Just back from the awesome panel on the MGM Grand Fire and wanted to say "THANK YOU!" to all who turned out for the Las Vegas City Council meeting yesterday.  Friends of Classic Las Vegas members Mary Martinez and Mary Gafford spoke up as did former County Commissioner and UNLV Regent Thalia Dondero.

Pam Hartley of Very Vintage Vegas and FCLV spoke as did Steve Evans who spearheaded this entire effort.

Our good friend Jack LeVine of Very Vintage Vegas reports:

The Las Vegas City Council stepped up and told the developers of the property that includes the “Pop Squires” home that their requests for variances and zoning changes wouldn’t be heard until they dealt with the issue of saving the home!

The current owners not only agreed to donate the home, but to also pay for moving it to another location. This is a great win for the historic preservation movement of Las Vegas. Of course, there’s a big “But” in that now we’re confronted with finding a new home for it.

Pam Hartley and planning commissionerSteve Evans, who first brought the issue to our attention are already on it and are contacting the Clark County Museum and other non profit organizations. We’d love to see a group step up and adaptively re-use the home in the same way that the Morelli House has become the headquarters of the Junior League, however, a museum setting is perfectly fine with us.

We had a few unexpected speakers at the City Council hearing. Former County Commissioner Thalia Dondero spoke eloquently about sitting on the porch of the home as a child talking to Mom Squires, and the importance of having the squires remembered as the Father of Las Vegas. Others spoke about the inappropriateness of a 5 story McOffice being built across the street from the original Las Vegas High School, which is a the cornerstone of the Las Vegas High School Historic District. Thank you, also, to those of you who took action and called and wrote to Mayor Goodman and Councilman Reese.

Don't forget, the Las Vegas City Council meets tomorrow to decide the fate of "Pop" Squires house.

Here's the latest information:

Wednesday, November 5 - Approximately 1:00 p.m. - City Council Hearing - 400 Stewart Avenue - First Floor Plaza This is the hearing regarding the "Pop Squires Home", located at 408 7th Street (on the corner of 7th Street and Andre Rochat Avenue), which the owners want to demolish, to make way for yet another "generic" office building.

Probably you already know who C. P."Pop" Squires was, but if not, he and his wife Delphine are a very significant part of Las Vegas history. His first home was on Fremont Street, which at one time had many residential homes, with grassy front yards and trees. It was demolished, when Fremont Street expanded.

Let's not let his second homehave the same dismal ending. We'd like as many people as possible to show up at the City Council hearing (which is Item #124, incidentally, and could be heard anytime from 1:00 p.m. on), and show support for saving the house.

For more information on the Squires and how you can help:

http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/classic-las-vegas-blog/2008/10/22/help-save-las-vegas-history.html

Join us on Thursday, November 6th for:

"Untold Stories: A Look Back at the MGM Grand Fire"

When the original MGM Grand Hotel opened in 1973, it was the most lavish hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.  Every facet of the hotel oozed with class from its casino that was the size of three football fields, to its MGM themed high-end gourmet restaurants such as Gigi's, Barrymores and Tracey's.  Chandliers were everywhere.  The shopping area, located downstairs from the main casino floor, was filled with high-end stores and at the end, a movie theater that played classic studio era MGM films.  It was a hotel to remember.

But in 1980, an early morning fire changed forever the way we remember that beautiful hotel. 

It was the deadlist hotel fire in Nevada history and the second deadlist in American history. We will look back at the events that caused the fire, the heroism and cooperation that helped saved thousands of lives and the legacy of the fire.

Panelists include:

Las Vegas Sun reporter, Mary Manning

KLAS-Channel 8 anchor, Gary Waddell

MGM employee Jose Alvarez

MGM baker, Don Feldman

and  Clark County Fire Chief, Steve Smith, who as a rookie was one of the first to respond to the fire.

This should be a tremendous evening of history and stories so please join us at:

The Las Vegas Springs Preserve

Desert Learning Center

7:00 pm

Admission is $12