Okay, Dennis McBride and Tom Dyer and crew at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas are putting together a wonderful exhibit (hopefully to open in January) on Mid-Century Modern architecture in Las Vegas.

They are asking for our help.  Can you provide any information about this church:

Bishop Gorman, the old Bishop Gorman on Maryland Parkway, is the front runner but if you have more info, please post it here.  I'll pass the info on Dennis and crew.

Since we are in a mid-century modern frame of mind (and working on ideas for next year's event), here are some other mid-century modern gems:

Coming up later this week, all the info on New Year's Eve fireworks as well, as things we are grateful for this year as well as an update on our Archive Project. 

Stay Tuned!

A big thanks for all who have been concerned about LasVegasMom's unexpected trip to the hospital and subsequent stay.

Good news!  She is feeling much better, the infection in her arm is under control with heavy duty antibotics and she is home!

Thank you again for all your positive thoughts and well-wishes!

As the Clark County Centennial winds down, the County Commissioners buried a time capsule yesterday so that in 2109 future County Commisssioners could dig it up and see how we lived and celebrated the past.  This time capsule joins a small group of other time capsules buried around the Valley and for the most part, are either lost or forgotten.  Let's hope that doesn't happen this time.

In 2109, Clark County’s future commissioners will open a capsule containing a peek into history.

Clark County’s commissioners buried a time capsule Tuesday morning at the Clark County Government Center, 500 S. Grand Parkway. The burial of the capsule is part of a year of events commemorating the county’s centennial.

Each commissioner placed an item in the capsule.

Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid contributed a letter that discussed difficult economic times but expressed hope for a better future.

“My hope is that, as good as gaming has been to our generations, yours may benefit from a more diversified economy — and that, as a result, your citizens prosper,” the letter said.

Clark County Manager Virginia Vanetine, Reid, Commission Vice Chairwoman Susan Brager, and commissioners Larry Brown, Tom Collins, Steve Sisolak and Lawrence Weekly spoke at the event.

The year’s centennial events were meant not only to preserve the past but to bring together the community today, officials said.

“I think Clark County is a transient place,” Reid said. “We need a greater sense of community...We want to make people understand that there’s a rich history here.”

Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, a former educator, contributed a half of a wooden apple for education. Written on it was: “An apple for the teacher, support public education, 11/30/2009” and the commissioner’s signature.

Former Las Vegas Stars baseball player Larry Brown contributed a baseball with the names of his three children and his wife written on it.

“Baseball brought me to Las Vegas,” he said, adding that his life here has been about “baseball and bureaucracy.”

A children’s book titled “Springs in the Desert: A Kid’s History of Las Vegas,” and clippings from the Las Vegas Sun, the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the New York Times were also included.

“Learning about our history is important,” said Brager, who contributed a scrapbook of photos. “We’re still a baby, baby state.”

Many items focused on the environment.

A history of Lake Mead, which has an uncertain future, was included, as well as poker chips that read: “Protect and conserve our water — a safe bet.”

Collins contributed a belt buckle and a letter.

“There are a lot of neat things here,” Collins said. “We are the greatest destination in the world.”

Sisolak contributed a bottle of red wine.

“They’ll be able to dig it up and hopefully be able to toast to the last 100 years,” he said.

I had to take LasVegasMom (my mother) to the ER yesterday afternoon (Monday) and they admitted her to the hospital late last night.

Right now, she has a nasty bacterial infection (cellulitis) that may have spread to her bloodstream.

And she may need another hip replacement.  Or not, it could just be the cellulitis.

Posting will be light here in the next couple of days until the doctors tell me more.

Please bear with us and I promise, we will be back with an update on LasVegasMom as well as  more history and more upcoming events!

 You know how much we love the Mint Hotel around here.  Well, we aren't the only ones.  Seems our good friend, John L. Smith, columnist for the Review-Journal, does as well!

From today's R-J:

With the crescendo of coverage of the opening of CityCenter and its promise of 12,000 jobs, you might have missed the news of the downtown closing and loss of 100 jobs. Although in recent years it's been called Binion's hotel, most locals still recognize the tower with the penthouse restaurant as the Mint, a casino that opened in the mid-1950s, was bought by Del Webb in 1961, and in 1965 briefly became the valley's tallest building.

The Mint was eventually bought by the Binion family and is now the property of TLC Casino Enterprises, but I never heard anyone but tourists call it Binion's hotel.

With its glass elevator, ritzy "Top of the Mint" restaurant, Quarterdeck seafood house, and Merri Mint Lounge, it was a happening place. In its heyday, Vic Damone and Patsy Cline headlined there. The Mint 400 off-road race attracted national media to Fremont Street.

Thompson drew an assignment to write about a narcotics officers' convention and the Mint 400 when he crossed the desert on his long, strange trip. He stayed at the Mint in Room 1850. A legend was born, but Thompson didn't need hallucinogens to colorize the Mint's characters. They were everywhere.

Suzi Arden and Freddie Bell were lounge favorites. Lee Greenwood dealt cards there. And singer Patti York, Howe recalls, occasionally worked as an elevator operator.

Long before Thompson made the scene, Lee Marvin and Woody Strode took a break from the 1966 shooting of "The Professionals" and made headlines when they ambushed Vegas Vic from their suite at the Mint.

Whether out of an abundance of playfulness or whiskey, Marvin and Strode got it in their minds Vegas Vic was making too much noise. Since they had a long bow at their disposal (the movie was a Western), they used it to shoot arrows at the metal cowboy famous for saying "Howdy Podner!"

Vic escaped with minor injuries, and Marvin and Strode got their archery privileges taken away.

That was tame compared to the time former Mint public relations director Howe whacked a Christmas tree and wound up on the naughty list.

At the Top of the Mint, management placed a Christmas tree to celebrate the season. Trouble was, the crowds were big and the tree kept getting in the way of customers. Howe rang in the New Year by hurling the offending evergreen off the top of the Mint and watching it twinkle out of sight.

That would have ended it if New Year's celebrants hadn't seen an object dropping through the darkness and assumed it was a jumper. Security was called, but Howe wasn't fired. He was only suspended.

Howe confirms the story, but playfully adds, "There's no truth to the rumor I was naked at the time."

Watching the tower go dark is almost too much for this die-hard Vegas guy to take.

"When I heard, my stomach just fell out," Howe says. "The Mint was a perfect place. It made money. It was a boutique little (365-room) hotel with a great staff and great service. We treated the $5,000 cardholder like a high roller. The Mint had a certain cachet that a lot of properties on the Strip wish they'd had. It's a damn shame it's gone."

Ironically, the boutique hotel experience is part of the $8.5 billion CityCenter's marketing strategy.

May the new Las Vegas have even half the colorful characters that place did.