. Wyatt of the Las Vegas firm Burke and Wyatt.  Massie L. Kennard, a Las Vegas civil rights leader, was the real estate agent.

Berkley Square contributed to improving living conditions for the city’s African-American community, and represented the advances that were being made as a result of local activism in the community in the late 1940s and early 1950s. It is additionally representative of the massive building boom that took place in Las Vegas and across the country in the post-war era, and retains good integrity as a residential suburb of that time.

Hash House A Go Go
Hash House A Go Go will offer its Turkey Dinner A Go Go for Thanksgiving. The meal includes a 10-pound turkey with stuffing; garlic mashed potatoes and pumpkin mashed potatoes; fresh green beans and carrots; homemade biscuits and strawberry jam; chutney; and homemade Snickers chocolate bread pudding. Turkey Dinner A Go Go orders must be placed by noon on Monday, Nov. 23 and picked up no later than 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25. Orders can be placed by calling 702-804-4646.

In addition, beginning on Monday, Nov. 9 and through the holidays, Hash House A Go Go is offering a baker's dozen of its popular homemade buttermilk biscuits to go for only $12.95. The baker's dozen features 13 of the fluffy biscuits and homemade jam prepared daily in the restaurant.

Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas
The Ritz-Carlton will offer "turkey-to-go" for Thanksgiving. The fully cooked meal includes a traditional fresh turkey and stuffing or honey-glazed ham with cranberries, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, fresh vegetables and a choice of pumpkin or apple pie. Cost is $185 for up to 8 people, $235 for up to 12 people. Must reserve by noon on Nov. 24. Dinners can be picked up at the hotel's front valet between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day (702-567-4700).

Other happenings include:

Bonkerz Comedy Club Food Drive
When: 8 p.m. Nov. 26
Where: Bonkerz Comedy Club, Palace Station
Bonkerz Comedy Club is hosting a special Thanksgiving food drive where guests can receive free admission to see Adam Hunter perform just by donating a minimum of $10 worth of non-perishable food items. Each food donation of $10 or more will earn one complimentary ticket to the 8 p.m. Nov. 26 show and all donations benefit Three Square, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending hunger in the Las Vegas community. Regular ticket prices apply otherwise. Tickets are $29.95 each. Palace Station hotel guests and locals with a valid Nevada ID receive a $10 discount (702-547-5300).

Thanksgiving weekend at Stoney's
When: Nov. 26-29
More info: 702-435-2855
Stoney's kicks off Thanksgiving weekend with Ladies Night on Thanksgiving. Ladies get in for a buck and its just a buck a drink. Free dance lessons begin at 7:30 p.m. American country music band Restless Heart gives a free concert at 9 p.m. Nov. 27. Get there early and enjoy free well, wine and draft from 7 to 9 p.m. All-you-can-drink draft beer will be offered for $20 on Saturday and ladies drink free all night long on Sunday. Enjoy country music from 7-10 p.m. Sunday night and then its Stoney's Underground featuring a live broadcast with KLUC 98.5 playing Top 40 and dance music from 11 p.m.-3 a.m. 9151 Las Vegas Blvd South.

Songs and Stories of the Season on Nevada Public Radio
Nevada Public Radio will offer special programming on Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year's on both its News 88.9 KNPR and Classical 89.7 KCNV stations.

Thanksgiving Day programming includes:
News 88.9 KNPR
• The Splendid Table's Turkey Confidential, Nov. 26 - 8-10 a.m.
Host Lynne Rossetto Kasper, the award-winning host of public radio's national food show the Splendid Table, will be fielding calls to aid listeners in the day's cooking conquests. Cook's Illustrated Christopher Kimball and road food warriors Jane and Michael Stern as well as wine entrepreneur Joshua Wesson will be joining the program.

• Giving Thanks with John Birge, Nov. 26 - 10-11 a.m. and 8 to 10 p.m. Host John Birge reflects on the meaning of the holiday, playing music and recounting stories.

Classical 89.7 KCNV
• Harvest Home: Thanksgiving with the Dale Warland Singers, Nov. 26 - 6 to 7 p.m.
Beautifully arranged favorites, Shaker tunes and rousing folk songs conclude Thanksgiving festivities.

MonteLago Village Resort, Lake Las Vegas
MonteLago Village at Lake Las Vegas is offering a special Thanksgiving package on Nov. 26. Package includes an overnight stay Thanksgiving night and two adult Thanksgiving dinners prepared by Portofino Steak House. Packages start at $149 (1-888-600-2688).

Nove Italiano, The Palms
Executive Chef Geno Bernardo will host a holiday cooking class from noon to 3 p.m. Nov. 21. The class will focus on the region of Emilia Romagna, where his grandmother is from. The class will be based on her favorite dishes growing up: stuffed artichokes, shaved brussel sprouts, boneless stuffed turkey breast, mashed squash and potatoes and pumpkin cheesecake. Cost is $110 per person. Space is limited (702-942-6856).

After several years of anticipation the "18b" sign arrived in Las Vegas' Arts District this morning. 18b is the official name of the arts district.

The name represents the original 18 blocks that make up the district. The sign is part of a series of new and historic signs that are being placed along the Casino Center Rue in Downtown. Casino Center is being transformed into a major transportation hub and corridor that will connect the Las Vegas Strip with Fremont Street, Symphony Park and 18b.

In addition several local artists were commissioned to design bus shelters using historic signs from the Neon Museum such as the 5th Street Liquor Sign and the Landmark. The entire project is being anchored by a new transportation hub currently under construction on Casino Center and Bonneville. The new transportation center will replace the one directly behind the Historic Post Office and Court House on Stewart Avenue.

Thanks to Brian "Paco" Alvarez for letting us use the images!

Okay, it's not Las Vegas centric but long time readers know how much I love TCM.  So, I wanted to pass this info along in case you are interested in going:

First-ever TCM Classic Film Festival, (April 22-25, 2010) to Feature Newly Restored Versions of A Star is Born (1954) and Metropolis (1927), Plus an Anniversary Screening of Breathless (1960)

Festival Passes for April 2010 Event Go On Sale Today at www.tcm.com/festival

When Turner Classic Movies (TCM) launches the first-ever TCM Classic Film Festival in April 2010 in Hollywood, the spectacular events will include the world premiere of a newly restored edition of George Cukor’s music-filled 1954 drama A Star is Born; the North American premiere of a restored version of Fritz Lang’s 1927 science-fiction silent masterpiece Metropolis; and a 50th anniversary screening of the influential French classic Breathless, the film that launched Jean-Luc Godard’s career. Passes go on sale starting today, with prices ranging from $499 to $1,199.

The more than 50 presentations during the festival will include introductions to provide context about each film. Among the first of many special guests scheduled to participate are filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich and film critic Leonard Maltin. The festival will also feature a special presentation of Stanley Kubrick’s landmark film 2001: A Space Odyssey, including a discussion with Oscar-winning visual effects artist Douglas Trumbull, who was responsible for contributing to Kubrick’s vision. In addition, TCM weekend-daytime host Ben Mankiewicz will take part in introducing films during the festival.

The premiere of A Star is Born will serve as the opening night event for the TCM Classic Film Festival on Thursday, April 22, 2010. This is the first major restoration of A Star is Born since 1983. TCM will screen a version  that was digitally restored by scanning original negatives. The result is much better picture quality of all elements of the 1983 restoration, with deeper and richer color than ever before. A Star is Born, which earned Oscar® nominations for Judy Garland and James Mason, is part of the festival’s overall theme as a celebration of Hollywood history.

TCM’s screening of Metropolis will mark the first presentation of the new restoration of the film in North America. Due to the sensational 2008 discovery of a 16mm negative in Buenos Aires and its current restoration, Metropolis can now be shown with 30 minutes of additional footage that has been unseen since the 1927 Berlin premiere. This nearly complete copy of Lang’s 204-minute original now stands as the authoritative version of the film, according to the Murnau Foundation, which holds the copyrights on all of Lang’s films. The newly reconstructed Metropolis features extensive scenes that flesh out many of the supporting characters, fill in previously jarring gaps in the plot and provide additional back story. The music score will be provided live by the Alloy Orchestra, a three-man musical ensemble that will be celebrating its 20th year of writing and performing live accompaniment to classic silent films.

TCM, in partnership with Rialto Pictures, will present a beautiful new print of Jean-Luc Godard’s New Wave classic Breathless, which in 2010 celebrates the 50th anniversary of its American release. Breathless was a U.S. art-house sensation that strongly influenced filmmakers of its era. The movie paved the way for the “new” Hollywood of the late 1960s and ‘70s, revolutionizing American filmmaking and changing the direction of the industry.

“The TCM Classic Film Festival is shaping up to be a truly amazing event, with rare cinematic treats and many chances to hear from classic film stars and knowledgeable experts,” said TCM host and film historian Robert Osborne, who will serve as the official host for the festival. “This is the kind of celebration classic film fans have been dreaming about for years, and everyone at TCM is proud to bring that dream to life.”

 As part of the festival, TCM is partnering with Vanity Fair magazine to commemorate the publication of Vanity Fair’s Tales of Hollywood, from Penguin Books and edited by Graydon Carter.

Special panels will feature writers from the magazine, along with actors and filmmakers who will tell behind-the-scenes stories of many of Hollywood’s greatest films. In addition, Vanity Fair will co-present a special opening-night party for top-tier passholders and Hollywood VIPs.

The TCM Classic Film Festival, which is set to take place in Hollywood April 22-25, 2010, will be a landmark celebration of the history of Hollywood and its movies, presented in a way that only TCM can, with major events, celebrity appearances, panel discussions and more. The four-day festival will also provide movie fans a rare opportunity to experience some of cinema’s greatest works as they were meant to be seen – on the big screen. TCM will announce additional special events, guests and programming in the weeks and months ahead.

The central hub for the festival will be Club TCM, located inside the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The Roosevelt, which served as the site of the first Academy Awards® ceremony, will be the official hotel for the festival.

All passholders will be allowed entry into Club TCM, which will include a festival lounge, panel discussions, social events, a boutique and poolside screenings. Event locations include Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and the Egyptian Theatre.

Festival passes are now on sale at www.tcm.com/festival. The number of passes will be limited, especially for top-level “Spotlight” passes:

The “Classic” Festival Pass: $499 – Includes access to all film programs at festival venues; access to all Club TCM events, including festival headquarters, the festival lounge, panel discussions, social events, the festival boutique and poolside screenings at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel; an opening-night welcome party; Friday and Saturday evening passholder gatherings; the closing-night event; and a commemorative festival program.  On sale now for $399 until Dec. 18th.

The “Essential” Festival Pass: $599 – Includes all privileges available to “Classic” passholders, plus entry to the opening-night red carpet screening of A Star is Born at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and official TCM festival collectibles. On sale now for $499 until Dec. 18th.

The “Spotlight” Festival Pass: $1,199 – Includes all privileges available to “Classic” and “Essential” passholders, plus entry to an exclusive opening-night party following the red carpet screening of A Star is Born, hosted by Vanity Fair magazine; priority entry to all events; a meet-and-greet breakfast with Robert Osborne; and an official TCM Classic Film Festival poster signed by Osborne. On sale now for $1.099 until Dec. 18th.

 Frequentily Asked Questions: http://www.tcm.com/festival/faq.jsp

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But in the 1960s a group of funny ladies took the town by storm and proved once and for all that comedy wasn't just a guy thing.  Comediennes Totie Fields, Nancy Austin and Rusty Warren all had tons of talent and their show dates filled the showrooms and the lounges from one end of the Strip to the other.

Nothing could keep these ladies down.  Totie Fields and Nancy Austin both passed away years ago but Rusty Warren (yes, she of the best selling comedy album "Knockers Up" ) is still with us.

From the R-J:

The "Golden Age of Las Vegas" embraced the late 1950s and '60s, filling it with gaudy lights, excitement, entertainment, booze, broads, and a sexual electricity and sense of danger that will never be repeated.

From the Las Vegas Sun:

Funerals are typically somber, reverent affairs.

But James “Bucky” Buchanan was not typically somber or reverent, and neither was his funeral held Friday afternoon at Palm Mortuary, 1325 N. Main St.

Buchanan, 74, whose list of clients ran the gamut — from the famous to the penniless — died Saturday evening after suffering a medical episode while driving his Ferrari near his home on Linden Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard.

His funeral, though peppered with tears, was punctuated with laughter as family members, friends and colleagues recounted memories of the man everyone calls Bucky, whose sharp wit and unconventional style made him larger than life and seared him into the history of Las Vegas.

Clark County courts were effectively closed for afternoon business as the legal community gathered to bid farewell to one of its legends.

At the start of the service, state Sen. Dennis Nolan played the bagpipes as he led a dozen or so robed judges down the aisle to the front of the chapel.

The pews were packed with at least 200 mourners; those who couldn’t get a seat lined the walls or watched remotely in an overflow room — proving that even in death, Bucky Buchanan could command attention.

While Buchanan had his share of famous clients, he also represented a host of people — from hookers to thieves the homeless — who couldn’t, in truth, afford his services but needed him, said his wife, Gianna.

“Bucky had greatness in his heart,” she said. “Being an honorable man was the way he lived his life.”

Judge Nancy Oesterle addressed the crowd wearing a bright blue judges robe, saying that’s what Bucky, who slyly got away with calling her “princess” as a reference to her royal colored robe on more than one occasion, would have wanted.

“My courtroom will never be the same without Bucky,” she said. “He was a kind character and totally irreplaceable.” And as a lawyer, he was “a force to be reckoned with.”

But Buchanan wasn’t just a lawyer renowned in the Las Vegas community. He was a devoted father and grandfather and a loving husband.

He also had a heart for charity, including a soft spot for the Toys for Tots program. He served on the Board of Regents and left a mark on UNLV, whose swimming pool, the Buchanan Natatorium, is named for him.

Buchanan was also a big game hunter immensely proud of the trophies, which included animals like elephants, water buffalo and big cats, mounted on the wall of his home on Sunrise Mountain.

Buchanan’s love of hunting was a recurrent theme in the stories told about him Friday afternoon. As was a tale about the time when Buchanan, who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in the same class as Arizona Sen. John McCain, sunk a ship in the Chesapeake Bay.

He was reprimanded but still graduated and served time in the Air Force. He was given military honors at his funeral.

Buchanan had a background in engineering and worked with nuclear weapons in Albuquerque. As a young man, he fell in love with the West and went on to study law at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

His legal career began in Las Vegas, where in 1965 he took a job in the District Attorney’s Office. He opened his criminal defense practice five years later.

Attorney and friend Osvaldo Fumo said that when he learned Buchanan had died, “my first thought was for a guy who was always late for court, God, you took him away too quickly.”

Buchanan was a man who lived life on his own terms and had a “wicked sense of humor,” he said.

Attorney John Momot, whose lengthy legal resume includes the defense of Sandy Murphy in the Ted Binion murder trial, called Buchanan a legendary man.

“He had a particular flair, a style, a smile and a swagger,” said

Buchanan represented a host of clients of note: He defended David Mattsen, who was eventually acquitted of attempting to steal millions in cash from Binion’s vault in Pahrump; in 2003 and 2004, he represented Steven Gazlay, then a member of the 311 Boyz (a gang made up of teens from middle- and upper-middle class homes in northwest Las Vegas) accused and eventually convicted of a felony in a crowbar attack on a fellow teen.

He recently represented Roger Mayweather, the uncle and trainer for champion boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., on felony coercion and battery-strangulation charges.

His son-in-law, Joseph Wykes, gave the eulogy. He cited a phrase uttered by Mattsen after his acquittal: “I believe in God and Buchanan.”

Buchanan is survived by his wife, Gianna, whom he married in 2001, two grown sons, twin daughters and several grandchildren.

“I admired Bucky so much. I was so proud of him,” Gianna Buchanan said. “To me, he was just like a hero. And while nobody’s perfect, to me, he was perfect.”

Jack Buchanan, who’s taking the reins at his father’s firm, thanked everyone profusely for coming to the ceremony. He also had a message for a chosen few of them:

“I know there are a lot of D.A.s here and if they think that their jobs got a lot easier, then think again,” he said, earning him a round of applause.

“Behind the big Vegas personality … he was the best dad,” he said.

With New Year's Eve kicking off a long-holiday weekend this year, it was announced that firework displays will return to famed Las Vegas Strip.

Las Vegas Events and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority  announced today that the New Year’s Eve celebration known as America’s Party: Las Vegas New Year 2010 will include a spectacular fireworks show fired from seven rooftop locations along the Las Vegas Strip.

The firing locations (from the south, heading north) include the following resort properties:  MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood, Aria, Caesars Palace, Treasure Island (TI), Venetian and the Stratosphere. 

Fireworks by Grucci of New York will again coordinate the pyrotechnic display.   Locally, Fireworks by Grucci has produced many of Las Vegas’ largest special events and grand openings, including the official Las Vegas Centennial celebration.

 In addition to designing the pyrotechnic display, Fireworks by Grucci will work directly with the Clark County Fire Department and Building Services to ensure both fire and structural safety guidelines.

“We are moving the fireworks show back to where it should be,” said LVE President Pat Christenson.  “Fireworks by Grucci, the Clark County Fire Department and Building Services and the individual resort properties have worked tirelessly since January of this year to address the fire and structural safety issues associated with firing the show from the rooftops.  Our goal each year is to design a show that is befitting of this city and provides a great backdrop for the thousands of revelers on the Strip.”

According to the LVCVA, Las Vegas hosts several hundred thousand visitors for New Year’s Eve.  

"Las Vegas continues to be the best venue in the world to ring in the New Year," said Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO of the LVCVA. "The fireworks will culminate an evening of celebrity-hosted events at nightclubs, special dining experiences at restaurants, live music at the Fremont Street Experience downtown and much more.  There is no other destination that offers the excitement on New Year's Eve."

Thematic elements and the musical portion of the fireworks show will be announced at a later date.

The Candlelight Wedding Chapel on the Las Vegas Strip

From the Las Vegas Sun:

It survived a tricky journey across town, required more than $250,000 in renovation, including a new steeple, scavenged furnishings and electrical rewiring.

But when you’re a 1966 wedding chapel — old by Las Vegas standards — and you have a few stories to tell, somebody’s bound to love you.

That’s pretty much how it unfolded for the Candlelight Wedding Chapel, a quaint, free-standing churchlike structure with steep roof lines that sat four decades on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Originally Little Church of the West Algiers and then All Religions Wedding Chapel, it was the first chapel with an 800 number and limo service. It married so many couples daily that a side door was installed to usher out fresh newlyweds so they wouldn’t bump into wedding parties making their formal procession down the aisle.

When its land was sold to the Fontainebleau project, the chapel sat empty until its former operator, Gordon Gust, scooped it up and gave it to the Clark County Museum.

On Saturday the chapel officially becomes a new exhibit on the museum’s Heritage Street and opens to the public with a party, complete with live music, wedding cake and photo ops for couples who were married at the chapel.

“It’s one of those things you don’t think of as history, but it’s important here,” says Mark Hall-Patton, administrator of the Clark County Museum. “Five percent of all marriages in the United States are held in Clark County. That’s one out of 20 marriages.”

Grants from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors’ Authority and the Nevada Cultural Affairs Commission paid for the renovation, a project of the county’s 2009 Centennial celebration.

It arrived at the museum in 2007. Renovation began in May.

The Candlelight Wedding Chapel when it arrived at the Clark County Museum

The chapel is decorated to its latest incarnation (white), rather than its previous red exterior, paneled walls and red carpet. Its original pews and organ are gone and replaced with a piano and benches rescued from the county courthouse, resized and refinished.

Its large neon sign, which was added later, is across town at the Neon Museum.

Hall-Patton says museum staff had its eyes on the chapel for 10 years, identifying it as a building the museum would like to own if it ever became available. The museum is home to Heritage Street, a tree-lined gravel road hidden from Boulder Highway and flanked with rescued historic homes, a railroad depot and a print shop.

Visitors can sit on the wooden rocking chairs on the porch of the Beckley House and tour homes, each decked out to its era, each with its own nooks and crannies. They’re adorned at Christmastime and welcome trick-or-treaters on Halloween. (For Saturday’s party, the Clark County Museum Guild will serve cookies, with recipes specific to each home’s era.)

The railroad depot, taken to the site in 1976, was the first building to arrive. The oldest home is a railroad cottage (circa 1911-1914) awaiting renovation.

The chapel, inspired in design by the Little Church of the West, is its youngest structure. Celebrities married there include Bette Midler, Michael Caine, Whoopi Goldberg and Barry White.

“When we look at a building, we look at it from a standpoint that we could use it to best teach that part of our history,” he says. “In 1931 Nevada liberated both divorces and weddings. Reno got divorces. We became the wedding capital.”

Candlelight Wedding Chapel being restored

Special thanks to Joel Rosales at leavinglv.net and Allen Sandquist for letting us these images.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that gifts, in memory of Bucky Buchanan, may be given to the UNLV Foundation for the Academic Scholarship Fund.

From Ray Lindstrom, 1956 Las Vegas Strip

From Elmer Gerlock, 1957 Las Vegas Strip and Fremont Street.  Love the shot of the Golden Nugget neon billboard.

From yooreds, Las Vegas Strip circa 1976