Thursday nite's Untold Stories: Las Vegas High School, the Wildcat Lair and the Rhythmettes
Don't miss this wonderful look back at the history of Las Vegas High School with stories by the alumni. It's a great way to hear history from the people who were there:
During the formative years of the city of Las Vegas, there was only one high school, Las Vegas High. The school was built because of the determination of one woman, Maude Frazier. Located on 8th Street, many townspeople believed it was too far out of town and was too large. Maude and history proved them wrong.
It became a beacon of education for school-age kids not only in Las Vegas but all across the valley. Students were bussed in from Boulder City and other small towns.
The students had their rituals as all high schools do. The Wildcat Lair was the teen club where dances were held and in the years following World War II, performers from the Strip would stop by and sing a few tunes or tell a few jokes before heading back to the showrooms.
The Rhythmettes were the idea of Evelyn Stuckey. A precision drill team made up of young girls to help rally school spirit at athletic games, assemblies, Helldorado Parades and more, she made the name Rhythmettes synonymous with excellence. Under her tutelage, the drill team performed on the Ed Sullivan Show in the early 1960s.
Join us on Thursday, March 4th for "Untold Stories" as we look back at this wonderful, colorful and lively history.
Our panelists will include a
Rhythmette Cheryl Purdue and other Las Vegas alumni such as John Ullom, Rollie Gibbs, and that delightful couple, Gail and Donna Andress.
Dennis McBride and Paul Carson from the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas have graciously agreed to bring a number of items related to the school as well.
Thursday, March 4th
Untold Stories
Las Vegas Springs Preserve
Desert Learning Center
6:30 pm
$10
We hope to see you there!
Springs Preserve Celebrates Black History Month
Looking for the UPDATED info on the upcoming Las Vegas High School program? Click here To commemorate the contributions of African-Americans to Southern Nevada's history and culture, the Springs Preserve and Las Vegas Black Image magazine will host a Black History Month Festival at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd., on Sunday. The festival will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 5-17, and free for children 4 and younger. Advance tickets are available at Sight and Sound Center, 1000 N. Martin Luther King Blvd. Visitors will be able to view a special "Historic Black Vegas" photo exhibit. Entertainment will include a Children's Film Festival, a Greek Step Show, a Children's Hair and Fashion Show, music by 6-year-old DJ "Baby Chino," and other music and dance performances. The event also will feature food sales and access to the preserve's museums and galleries.
Upcoming Cultural Events in Las Vegas this week and one that's not!
Looking for the UPDATED info on the upcoming Las Vegas High School program? Click here
Yes, Las Vegas has culture. You know that. I know that. It's not a myth.
Here's some of the cultural events happening in the Las Vegas Valley this week:
“The Wall That Heals,” a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., will return to Mesquite, Nevada, Feb. 25 – March 1. The City of Mesquite first hosted the wall nearly five years ago.
Located on the grounds of the City of Mesquite Recreation Center, the exhibit will feature the replica wall, stretching nearly 250 feet in length and containing the names of more than 58,000 men and women who died while serving the U.S. Armed Forces in the Vietnam War. The exhibit also includes a museum and information center, providing a comprehensive educational component to enrich and complete the visitor experience.
“We are honored to have been asked by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund to host “The Wall That Heals” once again,” said Mesquite Mayor Susan Holecheck. “Mesquite is home to more than a thousand veterans. It’s a very moving experience to be able to bring this message of healing to many who would not otherwise have the opportunity to experience the power of the memorial in Washington, D.C.”
Since its dedication in 1996, “The Wall That Heals” has visited more than 300 cities and towns throughout the nation, spreading the memorial’s healing legacy to millions and educating young people about the Vietnam War.
On Wednesday, Feb. 24, a motorcycle escort from the Patriot Guard of Nevada will accompany the truck containing the replica wall from St. George, Utah to Mesquite. The Wall will be available for visitors 24 hours a day from 7 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25 through 6 a.m. on Monday, March 1. Each evening at 5 p.m. names will be read from the wall. The names selected are those who began their military service from Southern Nevada and Southern Utah, and those who have relatives currently living in the Virgin and Moapa Valleys. Daily formal ceremonies are free and open to the public:
· Opening Ceremony – Thursday, Feb. 25 at 10 a.m.
· Service of Prayer and Reconciliation – Friday, Feb. 26 at 10 a.m.
· Southern Paiute Veterans Ceremony – Saturday, Feb. 27 at 1 p.m.
· Closing Ceremony – Sunday, Feb. 28 at 3 p.m.
The 2010 visit of “The Wall That Heals” is sponsored by Greg Lee of the Eureka Hotel & Casino with the assistance of the City of Mesquite, the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 993, local volunteers, the Traveling Wall committee and the local business community.
ATOMIC TESTING MUSEUM
Greetings!
On February 27, 2010 at 1:00 p.m., the Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation (NTSHF) will mark the Fifth Anniversary of the Atomic Testing Museum (ATM).
On this day, we will be dedicating two artifacts from the World Trade Center, which is one of the biggest events the Foundation has ever planned. To date, we are still seeking sponsors to meet our goal of raising $50,000 for these events.
Thus far, we have raised $38,000. As your support in the past has helped sustain the many events and projects the NTSHF/ATM has offered its members and the public, once again, we are appealing to your generous support, especially for the dedication of the WTC artifacts and the development of the permanent exhibits for these pieces.
To donate contact Dawn Barlow at 702-794-5147 or
Donate to the Museum online.
To make a reservation to witness a memorable event honoring our fellow citizens and heroes who lost their lives during the World Trade Center attack, click Reserve.
We look forward to seeing you on February 27th at the Museum.
Thank you in advance for your support.
THE SMITH CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS TOPPING OFF CEREMONY:
The Smith Center for the Performing Arts gets one step closer to opening its doors as it celebrates the “topping out” of Reynolds Hall, reaching its highest point of 170 feet. The ceremony will begin with a live performance down City Parkway by Clark High School Marching Band and will culminate with the raising of the final steel beam, topping out construction for this monumental project.
Guests in attendance will have the opportunity to sign the final steel beam before it is put in place, becoming a part of The Smith Center’s history. Immediately following the ceremony, tours of The Smith Center will be available.
WHO: Myron G. Martin, President & CEO
Donald D. Snyder, Chairman of the Board
Oscar B. Goodman, Mayor of Las Vegas
Mr. Fred W. Smith, Chairman of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation
Clark High School Marching Band
WHEN: Thursday, February 25, 2010
2:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
WHERE: The Smith Center for the Performing Arts Construction Site
Entrance to the construction site is available from Clark Avenue, located on Grand Central Parkway, just north of Bonneville Avenue.
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Dennis McBride talks Las Vegas History and More!
Looking for info on the upcoming Las Vegas High School program? Click here
Aside from being one of the early inspirations for the Classic Las Vegas Historic Collection, Dennis McBride is one of the leading authorities on the history of Southern Nevada, especially the history of the building of Boulder (Hoover) Dam and Boulder City.
He has spent his life collecting stories and memories of Southern Nevada in the 20th Century. As a native Nevadan, he has had a front row seat to the changing landscape of the Valley over the course of his life.
He is the Curator of History at the Nevada State Museum in Lorenzi Park and he was kind enough to share his thoughts on the history he has collected and much more:
As a native of Southern Nevada, how has Las Vegas changed since you were younger? How do you feel about the changes.
A Conversation with Alan Hess
As readers here know, Alan Hess is the go-to guy for Mid-Century Modern architecture and the automobile culture that surrounded it. He was one of the guests at our Salute to Walter Zick last fall. In addition to being the go-to guy, he is an author of a variety of work on the various aspects of the era. From "Googie" his look at the coffee shop and diners to "Palm Springs Weekend" celebrating the joys of that Mid-Mod mecca to "The Ranch House". But for Las Vegas Mid-Mod fans, we all love "Viva Las Vegas: After Hours Architecture". If you haven't read this book yet, get thee to the library or better yet, his website.
I talked with Alan a few days ago about Mid-Mod and Las Vegas:
What is mid-century modern architecture and why is it important? After World War II, America found itself on the threshold of a promising future. After the Great Depression, people finally had money and jobs. New technologies offered amazing possibilities: television, automatic transmissions, washing machines in your home – all brought a new, easier way of life. Mid-century Modern architecture mirrored those changes. It created new shapes and used new materials (such as steel, glass, plastic, and concrete) to give people a sense that they were living in a new era. What is roadside architecture? Why was neon so important to Fremont Street and the Strip? The automobile made the twentieth century unique. Cities grew in size because of it. People suddenly had great personal mobility. And the American city took on a new shape in response to these changes. A key element of these changes was a new kind of architecture suited to the car. Drive-in markets, drive-in movies, drive-in restaurants, drive-in banks, gas stations, car washes, and many other types of buildings along the roadside served the way people were living now that they had cars. A big part of this architecture was signage, and neon (a new technology in the 1920s) proved ideal in creating large, vivid signs that could be seen from blocks away. Beginning in the 1930s, Fremont St. became one of the most innovators for neon signs, and neon urbanism, in the nation. This exploration continued on the Strip in the 1950s. Which classic Las Vegas neon sign do you miss the most? Favorite classic Las Vegas casino/hotel? The pinnacle of Las Vegas neon was reached in the 1960s. Those signs are mostly gone now, but they remain one of the highpoints of American art. The Dunes, the Aladdin, the Stardust, the Frontier, the Riviera, the Sahara were all great. The Stardust was one of my favorites, with a scintillating cloud of light, as if falling from the heavens. The Aladdin was a true and original phantasmagoria, evoking veils, jewels, and a Thousand and One Nights. I have the fondest memories of the Dunes because of the shear power of its animation, shooting light into the night sky like a rocket, but completely silently. You did a lot of research for your book, "Viva Las Vegas: After-Hours Architecture." What was some of the information that surprised you? Will there be an updated version of the book? Most of the information in the book was a surprise to me. I had questions about who had designed these hotels and signs since reading Learning From Las Vegas by Venturi, Scott Brown and Izenour in 1975. Who had designed these buildings? Which came first? How did they evolve, and influence each other? Where did they come from? The most illuminating fact was that most of the original architects, who set the standards and models, were from Los Angeles, and had honed their startlingly new conception of auto Modernism while designing the drive-ins and Googie coffee shops there. I would like to do an update of Viva Las Vegas, which was published in 1993, but have no current plans. What was it about Las Vegas that brought so many well-known architects like Welton Becket, Paul R. Williams, Wayne McAllister and many others to Las Vegas to design buildings and hotels? As Venturi, Scott Brown and Izenour said, Los Angeles was the Rome, and Las Vegas was the Florence of this type of Modern architecture. There were strong economic and personal links between the two cities that made it natural for those LA architects to work in Las Vegas. What can we learn from the mid-century modern and roadside architecture of classic Las Vegas? The innovations of this Modern architecture are still refreshing. Especially in a new city like Las Vegas, the traditions of the past held no power. The architectural problems could be solved directly and imaginatively, and the budgets and recreational purposes of the architecture allowed experimentation. These days, the pendulum reacting against car-oriented architecture has swung too far. It needs to swing back a ways, and the purposefulness and creativity of these buildings help show the strengths in this kind of architecture. What do you think of CityCenter and the modern Las Vegas Strip? Will City Center be the direction of the future for Las Vegas?