This week's City Life has an article on Local Heroes and guess what, we made the cut!

Read about it here:

http://www.lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2007/12/20/news/cover/iq_18596631.txt

We've got some great projects lined up for 2008.

We encourage you to become a member of the Friends of Classic Las Vegas and support our preservation efforts.

You can do so by clicking here.

We also encourage you to check out this blog and our website.  If you haven't purchased our DVD "The Story of Classic Las Vegas: An Overview"  or one of our Classic Las Vegas tee-shirts, we encourage you to do that as well.  It is an hour-long, first person narrative documentary on the real history of Las Vegas as told by the men and women who were here and helped build that history.

The DVD can be purchased here. 

The Classic Las Vegas tee-shirt can be purchased here. 

A special Thank you to Andrew Kiraly and the staff at City Life for recognizing our efforts! 

Word comes from Friends of Classic Las Vegas supporters Brian Paco Alvarez and Allen Sandquist that the Ambassador East Motel has been demolished. 

The motel was built and opened in 1952 as the Ambassador.  It was the very popular mid-century weeping mortar motif.   For years there was a barbershop on the ground floor.  Later, Jackie Gaughan bought the property along with some other downtown motels and renamed it the Jackie Gaughan's Ambassador East Motel.

The motel finally closed in 1996.  Two years ago, the Tamares Group bought all of Jackie Gaughan's downtown holdings except the El Cortez.

Earlier this summer while Allen and I were picture scouting around downtown we noticed that a fence had gone up around the property.

Less than a month ago, we discovered that a notice of special hearing was on that chain link fence.

All that remains today is the sign with Jackie Gaughan's name rubbed out.

The Ambassador East was just one of a collection of Pre- and Post War Motels that dot lower Fremont Street.  These wonderful, classic motels harken back to the days when the only way to get to Downtown from Boulder City (and from Arizona) was to come across Boulder Highway and come up Fremont Street.  The Gables, the Valley Motel, the Sky View, the Sky Ranch, the Safari, the Capri and all the others are one of the last large collections of the way Americans use to travel.

Their continued destruction for larger and more modern convenience only serves to remind everyone that Las Vegas' reputation for destroying its past is an accurate statement.  Those motels could be restored and marketed to the crowds that travel across Route 66 every year soaking up the history of the Mother Road.  Instead of helping preserve our collective past, we are betting that another mixed-use condo tower will be built on the site of the Ambassador East.  It will probably be faux Art Deco and be part of the growing trend to make Downtown look like South Beach, Miami.

Wouldn't it be nice if Downtown was allowed to look like classic Las Vegas?

Special thanks to RoadsidePictures for allowing us to use these photos. 

Our In Memoriam list keeps getting longer unfortunately.  Word came this morning that Sweet Louie of the Checkmates had passed away over the weekend.  He passed away prior to taking the stage with Sonny Charles, his vocal partner.  The Checkmates were a staple here in Las Vegas from the mid-1960s when they began performing at the old Pussy Cat A Go Go.  For years they anchored the lounge at Caesars and had a best selling album, The Checkmates Live at Caesars Palace.

 Word came this afternoon that Lee Tilman, one of the last surviving workers on the Dam passed away yesterday.  Lee was a great guy and was always willing to talk and share his stories about working on the Dam.

I was fortunate to have interviewed both of them a few years ago and will miss them both.

Heaven is a little brighter tonight. 

Wanted to let everyone know that I have not forgotten about you.

I have added the history of the Thunderbird Hotel:

The Thunderbird History 

Also, I am have come across some video footage that was shot in 1988 of Downtown, the Strip and such and will be posting that video later this week.  All you Vegas World lovers, there is a night shot of Vegas World all lit up.

For you history buffs, there are shots of the La Cocha (with its motel pole), the front of Caesars, the Stardust and the Dunes sign.

So, hang in there so really cool stuff is coming later this week!  

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the history of the Thunderbird!