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IN THIS ISSUE
WEEK IN REVIEW WEEK AHEAD EVENTS TO FOLLOW AND NEWS YOU MISSED
Major League Baseball players Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs, left, and Amir Garrett of the Cincinnati Reds sign autographs during a February 6 batting practice at Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin. Bryant graduated from Bonanza High School, and Garrett began his high school career at Sierra Vista. (Steve Marcus/Staff)
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DOWNTOWN LOYALTY APP MAKES ITS DEBUT Cover Story: Your guide to the Democractic caucus News: Restoring lands ravaged by wildfires Food & Drink: Dinner and a show at Mayfair Sports: Dunker Derrick Jones Jr. raises his game Vegas Inc: Elite medical treatment for tourists
Whether you’re a Downtown denizen or a suburbanite who occasionally visits the urban core, a new app could help you save money and discover novel attractions. This month, DTP Companies (formerly known as Downtown Project) launched the app/loyalty program Explore DTLV (exploredtlv.com), allowing users to earn points and rewards for money spent. In addition to an event calendar, there’s in-app ticket purchasing and food ordering. Participating businesses include Gold Spike, Big Ern’s BBQ, Inspire, Fiddlestix, the Smashed Pig and more. Rewards range from free sodas to the chance to shoot fire from the giant Mantis at Downtown Container Park. “Explore DTLV leverages the synergy between our businesses while being fully integrated with our pointof-sale system to make sure our customers are getting a seamless experience,” DTP’s digital marketing director Rene Durruthy said in a press statement. –C. Moon Reed
CAN’T GET ENOUGH HOCKEY
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
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THINGS THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK
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Nevada goes old school: The state Democratic Party announced February 11 that it would use paper-based balloting for its early vote starting February 15. Voters will be given a card with their voter registration ID number and a PIN, both of which they will enter when checking in online via a Google form. They will also fill out paper ballots ranking their top choices. Those will be collected and taken to processing hubs. Backing off of Stone: The Justice Department will lower the recommended prison time for Roger Stone, an ally of President Donald Trump, a federal official said February 11, just hours after the president condemned the recommended sentence. The previous night, prosecutors had recommended Stone serve seven to nine years behind bars after being convicted of charges including lying to Congress and witness tampering, among others. Championship push: The Las Vegas Aces made a splash in free agency February 10 by signing guard Angel McCoughtry, a five-time WNBA All-Star. She joins Kelsey Plum, A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young as former No. 1 overall picks on the roster. McCoughtry averages 19.1 points and 2.09 steals per game for her career. (Sun file photo)
VEGAS EFFORT ROUTES MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO CHINA
HAS PRIMM’S DESPERADO COASTER MADE ITS FINAL DESCENT?
Local nonprofits and businesses have partnered to send much-needed medical supplies and aid to communities in China hit hardest by the coronavirus that has infected more than 40,000 people and killed more than 900 in mainland China. The Nevada Chinese Association, along with Oasis Global Partners and the Law Offices of Eric K. Chen, have used their relationships in Asia to organize the delivery of medical supplies to cities like Huanggang and Wuhan, where medical staff have resorted to wearing raincoats and garbage bags, according to The New York Times. Employees from Chen’s law firm are reaching out to Las Vegas medical providers to obtain supplies such as masks and protective medical gowns. Anyone who wants to contribute to donation efforts can contact the NCA at 702-498-1610. Those wanting to donate supplies should ask for Jenny Koo to ensure donations meet the necessary requirements. Items needed include surgical gowns, chemical splash/impact goggles, exam gloves and surgical masks. –Kelcie Grega
It won’t be long before the Vegas Golden Knights aren’t the only professional hockey team in Southern Nevada. The Golden Knights have announced that they’ve purchased an American Hockey League franchise with the intent of moving it here. And there is already significant interest. But what exactly is this new team?
WHAT IS THE AHL? The AHL is the top level of professional hockey in North America outside the NHL. For nonhockeyminded fans, think of it like Triple-A in baseball. Players can be called up and down to the affiliated NHL team, and the rights of players signed to AHL contracts are owned by the NHL parent club. The Golden Knights’ current affiliate is the Chicago Wolves.
Buffalo Bill’s giant, yellow Desperado roller coaster has closed “until further notice,” according to the Primm resort’s website, and an employee who answered the phone said there was only a “slight chance” it would ever reopen. (A request for an official comment from a spokesperson went unanswered.) Manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, the steel hypercoaster opened in 1994, climbing 200 feet into the air and reaching a speedy 85 mph at zero gravity, while winding in and out of the casino. Roller coaster enthusiasts have been commenting on the closure on popular Facebook roller coaster forum Diary of a RollerCoaster Girl. “Another bucket list coaster gone,” Clive Bushell wrote. Added Matthew Shelman: “Had the pleasure of riding over 200 times. Sad to see it possibly go.” Canonized in 1996 by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s tallest roller coaster at the time, Desperado has occasionally closed and reopened to the public. The current closure also includes the Adventure Canyon Log Flume, according to primmvalleyresorts.com. –Leslie Ventura
IS IT COMMON TO HAVE AHL AND NHL TEAMS IN THE SAME CITY? It’s less common for the affiliated teams to be separated by a great distance, like Vegas and Chicago. Almost every NHL team’s AHL team is within a couple hours’ drive; the distance between the Golden Knights and the Wolves is the third-greatest in the league. The AHL affiliates of Montreal, San Jose, Toronto and Winnipeg are in the same metro area as the parent club, and San Jose’s two teams even share an arena.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE WOLVES’ PLAYERS?
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS NEW TEAM AND THE THUNDER OR WRANGLERS?
Their rights are still owned by the Golden Knights. Anyone who’s under contract to play for the Wolves next season will instead play for the AHL team that will be located in the Las Vegas area.
The Las Vegas Thunder played from 1993 to 1999 as part of the now-defunct International Hockey League. The Las Vegas Wranglers lasted longer as part of the ECHL, which is still around as a professional league below the AHL (think Double-A baseball). The new team’s name hasn’t been made official, but it will reportedly be called the Henderson Silver Knights. –Justin Emerson
BRUNCH SATURDAYS + SUNDAYS, 9AM - 2PM ELLISISLANDCASINO.COM
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New concert announcements: Marina (April 11, Brooklyn Bowl); Lindsey Buckingham (Smith Center, April 25); Deftones (the Pearl, August 1); John Legend (September 19, the Chelsea); Megadeth & Lamb of God (November 7, Mandalay Bay Events Center)
CULTURE
YOUR ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE
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Screen
Boulder City’s Dam Short Film Festival continues to branch out
The Strip
The continued evolution of the Boulevard’s sexy revue shows (and their crowds)
Scene
Getting to know marketing guru Cal Marshall, the man behind a new cannabis web series
TACO THURSDAY Seattle indie quartet Tacocat returns to the Bunkhouse on February 13. Read up on the band on Page 12 … but not before you try saying the band’s name backward.
(Helen Moga/Courtesy)
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In Theaters Downhill, The Photograph, Sonic the Hedgehog (Open February 13)
Listen Up Tame Impala, The Slow Rush (Out February 14)
THIS
WEEK SATURDAY, FEB
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SPRINGS PRESERVE
BLACK HISTORY Month Festival This 11th annual celebration of African American culture, history and community offers cooking demos, photography of historic black Las Vegas, live music from local acts (The Lique, Cameron Calloway, Molodi and more), activities for kids, arts & crafts and even a Vegas Golden Knights floor hockey clinic. Admission also grants entrance to the Preserve and its museums. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., $5-$6. –C. Moon Reed
FRIDAY, FEB
14
HOUSE OF BLUES
CAIFANES
Valentine’s Day seems like the perfect time to fall in love (or back in love) with one of Mexico’s most beloved and interesting ’90s alternative-rock acts—one equally influenced by The Cure and King Crimson. Led by singer/guitarist Saúl Hernández (who later formed Jaguares), the band released “Heridos,” its first new song in 25 years, in 2019. 8 p.m., $65. –Spencer Patterson
OUR PICKS FOR THE
WEEK AHEAD
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Calendar on Page 72 + CLUB GUIDE on Page 26
Caifanes frontman Saúl Hernández
FEB
19
— MAR
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VEGAS THEATRE COMPANY
SUNDAY, FEB
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TERRY FATOR THEATRE
NIKKI GLASER
If there’s a roast in town, you can bet Nikki Glaser will be there. The no-holds-barred comedian is a fixture on Comedy Central, and on stand-up specials on Netflix and in the podcast world. Glaser is such an open book that there’s little about her life that’s off-limits, but catch her at the Mirage and you’ll definitely find something new to laugh about. 10 p.m., $33-$153. –Genevie Durano
MEN ON BOATS
Manifest destiny? More like manifest fun! The latest play by the theater company formerly known as Cockroach offers an all-female/non-binary performance of a very masculine story. The Jaclyn Backhauspenned physical comedy Men on Boats tells the “truish history” of the 1869 John Wesley Powell expedition to map the Colorado River. It features a one-armed leader, river rapids and, of course, the Grand Canyon. The trip is perilous and the 10 “men” face mortal danger as they map the lands that are now our home. It was a New York Times Critic’s Pick when it played off-off-Broadway in 2015, with the reviewer calling it a “rollicking history pageant” that churned up “bright clouds of testosterone.” “Men on Boats is a [theatrically vibrant] story and comes with all the thrills of a rapid run in the Wild West,” Vegas Theatre Company Artistic Director Daz Weller says in a press statement. Celestia’s Allegra Libonati directs. Days & times vary, $15-$33. –C. Moon Reed
TUESDAY, FEB
18
Judy Bayley Theater
WHI CULINARY CELEBRATION
Women’s Hospitality Initiative, a local organization aiming to accelerate the development of women leaders in the food service industry, will gather the city’s top female chefs, mixologists, sommeliers and restaurateurs for this inaugural culinary celebration. An evening of food, wine and cocktails kicks off with a screening of A Fine Line, Joanna James’ documentary about the gender gap in the culinary industry. 5 p.m., $30-$100, secretburger.com. –Genevie Durano
(Caifanes/AP Photo; Nikki Glaser by Mindy Tucker/Courtesy; Jamie Tran by Wade Vandervort/Staff)
Black Sheep Chef Jamie Tran
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Local music news & notes SquidHat closes shop, plus new releases from Youth Fables and Feigns By Leslie Ventura AT’S OFF Just a few days short of its nineyear anniversary, SquidHat Records has played its final notes. Founded by Las Vegan Allan Carter, the punk and alternative record label signed 24 artists to its roster during its run, boasting a motto that captured its punk-rock ethos: “Because music doesn’t have to suck.” “I don’t want anyone to perceive it as a sad thing at all,” Carter says. “People think, ‘Oh, something’s wrong,’ [but] it’s not at all. We were in year eight of a five-year plan.” Carter says newer local record labels like Asteroid M, founded by Cody Leavitt of Vegas band The People’s Whiskey, will carry the torch now that SquidHat is gone. “It’s a young man’s game, and I’m not getting
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any younger.,” Carter says. “I turned 50 and decided I wanted to hand it over.” To Carter, SquidHat was never simply a way to put out records, though he certainly did that, releasing more than 50 albums by such Vegas acts as The Dirty Panties, The Gashers, Guilty by Association, The Negative Nancys, Pet Tigers, The Quitters, The Vermin and his own Attack Ships on Fire. “It was about teaching musicians,” he says. “We told people how to protect their music and own their masters, [things like] don’t just burn a CD at your house and hand it out. It’s about someone in a store in Tokyo flipping through a rack and seeing something that jumps out at them and taking a chance on it.” Franks & Deans guitarist Jordan Hoss says he’ll
remember SquidHat for the indelible mark it left on the Las Vegas music scene. “Allan Carter and the SquidHat team spent nine years putting their entire hearts and salaries behind numerous bands that they believed in, never once thinking about their own personal gain,” Hoss says. “Franks & Deans are forever grateful and honored that we can call them our family. The impact that SquidHat Records has had on the Las Vegas music scene will last for years.” For a free stream of SquidHat’s final label retrospective, visit squidhatrecords.com. FABLED FOLLOW-UP Local musician Pete Reyes, aka Youth Fables, dropped his second EP, Empty Spaces, on January 24. Like 2018 LP Among the
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Meow con queso
Getting to know Seattle indie quartet Tacocat Who: Palindromic, Seattle-based indie act Tacocat (yeah, the name’s the same forward and back) coalesced in 2007 after a series of serendipitous meetings. Guitarist Eric Randall and drummer Lelah Maupin became friends while both worked at Safeway, the latter met vocalist Emily Nokes in a graphic design class and Nokes clicked with bassist Bree McKenna while hanging out at famed Seattle venue the Comet Tavern. Gigs at parties and clubs followed, as did a record deal with Hardly Art. Sound and vision: Tacocat self-describes as “GoGo’s meets The Monkees. Kurt meets Courtney,” and it’s actually pretty comprehensive description. The band draws influence from harmony-drenched power-pop, brisk surf-punk, and ’90s alternative bubblegum-grunge, with relatable, straightforward lyrics about what it means to live and love in this turbulent world. After releasing two albums on Hardly Art, Tacocat jumped to sister label Sub Pop for 2019 full-length This Mess Is a Place, which boasts slightly more polished production values to go with the group’s usual abundance of sticky melodies and smart sentiments.
Various SquidHat album covers (Courtesy/Photo Illustration)
Nightingales, the new release features an array of different vocalists. The record opens with Reyes’ signature ethereal soundscapes before introducing melodic singer Ryan Randall. From there, Cameron Dettman; Angelo Munji; Dev, a Good Girl; and Meg Defantem all take turns on the mic. Empty Spaces finds Reyes more confident in his musical craftsmanship than ever before, exploring territory that feels lush, vibrant and the opposite of empty. youthfables.com HEY, DANZIG Vegas rock band Feigns handed out “bootleg” cassette copies of its self-titled debut album February 8 at Starboard Tack. Comprised of former Moonboots members John Coulter (vocals) and
Ryan Brunty (guitar), plus Kurtis Groseclose (lead guitar) and Eric Walther (drums), the four-piece band combines pop-punk and ’90s rock sensibilities—plus snarky, adolescent humor (see “Skeleton Prom” and the Danzig ode “Glenn”). feignsband. bandcamp.com PARTY DOWN Geykido Comet Records celebrated its 20th anniversary with a February 6 party at the Bunkhouse, featuring performances from Vegas mainstays Lawn Mower Death Riders, Jesse Pino, The Rifleman, Illicitor and Hassan Hamilton. The label also marked the occasion with a limited edition compilation featuring GC artists from the past two decades. gcrecords.com
Pop-culture connections: The leadoff track on Tacocat’s 2016 album Lost Time is titled “Dana Katherine Scully,” an ode to The X-Files’ indomitable investigator. That that same year, the band recorded the theme song “Who’s Got the Power” for The Powerpuff Girls reboot, a song Nokes described to The Quietus as sounding “like Tacocat in a video game.” And according to an old bio, McKenna’s riot grrrl entry came (in part) with the film 10 Things I Hate About You. The latest: On Halloween 2019, Tacocat released stand-alone single “Retrograde,” a slightly ominous surf-rock tune about Mercury retrograde. The band has toured with AJJ and Emperor X already this year. For your playlist: “Little Friend,” “Crimson Wave,” “Bridge to Hawaii,” “I Hate the Weekend,” “Hologram.” –Annie Zaleski
TACOCAT February 13, 9 p.m., $15. Bunkhouse Saloon, 702-982-1764.
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The Residents (Courtesy)
Screen
Short but growing The Dam Short Film Festival returns, bigger and better than ever By Josh Bell hen the Dam Short Film Festival launched in 2005, it was practically a one-man operation. Original festival director Lee Lanier, who founded DSFF with his wife Anita, handled most of the festival duties for years, as it grew from a small gathering at the American Legion Hall in Boulder City into one of the town’s major annual events. Now in its 16th year, DSFF has become the largest film festival in Nevada, and Tsvetelina Stefanova, a longtime festival volunteer and staffer, has taken over for John LaBonney as executive director. “We’ve really grown so much over the last couple of years, and we have needed more people involved to take on all the numerous tasks involved,” Stefanova says of DSFF’s recent restructuring, which has the goal of keeping the festival running regardless of the people in charge. For attendees, the changes behind the scenes should mean a more efficient and enjoyable experience at what was already a smoothly run, audience-friendly event.
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“We really do program to our audience, which the deeply secretive, pseudonymous group. The is not what a lot of film festivals do,” Stefanova festival will also expand into a fifth day, reprissays, and this year’s program will showcase 146 ing its best-of showcase of award winners on short films across 22 different blocks, including Monday, February 17. That’s another response many of the themes DSFF fans know and love. to audience demand, since the single awards “We just try to stick with the things that are program is never long enough to highlight all adored by our audience,” Stefanova says. the winners. “We’re already paying for Dam Short That means expanding the very the theater that day, why not utilize it?” Film Festival Stefanova says. popular comedy lineup into two blocks February 13-17, this year, bringing back perennial As the festival continues to grow, times vary, $10 per program. favorites like the always-interesting Stefanova, who also runs music promoBoulder Theatre, Underground program of experimental tions company Bad Moon Booking and damshortfilm.org. films, and programming two Nevada performs in Boulder City-based band showcases, one for documentaries and Same Sex Mary, hopes to recruit more one for narrative films. “The quality of people to help things run effectively, Nevada films that are coming in is just getting continuing to evolve Lanier’s modest celebration better and better,” Stefanova says. of the art of short films into a premier destinaNew this year is a retrospective of music tion event that promotes the best of small movvideos from veteran art-rock band The Resiies in a small town. “It’s an experience like no dents, featuring a discussion with Homer Flynn, other,” she says. “Come to at least one program longtime associate (and possible member) of and you’ll be hooked.”
- PRESENTS -
FEBRUARY
29 – 2020 –
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10:00PM
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Keeping the Strip sexy Vegas revue shows—and their audiences—continue evolving any couples will celebrate Valentine’s Day in Las Vegas at a sexy, revue-style show where the entertainers wear very little and interact with the audience quite a bit. If that demographic comes as a surprise, you haven’t been to one of these shows. Couples often make up the majority of the audience at topless female revues, while male revues typically see several partners mixed among their primary audience—groups of women. These shows thrive despite cyclical competition from strip clubs and bigger productions that incorporate elements of burlesque and comedic naughty content. Long-running revues like Fantasy and Thunder From Down Under deploy savvy branding, charismatic talent, well-designed staging and a willingness to change with the times. Crazy Girls (10 p.m. nightly except Wednesdays at Planet Hollywood) is known as the longest-running burlesque production in the country, having recently
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celebrated 32 years in Las Vegas. Director and choreographer Jennifer Aleman started as a dancer in the show 14 years ago. “Back when I did it, this was your show and that’s all you did,” she says. “Now this is just one job for the girls. We have one girl who teaches high school. We have a nurse. They do so many other things now.” Crazy Girls famously ran for decades at the Riviera and has lived since 2015 at Planet Hollywood, where the clientele is a bit younger. “We cater to that,” Aleman says. “We change up the song choices, and the show is just a little more extreme for the younger crowd.” It’s a familiar production, but it consistently catches its audience off-guard. “It used to be more about beautiful, statuesque women almost gliding across the stage. Now that people are more open to different things, nothing is going to shock them, so we can do more. We have girls that tumble and do pole tricks. We don’t just stand
By Brock Radke around and look pretty.” Twenty years strong, Fantasy (10:30 p.m. nightly at Luxor) has always been focused on adjusting the iconography of the Vegas showgirl by presenting her individual identity. “I’ve been coming to Vegas with my family since I was 10. I snuck into every show that I could, and I loved looking at all the beautiful costumes and the extravagant, glorious, glamorous appeal of it all, but I didn’t get to meet the dancers,” says producer Anita Mann. “That was the main focus when I created the show in 1999, and to make it like an old-fashioned variety show [that wasn’t] too old-fashioned.” Singer Lorena Peril and comedian Sean E. Cooper help deliver that variety, but the dancers also showcase their own style for an audience that’s getting younger and more female every year. “I always wanted to make it classy, but you still have to pay tribute to the fact that we are in Las Vegas,” Mann says. The longest-running male revue in the history of
The Strip
Thunder From Down Under (Courtesy)
Fantasy (Courtesy)
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Las Vegas was born in Australia, taking mostly naked dancers out of the club and building an entertaining stage production around them. Thunder From Down Under (nightly at 9 p.m., plus 11 p.m. shows Friday and Saturday at Excalibur) was the first of its kind in Las Vegas—opening in 2001 at the Frontier. (Chippendale’s soon followed, opening at the Rio in 2005.) Thunder remains one of most influential shows of any genre on the Strip. “When it first started at Excalibur, they actually had a [kids] puppet show right outside the showroom, so the dichotomy of coming out of Thunder and seeing this puppet show was kind of crazy,” says Adam Steck, the producer who brought the brand to the Strip. “Vegas was always a place for men, to go to topless shows and strip clubs, and there was nothing for women at all back then.” Now with nine packed shows per week in its recently renovated showroom—plus two touring shows circling the globe—Thunder has never been bigger. “Before, the guys were making it immersive by crawling on tables, and now the tables are built for that, because that’s what the audience wants,” Steck says. “You can’t be stagnate and expect the same results. With the [renovation] and the new Thunder Bar, we’ve made it a more full experience.” Crazy Girls dancer-turned-producer Angela Stabile and her partner and husband Matt have taken those sorts of tweaks and adjustments and developed a stable of adult shows around them. They have X Burlesque (nightly at 10 p.m. at the Flamingo), X Rocks (10 p.m. Thursday through Sunday at Bally’s) and X Country (10 p.m. Thursday through Monday at Harrah’s), driven by varying music but mostly by some of the hottest performances on the Strip. “We’re always trying to think outside the box— another new prop, another new idea for a different number. We’ll go see a movie and think, wouldn’t that be amazing?” Angela Stabile says. “Most of the inspiration comes from beyond Las Vegas, more from pop culture. Back when we opened, we were pushing the envelope with our bathtub scene, because it has two girls … kissing for two seconds. That’s really nothing today.” She says her X Burlesque audience hasn’t changed much during the show’s 18 years. “It’s getting younger, but it’s always been couples, groups of girls and groups of guys. You’ll still get a 75-year-old couple who just wants to see a sexy revue when they come to Las Vegas, and they have the license to do that here.”
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Social media guru Cal Marshall turns his attention to Vegas clubs and cannabis By Kelcie Grega al Marshall sees the resorts of Las Vegas as a treasure trove of untold stories. An entire dining series could be built just around the food available at MGM Resorts, he says, and he’s already got the concept: “I want to go behind the scenes on how this stuff is produced.” The 29-year-old Marshall—who goes by “Cal Caliente” on social media—is the CEO and founder of Burger Media, a company that helps businesses build their brands through social media. His clients include MGM, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the NBA Summer League, to name a few. Marshall got his start in music marketing when he launched his first company, Slomocup, at 21. He often applies aesthetics from the hip-hop world to his marketing strategies. He says he began sharing his expertise when he realized he had a knack for “finding holes and filling them with opportunities.” Now, he’s launching a docuseries called Nights Out, which explores the influence cannabis and hip-hop culture have on the Las Vegas club scene. The 12-part series, out February 13 on his Burger Media YouTube channel, focuses on the stories behind clubs like Drai’s Beachclub & Nightclub and dispensaries, and the ways the legalization of cannabis has affected Vegas nightlife. Marshall says he intends to show that the industry is not just “made up of a bunch of stoners” and that legal cannabis goes through a highly regulated production and testing process. “I want to elevate how cannabis brands
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are perceived and show different [types of] people, [including] those with opioid addictions and PTSD” he says. “I want to show how it’s sold and how it’s used in art, culture and fashion.” Marshall has always been attracted to the less-traditional aspects of the marketing world. A couple years back, he made waves in the plastic surgery industry when he began working with Dr. Christopher Khorsandi, better known as “Doc Vegas.” Marshall got the idea to help plastic surgeons build their brand when he found himself in the market for one. He took to YouTube to begin his research but couldn’t find what he was looking for there. Then, he says, “I had a eureka moment,” explaining that before 2016, much of plastic surgeons’ advertising strategies involved “corny testimonials.” Khorsandi was the only doctor who emailed him back, demonstrating an openness to changing his strategy. Since then, the two have worked closely to build Khorsandi’s following by posting engaging, edgy content on Khorsandi’s @docvegas Instagram account. Khorsandi went from fewer than 20,000 Instagram followers to more than 180,000. “So many businesses are archaic in the way they connect with their consumers,” Marshall says. “If you have a narrative storytelling strategy, it’s way more beneficial to the brand, because if consumers feel they have a relationship with you, they will eventually buy from you.”
A scene from Nights Out (Burger Media/Courtesy)
Cal Marshall (Burger Media/Courtesy)
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Stage
Dominic Graber-Pritchard as Marcus Eshu (Richard Brusky/Courtesy)
Sweet secrets Nevada Conservatory Theatre presents an Oscar winner’s coming-of-age tale By C. Moon Reed t’s the eve of Hurricane Katrina, and 16-year-old Marcus is entering a storm of his own. The “sweet” or gay boy is struggling with his identity, his relationships and some overarching secrets. Marcus; or The Secret of Sweet is a coming-of-age-tale told in an innovative way by Oscar-winning writer Tarell Alvin McCraney. It runs at Nevada Conservatory Theatre February 14-23. McCraney is best known for the 2017 Best Picture winner Moonlight, but before that, he wrote a trio of plays known as “The Brother/ Sister Plays.” Marcus completes the three. Just don’t call it a trilogy, says New York City-based guest director Kevin R. Free. The plays are interlocking, but they stand alone like a triptych of paintings. With nine cast members—including Dominic Graber-Pritchard in the title role— Marcus allows for the most UNLV students to gain experience working with professionals. Free, who saw the other two plays off-Broadway,
I
calls Marcus his favorite. When he read the script, in Variety said, “Characters are invested with a he said to himself, “‘Oh my gosh, this play is so size and weight beyond their meager daily lives.” beautiful and abstract and exciting and dreamThe New York Times called McCraney “a master like.’ I really wanted to direct it.” of language and dramatic construction” and Free also has a personal connection to the story. described his plays as “Shakespearean in a down“It is, like me, a black, gay story about a home vernacular.” boy coming out. It has all these universal NCT’s set will look a bit like a playMARCUS; OR THE themes, because it’s a coming-of-age ground, with multiple levels and even SECRET OF SWEET February 14-23, story. But the central figure is a queer water onstage. “The spectacle of this dates & times vary, black man. That excited me.” play competes with some of the Las $18-$20. Ham Fine One of the joys of Marcus is its abVegas shows that you can see on the Arts’ Black Box Theatre at UNLV, stract storytelling, which is nonetheless Strip,” Free says. “The emotional spec702-895-2787. entertaining and approachable. Free tacle matches the spectacle of Vegas says the storyline is easy to follow, even storytelling, with the acrobats and the as mysteries unfold. “The play is about jugglers.” open secrets and secret secrets,” Free says. “And Free also speaks highly of the student actors the play itself has a secret that I won’t tell you of Nevada Conservatory Theatre. “They’re some about.” Free calls the script “poetic” and “highly of the most passionate students I’ve ever worked theatrical,” but quickly adds that the story is both with,” Free says. “When they’re not called to very funny and “really, really fun.” rehearsal they show up anyway, just because they Don’t take his word for it. A glowing review want to watch everybody else doing their work.”
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a i h s y Ke Cole
(Richard Shotwell/AP/Photo Illustration)
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Parties for couples—or solo celebrations—this Valentine’s Day weekend By Leslie Ventura h, Valentine’s Day. Depending on which side of the coin you find yourself on, you either love it or hate it. But whether you’re cuffed or kaput, there’s a V-Day party for everyone, especially if you’re looking to get a little wild. Flying solo this Valentine’s Day? Dry your eyes and head to the Palms February 14 for a mix and mingle soiree inside the uber-stylish Greene St. Kitchen. The restaurant is offering a special $130 menu for two, but you can also head straight to the bar and lounge, where DJ Quira spins starting at 6 p.m. $24 gets you one hell of an open bar, with all you can drink Ciroc, Don Julio Blanco or Reposado, Crown Royal, Tanqueray 10 and house wine. Oh and there are $5 handies. Get your mind out of the gutter—it’s a grilled cheese, silly. If Cupid doesn’t strike at the Palms (and how could he not?), On the Record at Park MGM has another singles party on February 15 (10:30 p.m., $20-$30), hosted by some of television’s most notable dating reality show stars. If you happen to be a fan of Bachelor in Paradise, this is the party for you. Rub elbows with Katie Morton, Demi Burnett, Jordan Kimball, Kamil Nicalek, Daniel Maguire and Robby Hayes, plus Big Brother’s Corey Brooks and Kat Dunn … who knows what sort of shenanigans might ensue. Because Valentine’s Day isn’t dramatic enough, tight? Just when you thought the celebrations were over, there’s one more party to pull you out of the winter doldrums—February 16 at Drai’s Nightclub. Bay Area singer Keyshia Cole has been laying down the best R&B ballads since she first broke on to the scene in 2005. Whether she’s trying to mend relationships with “Heaven Sent” and “You Complete Me” or lamenting breaking hearts with “I Remember” and “(I Just Want It) To Be Over,” there’s no better way to wrap up your Valentine’s Day weekend. The multifaceted singer and television star (she’s had three separate reality shows air on BET) recently launched talk show One on One With Keyshia Cole on Fox Soul, but she hasn’t left singing behind. At the end of 2019, Cole partnered up with rising R&B star Kehlani for the single “All Me.” If you ever questioned whether Cole’s still got it, now you know. Grab your girls for a second Galentine’s Day celebration, throw back a couple of cocktails and sing your hearts out when Cole headlines, with additional sounds by DJ Franzen. $20-$30, 10:30 p.m.
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CLUB GUIDE
Eric Bellinger
By Brock Radke
For more upcoming events, turn to our Calendar on Page 72.
1 OAK
HAKKASAN
ODDFELLOWS
Mark Eteson 2/13. Modern Machines 2/14. Loud Luxury 2/15. O.T. Genasis 2/16. Thu-Sun, MGM Grand, 702-8913838.
Tue-Sun, 150 Las Vegas Blvd. N. #190, 702-333-5831.
Thu-Sun, Palms, 702-953-7665.
were just announced as the headlining acts for the first year Rolling Loud Portugal festival in July on the Praia da Rocha beach. You can party on the roof with Wiz on February 15 at Drai’s. Also: Ty Dolla $ign 2/14. Keyshia Cole 2/16. Thu-Sun, Cromwell, 702-777-3800.
THE BARBERSHOP
DRAI’S AFTERHOURS
Nightly, Cosmopolitan, 702-632-4700.
Thu-Sun, Cromwell, 702-777-3800.
DJ Spider 2/14. DJ Karma 2/15. Desiigner 2/17. Mon, Fri-Sat, Aria, 702-5908000.
CHATEAU
EMBASSY
LIGHT
Is the Funky Cold Medina the official beverage of Valentine’s Day in Las Vegas? Find out when Tone Loc takes the stage for a live performance at Chateau on February 14. Also: Casanova & Bayati 2/13. MLR Afterparty 2/15. Koko 2/19. Wed-Sat, Paris, 702-776-7777.
Fri-Sat, 3355 Procyon St., 702-6096666.
He’s won a Grammy and written hits for Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Brandy and others. Now Eric Bellinger is putting the romance in R&B for one night only, February 15 at Light. Also: DJ Murat 2/19. Wed, Fri-Sat, Mandalay Bay, 702-632-4700.
DJ Wellman 2/14. DJ Eric Remy 2/15. DJ Buza 2/19. Wed, Fri-Sat, Mirage, 702-693-8300.
APEX
CLIQUE Nightly, Cosmopolitan, 702-698-7939.
CLUB 101 Fri-Sat, Sahara, 702-761-7618.
DOWNTOWN COCKTAIL ROOM Mon-Sat, 111 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702880-3696.
DRAI’S NIGHTCLUB Wiz Khalifa, Future and A$AP Rocky
ENCORE BEACH CLUB Dillon Francis 2/19. Wed, Encore, 702770-7300.
FOUNDATION ROOM Need a sleeper spot for a more relaxed and refined V-Day date night? Head on up to the Foundation Room for a musical escape engineered by local fave DJ C-LA. Also: DJ Crooked 2/15. Nightly, Mandalay Bay, 702632-7631.
GOLD SPIKE DJ Bad Antikz 2/13. DJ Freddy B 2/14. DJ P-Dot 2/15. DJ Teenwolf 2/16. Wed-Sun, 217 Las Vegas Blvd. N., 702-476-1082.
JEWEL
OMNIA Fergie DJ 2/14. Generik 2/15. Nghtmre 2/18. Tue, Thu-Sun, Caesars Palace, 702-785-6200.
ON THE RECORD MichEddie 2/14. Vegas Girls Night Out Single & Mingle 2/15. DJ Neva 2/19. Wed, Fri-Sat, Park MGM, 702-730-6773.
PIRANHA Chris Tavi 2/13. DJ Virus 2/16-2/17. DJ Vago 2/18. Nightly, 4633 Paradise Road, 702-791-0100.
TAO MAMA RABBIT Eric of Dena 2/15. Crykit 2/19. Tue-Sat, Park MGM, 702-730-7777.
Chase B 2/13. Jerzy 2/14. Eric DLux 2/15. Thu-Sat, Venetian, 702-3888588.
MARQUEE
VOODOO
Oliver Heldens 2/14. Deorro 2/15. Eric DLux 2/17. Mon, Fri-Sat, Cosmopolitan, 702-333-9000.
Nightly, Rio, 702-777-7800.
MAYFAIR SUPPER CLUB Nightly, Bellagio, 702-693-8561.
XS RL Grime 2/14. The Chainsmokers 2/15. Valentino Khan 2/16. Fri-Sun, Encore, 702-770-7300.
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TAO DJ Five
feb 6
Photographs courtesy Global Media Group
The Rebel
ROOM
Never can get enough UNLV analysis and chatter? Then this is the stop for you. Join the Las Vegas Sun sports staff in The Rebel ROOM for your fix.
P O D C A S T Listen weekly on Apple Podcasts or
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Drai’s F ren c h Mo nta n a
feb 8
Photographs by Mike Kirschbaum
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LV W C OV E R S T O R Y
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T H E C A N D I DAT E S WHERE TO CAUCUS
A
IT’S MORE VITAL THAN EVER TO GET OUT AND CAUCUS FOR YOUR PRESIDENTIAL PICK
CALL
TO
OUR ENDORSEMENT
T H E I R P L AT F O R M S
(AP Photos/Photo Illustration)
THE ISSUES
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DEMOCRATIC PARTY CAUCUS
Date: Saturday, February 22 Time: Check-in begins at 10 a.m.; caucusing starts at noon Place: Visit nvdems.com/2020-caucus and type in your address to find your caucus day site. Early voting: February 15-18. See sites and hours on Pages 48-49.
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hen Nevada Sen. Harry Reid says the Democratic presidential selection process doesn’t truly matter until the Nevada caucuses are conducted, it’s not his state pride talking. It’s numbers—particularly population metrics. Nevada is the third state to participate, behind Iowa and New Hampshire, but the first that resembles the nation overall in terms of ethnic diversity. At 29% Latino, 10% black and 10% Asian American or Pacific Islander, Nevada reflects the makeup of the national electorate far more than Iowa or New Hampshire, whose populations are 85% and 90% white, respectively. This is a key reason it’s critical for Nevada Democrats to caucus this year. The February 22 contest stands to identify the candidate with a good chance of capturing across-theboard support and emerging to take on Donald Trump. For Nevadans, this isn’t just a matter of being a good citizen. The stakes are nothing less than the nation’s democracy, the global climate and the safety and well-being of both American citizens and the outsiders seeking refuge in our nation. Emerging from his impeachment trial, Trump has little to deter him from pursuing his ambitions to gain dictatorial power. Senate Republicans, in embracing attorney Alan Dershowitz’s chilling argument that Trump could widely abuse his au-
thority in the name of acting in the national interest, opened the door wide for him to wreck the system of checks and balances. Meanwhile, another Trump term would be disastrous for the planet amid his ongoing dismantling of environmental regulations and the accelerating pace of global warming. And here at home, untold numbers of people of color and disadvantaged Americans will suffer due to Trump policies on the economy, health care and immigration. Amid this destruction, the nation needs Nevada. Here, voters have proven that our state is the place where the extremist politics that led to Trump’s election go to die. We supported ballot measures to enhance gun safety and promote clean energy, while rejecting candidates who wrapped themselves in the National Rifle Association's flag and denied climate change. We backed both Democratic and Republican leaders who protected the Affordable Care Act and supported efforts to expand voting access, while other states cut access to health care and engaged in all manner of voter suppression activities. We tend not to focus on candidates’ gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or party affiliation, but rather on whether we think they can build consensus and craft policies that serve the interests of those they serve—not just their parties and core supporters. In short, Nevadans are good at choosing leaders who reject extremist party dogma and work to overcome the polarization that Trump and his abettors would only intensify. That’s another reason it’s critical for Nevada Democrats to caucus this year. The nation deserves the type of effective, responsible leader we’re so good at identifying. So here’s hoping the Nevada caucus crowds are robust and diverse,
including in ages. For young voters, especially, participation is critical. They’re the ones who’ll be living in a nation and world made increasingly chaotic, volatile and at-risk due to the actions of older generations. Younger voters deserve a loud say in choosing today’s leaders, and they have one thanks to their numbers—Generation Z is the largest in the U.S.— and their increasing political mobilization behind such issues as gun violence and climate change. They must not waste that voice. This is the time for those voters not just to speak but to roar. As always, there will be naysayers on the sidelines trying to dissuade voters from caucusing. They’ll complain that the caucus process needs to be modernized or junked, and they’ll point to the fiasco in Iowa as proof of their point. But they’re not worth listening to. Not ever, and especially not this year. Yes, things went badly in Iowa, but the Nevada Democratic Party took lessons from the failures there and has worked to prevent such problems in our caucuses. But the bigger picture is this: Faced with the most undemocratic and un-American president in U.S. history, it’s as important as ever for Nevadans to take a stand for the nation by voting at every opportunity. The caucus is our first opportunity in 2020 to do that.
PARTY time
How to turn caucus day into a true celebration The voting booth doesn’t hold a candle to caucusing. It’s like the difference between streaming television home alone and going to a movie theater on opening night. It’s a communal event, and is best fully experienced as such. But how to make the most of the newish Nevada tradition? Turn your political party into a real rager with these fun tips: Meet your friends for a bipartisan breakfast to discuss the issues. But don’t get into any serious fights, because it’s gonna be a long day. Pregame with shots of espresso, because, unlike most other Vegas happenings, you’ll wanna be sober for the main event. Bring a bag of fun-size candy bars to the caucuses to keep your energy up and the sugar high going. Bonus points if you share them with your newfound friends. Invite your friends— new and old—to meet up in the evening for a recap at the nearest locals bar. You’ll have a lot to talk about, and you can finally lubricate those policy disputes with booze.
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WHERE THEY STAND
The caucus candidates’ positions on key issues
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Should the nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain be opened?
YES
NO
Biden
Should gun owners be required to register their weapons?
YES
Warren
Buttigieg
NO
Should there be a federal red flag law, which allows authorities to seize weapons from individuals legally deemed to be a danger to themselves or others?
YES
NO
Buttigieg
Buttigieg
It should be decided at a state level.
Klobuchar
Klobuchar
Biden
Should marijuana be legalized federally?
YES
Buttigieg
NO It should be decriminalized and left up to the states to decide.
Klobuchar
Only if it’s an assaulttype weapon: Biden, Sanders, Steyer
Sanders
Sanders
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Should fracking be banned?
YES
Sanders
NO But it should be limited and more strongly regulated.
Steyer Biden
Biden Klobuchar
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Warren
Sanders
Buttigieg
Steyer
Steyer Klobuchar
Warren
Steyer
Warren
Warren
Should higher education be free across the board?
YES
NO
Should the Electoral College be eliminated?
YES
Sanders
Buttigieg
Warren
Sanders
Only community college and vocational programs: Klobuchar
NO
Biden
YES
NO
YES
NO
Sanders
Biden
Sanders
Biden
Steyer
Buttigieg
Warren
Klobuchar
YES
Buttigieg
NO
Should the government fund free pre-kindergarten education for all children?
YES
All deportations should be halted Biden
Sanders
PARTIALLY With lowincome families receiving government support
Sanders Buttigieg
Steyer
It should be debtfree: Steyer It should be more affordable: Biden (also supports free two-year college), Buttigieg
Should border crossings be decriminalized?
Should private health care insurance be eliminated?
Should the U.S. return to the Obama-era policy of targeting deportation efforts toward national security threats, convicted criminals and recent border crossers?
Warren
Klobuchar
Steyer At least not for now
Partially, focusing on convicted criminals and national security threats: Biden, Klobuchar, Steyer, Warren
Steyer Klobuchar
Warren Possibly: Klobuchar
Buttigieg
Warren
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BID D
What America would look like We spoke to the leading Democratic candidates about their plans if elected To help local voters decide which candidate to support, Las Vegas Weekly and its sister publication the Las Vegas Sun invited the top candidates for interviews in recent weeks to explore their stances on key issues. We chose those candidates based on the same qualifications used to determine their eligibility to participate in the February 7 Democratic debate. Here’s our look at those candidates, along with our endorsement.
Joe
BID (Steve Marcus/Staff/Photo Illustration)
DEN Joe Biden 77 AGE
Former vice president (2009-17) and seventerm U.S. senator from Delaware, making his third bid for the presidency
Joe Biden has put his years of experience within the Democratic Party’s establishment to good use in his campaign, as his policies demonstrate. He’s clearly assembled a seasoned team that understands the issues and offers one of the most thorough and coherent sets of plans in the field. Each part of his platform builds on the other, with none operating in a vacuum. The complete package reflects an understanding of a core need of governance: Everything fits together and offers a vision for the future.
EN
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Climate Change
Immigration
Biden has been criticized over the high number of deportations carried out while he and President Barack Obama were in office, so it’s perhaps no surprise that immigration is a keystone of his platform and that his policies are by far the most carefully thought-out and appropriate of any candidate. Among his far-ranging initiatives, he would: ■ Provide a pathway to citizenship for 11 million long-term undocumented immigrants. ■ Reverse Trump’s policies on immigration, including family separations at the border and restrictions on access for asylum seekers. ■ Provide aid to Central America’s Northern Triangle countries, but also address issues that are driving out-migration from Mexico—namely cartel violence and corruption—by establishing a State Department liaison to work exclusively with the Mexican government and by working one-onone with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. ■ Adapt the visa program to benefit key industries based on input from companies about their employment needs. ■ Create a new visa category for cities and counties to petition for higher levels of immigration to address workforce shortages. ■ Reform the visa program for highly skilled workers to ensure it doesn’t undermine wages of domestic workers.
Biden calls for a $1.7 trillion investment over 10 years to address global warming and says the initiative would create 10 million new jobs. The investments heavily skew toward new industrial efforts and represent closely tying the Green New Deal to economic development through expansion of renewable energy technology, electric vehicles, support infrastructure, etc. ■ His plan also connects to his infrastructure and transportation policies, in which he places a strong focus on passenger intercity rail and intracity light-rail systems to reduce the use of private vehicles and therefore cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.
Infrastructure
Unlike other candidates’ plans on this subject, Biden’s $1.3 trillion infrastructure investment over 10 years represents a clear effort to reimagine and improve America, rather than just rebuilding old infrastructure. It includes funding for battery and energy storage technology, freight shipping on rail and waterways, energy research and more.
Health Care
Biden falls with other party moderates in not calling for an end to private insurance. His plan instead relies on key elements of the Affordable Care Act, such as expanded Medicare and government subsidies for coverage. Broadly speaking, he’s focusing on expanding the successful model of Obamacare and reversing Trump’s efforts to undermine U.S. health care.
Gun Safety
Biden touts himself as the only candidate who has “beaten the NRA twice nationally,” and cites his role in passing the Brady Bill and the Clinton-era assault weapons ban. His gun safety policy goes further than some of his colleagues’ in that he supports development of biometrics technology that prevents weapons from being fired by anyone other than the owner, and says he would work to overturn a federal law protecting gun manufacturers from liability over the use of their products. “They’re the only [industry] in America exempt from being sued,” he said. “The only one. Imagine if that were the case with drug companies now. We’d still have 9 billion opioids being sold without warnings.”
In Conclusion
Biden has surrounded himself with smart, experienced and capable people from his party’s brain trust, which positions the country to benefit from solid leadership and a return to stability if he is elected president. In contrast to the Trump White House and its ever-changing cast of incompetent characters, Biden could be counted on to fill his Cabinet with people who know what they’re doing: Instead of wishing for more adults in the room, Americans would have a roomful of them.
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Pete
BUTTIG (AP Photo/Photo Illustration)
TIGIEG
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Immigration
Pete Buttigieg 38 AGE
Former two-term mayor of South Bend, Indiana (201220), Rhodes scholar and U.S. veteran, having served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve
Pete Buttigieg got on the national radar in November 2016 when President Barack Obama identified him as one of the nation’s most gifted young Democrats. Four years later, Buttigieg is showing the country why he drew Obama’s attention. He’s gone from being the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, to one of the leaders in the Democratic field while demonstrating the poise and eloquence that many Americans badly miss in a president. Like others in the field, Buttigieg has placed a priority on addressing climate change and immigration, and his stances on those key issues place him among the moderates in the race. But his plans also reflect the 38-year-old Rhodes scholar’s intelligence and fresh thinking. Among his initiatives:
Health Care
Buttigieg’s plan tries to strike a balance between the party’s center and left by maintaining private insurance but not necessarily indefinitely—unlike plans that either call for an immediate end to the private option or would discontinue it at a set point in the future. His approach is to expand the Affordable Care Act and then let Americans decide whether to stay on their private plan or switch over to a public option. “I think we need to put a little more humility into our policy, that says, ‘Look, if we’re right and this really is the plan that is the best for everybody, then everybody moves over to it and it is Medicare for All’,” he said. “But if for some people it’s not the right answer and isn’t as good as what they’ve got, then why should we dictate a number of years before they have to switch? Let them keep the plan that works for them.”
IEG
Like other candidates, Buttigieg supports a path to citizenship for 11 million long-term undocumented immigrants. His position on overhauling Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection reflects his efforts to appeal to moderate voters: He’s against the overhauls. Elsewhere on immigration, his ideas include: ■ Offering national service opportunities for people to obtain citizenship. That would include AmeriCorps positions, along with the creation of a climate corps that would take on such projects as weatherizing senior housing. ■ Establishing a community renewal visa that would allow local officials to identify their specific workforce needs and craft visa requests to meet those needs. The visa is designed to leave residents feeling less concerned that newcomers are taking jobs that otherwise would be theirs.
Climate Change
Buttigieg’s climate plan calls for a federal investment of $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion, including $200 billion in clean energy research and development. He offers several creative ideas as part of his plan, including: ■ Issuing climate action bonds that are similar to war bonds. The climate bonds would allow Americans to invest in addressing global warming. ■ Creating $5 billion in Resilient America Grants that would allow communities to address climate projects.
Other Policies
Buttigieg has long-running problems with black voters, stemming from criticisms he faced from the African American community in South Bend when he was mayor. To address the matter, Buttigieg unveiled what he called his Douglass Plan, which called for such actions as reducing mass incarceration by 50%, ending racial health care bias and investing $50 billion in historically black universities and other minority-serving institutions, according to his website.
System Reforms
■ Buttigieg would attempt to abolish the Electoral College. He also proposed a plan—which some critics have dismissed as unconstitutional—to boost the number of seats on the U.S. Supreme Court to 15, with progressives picking five members, conservatives picking five and the court itself selecting the other five.
In Conclusion
With Buttigieg as president, the nation would be led by another beginner—albeit one who at least has municipal government experience and is exponentially smarter than the current occupant of the White House. There would be another cycle of onthe-job training, and potentially the missteps that come with it. But Buttigieg’s character and values—he’s contemplative, eloquent, respectful, disciplined and well-read—place him 180 degrees opposite of Trump. And with a strong and properly empowered team around him, he could be a strong president. His policies generally are down the middle of the fairway among the Democrats, in most cases a logical extension of the Obama presidency. How his presidency would affect black Americans is uncertain, however. Despite his Douglass Plan, a disturbing story emerged this year in which his minority staffers complained that their input was being disregarded. The key question is whether Americans are ready to follow Trump with another president who will have to learn as he goes—even a very bright one.
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Amy
KLOBUCH (AP Photo/Photo Illustration)
BUCHAR Amy Klobuchar 59 AGE
Third-term senator from Minnesota (elected in 2006, re-elected in 2012 and 2018), former county prosecutor and corporate lawyer
It’s telling that Amy Klobuchar has labeled progressive initiatives like Medicare for All as “pipe dreams.” The Minnesota senator brands herself to voters as a pragmatic, get-thingsdone leader who will focus on passing politically feasible policies. Her policies largely reflect that image, positioning her as a moderate alternative to more left-leaning candidates like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. That’s not to say she doesn’t have bold initiatives—her platform includes comprehensive immigration reform and a $1 trillion infrastructure plan, for example. But Klobuchar wants Americans to see her as a down-to-earth Midwesterner whose combination of experience as a county prosecutor followed by 14 years in the Senate gives her an understanding of both kitchentable issues and the workings of Washington. She lists her top three priorities as building a strong ladder for the working and middle classes, addressing climate change and reforming immigration both to restore American values toward newcomers and to strengthen the workforce.
AR
Immigration
In a detailed plan for her first 100 days, Klobuchar promises to undo Trump’s attempts to deport “Dreamers” and immigrants who have received Temporary Protected Status. She further says she would “jump-start” a discussion on comprehensive immigration reform toward approving a plan in her first year in office—regardless of whether Republicans remain in control of the Senate. Klobuchar said she worked with GOP colleagues in passing an immigration reform bill in 2013, which dead-ended in the House, and can do so again. She said Republicans were ready to move on “Dreamers” and temporary workers before getting “completely gut-punched by Trump.” Among the elements of the comprehensive reform she favors: providing due process protections for immigrants, increasing availability of non-immigrant workers to supplement the workforce, relaxing limitations on family and employment-based visas and providing legal status to 11 million long-term undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.
Gun Safety
Like her opponents, Klobuchar calls for such measures as an assault weapons ban, universal background checks, a ban on highcapacity magazines and a red flag law that would allow weapons to be seized from individuals who are legally deemed a danger to themselves or others. Unlike some, she does not call for any type of gun registration or a licensing requirement for gun ownership. “Do you look at those things in the future? Yeah, but I’m looking at the fact that we have not yet passed one bill federally—not even a red flag law,” she said. Her point: Registration and licensing aren’t politically feasible for now, but may become so as public opinion shifts on gun violence.
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Education
Klobuchar calls for free community college and trade schools— not just for young people but for individuals of all ages. It’s an intriguing idea that ties into her economy and jobs plans, designed to help retrain the workforce for 21st-century jobs. ■ She wouldn’t make four-year schools free, but rather would expand Pell grants for lower- and middle-income families.
Economy
In addition to free community college and vocational education, Klobuchar’s plan includes investment in green energy infrastructure, tax credits for retraining workers displaced by automation, and similar support for out-ofwork Americans from the fossil fuels industry. ■ She also would offer tax incentives to spark rural manufacturing, as well as indexed income caps on commodity payments to benefit small farmers.
Health Care
Klobuchar would retain private insurance while allowing individuals to buy into a public option to participate in Medicare or Medicaid. She offers detailed plans on addressing shortages of health care providers in lowincome urban areas and rural areas, including support of congressional legislation that would establish employment protections and a streamlined path to a green card for foreign students who obtain their medical degrees in the U.S.
Infrastructure
Klobuchar proposes spending $1 trillion in a combination of federal funds, tax subsidies and loan guarantees for state and local governments on a variety of needs—roads and bridges, water systems, internet access, public transit, schools and more. She touts her experience in getting bipartisan support to obtain $250 million in emergency funding to rebuild the Interstate 35 bridge in Minneapolis after it collapsed in 2007. She brags that it took just 13 months to get the bridge rebuilt. The spending package would be largely funded by an increase in corporate taxes.
In Conclusion
Under a Klobuchar administration, the nation would be served by a president determined to forge breakthroughs on issues that have polarized Americans, such as immigration and gun safety, by pushing for solutions that she believes have bipartisan support but have been scuttled amid Trump extremism. She is a capable, experienced legislator who knows Washington and has worked across the aisle.
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Tom
STE (Steve Marcus/Staff/Photo Illustration)
YER Tom Steyer 62 AGE
Hedge fund manager and philanthropist, founder of the nonprofit organization NextGen America, which advocates for progressive solutions on climate, health care, education and immigration
The first thing to recognize about Tom Steyer is that he’s a person of genuine vision and passion. Face-toface, he radiates energy, magnetism and curiosity. And he’s utterly committed to the idea of beating Donald Trump—he has placed his own fortune on the line to confront Trump from virtually Day One of the Trump presidency. Moreover, in creating NextGen America—which focuses on involving young people in politics—Steyer was responsible for one of the most consequential and innovative political movements in decades. NextGen Nevada (with which Greenspun Media Group partnered on voter registration efforts in 2018) exerted a profound impact on the midterm election and introduced thousands of young people to political organizing. That’s big. Steyer’s vision and passion are reflected in his key policy approaches, many of which exhibit innovation and creativity.
Climate Change
In many respects, Steyer’s policies begin and end with climate change. Because, as he puts it, “if you don’t get that fixed, nothing else matters.” He commits to spending $2 trillion over a decade to make infrastructure more climate-friendly, which includes $450 billion in power grid assistance and power distribution to move to a zero emission grid. His other climate measures include: ■ Declaring a climate emergency on the first day of his presidency, and creating a Cabinetlevel position to manage climate change initiatives. ■ Earmarking $775 billion to clean up transportation—switching to all-electric school buses, improving public transit and cre-
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ating new charging systems for electric vehicles. ■ Creating a community-led Civilian Climate Corps, which would identify projects at a local level and would be funded by $250 billion in federal money over a decade. Steyer says the initiative would create 1 million jobs.
Other Initiatives
■ Institute a graduated wealth tax of up to 1% on individuals with a net worth of at least $32 million, 1.5% on those with a net worth above $500 million and 2% on billionaires. ■ Introduce term limits of 12 years for both the U.S. House and Senate. ■ Create a national referendum system to allow the population to vote directly on certain decisions. ■ Create an independent commission to oversee redistricting. ■ Designate a federal Office on Gun Violence Prevention to oversee regulation efforts at all levels of government.
In Conclusion
There’s both an allure and a headscratching nature to Steyer’s positions. A national referendum system is overdue and almost never discussed—Steyer bringing it up in these polarized times is a stroke of genius, because it would allow the people to vote directly on some matters. Meanwhile, the California billionaire’s lack of familiarity with the complexities of governing can be seen in the term limits discussion. He would have to ask members of Congress to vote to limit themselves, which they’re not
likely to do. And his wealth tax is based largely on his belief that those being taxed would honestly self-report their wealth. We suspect that Steyer believes other billionaires share his noble inclinations when it comes to honest self-reporting. The America of a Steyer presidency would be led by a man of clearly impeccable character and intentions. The government would be incredibly active attacking climate change and helping lead the country into a new, more prosperous era in terms of energy use. It would also be derailed by needless fights on unworkable initiatives— like fighting over term limits. A Steyer presidency would also bring this to America: After years of seeing the presidency be debased by the idiocy and savagery of Trump, Steyer is genuinely bright, charismatic and a gentleman. That counts for a lot to restore dignity to the office.
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■ Despite multiple requests, Warren and Sanders chose not to be interviewed for this project, but here’s a brief look at their stances.
Elizabeth Warren 70
AGE
Second-term senator from Massachusetts (elected in 2012, re-elected in 2018), government adviser on consumer and finance issues, law professor specializing in bankruptcy
AND Bernie Sanders 78
Third-term senator from Vermont (elected in 2006, reelected in 2012 and 2018), former U.S. representative (1991-2007) and mayor of Burlington, Vermont (1981-89)
AGE
Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have staked out positions on the left edge of the field by presenting themselves as aggressive champions for economic equality and by taking similar stances on such key issues as health care, wealth taxes and free college. But this is not a choice between Progressive Candidate A and B. They’re vastly different individuals. Sanders, the democratic socialist, is a party outsider and culture warrior with a reputation for taking uncompromising stances in the name of ideology. He prides himself on being allergic to incremental steps and is often dismissive of opinions that differ from his own— traits that have drawn unflattering comparisons between Sanders and Donald Trump.
In contrast, Warren has taken a problem-solving, coalition-building approach during her seven years in the Senate and, before that, as a government adviser on consumer issues and corporate oversight. A key case in point was Warren’s instrumental role in establishing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which she proposed in 2007 while serving as a law professor at Harvard. When President Barack Obama selected her to create the agency, she assembled and led a team of academics, industry insiders and policy experts, and accomplished her task when the agency opened its doors in 2011. Since then, it has returned more than $12.4 billion to consumers who have been cheated by financial companies.
RR RREN Sanders
Warren
■ Warren stands out with her wealth tax, the most aggressive in the field. It includes a 2% tax on household net worth above $50 million and 6% above $1 billion, and it also includes a number of other elements, such as a 40% “exit fee” for multimillionaires who renounce their citizenship to dodge the wealth tax. Warren says the package would generate $3.75 trillion over 10 years. ■ The Massachusetts senator also would impose a 7% tax on corporate profits above $100 million, which she says would generate $1 trillion in the next 10 years. ■ She claims her wealth tax will provide funding for several initiatives: student debt cancellation, universal child care and prekindergarten classes, $800 billion in new federal funding for public schools, $1 trillion toward Medicare for All, addressing the opioid crisis and making college tuitionfree. ■ Warren, a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal resolution, offers a climate plan that calls for $3 trillion in spending. ■ Like others in the field, Warren supports a path to citizenship for long-term undocumented immigrants and would make illegal border crossings a civil offense as opposed to a criminal one.
(AP Photos/Photo Illustration)
■ Sanders was a pioneer of Medicare for All, having long advocated for a single-payer health care system. His version would cost up to $40 trillion and would be funded by tax increases for most Americans. He would also extend coverage to undocumented immigrants. ■ The Vermont senator’s climate plan also comes with a whopping price tag—$16 trillion. That’s many times the amount most of his opponents would spend. The plan calls for modernizing the energy grid nationwide and building new solar, wind and geothermal sources across the nation. Sanders also would send $200 billion to poor nations to help battle climate change on a global level. The funding for his plan would come partly from taxing the fossil fuel industry. ■ Sanders would impose an aggressive wealth tax that works on a graduated scale, from households with $32 million of net worth paying 1% to those with a net worth of $10 billion paying 8%, with several steps in between. He would also boost the corporate income tax rate back to 35%, undoing Trump’s reduction of the rate to 21%, and would impose incremental increases in the rate for companies whose CEOs out-earn median workers by a 50-to-1 ratio or higher. ■ Sanders supports full voting rights for incarcerated citizens, including felons. ■ After being criticized for his record on gun safety, which includes votes in the Senate against the Brady Bill and in favor of protecting gun manufacturers from legal liability when their products are used to commit crimes, Sanders is calling for universal background checks, along with bans on
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assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. He doesn’t go as far as some of his opponents, who call for licensing and registration of weapons, but he does favor registration of assault weapons.
In Conclusion
In Warren, Americans would be served by a left-of-center president. In Sanders, the nation would get a far more extreme leader, in terms of both policy and temperament. The difference would be profound. Warren has demonstrated a clear-eyed, results-oriented approach to leadership along with a proven ability to surround herself with capable professionals. As a result, she could be counted on to form an effective, thoughtful and qualified Cabinet, and to work with lawmakers in a coalitionbuilding manner. A Sanders presidency threatens to fill the White House with extremists who are far more interested in tearing things down—a la the Trump administration—than finding constructive ways to fix social problems. As with Trump, it’s highly unlikely that knowledgeable people with workable solutions and a knack for compromise would be part of a Sanders team. Instead, the likely outcome would be four years of the type of chaos the nation has experienced since Trump took office.
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Our ENDORSEMENT Amy Klobuchar and Joe Biden are the best-suited candidates to run for—and serve— as president
F
or all the talk of Democrats being divided along moderateprogressive ideological lines and for all the debate among party candidates on fractious issues like health care and immigration, poll after poll shows that the majority of Democratic voters coalesce around one goal. Democrats see an urgent need to defeat Donald Trump and save our nation from an autocrat. We agree, which is why we’re endorsing Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former Vice President Joe Biden in the upcoming Nevada caucuses. We’re confident each of these candidates can beat the divisive and destructive incumbent in November, which is why we’re making a rare two-candidate endorsement. In our interview with Klobuchar, it was easy to understand why she has picked up powerful momentum in recent weeks. She is a sincere and results-oriented leader who, to her credit, shows an understanding of the issues that matter most to voters at the household level while also showing an acute understanding of how our system should work for the people. Her vision is that of a presidency working across party lines to solve problems, as (AP Photos/Photo Illustration)
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opposed to pursuing policies that could further polarize the nation. In her pragmatic approach, politically unfeasible initiatives like Medicare for All and 100% free college are non-starters—they would go nowhere in Congress and are unpopular even among some Democratic voters. She also demonstrates that in her 14 years in the Senate, she has learned how to work with Republicans and help steer legislation through the process. Other candidates may support comprehensive immigration reform; Klobuchar can discuss in detail why she’s confident she can pass a reform package today given her experience advocating for the Senate’s 2013 comprehensive bill. Admirably, Klobuchar also places an intense focus on the working class, not only in her economic policy but in her initiatives for immigration, health care and education. For instance, this granddaughter of an immigrant miner argues compellingly that the dialogue around immigration reform should be more about the impact on economy and jobs than on deportation and restrictions. She makes an excellent case that by crafting smart policies that meet workforce needs while balancing security, Americans at all levels of the economy will benefit. Refreshingly, she also knows exactly how to pay for her initiatives and would take a trustworthy, incremental approach that offers enormous appeal. The bottom line with Klobuchar: She possesses both the appetite and ability to return us to our finest America. We have no doubt that she is a unity candidate for the Democrats. Biden gets our co-endorsement based on his suite of effective policies that offer a clear vision for America, his support among a broad coalition of voters and his ability to pull together a high-functioning leadership team that can guide this nation back to stability and respect. Despite the GOP’s corrupt attempts to dirty up the former vice president (to Republicans’ enduring shame), he has opened himself to public scrutiny throughout his five-decade career in office and faced the criticisms
that unfailingly come with it. Do we agree with everything he has done? Hardly. But Biden embodies the spirit of public service we need now. The damage Trump and the GOP leadership have done to the core tenets of our country’s democracy is incalculable and must be stopped. We remain puzzled at why Biden is not a more effective salesperson for his own policies. A close read of his policy papers makes it abundantly evident there is a genuine vision for a good and prosperous America there. Biden just struggles to express it to voters. And we also dislike his tendency to be brutal with voters who ask questions he doesn’t like: There is no reason to shame people for asking a question. Just answer it. Nonetheless, a Biden administration would clearly be up to the task of repairing the wreckage caused by the GOP. With his decades of experience in government and his support from the Democratic Party establishment, he can effortlessly assemble a strong Cabinet of genuine leaders and knows how to govern from Day One. Either he or Klobuchar would be a strong choice for Nevada Democrats. That said, this was not an easy decision for us and not one we arrived at without second thoughts. The field has several candidates who can clearly beat Trump, and each offers their own appeal for a variety of reasons. Tom Steyer is a candidate no one should discount. He has an almost evangelical zeal in his quest to turn America into a moral nation—after years of Trump’s immorality— and what Steyer lacks in governing experience, he makes up for in pure vision. There is a kind of affable nobility to Steyer’s drive that we find emotionally resonant. Here stands a profoundly good man, running for the highest office in the land. America deserves leaders like Klobuchar or Steyer.
The nation also deserves a leader like Elizabeth Warren, who is certainly the blazing intellect of the field. We are not a fan of Medicare for All as she has laid it out, because we believe people need choice, and we regret her decision not to sit for an interview. However, we believe she is the wise choice for voters who find themselves on the more progressive end of the Democratic spectrum. Lastly, there are two opposite ends of the coin: Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders. Buttigieg has all the right values in place, and appeals with his intellect and his pragmatic sensibilities. The only question is whether he should be running this year or in 2024, given that his only government experience is as a small-town mayor. Compared with Klobuchar or Biden, his policies in some places simply aren’t quite as well-formed and comprehensive, nor can he explain in the same depth how he would work through Republican opposition to pass his initiatives. Make no mistake, however. We think he will eventually make a great president. In the meantime, he’ll be amazing in someone’s Cabinet while he learns. Sanders is the only clear non-starter. It’s impossible not to regard the Vermont senator in a Trumplike mold—he seldom has shown an ability to build consensus and threatens to use executive orders extensively, just like Trump. It’s also doubtful he could assemble a highly qualified Cabinet, meaning he’d essentially be the left wing version of Trump: isolated, angry, unable to work with others and showing too little respect for dissenting opinions. A Sanders candidacy simply guarantees a Trump second term. Klobuchar and Biden, on the other hand, both offer a coalition-based approach to leadership, along with abundant experience building across-the-aisle support. With the nation desperately in need of a president who can restore our values and be a leader for all Americans, not just those who support him, the two are the best-suited candidates. We urge Nevadans to caucus for either one of them.
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WHERE
OTE early TO
How it works If you're a registered Democrat (or if you register on-site), you can vote early February 15-18 in your county of residence at any of the locations listed here. If you prefer caucusing in person on February 22, visit nvdems.com/2020-caucus and type in your address to find your assigned site from more than 100 locations.
CLARK COUNTY
IN SOUTHERN NEVADA
■ AFL-CIO Building 1891 Whitney Mesa Drive, Henderson, 89014 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 16: 1-5 p.m.; Monday, Feb. 17: 10 a.m.6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ American Legion Post 10 1905 H St., Las Vegas, 89106 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 16: 1-5 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.8 p.m.
■ Cardenas Market 2545 S. Eastern Ave., Las Vegas, 89169 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ Centennial YMCA 6601 N. Buffalo Drive, Las Vegas, 89131 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 16: 1-4 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18: 2-8 p.m.
■ Coronado High School 1001 Coronado Center Drive, Henderson, 89052 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ Cheyenne High School 3200 W. Alexander Road, North Las Vegas, 89032 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ CSN Charleston Campus (B Building Lobby) 6375 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, 89146 Hours: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ Chinatown Plaza Mall 4205 Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas, 89102 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ CSN Henderson Campus (C Building Lobby) 700 College Drive, Henderson, 89002 Hours: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ CSN North Las Vegas (Campus Student Lounge) 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave., North Las Vegas, 89030 Hours: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ Culinary Workers Union Local 226 (Building C) 1630 S. Commerce St., Las Vegas, 89102 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 16: 1-5 p.m.; Monday, Feb. 17: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ Doolittle Community Center 1950 N. J St., Las Vegas, 89106 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ East Las Vegas Library 2851 E. Bonanza Road, Las Vegas, 89101 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 16, 1-5 p.m.
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■ Enterprise Library 25 E. Shelbourne Ave., Las Vegas, 89123 Hours: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
■ Garrett Junior High School 1200 Avenue G, Boulder City, 89005 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ The Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Las Vegas 401 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, 89101 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
■ Heat & Frost Local 135 4316 E. Alexander Road, Las Vegas, 89115 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 16: 1-5 p.m.; Monday, Feb. 17: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ IBEW Local 357 808 N. Lamb Blvd., Las Vegas, 89110 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 16: 1-5 p.m.; Monday, Feb. 17: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ Jimmy Hughes Campus (Mesquite Deuce Building) 150 N. Yucca St., Mesquite, 89027 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2-8 p.m.
■ Las Vegas Indian Center 2300 W. Bonanza Road, Las Vegas, 89106 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ Laughlin Library 2840 Needles Highway, Laughlin, 89029 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
■ Legacy High School 150 W. Deer Springs Way, North Las Vegas, 89084 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant 4850 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, 89103 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
■ Moapa Valley Community Center 320 N. Moapa Valley Blvd., Overton 89040 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 3-8 p.m.
■ Nevada State Education Association 3511 E. Harmon Ave. #C, Las Vegas, 89121 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 16: 1-5 p.m.; Monday, Feb. 17: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
■ Palo Verde High School 333 S. Pavilion Center Drive, Las Vegas, 89144 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ Sahara West Library 9600 W. Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, 89117 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 2-5 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 10:30 a.m.7 p.m.
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■ SEIU Nevada Local 1107 2250 S. Rancho Drive #165, Las Vegas, 89102 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ Sierra Vista High School 8100 W. Robindale Road, Las Vegas, 89113 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ SMART Local 88 2560 Marco St., Las Vegas, 89115 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 16: 1-5 p.m.; Monday, Feb. 17: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
■ Steelworkers Local 4856 47 S. Water St., Henderson 89015 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 16: 1-5 p.m.; Monday, Feb. 17: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ The Strip: Bellagio (Annex) 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, 89109 Hours: Sunday, Feb. 16, noon through Monday, Feb. 17, noon.
■ The Strip: Mandalay Bay (Employee Dining Room) 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, 89119 Hours: Sunday, Feb. 16: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. ; Monday, Feb. 17: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ The Strip: MGM Grand (Outside Employee Dining Room) 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, 89109 Hours: Sunday, Feb. 16: 5 p.m.-midnight; Monday, Feb. 17: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ The Strip: Paris Las Vegas (Employee Dining Room) 3655 Las Vegas, Blvd. S., Las Vegas, 89109 Hours: Sunday, Feb. 16: 5 p.m.-midnight; Monday, Feb. 17: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
NYE COUNTY
■ Sun City Anthem Community Center 2450 Hampton Road, Henderson, 89052 Hours: Monday, Feb. 17, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
■ Amargosa Community Center 821 E. Amargosa Farm Road, Amargosa Valley, 89020 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
■ Temple Sinai 9001 Hillpointe Road, Las Vegas, 89134 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 1-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
■ Beatty Community Center 100 A Ave. S., Beatty 89003 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
■ UAW Local 3555 4310 Cameron St. #11, Las Vegas, 89103 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 16: 1-5 p.m.; Monday, Feb. 17: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ Bob Ruud Community Center 150 NV-160, Pahrump, 89060 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ UNLV Student Union (Room 205) 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, 89154 Hours: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ Veterans Village II 50 N. 21st St., Las Vegas, 89101 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
■ Tonopah Convention Center 301 Brougher Ave., Tonopah 89049 Hours: Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 18, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
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What happens to drugs, property and other assets seized by law enforcement? By Kelcie Grega
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t’s the law enforcement equivalent of a prized taxidermy moose hanging on the wall of a hunter’s den. Police departments tout their seized hauls of drugs, firearms, cash and other assets on social media after a major bust, displaying photos of what they took off the streets and usually delivering a message. “A proactive officer’s contact with the occupant of a parked suspicious vehicle yielded eight felony charges for possession of methamphetamine, heroin and several firearmsrelated offenses, possession of burglary tools, and misdemeanor drug paraphernalia,” Mesquite police posted to Facebook last month. “This is more proof that guns and drugs don’t mix! Great job, officer for taking another dangerous criminal with guns off the street!!” The largest drug bust in Nevada history occurred in 2011, when law enforcement cracked a drug ring in Las Vegas that netted more than $5.7 million worth of heroin and methamphetamine. Officers also seized $280,000 in cash, nine vehicles, five handguns and one shotgun. While investigators weren’t certain whether the vehicles were involved in violent crimes, asset forfeiture laws allow police to seize any private property they believe was used in a crime, even if the suspect hasn’t been convicted. But what happens to it from there?
Storing and destroying
Seized evidence is stored by Metro in an 83,000-square-foot evidence vault—which is really more like a warehouse—until a case is adjudicated, Melisse Huffmaster, the department’s evidence vault director, explained. These cases, she said, can sometimes take years to close, which can make the task of storing drug evidence quite difficult. “We often run out of space,” she said. “It’s not an uncommon problem; it’s a nationwide issue.” Huffmaster said the lack of space has pushed agencies to lobby for more policies to get rid of evidence more quickly. Marijuana is the only type of drug evidence that can be destroyed before a case is adjudicated, according to Huffmaster (“That’s because marijuana takes up a lot of storage space”). Prosecutors instead use samples or photos of the evidence in court. When drug and paraphernalia evidence is finally ready to be destroyed, it’s outsourced to waste management companies like Clean Harbors and Covanta, Huffmaster said. Facilities must follow strict Environmental Protection Agency standards when burning illegal contraband to mitigate toxic emissions. For example, the primary burn chamber in the incinerators must
operate at minimum temperatures of 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit, and the afterburner must operate at minimum temperatures of 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection. “And then, of course, you have paraphernalia in these packages as well,” Huffmaster said. “You have to have a facility that has the capability of cleaning the emissions and withstanding the heat.” The seized drugs can also be used by the department for K-9 training, Huffmaster said. Metro has 15 detection dogs, nine of which are trained to locate marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin, officials said.
Private property
State law dictates that officers can’t seize property for forfeiture purposes if the owner didn’t knowingly consent to the crime. That’s why a lot of drug dealers or those involved in illegal activity rent cars and houses, according to Las Vegas criminal defense attorney Michael Pariente. That way, their own cars and houses can go unseized, and the original owner or landlord can claim ignorance of the crime. But ignorance isn’t always a foolproof defense. One client Pariente represents was sentenced to five years in federal prison late last year when marijuana being illegally sold in Iowa was traced back to plots of land he owned. Pariente said his client, Las Vegas resident Oliver “Sonny” Maupin, was following Oregon statute to legally grow marijuana within the state, but that his girlfriend— unbeknownst to him—had been taking the crop from Oregon to sell in Iowa, where the sale and use of recreational marijuana is not legal. Nevertheless, a jury found Maupin guilty, because growing marijuana remains illegal under
federal law, Pariente said. Pariente said he is in the process of appealing the case but is doubtful his client will get his land back even if the charges are dropped. “The thing about forfeiture laws is that they’re very draconian,” Pariente said. “The Supreme Court ruled that they don’t violate double jeopardy. So the government can put you away in prison and go after your land and property.” Pariente said fighting forfeiture laws can be especially difficult on defendants. Because prosecutors don’t have to prove their case
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Handguns and containers of crystal meth are displayed at a news conference announcing the state’s largest methamphetamine bust in history, on July 14, 2011, in Las Vegas. Law enforcement agencies from Las Vegas, Henderson and Boulder City seized 200 pounds of the drug that week. (Julie Jacobson/ AP file)
beyond a reasonable doubt, only needing to present “clear and convincing” evidence—a lower standard—that the property was knowingly used by the owner in a crime. Pariente said the key in fighting forfeiture cases is proving law enforcement did not follow correct protocol when seizing assets, which in most cases requires an attorney. And that cost can often be more than the property’s value. “A lot of people are afraid to complain,” he said. “So you have a lot of people who don’t get their money or property back.”
Returning property
In 2018, nearly $1.6 million in personal property—house, cars, cash, firearms and more—was seized in Nevada, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. State law dictates that law enforcement investigate each case to determine if seizure of the property is warranted, rather than just seizing all property indiscriminately, Officer Lawrence Hadfield said. Property will not be seized for forfeiture purposes if the owner is neither consenting nor a conspirator to the felony, or if the property is stolen. So, if a drug dealer is driving
a stolen vehicle when captured, officials won’t take the car for forfeiture. The items, after the suspect is convicted, are sold at auction with proceeds going to policing efforts. Seized cash also goes to law enforcement. Nevada lawmakers have tried reining in the state’s civil asset forfeiture laws. In 2015, a proposed Nevada bill would have required proof of criminal conviction or a plea deal before cash and property could be seized. But the conviction requirement was dropped, and the bill was signed into law by then-Gov. Brian Sandoval,
dictating that seized money and property be returned to an individual after trial if charges are dropped or dismissed. Another bill in 2017 would have again included a conviction or plea deal requirement. It would have also directed forfeiture proceeds to go toward education rather than the law enforcement agency. But the bill died in the Senate Judiciary Committee. In 2019, another bill was introduced to reform Nevada’s civil asset forfeiture laws. It passed the Assembly 34-6 but also died in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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Burn recovery Once a wildfire gets extinguished, land restoration begins
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By Kelcie Grega he Nevada Division of Forestry has reported a wildfire in Nevada at least once a month for the past five years. After the fire is extinguished, the work to rehabilitate public land to support natural plant and wildlife can take years, if not decades. Take the 30,000 acres of land surrounding Goshute Creek, which was ravaged by the lighting-ignited Goshute Cave Fire in 2018. The creek, some 55 miles north of Ely, is home to the Bonneville cutthroat trout, a state protected game fish. The area is also a habitat for big-game species like mule deer and elk. The Bureau of Land Management partnered with the Nevada Department of Wildlife to rehabilitate the fish and wildlife habitat, and to restore watershed health to the damaged lands.
“It isn’t just wildland firefighters on the ground after a fire; we have a group specially assigned for rehabilitation,” says Chris McVicars, a natural resource specialist and fire rehab program manager for the Bureau of Land Management’s Ely District. “We have these guys hit the ground running pretty quick.” McVicars begins formulating a rehabilitation plan before a fire is contained, assessing the damage and coordinating with specialists to be as proactive as possible. “If I know, for example, that a fire burned a winter habitat, I will need a wildlife biologist,” he says. “If I think soil loss or erosion is a problem, I’ll need to involve a hydrologist. If I need a permit, I’ll need a rangeland management specialist.” The BLM uses three-stage Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation protocols to restore lands
to a pre-fire state, and to reduce erosion and fuels to prevent future fires. The first stage, Emergency Stabilization, occurs within the first year a fire occurs and is meant to stabilize and prevent further land degradation or threats to surrounding human life. “We are a rural district, so threats to surrounding neighborhoods don’t occur as often here,” McVicars says. “But let’s say a fire burns a large basin on a steep hill site, and there’s a housing development. Once the fire burns and all the topsoil and vegetation has been removed, as soon as there’s rain and snow melt, the area is susceptible to erosion and debris flows, and that can affect human life.” One significant danger following the Goshute fire: the many thick fir trees that had burned and had a high probability of falling on the roadway. They had
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Land charred by the Goshute Cave Fire and (below) a helicopter used in the reseeding process (Bureau of Land Management/Courtesy)
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to be removed. After that, agencies began the process of reseeding areas most damaged by the fire. In the case of Goshute, McVicars says, BLM and the wildlife department partnered to aerially seed more than 15,300 acres of BLM-administered land blackened by the fire. Aerial seeding is a restoration technique that involves sowing seeds from a drone, plane or helicopter. “After these fires, the big push for the BLM and Department of Wildlife is to re-establish the vegetation,” says Moira Kolada, a staff biologist with the Nevada Department of Wildlife. “That’s what provides the wildlife their habitat. Based on the area, we typically work with the BLM on various seed mixes to provide the vegetation we want to see back there.” For Goshute, agencies aerially administered more than 138,000 pounds of grass, forb and brush seeds. Multiple factors—including soil type, elevation, slope, annual precipitation and existing vegetation—determine what is contained in the seed mixes, McVicars says. Agencies also cleared dead trees and installed straw wattle on hills and mountain sides to catch soils and reduce erosion. Last spring, BLM staff—alongside with Sierra Club volunteers—began the process of restoring the Goshute Creek Campground. Together, they constructed 250 feet of fencing between the campground and creek. They also installed three new picnic tables and fire rings and planted bitterbrush seed along the creek. The Sierra Club has been working with the BLM Ely District on similar projects over the past 15 years. Late last year, BLM and NDOW agencies transplanted willow cuttings from a nearby state park along the creek. The willows will help stabilize the stream bank and improve water quality, according to Kolada. “Willows are a relatively fast-growing species in Nevada, unlike sage brush,” she says. “They establish themselves quickly and speed up root stabilization.” Initial monitoring of the lands indicates the burn area has recovered well so far, McVicars says. Still, it has a long way to go before it will return to pre-fire conditions. Full recovery of the land typically takes 15-20 years. “The long-term goal is for that burned area to be a productive healthy site,” McVicars says. “I want it to be a functioning ecosystem.”
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“What Earth Day Means to Me.” Residents of Clark County, Nevada of all ages are invited to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, April 22, 2020. To commemorate this special occasion, the Sierra Club – Southern Nevada Group is sponsoring a county-wide art and essay contest, with cash prizes and awards for winners in four categories. To enter go to (https://tinyurl.com/2020earthday) or email earthday50@toiyabe.sierraclub.org for entry form and contest rules. Contest starts 12:01 a.m. PT on 2/2/20 and ends 11:59 p.m. PT on 3/19/20. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.
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FOOD & DRINK
Dinner and a show Make Mayfair Supper Club your one stop for the night By Genevie Durano
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ayfair, Bellagio’s new supper club, reaches back to the past—to the salad days of Frank Sinatra and his pals, when a night out on the town meant tux and tails and evening dresses. Yet Mayfair’s also very much a modern affair, offering a fresh take on the dinner-anda-show concept. And its prime location on the Strip—with the Fountains of Bellagio as the backdrop (and at times, part of the show inside)—only adds to its gauzy, aquatic-themed glamour. It’s a Technicolor dream world in which one can easily get lost for hours, so plant yourself on the plush banquette and stay awhile. Start with a cocktail or a glass of wine from the well-curated menu as you listen to standards from the American Songbook—from mellow piano pieces to more upbeat Prohibition Era jazz numbers, performed by some of the most talented musicians you’ll find on the Strip. As the evening progresses, there’s a perceptible change in energy, from the
dimming overhead lights to the music tempo to but the tomato salad ($23) is a standout—heirloom the performers who become more interactive with tomatoes topped with green tomato tapenade and the diners. At various points after 8 p.m., an alarm razor-thin onions, dressed in a vinaigrette. Meansounds and diners are encouraged to swing their while, the coconut shrimp appetizer ($25) is playnapkins in the air to the chorus of “Viva Las Vefully served on a coconut shell, along with a crème gas.” (Even later on Fridays and Saturdays, Mayfair fraîche, celery and garlic rangoon dip. After Dark takes the tablecloths off The entrée section includes a speMAYFAIR SUPPER CLUB and turns the stage into a dancefloor. cial callout to “supper club classics,” Bellagio, 702-693-8876. Sundays are devoted to jazz.) including a decadent beef Wellington Sunday-Thursday, Stellar as the entertainment for two ($125), with Mishima Wagyu, 5 p.m.-midnight; Friday-Saturday, onstage can be, the menu is just as foie gras and porcini; lobster thermi5 p.m.-3 a.m. well-thought-out, featuring American dor ($95), served with buttered leeks steakhouse classics sprinkled with and tomato; and a 40-ounce dry-aged surprises. The seafood tower ($65 per porterhouse ($150) with Mayfair person) starts things off right for the table, while steak sauce and béarnaise. And though Mayfair hand and cut rolls ($22-$35) deliver both meat might be a classic steakhouse with a meat-andand fish inside. Opt for the sliced hamachi ($26), fish-focused menu, two vegetable-forward dishes the delicate fish belying the pucker of calamansi, should please plant-based diners. The vegetable olive oil and Fresno chili. Salad selections include pot pie ($38) is served crustless and in an actual the tried-and-true Caesar and wedge ($21 apiece), pot with market vegetables and black truffle in a
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Mayfair’s eggplant caponata (Courtesy)
Loving cup The Coffee Class offers a delicious caffeine education
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After traveling the world, Kyle Cunningham found the Vegas Valley’s coffee scene to be lacking. Instead of just complaining, Cunningham set out to build the coffee shop of his dreams. “I wanted a space where I’d be comfortable working and hanging out with friends,” Cunningham says. So this past summer, he opened the Coffee Class in Henderson. The small, upscale coffee shop on south Eastern has a friendly vibe and a striking chandelier. The Coffee Class’ stated mission is to “elevate your coffee house experience.” That’s accomplished with single-origin pour-over coffee and a surprisingly robust food menu. Coffee director Patrick Cantú presides over the extensive beverage options, which include signature drinks like nitro chai latte ($6.50) and a delicate rose tea latte garnished with rose petals. There are delicious pastries and cookies on offer, but the menu’s real stars are the savory items. Unlike most coffee shops, you can come here for a filling meal, thanks to Chef Beth Ryan-Small. On a recent morning, the seductive aroma of baking bread filled the air—rosemary biscuits for Coffee Class’ chicken pot pies ($12). Fill up on breakfast and lunch paninis, served with fruit ($12). Chia parfait ($8); salad ($7); grilled cheese and soup ($14); avocado toast ($10); and an indulgent baked creme brulee french toast ($12) round out the menu. So, will a place called Coffee Class offer coffee classes? Cunningham says that’s coming soon. Expect instruction on latte art and tea tastings, along with special events and catering options. —C. Moon Reed
THE COFFEE CLASS 8878 S. Eastern Ave. #102, 702-998-2501. Daily, 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
creamy sauce; and the eggplant caponata ($32) is a sweet-and-sour delight, its robust balsamic note tempered by candied peanuts, capers and mint. Mayfair’s desserts are just as aesthetically pleasing as its environs. The Baked Alaska ($22)—a citrus cake with a yuzu and raspberry center—features a butterfly on top that melts when the server sets it aflame. And the child in you will surely revel in the pleasures of the Music Box ($14), which has a selection of bonbons, caramels and macarons, while your grown-up side will gravitate toward the Cigar ($16), a chocolate panna cotta with praline crumble and merengue. The Mayfair experience is always changing shape, depending on day and time of night. No two experiences are exactly alike. One constant? Outstanding food that feels in lockstep with whatever’s going on onstage.
Fresh pastries and handcrafted specialty coffees at the Coffee Class (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
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DUNKIN’ REBEL
FORMER UNLV PLAYER DERRICK JONES JR. CONTINUES ELEVATING HIS GAME WITH THE MIAMI HEAT
Derrick Jones Jr. (Wilfredo Lee/AP)
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By Case Keefer MIAMI—No matter what Derrick Jones Jr. comes up with in his second career NBA Dunk Contest February 15 in Chicago, he doesn’t foresee it making his list of all-time favorite slams. The Miami Heat swingman says most all his favorite dunks have been concentrated during one specific time and place—from mid-2015 to early 2016 at UNLV’s Mendenhall Center— when he would mess around after practice with his Runnin’ Rebels teammates. “It was just when I had my young legs,” the 22-year-old Jones says with a grin after a practice at the Heat’s American Airlines Arena. “It was when I was really jumping.” If pressed to pick one dunk, the 6-foot-6, 210-pound Jones might go with the time he leapt from just inside the free-throw line, laced the ball between his legs and finished ferociously at the rim with one hand. He remembers teammates—including fellow future NBA players Stephen Zimmerman and Patrick McCaw—
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during the trade deadline—landing former NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala and engaging in talks to acquire veteran Danilo Gallinari—but reports surfaced that Heat management wasn’t going to include Jones in a deal. He’s gone from undrafted to untouchable in four years, a rarity in the NBA. “He’s becoming increasingly more important for us,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “His teammates know that; his coaches know that. He just has to keep on working.” Jones sees that imperative as fair, citing what’s widely known in NBA circles as “Heat culture.” Miami is known for its highly demanding workloads—and a zero-tolerance policy for those who fall short of fulfilling them. Jones says that stringency was exactly what he needed after drifting between the NBA and developmental league during his first two pro seasons with the Phoenix Suns. “In Phoenix, I was able to be a kid, to use that kid card a lot,” Jones says. “Here, there’s none of that, [and] I love it. They hold me to a higher standard. We all want to be great, and we’re going to hold each other accountable until we all become great. Whenever we see someone slipping up, we correct it. We let them know what they should be doing [and] what they shouldn’t be doing. Just to have teammates and people like that in your corner caring about you, that makes me play harder.” If Jones’ time in Phoenix is remembered for anything, it’s his participation in the 2017 Dunk Contest in New Orleans. He primarily used variations of dunks he perfected at UNLV, including a windmill after catching the ball off the side of the backboard. There’s no telling what Jones will do in the 2020 Dunk Contest, which many fans consider the highlight of All-Star weekend. He says it will be a spur-of-the-moment thing. Still, he has some unfinished business to take care of. He made the finals three years ago but wound up the runner-up, to Indiana’s Glenn Robinson III. “I always told my dad, once I started dunking I was going to win a Dunk Contest in the NBA,” he says. (A P
going crazy in celebration. Jones spent a relatively short time in Las Vegas, not even playing one whole season for the Rebels after an ACT testing service canceled his score and left him ineligible for the final three games of the year. It was tumultuous in other ways, too, with coach Dave Rice getting fired midseason, but Jones says he still has overwhelmingly positive memories of his time in Las Vegas. “I loved every moment I was at the school,” Jones says. “It was just the relationships I built with the guys. The team we had that year was special. We had a couple bumps and bruises in the middle of our road, but I miss that team. We had a whole lot of characters on that team.” Jones sees UNLV as the foundation for his professional success, which appears to have only begun. He says he’s not as good a dunker now as he used to be, but he’s fine with that because he’s improved most every other aspect of his game. Jones is in the midst a breakout year in his third season with the Heat, averaging nine points and four rebounds per game and excelling in the toughest defensive assignments for a team that looks like an upstart championship contender. Jones’ final contracted year with the Heat was supposed to determine whether the franchise saw him as a long-term fit. Now, that’s not even a question, with speculation instead centered on whether Miami can afford to retain him. Jones has played himself beyond the $1.5 million salary he’s earning this season, improving both his defense and his shooting. Jones knocked down a career-high three 3-pointers during the Heat’s final home game before the All-Star break, a blowout win over the 76ers. He did it again two nights later en route to a careerhigh 25 points in a road loss to the LA Clippers. “This year has been everything,” Jones says. “It’s not only my contract year, but this is the year I want to prove I belong. I want to be here. I don’t want to go anywhere. I want to have a long career in Miami.” Recent signs indicate that the Heat might be thinking the same thing. Miami was active
LV W s p o r t s
2020
Congratulations 2020 BOMA Nevada
T H E O U T S TA N D I N G B U I L D I N G O F T H E Y E A R AWA R D S
TOBY AND MEMBERSHIP AWARD WINNERS The TOBY Awards is in its 34th year and is commonly recognized as the most prestigious and comprehensive program in the commercial real estate industry.
BOARD MEMBER OF THE YEAR AMERICAN TECHNOLOGIES, ATI FARA KARR
PROJECT 150 - $5,000.00 DONATED BY BOMA
CHARITY RECIPIENTS
CHRISTINA ROUSH, CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD
LEADERSHIP AWARD
MARK ANDERSON ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF THE YEAR
PRINCIPAL MEMBER OF THE YEAR TASHA BLACKBURN, HARSH INVESTMENT
PRESIDENT’S AWARD
PIONEER AWARD
PUBLIC ASSEMBLY BUILDING AWARD
SUBURBAN OFFICE (LOW-RISE) AWARD
OWEN CALVIN, LANDCARE
JULIE FARINA, RBM
LAS VEGAS BALLPARK LAS VEGAS AVIATORS BASEBALL TEAM
WHITNEY RANCH RECREATION BUILDING, CITY OF HENDERSON
BUILDING UNDER 100,000 SQ FT - GREEN VALLEY CORPORATE CENTER IV, AMERICAN NEVADA
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AX THE GRASS. BUSINESSES STEP UP TO REDUCE WATER USE + As the region becomes hotter and drier, the importance of water efficiency in Southern Nevada increases. Because of this, more companies are reducing their water use to help protect supplies and ensure the economy continues to thrive. The Southern Nevada Water Authority offers rebate incentives to businesses that remove grass and install water-efficient technologies. In 2019, businesses participating in SNWA rebate programs saved 88 million gallons of water by removing turf-grass and replacing old fixtures and devices.
WATER-SMART LANDSCAPE REBATE Using this rebate, qualifying properties earn $3 per square foot of grass removed and replaced with water-smart landscaping up to the first 10,000 square feet converted per property, per year. Beyond the first 10,000 feet, SNWA will provide a rebate of $1.50 per square foot. The maximum award for any property in a fiscal year is $500,000.
WATER-EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGIES REBATE Under the Water Efficient Technologies (WET) program, technologies that save water outdoors earn a one-time payment of $45 per 1,000 gallons conserved annually, or up to 50% of the product purchase price, whichever is less. Technologies that reduce indoor water use earn a onetime payment of $15 per 1,000 gallons conserved annually or up to 50% of the product purchase price, whichever is less. Investing in water-saving technologies allows companies to reduce operation costs as well. Local businesses participating in the WET program have saved more than 15 billion gallons of water since 2001.
Ice machines
High-efficiency toilets
Showerheads
Waterless urinals
Cooling towers
Some of the many preapproved technologies with predictable watering savings that qualify for a WET rebate. Visit snwa.com to learn how your business can be water smart.
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C R E AT E D A N D P R E S E N T E D B Y
S O U T H E R N N E VA DA WAT E R AU T H O R I T Y
LOCAL BUSINESSES GET WATER SMART Businesses looking to refresh their properties may find that the SNWA Water Smart Landscape rebate provides a financial incentive and an ongoing cost saving. The Hughes Center, a 68-acre commercial center in the heart of Las Vegas, removed grass from common areas and along the streets, and replaced it with desert-adapted plants as part of a 4,100-square-foot conversion. “The Hughes Center wanted to create cool community spaces for tenants that blend well with what SNWA is trying to achieve in its conservation efforts,” said Steve Swanson, branch manager for LandCare, a commercial landscape installation and maintenance company. “The bottom line matters, but what’s more important is the fresh look and inviting community space.” The Hughes Center has plans to replace 250,000 square feet of grass in the future. The Thomas & Mack Company completed 16 Water Smart Landscape projects at the McCarran Center complex, saving more than 4.6 million gallons of water since 2009 and netting $185,000 in SNWA rebates alone. The McCarran Center was looking old and dated, said Leslie Shurmur, portfolio director for the Thomas & Mack Company. “It was time to refresh it, and the conversions we’ve done have gone a long way toward doing that—as well as saving water,” Shurmur said. Since 2005, Peccole Ranch Community has converted about 350,000 square feet of landscaping in several phases and has more planned in the next decade.
For more information about how SNWA rebates can benefit your business’s bottom line, visit snwa.com or contact a conservation specialist at 702-8623740.
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CUSTOMERS DON’T SHOP AT YOUR BUSINESS BECAUSE OF YOUR LAWN.
Business owners must conserve water for our community to thrive.”
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WATER-SMART PROPERTY MANAGEMENT When Lighthouse Property Management upgraded the Avenue 965 complex, the company removed inefficient showerheads, toilets and faucets in all 131 studio units and replaced them with high-efficiency versions. “Many of our units had toilets that dated to the 1970s,” Regional Property Manager Cindy Lowry said. “We had concerns about installing low-flow toilets, wondering how many of them might get clogged going from 3 gallons per flush to 0.8 gallons per flush.” However, residents praised the company for the changes.
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V E G A S I N C B U S I N E S S 2 .1 3 . 2 0
Elite Medical Center aims to get visitors back to their Vegas vacations
I
BY BRYAN HORWATH
magine being in the middle of a once-in-alifetime vacation in Las Vegas, only to get sick or injured during your visit. That narrative is common at Elite Medical Center, which opened in 2018 just off the Strip. The center, located at 150 E. Harmon Ave., next to Topgolf, welcomes about 35 patients per day, 90% of whom are tourists, says Patty Holden, the clinic’s CEO. Many patients are dealing with hydration issues, falls and broken bones. “Tourists like to get back to what they were doing,” she said. “When you’re on vacation and you sprain an ankle and you’re in an emergency room, it can ruin that whole trip.” The idea at Elite is to get patients in and out. Usually, Holden said, that happens in under two hours. Elite also has local patients, mostly dealing with workers’ compensation cases. Of course, visitors with major trauma or in end-ofemergency care aren’t visiting Elite. They go directly to one of the hospitals near the resort corridor, such as University Medical Center or Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center. “Most know and appreciate the level of service and care we provide for their visitors,” Holden said. “We don’t have an intensive care unit, and we don’t do surgery, but we know there are other facilities—some great facilities—that can take care of those patients who are much sicker than what we see.” Just as Las Vegas offers top-notch entertainment, dining and gaming experiences, visitors should be provided with quality health care while here, Holden said. Elite doesn’t contract with Strip resorts, but Holden said relationships forged with various hotel representatives have proven to be valuable.
Elite also features touches of Las Vegas hospitality. There’s a room with free snacks and sodas for visitors, and the new building has all the bells and whistles of a modern facility, including lots of windows with Strip views. “We want our patients to feel comfortable here,” Holden said. That was the case for Tsey-Haye Johnson, who visited Las Vegas on a business trip with her husband in January. They both began to feel ill and went to Elite to get checked out. “Within about seven minutes, we were being called back to a room,” Johnson said. “The
physician came in five minutes later and they ran the necessary test to confirm I didn’t have the flu, but I was seriously dehydrated and had an upper respiratory bacterial infection. The rooms and staff were very nice, and the food was excellent.” The concept behind the Elite brand—there are five other locations, all in Texas—was born when founding partner Eric McLaughlin and his business associates noted a void in the Lone Star State. “In Texas, we had a perfect storm occur,” said McLaughlin, a medical doctor with a specialty in emergency medicine with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from BYU. “There was high patient dissatisfaction, along with long wait times and high doctor burnout. We thought there was an alternative model that would better serve patients.” McLaughlin had visited Las Vegas a number of times over the years. He said he kept hearing about a lack of tourist-centric medical care. “The common phrase that you’d hear was that a visitor would need to go to McCarran [International Airport] to get great medical care if they had an emergency,” McLaughlin said. “We heard that over and over. We realized there was an opportunity to provide hospitable emergency care to this incredible place that welcomes tens of millions of visitors every year.” With about 70 employees and increasing patient volume, the Elite facility in Las Vegas is growing fast. At this time last year, Elite was averaging 20 patients per day. “I think we’re all just proud to work here,” Holden said of her staff. “It’s a great place, and we offer a great service. We’ll get you better and back to enjoying your vacation.”
Elite Medical Center (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
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V e g a s i n c b u s i n e s s 2 .1 3 . 2 0
VegasInc Notes Nevada State Apartment Association announced the winners of its 13th annual Jewel Awards: Regional Manager of the Year, Amy Sybilrud, Stout Management Co.; Community of the Year (up to 225 units), Arabella Apartments, Pinnacle Property Mgmt Svcs.; Community of the Year (226+ units), Topaz Springs, Bridge Property Management; Community of the Year (tax credit), Boulder Pointe, Fore Property Co.; Community Manager of the Year (up to 225 units), Terry Dycus, Advanced Management Group; Community Manager of the Year (226+ units), Carla Escamilla, Pinnacle Property Mgmt Svcs.; Assistant Manager of the Year, Estefani Rocca, Bridge Property Management; Leasing Consultant of the Year (up to 225 units), Stephanie Sigala, Stout Management Co.; Leasing Consultant of the Year (226+ units), Kristin Alesna, Pinnacle Property Mgmt Svcs.; Maintenance Tech of the Year (up to 225 units), Juan Diaz Garcia, Stout Management Co.; Maintenance Tech of the Year (226+ units), Frederick Enriquez, Pinnacle Property Mgmt Svcs.;
Maintenance Supervisor of the Year (up to 225 units), Miguel Zempoalteca Perez, Stout Management Co.; Maintenance Supervisor of the Year (226+ units), Alejandro Uriostegui, Pinnacle Property Mgmt Svcs.; Best Renovated Community of the Year, Cascade, Stout Management Co.; Best New Community of the Year, Kaktuslife, Pinnacle Property Mgmt Svcs.; Property Management Company of the Year, Bridge Property Management; Business Partner of the Year, Silver Lands Inc.; and Volunteers of the Year, Property, Gia Carlyn, Mark Taylor Companies, Business Partner, Kelly Gettys, the Phoenix Staffing, Board of Directors, Steven Olmos, Silver Lands Inc. Boulder City was selected as a finalist of the Cashman Good Government Award in the category “Cities under 100,000.” The award honors government entities and people whose ingenuity provide services to residents better, faster and for less expense. Nevada State College’s Marydean Martin Library received
the 2020 Excellence in Academic Libraries Award by the Association of College and Research Libraries. The college is the first Hispanic Serving Institution to win the college category of the association’s Academic Libraries Award. Additionally, it is the only academic library in the state to be honored with the award. Goodwill of Southern Nevada announced the addition of Latoya Bembry and John Helderman to its board of directors. Bembry, direcBembry tor of strategic communications for the Ferraro Group, has an extensive background in communications and will provide vital expertise to the board. Helderman, a former Helderman board member, and CEO of Goodwill of Southern Nevada, returns to the board and brings an established understanding and prevalent insight to the organization. Henderson Hospital was named one of America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Safety by the Wom-
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Gov. Steve Sisolak appointed Brenda Scolari as director for the Nevada Department of Tourism & Cultural Affairs. Since December 2018, Scolari has served as acting director of the department, where she has overseen the Division of Tourism, the Division of Museums and History, the Nevada Arts Council and the Nevada Indian Commission. Prior to that, she served as deputy director, leading the marketing, public relations and sales and industry partners teams.
CSI DMC, a destination and event management production company, expanded its west coast team with the hiring of Karin Gillard as senior account executive. Based in Las Gillard Vegas, Gillard brings two decades of hospitality experience, including a career with some of the biggest names in luxury hotel brands, where she developed her expertise for creating compelling and exciting experiences for clients ranging from major automobile manufacturers to high-end lifestyle brands.
Southwest Medical added five physicians to help meet the growing need for health services in the community: Kelli Ann Biggans, PA, a physician Biggans assistant in the cardiology department; Julie Cipriani, LPN, a licensed practical nurse; Dolores Lebron-Gallagher, PA, a physician assistant in the cardiology department; Meagan Schaetzle, MA, a medical assistant in the cardiology department; and Jordan Kern, an associate patient care coordinator.
Christopher Loftus was appointed CEO and managing director of Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center. He leads the overall strategic plan for the 293Loftus bed hospital and works with the senior team and medical staff regarding quality initiatives, patient satisfaction, service excellence, business development and financial performance. He previously served as chief operating officer at Summerlin and Henderson hospitals.
en’s Choice Award, a health care referral source. The award signifies that Henderson Hospital is in the top 8% of 4,814 U.S. hospitals for patient safety.
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calendar LIVE music
Country star Dierks Bentley plays the Chelsea February 14 and 15. (Jim Wright/Courtesy)
172 Steph Payne 2/13. Rio, 702-513-3356. ACCESS SHOWROOM Special EFX All-Stars 2/16. Aliante Casino, 702-692-7777. AMERICAN LEGION POST 8 Terror, Creeping Death, Dare, Suffer the Loss 2/19. 733 N. Veterans Memorial Drive, 702-382-8533. Backstage Bar & Billiards GayC/DC (AC/ DC tribute), Spice Pistols (Spice Girls tribute), Crimson Riot 2/14. 601 Fremont St., 702-382-2227. THE BARBERSHOP Heavy Petting Zoo 2/14. The 442s 2/15. Rawhide 2/16. Barry Black 2/17. Cosmopolitan, 702-698-7434. Brooklyn Bowl Almost Queen (Queen tribute) 2/13. The Joe Kay Experience 2/15. Steel Pulse, Citizen X 2/18. Linq Promenade, 702-862-2695. Bunkhouse Saloon Tacocat 2/13. The Paranoyds, Dark Black, The Acid Sisters 2/15. Big Business, Strange Mistress 2/17. 124 S. 11th St., 702-982-1764. The Chelsea Dierks Bentley, Caylee Hammack 2/14-2/15. Cosmopolitan, 702-698-6797. Chrome Showroom Bobby Caldwell 2/15. Santa Fe Station, 702-658-4900. CLEOPATRA’S BARGE Dionne Warwick 2/132/16. Wayne Newton 2/17-2/19. Caesars Palace, 866-227-5938. THE CLUB Next Movement 2/14. MJ Deja Vu (M. Jackson tribute) 2/15. Cannery, 702-507-5700. CLUB MADRID Edwin McCain 2/15. Sunset Station, 702-547-7777. The Colosseum Mariah Carey 2/14-2/15, 2/19. Caesars Palace, 866-227-5938. Count’s VAMP’D Tyrants by Night, Moror Gun Hotel, Vile Child 2/13. Wheel in the Sky (Journey tribute), U2LV (U2 tribute) 2/14. Lovedrive (Scorpions tribute), Outta the Black 2/15. Soil, The Outfit, Bakers Dozen 2/19. 750 W. Sahara Ave., 702-220-8849. THE Dillinger Michael Louis Austin 2/14. Mary Feick 2/15. 1224 Arizona St., Boulder City, 702-293-4001. THE Dispensary Lounge Lisa Gay 2/14. Ronnie Rose 2/16. The John Abraham Band 2/19. 2451 E. Tropicana Ave., 702-458-6343. DOUBLE DOWN SALOON TV Party Tonight w/ VJ Atomic, Jerk! 2/13. Scraper, The Psyatics, Cromm Fallon & The P200, The Swamp Gospel 2/15. Whole Milk, Rhaina Yasmin, Fana Hues 2/18. 4640 Paradise Road, 702-791-5775. DOWNTOWN CONTAINER PARK Beau Cody 2/14. Roxy Gunn 2/15. 707 Fremont St., 702-359-9982. Encore Theater Sarah McLachlan 2/19, 2/212/22. Wynn, 702-770-6696. Fremont Country Club Horrorpops, The Quakes, Franks & Deans 2/16. 601 E. Fremont St., 702-382-6601. Gilley’s Saloon Scotty Alexander 2/13. Chris Lozano 2/14-2/15. Brett Rigby 2/19. Treasure Island, 702-894-7722.
GOLD MINE TAVERN Jaxin, Outlaw 2/14. Nautical Nation 2/15. Randy Williams’ American Acoustic 2/19. 23 S. Water St., 702-478-8289. Golden Nugget Showroom. Blue Öyster Cult 2/14. 866-946-5336. GRAND EVENTS CENTER Shaun Cassidy 2/14. Green Valley Ranch, 702-617-7777. House of Blues Caifanes 2/14. Gasolina Party 2/15. The Motels, Bow Wow Wow, When in Rome 2/19. (B Side) King Yellowman & The Sagittarius Band, K’reema, 2/13. Devon Baldwin 2/16. Mandalay Bay, 702-632-7600.
Stoney’s Rockin’ Country Ward Davis 2/14. Town Square, 702-435-2855. SUNCOAST SHOWROOM Reckless in Vegas 2/14. The Box Tops 2/15. 800-745-3000. The TAVERN 32 Dollar Pickup 2/14. 1113 S. Rainbow Blvd., 702-804-1113. VEIL PAVILION Taylor Dayne 2/14. Silverton, 702-263-7777.
JIMMY KIMMEL’S COMEDY CLUB Jill Kimmel 2/13. Trevor Wallace 2/13-2/16. Ian Bagg 2/19. Linq Promenade, 702-777-2782. L.A. COMEDY CLUB K-Von 2/13-2/16. Strat, 702-380-7711. LAUGH FACTORY Shamya Tash, Rocky Dale Davis, Paul Scally 2/13-2/16. Bill Dawes, Matt Rife, Katie Cazorla 2/17-2/23. Tropicana, 702-739-2411.
Venetian Theatre The Doobie Brothers 2/14-2/15, 2/19, 2/21-2/22. 702-414-9000.
PARIS THEATER NeNe Leaks, Adele Givens, Loni Love, Sherri Shepherd, Kym Whitley 2/15. Paris Las Vegas, 702-331-5100.
WESTGATE INTERNATIONAl THEATER Barry Manilow 2/13-2/15, 2/20-2/22. 800-222-5361.
SPARE ROOM Bob Kubota Thru 2/16. Don Barnhart 2/19-2/23. Downtown Grand, 702-719-5100.
ZAPPOS THEATER Gwen Stefani 2/14-2/15, 2/212/22. Planet Hollywood, 702-777-6737.
Terry Fator TheatrE Jim Jeffries 2/14-2/15. Nikki Glaser 2/16. Mirage, 702-792-7777.
NINJA KARAOKE One Be Lo 2/15. 1009 S. Main St., 702-487-6213.
Comedy
TICKLE ME COMEDY CLUB Issac Israel, Jay Reid 2/13-2/15. Eclipse Theaters, 702-816-4300.
Park Theater Aerosmith 2/13, 2/15. Cher 2/19, 2/21-2/22. Park MGM, 844-600-7275.
BONKERZ COMEDY CLUB Steven Pearl 2/13. Rampart Casino, 702-507-5900.
THE Railhead Coco Montoya 2/13. Rob Garrett & The King of Diamonds Band (Neil Diamond tribute) 2/15. Boulder Station, 702-432-7777.
Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club Debi Gutierrez, Ken Garr, Kyle Ray 2/13-2/16. Jay Black, Chas Elstner, D.J. Demers 2/17-2/23. MGM Grand, 866-740-7711.
M PAVILION The Shirelles 2/15. M Resort, 702-797-1000. Mandalay Bay Events Center Los Temerarios 2/15. 702-632-7777.
Rocks Lounge Rex Smith 2/14. Red Rock Resort, 702-797-7777. Sand Dollar Lounge Funk Jam 2/13. 3355 Spring Mountain Road, 702-485-5401. STAR OF THE DESERT ARENA Keith Sweat 2/15. Primm, 702-386-7867.
The Colosseum Jeff Dunham 2/16. Caesars Palace, 866-227-5938. COMEDY CELLAR Jason Cheny, Chloe Hilliard, Daniel Simonsen, John Joseph, Mark Cohen 2/132/16. Emma Willmann, Eagle Witt, Nikki Car, Tom Rhodes, Mark Cohen 2/17-2/23. Rio, 702-777-2782.
Performing Arts & Culture Charleston Heights Arts Center Broadway’s Next Hit Musical 2/14. 800 Brush St., 702-229-2787. DAM SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2/13-2/16. Boulder Theatre, 1225 Arizona St., Boulder City, damshortfilm.org. Historic FiftH STREET SCHOOL Rainbow
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Company Youth Theatre: The Nevada Series 2/14-2/15. 401 S. 4th St., 702-229-6469. Market IN THE ALLEY 2/15-2/16. Hosted by Fergusons Downtown. 1031 Fremont St.
VEGAS THEATRE COMPANY Men on Boats 2/19-3/15. Art Square Theatre, 1025 S. 1st St., #110, 725-222-9661.
THE Smith Center (Reynolds Hall) Las Vegas Philharmonic: Beethoven, Mozart & Britten 2/15. (Cabaret Jazz) Jim Brickman 2/14-2/15. Michael Grimm 2/18. 702-749-2000.
New Exhibits
The Space Hamiltunes 2/16. 3460 Cavaretta Court, 702-903-1070.
Barrick Museum of Art (Work Shop) The Other Side of Paradise 2/14-3/14. UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, 702-895-3381.
Springs Preserve Black History Month Festival 2/15. 333 S. Valley View Blvd., 702-822-7700. UNLV (Artemus W. Ham Hall) Sérgio & Odair Assad 2/13. 702-895-2787. Windmill Library Lola Kristine 2/14. West African Kora 2/15. 7060 W. Windmill Lane, 702-507-6019.
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The Writer’s Block Dylan Fisher 2/15. 519 S. 6th St., 702-550-6399.
LOCAL THEATER Las Vegas Little Theatre (Black Box) Shows for Days Thru 2/16. 3920 Schiff Drive, 702-362-7996. NEVADA CONSERVATORY THEATRE (Black Box) Marcus; Or the Secret of Sweet 2/142/23. UNLV, 702-895-2787. POOR RICHARD’S PLAYERS My First Time Thru 2/15. Playhouse, 528 S. Decatur Blvd., theplayhouselv.com. A Public Fit A Steady Rain Thru 2/23. 100 S. Maryland Parkway, 702-735-2114.
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Super Summer Theatre First Date Thru 2/16. 4340 S. Valley View Drive #208,
CSN (Artspace Gallery) Mayuko Ono Gray: The Rose Is Always Redder Next Door 2/143/28. 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave., 702-651-4146. Las Vegas City Hall (Grand Gallery) Public Art Collaboration Exhibition 2/13-5/7. 495 S. Main St., 702-229-1012.
SPORTS Major League Rugby 2/15-2/16. Sam Boyd Stadium, 702-739-3267. UNLV BASEBALL Central Michigan 2/14-2/16. Earl E. Wilson Stadium, 702-739-3267. UNLV MEN’S BASKETBALL Colorado State 2/19. Thomas & Mack Center, 702-739-3267. UNLV MEN’S Hockey Arizona State 2/142/15. T-Mobile Arena, 702-692-1600. UNLV SOFTBALL Marucci Desert Classic 2/132/16. Eller Media Stadium, 702-739-3267. UNLV WOMEN’s BASKETBALL New Mexico 2/15. Cox Pavilion, 702-739-3267. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS St. Louis 2/13. New York Islanders 2/15. Washington 2/17. T-Mobile Arena, 702-692-1600.