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L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

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GENERAL PUBLIC COULD START RECEIVING VACCINE SOON Frontline health care workers, who became the first group of people to receive coronavirus vaccines last month, should wrap up their inoculations soon, Dr. Fermin Leguen, the Southern Nevada Health District’s acting chief health officer, said January 12 during an online chat with Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev. This will allow the county to move into the next phase of vaccination, with new “megasites” at Cashman Center and the Las Vegas Convention Center helping the health district distribute as many as 40,000 to 45,000 shots per week. Leguen said the Cashman site should be ready January 14 or 15 and eventually be able to churn out 3,000 to 4,000 shots per day. The Convention Center should be online in a week or two and be good for 4,000 daily shots. The Food and Drug Administration greenlit COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna last month, and Nevada started inoculating health care workers December 14. Local nursing home and assisted-living residents have also since started receiving their shots. After these “tier one” recipients have been fully inoculated, Nevada can move into its bifurcated “lane” system. Workers in essential industries, ranked by priority starting with public safety workers, would occupy one lane, while the general public, starting with seniors age 70 and up, would lead the other. The workforce lane would receive its shots at the mass sites, and the general public would get its at pharmacies. –Hillary Davis

ADELSON REMEMBERED FOR HIS GENEROSITY, ACUMEN

THEY SAID IT ■ “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.” –President Donald Trump, January 8. It was his last message on Twitter before his account was suspended indefinitely

President-elect Joe Biden receives his second dose of the coronavirus vaccine January 11 at ChristianaCare Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware. (Susan Walsh/Associated Press)

STATE SENATOR RESIGNS TO JOIN FEDERAL HEALTH AGENCY

■ “Incitement of insurrection is an impeachable offense. No one contests that. Either we uphold our oath to protect the constitution, or we do not. Either we safeguard our democracy, or we do not. It’s really that simple. Trump must be impeached. Now. I know where I stand.” –Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., January 12 on Twitter

State Sen. Yvanna Cancela, a staunch supporter of President-elect Joe Biden, has resigned to take a po■ “I was the person who sition with the U.S. Department of Health and Human came up with the Jan. 6 idea Services. with Congressman (Paul) “I did not make this decision lightly, especially Gosar, Congressman Mo considering the upcoming 2021 legislative session and Brooks and then Congressthe important work ahead,” Cancela, a Democrat, said man Andy Biggs. We four in her resignation letter to Gov. Steve Sisolak. “Howevschemed up of putting max er, I could not turn down the opportunity to continue pressure on Congress while serving the Silver State and our great nation.” they were voting.” It was not clear what Cancela’s role will be with the –Activist Ali Alexander, federal agency. in a video taped before the January 6 riot at the Capitol In her resignation letter, Cancela said she would be leaving the Legislature with a “heavy heart but a hopeful spirit.” In a statement on behalf of the state Senate’s Democratic Caucus, Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro said Cancela “will be a huge asset to the administration as they work to combat the pandemic and make health care more affordable.” The Clark County Commission will fill Cancela’s vacant seat in Senate District 10. First appointed to her seat in 2016 after her predecessor, Ruben Kihuen, was elected to Congress, Cancela won reelection in 2018. Her term would have run until 2022. She was a political director with the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 before assuming office. -John Sadler

THINGS THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK

ALABAMA WINS AGAIN Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith caught 12 passes for 215 yards and three touchdowns January 11, leading Alabama to its sixth national championship in the past 12 seasons with a 52-24 win against Ohio State. Najee Harris added three scores and 158 yards from scrimmage.

Nevada leaders reacted January 12 to the death of Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, remembering him as a businessman who championed ideas that shaped Nevada and a philanthropist. Adelson, founder, chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands, died at age 87 from complications related to treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, his company announced. Gov. Steve Sisolak said Adelson “believed in, succeeded in, and invested in bold and daring ideas that changed the State of Nevada.” “As Jewish leaders, we also shared a deep concern for the rise in anti-Semitism and joined efforts to help combat hate,” Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., said. Former Sen. Harry Reid said few people have had as much impact on the resort industry and the state’s economy as Adelson. “He came to Las Vegas as a master of the convention business” and “was instrumental in transforming Las Vegas into the iconic destination it is today,” Reid said. –Staff

2 NEVADA PITCHES IN TO PROTECT NEW PRESIDENT

Nevada is dispatching more than 200 National Guard members to Washington, D.C., to provide security for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. Federal officials authorized up to 20,000 troops nationwide, and Nevada is among 30 states sending personnel.

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Health & Wellness: These apps and podcasts can really help Cover story: The Golden Knights 2021 season starts now! Binge This Week: Our staff never runs out of suggestions The Strip: It's been 10 years since the Cosmopolitan opened?! Food & Drink: Legendary oysters and Filipino favorites

WEEK IN REVIEW WEEK AHEAD N EWS YO U S H O U L D K N OW A B O U T

Sports: Your best bets in the NHL's new-look divisions Vegas Inc: How tourism might trend in the coming year

Morrigan, a crow, sits on the shoulder of his owner during a "Stop the Steal" protest and car parade January 6 in front of the Lloyd D. George Courthouse in Downtown Las Vegas. (Yasmina Chavez/Staff)

RAIDERS HIRE DEFENSIVE COACH Gus Bradley stressed simplicity and collaboration as two of the keys he used to build now-legendary defenses with the Seattle Seahawks a decade ago. He now hopes to bring a similar philosophy to Las Vegas. The Raiders announced Bradley as their new defensive coordinator January 12.

LAWMAKER RESIGNS

CONCERTS POSTPONED

SIEGFRIED IS ILL

Assemblyman Alex Assefa tendered his resignation January 11 and admitted to spending the majority of his time not at a home in the Spring Valley district he represents, but in a North Las Vegas residence owned by his wife, which would be a violation of state law.

Westgate Las Vegas resident headliner Barry Manilow on January 8 postponed February, March and May scheduled performances, which are now scheduled to resume June 10. Michael BublĂŠ's concert tour stop at T-Mobile Arena was rescheduled for a second time, now for September 24.

The German publication Bild reported that longtime Vegas performer Siegfried Fischbacher, 81, is "terminally ill with pancreatic cancer." The publication says he underwent a 12-hour operation to remove a malignant tumor, nine months after longtime partner Roy Horn died of COVID-19.

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WAY TO WELLNESS Get healthier in 2021 with these inspiring apps and podcasts BY GENEVIE DURANO

Headspace A few minutes of meditation can make all the difference in your day. From handling everyday stresses to helping you sleep better, this app has a variety of guided meditations to send you off to a much calmer place. Designed for people with no meditation experience, Headspace can help you be more present, or at least learn to listen to the news without freaking out. Headspace.com

APPS

Nike Run Club Running is a solitary activity, but sometimes it’s nice to have a companion. This app is that and more. It offers guided runs, custom playlists and even in-run cheers and encouragement from elite athletes. But the best motivator of all is the ability to track your progress, from your first mile to your 500th. Nike.com/nrc-app

PODCASTS Happier with Gretchen Rubin If anyone should know more about the topic, it’s Rubin, who gained fame by authoring the 2009 book The Happiness Project. In this podcast, she riffs with her sister, Elizabeth Craft, as they dole out little nuggets of wisdom on how not to sweat the small stuff, and also how to clear the clutter, both literal and metaphysical, from your life. There are more than 300 episodes available, so dive in. Food Psych Make a break from yo-yo dieting and learn all about intuitive eating. Dietitian Christy Harrison interviews guests, including health professionals and anti-diet activists, to talk about topics like weight stigma and eating disorders, challenging the insidiousness of diet culture that propagates

restrictive behaviors under the guise of wellness and fitness. Harrison is leading the shift toward body-image healing and size inclusivity, one episode at a time. That’s So Maven Davida Kugelmass, of The Healthy Maven blog, launched this podcast to help listeners tackle life’s greatest challenges and lead a more balanced and intentional lifestyle. She interviews wellness experts and covers topics from CBD and plant-based medicine to what happens during menopause. There’s so much to sink your teeth into here, no matter what stage of life you’re in. Kalyani Yoga Meditations for Sleep and Healing Yoga nidra, or yogic sleep, is a technique to control your body’s relax-

(Chris Pizzello/AP)

ure, you make New Year’s resolutions every year, and oftentimes they just don’t stick. But with sophisticated apps and inspiring podcasts to help you along, 2021 could be the year you attain your New Year’s wellness goals. Here are some of our favorites to get you started.

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Streaks You know that old adage that it takes 21 days to build a habit? This app will help you keep track of that. Pick up to 12 habits you’d like to improve upon—flossing your teeth, learning a new language, walking 10,000 steps, etc.—and mark each day on which you do them. Your stats are displayed on a user-friendly interface. See how long you can keep your streak, then pat yourself on the back. Streaksapp.com

Clue Tracking your menstrual cycle can offer a lot of insight into your month, and this app makes it easy not just to keep track of your period, but everything that happens in between, including gauging energy levels, mood, food cravings and other physical symptoms. It also has an extensive encyclopedia of women’s health information, which is helpful at any age. Helloclue.com

Brené Brown’s Unlocking Us Dr. Brené Brown is the voice you want in your head as you navigate life’s more turbulent waters. Her work studying courage, vulnerability, shame and empathy has produced five No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. In this podcast, Brown interviews powerhouses like Joe Biden and Dolly Parton. There’s no shortage of inspiration here to start the year.

Foodility The mind is a funny thing. We tend to forget things we want to forget, like those chocolate chip cookies we accidentally ate for breakfast. This is where the Foodility app comes in. It’s a no-pressure food diary that lets you keep track of your meals. There are no calorie counts here, just a visual (or a written) record. Use that information however you choose. Foodility.io

(Shutterstock/Photo Illustrations)

ation response in which you enter a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping. This is usually induced through a guided meditation and results in a deep, restful sleep. This podcast offers a series of meditations to help get you there. With a little practice, you’ll soon be having the best sleep of your life.

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Cody Glass (right) with Mark Stone (AP Photo/ Photo Illustration)

FIRST 10 GAMES ■ Jan. 14 vs. Anaheim Ducks, 7 p.m. ■ Jan. 16 vs. Anaheim Ducks, 7 p.m. ■ Jan. 18 vs. Arizona Coyotes, 7 p.m. (NBC Sports Network) ■ Jan. 20 vs. Arizona Coyotes, 7 p.m. ■ Jan. 22 at Arizona Coyotes, 6 p.m. ■ Jan. 24 at Arizona Coyotes, 1 p.m. ■ Jan. 26 vs. St. Louis Blues, 6 p.m. ■ Jan. 28 vs. St. Louis Blues, 6 p.m. ■ Feb. 1 at San Jose Sharks, 7 p.m. ■ Feb. 3 at San Jose Sharks, 7:30 p.m. (NBC Sports Network) Games televised on AT&T SportsNet unless otherwise noted. Radio broadcasts air on 98.9-FM and 1340-AM.

FRESHICE

Can a revamped roster push the Golden Knights over the top in year four?

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ll eyes were on Cody Glass on opening night of the 2019-2020 Golden Knights season. The then-20year-old rookie was making his NHL debut on the heels of a highlight-reel training camp, and his preseason that made it impossible for the club to leave him off the roster. Glass was on a rocket ship to stardom, but it never quite reached its destination last season. An injury knocked everything off course. Glass injured his right knee in January and missed more than a month before returning for two games. When he did he didn’t look the same, and Vegas sent him down to the American Hockey League on a conditioning assignment to Chicago, where he ultimately reaggravated his injury. Glass had surgery in March and hasn’t played a game since. But he’s starting to feel and look like his old self as the new season begins, and he’s armed with a new attitude. After the ups and downs of his tumultuous rookie campaign, he has developed an optimistic—yet realistic—view of his NHL career. “It was hard for me to come back and tell myself, ‘It’s going to take some time for you to be a top player in this league,’” Glass says. “I think that’s the biggest thing going into my second season. I went through it. I know what to expect now, and I can try and be more consistent.” Cody Glass has been a key

Has Cody Glass transformed into the player the Golden Knights need him to be? BY JUSTIN EMERSON

name in the Golden Knights’ organization for years. He was the first draft choice in team history, the fresh-faced kid from Winnipeg hailed as the future of the franchise the moment his name was called as the sixth overall selection in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Last season didn’t go the way he wanted, but he’s more vital to the success of the Golden Knights this year. Following the offseason departures of fellow centers Paul Stastny and Nick Cousins, he’s expected to be relied upon heavily. “I think so highly of the kid,” teammate Max Pacioretty says. “He’s going to, I think, blow away some expectations. He looks like a new person. He’s got a new body on him, and he’s ready for the grind of a pro season.” Pacioretty would know. He shared a line with “the kid” at times last season, including on opening night, when he assisted on Glass’ first career goal against the Sharks. Glass barely physically resembles himself from a year ago—and not just because he’s grown his hair out several inches longer. He’s noticeably bigger, having put on 15 pounds in the offseason to prepare for the rigors that come with playing center in the NHL. He put on so much muscle, in fact, that

he had to cut back, settling into a playing weight of around 205 pounds. Glass admits to having some nerves in training camp, especially when it came time for the first scrimmage. With no NHL preseason games on this year’s schedule, scrimmages are the closest Glass has been to game action in 11 months. His knee injury and subsequent surgery— the specifics of which remain undisclosed—kept him away from hockey entirely for six months, the longest he’s been off the ice since he started to play hockey as a child. After the rehab and weight gain, Glass called his first practice sessions “learn-howto-skate lessons.” And he had to do it away from his teammates, since his injury prevented him from traveling to the 2020 postseason bubble in Edmonton, an aspect Glass found among the most heartbreaking. “It sucked, especially watching from a distance,” Glass says. “Not being able to help your team out is the worst feeling as a hockey player. Just not being able to battle and go through those ups and downs as a team really sucked, and it was brutal watching it at home. I really felt for those guys when they ended up losing. Wish I could have been there for them.”

Glass’ initial injury last season occurred the week before Pete DeBoer took over as Golden Knights coach. DeBoer did catch Glass in action in his previous job with San Jose—including watching Glass’ first goal from the opposing bench—but that’s obviously not the same as coaching the player directly. “He looked really good a year ago, and he’s bigger, stronger, faster and more mature than he was a year ago,” DeBoer says. “I think so far in camp he’s looked great.” Glass has typically been among the best players on his teams, from the youth level to major juniors and even when he turned professional and joined the Chicago Wolves for their run to the Calder Cup Finals in 2019. He wasn’t one of the best players on the Golden Knights last year, however, which must have been tough to accept. But now, Glass seems poised to use that experience to set the stage for a successful long-term career. At some point, he wants to be the one taking the last faceoff, whether Vegas is defending a late-goal lead or in need of one. Glass wants to be the go-to guy. He hopes to be everything he and the Golden Knights believe he can be. “It’s a hard league. I’m a young player, and I’ve got a bright future ahead of me, but it’s going to take some time,” Glass says. “I think it’s going to take a lot of patience with me, but I’m really looking forward to what the future holds.”

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(Steve Marcus/Staff)

For Pete’s sake Inside Golden Knights coach Pete DeBoer’s ‘crazy’ year BY CASE KEEFER

Pete DeBoer famously arrived late and somewhat empty-handed for his first game day as Golden Knights’ coach, arriving at Ottawa’s Canadian Tire Centre after the team had completed its morning workout—and without the requisite suit or skates. His tardiness was the result of a canceled flight; his lack of sartorial necessities the result of accepting the job while vacationing with his family in Sarasota, Florida. It added stress to what he already knew would be an awkward introduction to players who had previously considered him a rival—the topper to a whirlwind 48 hours since the Golden Knights had first contacted him. DeBoer had been through a lot during his 12-year career as an NHL coach with three other teams, but he thought nothing would ever be as

wild as the series of events that led him onto the Vegas bench last January. He was soon proven wrong. “As many things as I was juggling, I think now, looking back, we had no idea what we were in for just a couple months later,” DeBoer says. “I think it made your day-to-day problems and some of the things I was dealing with at that time of my life pretty insignificant.” From the shortened schedule to divisional-only games in reconfigured quadrants to strict league protocols, very little about the 2021 NHL season looks normal. But everything feels comparatively ordinary to the 52-year-old DeBoer as he gets ready for his first full season at the helm of the Golden Knights after a particularly turbulent professional ride last season.

In just over a month’s time, DeBoer was fired by the San Jose Sharks and hired by the Golden Knights. Then, as he finally began feeling settled in Las Vegas—with the team streaking to take control of the Pacific Division and he and his wife, Sue, having closed on a house in Summerlin—COVID-19 hit. The season was paused. The moving trucks scheduled to deliver furniture from San Jose were canceled. DeBoer couldn’t even permanently move to the area until after a near two-month stay in the NHL’s postseason bubble in Edmonton over the summer. “Throw all that into the mix, and it’s been a crazy year,” DeBoer says. “I’m glad 2020 is in the rearview mirror.” It started so promisingly for

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DeBoer, though. After San Jose let him go in December 2019, he wasn’t planning on getting back into the NHL until the end of the regular season in late May or early summer, when a few coaching vacancies would surely open. But those would likely be bottom-tier teams, not ready-made contenders like the Golden Knights. That’s why he didn’t hesitate when the call from Vegas came through. Much to his delight, his wife and daughter, who were with him in Florida, expressed similar excitement about the opportunity. “I couldn’t even get [Las Vegas] out of my mouth before there was a chorus of yeses,” DeBoer says. “It was such a great opportunity, not just from a hockey-coaching perspective, but from a family, lifestyle

perspective, too. My kids are all university-aged, and I think there was nowhere else they’d rather spend their downtime than in Las Vegas.” To DeBoer’s own surprise, his reception in the Golden Knights’ dressing room wasn’t dour, either, despite the players’ support for the supplanted Gerard Gallant, who had called the new coach “a clown” while the two squads did battle less than a year before. DeBoer initially expected to have to win over the roster during a stretch of nine straight road games, hoping to gain the players’ trust in time for his first game at T-Mobile Arena a month after coming aboard. It happened far quicker. “It was a little awkward for about 30 seconds, and then I got to work and recognized pretty quickly that

these guys just wanted to win,” DeBoer recalls. “They weren’t happy about their situation and were willing to listen to whatever they needed to help get them back on track.” DeBoer got the Golden Knights going in the right direction, leading them to a 15-5-2 record in two months on the job. On March 12, the team was in Minnesota preparing for a game against the Wild when they got the call that the season was being postponed. DeBoer retreated to his offseason home in Canada to quarantine, thinking the Golden Knights would be back on the ice in a few weeks. That didn’t happen. The team didn’t reconvene until mid-July, for a short local training camp before heading off to the bubble. Vegas went on to reach the

Western Conference Final, but DeBoer looks back on the experience as the ultimate grind. “It became tough from a mental point of view on a daily basis to keep yourself in a good frame of mind,” DeBoer says. “When you lock somebody up for that amount of time, it can wreak havoc on your mental state. With what was going on in the world, our problems were small, but looking back, it’s interesting how much tougher it was mentally than I thought it would be.” DeBoer found solace in bus rides to a stadium where players and coaches were permitted to exercise outdoors. That aspect wasn’t all that different from the way he spends free time here now, after finally relocating in November. Thus far, outdoor activities have been DeBoer’s favorite part about living in Las Vegas. He says he played golf or tennis nearly every day in December and became a regular at Red Rock Canyon, where he has spent many hours hiking various trails with his family while taking in the “beautiful landscape.” After a hectic past year, DeBoer has found peace. Now, he’s ready to get back on the bench for NHL action. “It’s much better circumstances [now],” DeBoer says. “I think everyone is excited to get back to the normalcy of playing.”

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The view from above The Golden Knights’ path to glory could be a bit rockier this season BY CASE KEEFER

The hockey gods might work in mysterious ways, but they’re usually fair in the long run. Luck for NHL teams often evens out. The shifting systemic fortunes of the Vegas Golden Knights over the past six months serves as proof. The bubble format the NHL installed to go forward with its playoffs and finish last season benefited the Golden Knights in a number of ways. The five-month pause in action from March to August allowed Vegas to have its best player, forward Mark Stone, healthy for the playoffs, which otherwise wouldn’t have happened.

VGK2021 The setup also permitted the Golden Knights to snag a No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs that they didn’t truly earn. Instead of paying a penalty for struggles that lasted more than half the season—and saw them fire their coach in early January—the Golden Knights were gifted with a reprieve. Three wins in glorified exhibition games in a round-robin tournament gave them an all-time breeze of a path to the Western Conference Finals. Once there, the Golden Knights squandered an, ahem, golden opportunity to get back to the

Stanley Cup Final with an offensive outage against the Dallas Stars. It wasn’t a devastating loss based on suspense—Dallas won quickly in five games—but it was in terms of situation. Forces may never align so perfectly in Vegas’ favor ever again. They certainly aren’t at the outset of this most unique 2021 season. Gone are the snow-soft confines of the Pacific Division, where the Golden Knights could slump for the majority of the season and still get hot enough to hang a regular-season championship banner with a relatively low point total. It is a

New VGK captain Mark Stone (AP Photo/Photo Illustration)

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West Division that’s more akin to a World Cup Group of Death assignment. There’s arguably no set of three teams in any of the other three divisions as daunting as Colorado, St. Louis and Vegas. If one or two of the other West franchises—Anaheim, Arizona, Los Angeles, Minnesota and San Jose—turns into a surprise contender, the division will probably edge the Central and East as the NHL’s toughest overall. With the 56-game regular season consisting entirely of divisional games, this isn’t going to be easy for Vegas. The Golden Knights are still a championship contender. They have too much talent not to be considered that, especially after locking up trade-deadline prize Robin Lehner long term in net and pulling off a free-agent feat in signing Alex Pietrangelo. But the margin for error has greatly diminished. And local betting odds concur. A runaway favorite to win the Western Conference going into last season, the Golden Knights aren’t even a favorite to win their own division this year. Circa Sports lists the Avalanche at the lowest odds of +125 (risking $1 to win $1.25), with the Golden Knights close behind at +170. Vegas is tied for second in Stanley Cup odds with defending champion Tampa Bay at 7-to-1, behind the Avalanche at +580. Pietrangelo is a difference-maker and immediately rivals Stone as the Golden Knights’ most valuable veteran—rising 25-year-old Shea Theodore might also belong in the conversation—but is another two-way defenseman what the Golden Knights were missing most? Most fans would have probably voted for a volume-scoring

forward in the wake of the Dallas series, in which Vegas struggled to find the net. Instead, Vegas’ forward depth—especially at center—looks a little short of championship caliber. That could change if the Golden Knights’ younger depth pieces are up to the task: if Chandler Stephenson builds on a career year after coming to Vegas via trade, if Alex Tuch can sustain the flashes of occasional brilliance he’s shown the last two seasons, and if Cody Glass can start to realize his potential. The goalie situation also appears hazardous, with Lehner and Marc-André Fleury set to jockey for time in the crease. It’s a waste of resources to allot $12 million in cap space to two netminders, no matter how much the front office tries to pass it off as an advantage, or how warm and fuzzy it might be to have the beloved Fleury around for a fourth season. Multiple reports indicate general manager Kelly McCrimmon and his team tried to trade the 36-year-old Fleury during the shortened offseason but were rebuffed because of the two years and $14 million left on his contract. That’s more poor planning than bad luck, but overall, it’s the latter conspiring against the Golden Knights most this season. They’re still one of the best teams in hockey, but there’s no disputing that their championship chances aren’t what they were going into last season. They’re not what they were going into the bubble. And they’re not what they’d be if this season were being played under normal circumstances. Still, Vegas’ fate remains in its own hands. It’s up to the Golden Knights to overachieve.

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The next wave Who are the Golden Knights’ top prospects? BY JUSTIN EMERSON The Golden Knights have reached the point in their history when they’re starting to rely on homegrown talent. Cody Glass and Zach Whitecloud became lineup regulars after coming up through the system, and another set of players isn’t far off from contributing, too. Here’s a look at the Golden Knights’ top prospects, with opinions on each from ESPN scouting expert Chris Peters. PEYTON KREBS 20 years old, 2019 first-round pick Krebs is the club’s unanimous top prospect, one knocking on the door to the NHL. He could get a shot this year, thanks partially to the league’s creation of a taxi squad and the uncertainty surrounding his junior league’s season. Krebs, who’s known as a center but can also play wing, boosted his stock with a strong showing for Team Canada at the World Junior Championship. Peters says: “He’s a high-end prospect with a chance to be a top-six forward in the NHL over time. The thing that has always impressed me about him is, he’s a highly intelligent player with great vision and ability to set up plays and see the ice very well.” Where he’ll likely start 2021: NHL taxi squad.

BRENDAN BRISSON 19 years old, 2020 first-round pick Another World Juniors player, Brisson helped the Americans win gold in the competition earlier this month before heading back to play college hockey at Michigan. He has an outstanding shot and an especially lethal one-timer, which has helped him average about a point-per-game as a freshman with the Wolverines. He’s eligible to sign with Vegas after the college season ends, but he’ll probably return to Michigan for at least one more season before going pro. Peters says: “Clearly he’s looked really comfortable so far [at Michigan], but I think he has another level to get to—that I think he can get to—as he continues to develop at the collegiate level.” Where he’ll start 2021: University of Michigan.

LUCAS ELVENES 21 years old, 2017 fifth-round pick The Swede set the American Hockey League on fire to start last season, his first in North America, before eventually cooling off. Still, Elvenes has developed into a legitimate NHL prospect who could raise his profile with another strong season in the minors. He could earn serious consideration for NHL action this year. Peters says: “I was very impressed by the craftiness he plays with. I think he’s a very clever player. He challenges defenses that way, and I’m excited about the prospects of what he can be. I still think he has a little ways to go to reach his full potential, but he’s a very interesting prospect, and one who has only improved year-over-year.” Where he’ll likely start 2021: Henderson Silver Knights.

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BY JUSTIN EMERSON Typically, the NHL schedule is static. The dates change, but the opponents stay the same. This year will be different. Border restrictions between the United States and Canada required the seven Canadian teams to form their own division for the year. The league then realigned the 24 American clubs into three divisions, creating new combinations of teams that will play each other repeatedly—and no one else until deep into the playoffs. Vegas is stationed in the West Division, which includes traditional Pacific division foes Anaheim, Arizona, Los Angeles and San Jose along with usual Central Division opponents Colorado, Minnesota and St. Louis. The Golden Knights will play each of those teams eight times apiece, in chunks, either hosting or visiting one of them for two games at a time. The top four from each division will make the playoffs and continue to play each other in a mini-bracket, with the No. 1 seed taking on the No. 4 seed and the No. 2 seed facing the No. 3 seed. The winners from the first two series will advance to play each other, meaning the NHL won’t feature a single nondivisional game until the playoffs’ final four. (Those four remaining teams will be reseeded by regular season point total.) We’re going to get awfully familiar with the Golden Knights’ opponents this year, so here’s what to know about them going in … ANAHEIM DUCKS Last season: 29-33-9 (67 points), sixth in Pacific Division, 13th in Western Conference, did not qualify for postseason. Key players: Defenseman Cam Fowler, goalie John Gibson, center Adam Henrique. Versus VGK: The Golden Knights have beaten the Ducks more than any other team in the regular season, winning 10 of 12 all-time meetings. Vegas also allows only 2 goals per game when facing Anaheim, the lowest total of any team in the league.

Surveying the West

How do the Golden Knights stack up against their 2021 division foes?

VGK2021

Alex Tuch (AP Photo)

ARIZONA COYOTES Last season: 33-29-8 (74 points), fifth in Pacific Division, 11th in Western Conference, lost to Avalanche in first round. Key players: Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, left wing Clayton Keller, goalie Darcy Kuemper. Versus VGK: The Golden Knights are 8-4 all-time against the Coyotes, including a big win last December in what was then a battle for first in the Pacific. Oddly, half of Vegas’ wins against Arizona have come in overtime or a shootout.

LOS ANGELES KINGS Last season: 29-35-6 (64 points), seventh in Pacific Division, 14th in Western Conference, did not qualify for postseason. Key players: Defenseman Drew Doughty, center Alex Iafallo, center Anže Kopitar. Versus VGK: Even as they’ve settled into a rebuild, LA has managed to fend off Vegas well enough. The Golden Knights have won just five of 13 all-time regular season meetings against the Kings, and went going 1-3 against them last year.

SAN JOSE SHARKS Last season: 29-36-5 (63 points), eighth in Pacific Division, 15th in Western Conference, did not qualify for postseason. Key players: Defenseman Brent Burns, center Logan Couture, defenseman Erik Karlsson. Versus VGK: The Golden Knights’ chief rival fell off last season, going from Western Conference finalist to last in the conference. Vegas won three of last year’s matchups and lost in overtime in the fourth, gaining the current upper hand in the rivalry.

COLORADO AVALANCHE Last season: 42-20-8 (92 points), second in Central Division, second in Western Conference, lost in conference semifinals to Stars. Key players: Center Nathan MacKinnon, defenseman Cale Makar, right wing Mikko Rantanen. Versus VGK: Colorado beat up on Vegas last regular season, winning both matchups by a combined score of 13-4, though Vegas did win in overtime of the postseason round robin. Since the Golden Knights routed the Avalanche in the inaugural year, they have beaten them just twice in seven meetings, with a -10 goal differential.

MINNESOTA WILD Last season: 35-27-7 (77 points), sixth in Central Division, 10th in Western Conference, lost in qualifying round to Canucks. Key players: Defenseman Jonas Brodin, left wing Zach Parise, defenseman Jared Spurgeon. Versus VGK: The Wild have had the Golden Knights’ number for three seasons, winning six of eight games and holding Vegas to 1.88 goals per contest, the Golden Knights’ worst output against any opponent.

ST. LOUIS BLUES Last season: 42-19-10 (94 points), first in Central Division, first in Western Conference, lost in first round to Canucks Key players: Left wing David Perron, defenseman Torey Krug, center Ryan O’Reilly. Versus VGK: Vegas has never beaten St. Louis in regulation in the regular season, though they have won four of nine overall meetings in overtime. The Golden Knights defeated the Blues during last postseason’s round robin, but they’ve still mostly struggled in the series, with a -4 overall goal differential.

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Projected lineup

Lineup subject to change. Stats are 2019-2020 regular-season totals.

FORWARDS

C - Captain A - Alternate Captain

DEFENSEMEN

Max Pacioretty 66 points (32 goals, 34 assists)

Chandler Stephenson 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists)

Jonathan Marchessault 47 points (22 goals, 25 assists)

William Karlsson 46 points (15 goals, 31 assists)

Nicolas Roy 10 points (5 goals, 5 assists)

Cody Glass 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists)

Brayden McNabb 9 points (2 goals, 7 assists)

Alex Pietrangelo (A) 52 points (16 goals, 36 assists)

Reilly Smith (A) 54 points (27 goals, 27 assists)

Alec Martinez 16 points (3 goals, 13 assists)

Shea Theodore 46 points (13 goals, 33 assists)

Alex Tuch 17 points (8 goals, 9 assists)

Nick Holden 14 points (6 goals, 8 assists)

Zach Whitecloud 1 point (0 goals, 1 assist)

Mark Stone (C) 63 points (21 goals, 42 assists)

(CourtesyMedia.NHL.com)

GOALIES

William Carrier 19 points (7 goals, 12 assists)

Tomas Nosek 15 points (8 goals, 7 assists)

Ryan Reaves 15 points (8 goals, 7 assists)

Robin Lehner .920 SV%, 2.89 GAA

Marc-AndrĂŠ Fleury .905 SV%, 2.77 GAA

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TEA IT UP

The ancient beverage can benefit your health— and your human connections BY GENEVIE DURANO

he discovery of tea was accidental, according to Chinese legend. Back in 2737 B.C., Emperor Shen Nong was boiling water in his garden when a leaf from a wild tea tree fell into his pot. Thus began the world’s love affair with a beverage that’s going on 5,000 years-strong. The depth and complexity of tea have become culturally nuanced over the centuries, as trade routes opened from China and other countries adopted their own methods of cultivation and preparation. First forays into tea usually come in the form of a tea bag, ubiquitous in grocery stores and coffee shops. It’s a convenient delivery method that requires only a cup and hot water. But there’s so much more to tea than that.

Let’s start with the basics. There are three categories of tea: true tea, herbal tea and flavored tea. To be classified as a true tea, it must contain parts of the tea plant known by the scientific name Camellia sinensis. There are five true teas: white, green, black, oolong and pu-erh. They all come from the same plant but are processed (or oxidized) at different levels, resulting in different flavors, aromas and appearances. White tea, mostly produced in China, is the least processed and has the most subtle flavor profile, while black tea, commonly produced in China, India, Sri Lanka and Africa, is the most processed, resulting in a bolder flavor

closer to coffee. Green tea, much lauded for its health benefits, falls somewhere between white and black in the production process. It’s mostly produced in China and Japan. (The recently popular matcha, from Japan, is stone-ground and sold in fine powder form.) You might be surprised to learn that herbal teas are not true teas, since they don’t contain any part of the tea plant. Rather, they’re called tisane—basically, spices, herbs and flowers infused in water. There are thousands of flavors of herbal teas, including popular ones like lavender, jasmine, chamomile and peppermint. Flavored teas—a combination of true teas and herbal tisanes,

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Tea 101 The best way to get started on your tea journey is to try different varieties and see what you like. Start simple, but try to go beyond tea bags. Loose leaf tea offers a more robust experience all around, and there’s nothing like the taste of a true tea: White tea is naturally sweet; green tea has a nutty flavor; oolong tea is floral; black tea is malty and earthy; and pu-erh is vegetal. Proper teaware is important, too, says Leo Lukidi of Tea & Whisk. He recommends a simple gaiwan, a traditional tea set consisting of a lid, a bowl and a saucer, which offers more control of the brewing process than a regular teapot. The wide bowl holds the tea leaves while brewing and allows them to expand, and by using the lid as a strainer, you can control how much you pour out. You can also peek in and judge the duration of the steep to give you an idea of how long to brew your tea. As for water temperature, there are plenty of guidelines out there for brewing different varieties of tea, but there are many factors to consider. “There’s no such thing as a perfect way of making tea, because it depends on the tea and where it comes from,” Lukidi says. “You just have to be willing to experiment.”

“I look at it as a way of living your days and appreciating the little things.” –Leo Lukidi, owner of Tea & Whisk

(Leo Lukidi/Courtesy)

are probably the most popular kinds in the Western world. This is your Earl Grey (black tea with bergamot orange), Masala chai (black tea with spices) and English breakfast varieties. You can find them in loose leaf form or in tea bags. The way we consume tea in the West is quite different from its Eastern origins, says Leo Lukidi, owner and CEO of Tea & Whisk, a tea shop in Henderson whose mission is to elevate the tea experience. The shop carries some of the finest loose leaf teas in the Valley, along with proper teaware such as a gaiwan (teapot) and matcha whisks. Lukidi delights in expanding his customers’ tea knowledge, including teaching them about

(Shutterstock)

traditional tea ceremonies, which can last anywhere from one to several hours, and involves tasting teas in two-ounce quantities. The practice requires a level of attention that really puts in you in the moment with your present company. “It takes you away from everything else, like you cannot play with your phone, because everything you do is very fast. … Instead of steeping the tea for five minutes, you really only need to steep for 10 to 20 seconds,” Lukidi says. “So if you’re not paying attention, then you’re going to ruin your tea and it doesn’t taste that good. And because [the teapot] is so small, you constantly have to brew the tea over and over again. Some of our tea, it’s such a high quality that you don’t just make one time and serve it and be done with it. You make it 20 times from the same tea.” Lukidi says this way of drinking tea began during wartime in China centuries ago, when people were trying to find a way to peaceably sit down and communicate with each other. The long tea ceremony offered the opportunity to do so. “I look at it as a way of living your days and appreciating the little things,” Lukidi says. “When we think about it, we only just think about the tea itself, right? But we never really think about the experience. That’s actually my goal when I teach people who come into the shop.”

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BINGE THIS WEEK CONCERT

MR. MAYOR Tina Fey and Robert Carlock— the producing team behind 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt—jump into city politics with this irreverent comedy, starring Ted Danson, Bobby Moynihan and Holly Hunter. NBC, Peacock.

FILM

ADAM PASCAL AT THE SPACE

PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN

THE SOPRANOS

Broadway buffs know him for originating the role of Roger Davis in Rent (and his subsequent Tony nom), along with star stage turns in Aida, Chess, Something Rotten and most recently Pretty Woman: The Musical. But you’ve also seen Pascal kicking Jack Black out of the band in School of Rock. At heart, the New York native is a rock singer, but he’ll be running through the varied music and stories from his unique career when he brings his So Far acoustic retrospective to Las Vegas January 15 and 16. Limited in-person tickets ($30) are available at the Space, or you can livestream the show at thespacelv.com. –Brock Radke

Emmy Award-nominated Killing Eve showrunner Emerald Fennell makes an audacious directorial debut with this #MeToo revenge thriller, starring Carey Mulligan in perhaps her most compelling role to date. Mulligan plays Cassie, a medical school dropout and visibly haunted soul who has made a grim sport of turning the tables on predatory men. Mulligan plays the role aloof and flirtatiously by turns, but underneath it all is a righteous anger that drives Cassie toward justice—and to a dangerous, long-overdue confrontation. Available for rental through Amazon, iTunes & Google Play. –Geoff Carter

He’s one of the most complicated characters in modern television—part sociopathic villain and womanizer, part loving father and patriarch. Yes, we’re talking about Tony Soprano (RIP, James Gandolfini), the main reason this famed New Jersey mob series is considered one of the best of all time. Now that HBO Max is finally available on Amazon’s Firestick, even more viewers can rewatch the classics, or stream them for the first time. And if you find yourself casually dropping Italian slang throughout your day after watching all six addictive seasons, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Capisce? HBO Max. –Leslie Ventura

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EVERY LITTLE THING Got a question like “Is my dog left-handed?” or “How long does food stay good in the freezer?” Flora Lichtman and the crew of this Gimlet Media podcast will find the answer for you in 2040 fleet and funny minutes. bit.ly/39p6oL2

OUR PICKS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

THEATER

LAUGHING WILD The show must go on … line. Las Vegas Little Theatre will stage—and livestream—this 1987 dark comedy by Tony Award-winning playwright Christopher Durang, which details the convergence of two anxious New Yorkers. The story is presented as a series of monologues, followed by a trippy third act. Variety calls it a “nervous breakdown of a play,” which means that the pathos of the two main characters should feel perfect right now. David Ament directs, and Teresa Fullerton and Blake Boles star as the Woman and Man, respectively. January 16 & 23, 7 p.m.; January 17 & 24, 3 p.m.; $20, lvlt.org/laughingwild –C. Moon Reed

MUSIC

MF DOOM Madvillainy, MF Doom’s 2004 collaboration with Madlib, might be the late Daniel Dumile’s best-known project, but it’s far from the only groundbreaking album the rapper and hip-hop producer gave to the world under various pseudonyms. Viktor Vaughn’s Vaudeville Villain (2003), MF Doom’s Operation: Doomsday (1999) and Mm..Food (2004) and The Mouse and the Mask (2005)—his DangerDoom team-up with Danger Mouse—are all recommended stops on any streaming tribute tour. And don’t sleep on 2003’s Take Me to Your Leader, credited to King Geedorah (yep, Doom again) and loaded with slick hooks, skilled guests, monster movie samples (!) and choice examples of his distinctive rhymes, like this one, from “No Snakes Alive”: “If he ain’t the best, he’s the best in the top three, out of myself, I and me.” –Spencer Patterson

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(Steve Marcus/Staff/Photo Illustration)

The Cosmopolitan marks 10 years by celebrating guests and essential workers that Cosmo has always provided so efficiently and creatively, and that’s what hitting the Strip is all about. The second factor that enshrined the Cosmopolitan in our Vegas hearts was and is the simple fact that we always meet our friends there, sometimes intentionally but more often by accident. That phenomenon turns a cool, fancy Strip casino resort into a neighborhood bar, a place where you can always go to socialize or relax but where you also feel you belong. It’s almost impossible to create that feeling for locals on the Strip, yet I know I’m not the only one who’s felt that way at the Cosmopolitan. It’s all very deserving of a celebration, and the way it’s being done is also pretty cool. They held a 72-hour flash sale on hotel rooms and special blowout anniversary packages including accommodations at the exclusive Boulevard Penthouses, butler service, private jet transport and custom shopping experiences. There’s also the “Decade of Mischief” social media contest launching January 15 offering travelers

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a chance to win a room package or a $250 resort gift card by sharing favorite Cosmo memories. And commemorative dishes and specialty menus will be available all year long at venues including Beauty & Essex, Blue Ribbon, the Barbershop, China Poblano, Jaleo and Momofuku, with a portion of proceeds going to the Las Vegas Rescue Mission. The Cosmopolitan is also asking the community to help identity local front-line workers who have selflessly served others in 2020. Nominations can be made at cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/decade-of-mischief through February 28, and winners will be notified in April, including 10 who will receive a $1,600 hotel room and dining package and one grand prize winner who will receive a multiday, $50,000 experience including a penthouse, a night at Marquee, a helicopter tour and more. “The Cosmopolitan opened its doors in a time where the world questioned how Las Vegas would bounce back from an economic downturn,” William McBeath, president and chief executive officer, said in an anniversary announcement. “Now … [it] has accomplished what many thought to be impossible, and that is in credit to the longstanding loyalty and devotion of our employees and guests. It’s an honor to be woven into the legacy of this strong and resilient community. And while Las Vegas finds itself in yet another hardship, together, we will continue to defy the odds.”

l e)

Chandelier Bar (Yasmina Chavez/Staff)

he Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas opened on December 15, 2010, and since then, more than 100 million people have walked through its doors. That’s according to a list of superlatives released this week as the resort kicks off a yearlong celebration of hitting its 10-year mark. Here’s another good one: 43 million have dined at Cosmo’s 26 restaurants. I couldn’t possibly keep count of how many times I’ve walked through those doors or even how many meals I’ve had there over the past decade, but I’ve definitely contributed quite a bit to those numbers. So have many of my friends who also live here in Las Vegas. It might be anecdotal evidence, but it’s something we all know to be true: The Cosmopolitan THE is one of the, if not the, top choice INCIDENTAL Strip hangout for locals. TOURIST It started early for me. I vividly BY BROCK RADKE recall my first visit during the first week of January 2011. I still have photos in my phone from a stroll through the resort, especially the views and the relaxed vibe of the rooftop pool deck and a late-afternoon lunch at China Poblano, José Andrés’ delicious mashup of Chinese and Mexican cuisines. Tacos, dim sum and spicy red pozole, all in one meal. My wife and I were back in a matter of days to try the now-infamous “secret” pizzeria, feed money into the whimsical Art-O-Mat machines and sample cocktails at the swanky Chandelier and Vesper bars. Two things locked it down for us. The first was a series of performances by Nikka Costa at the former Book & Stage lounge, where Clique Lounge now occupies space near the hotel lobby. We essentially did the same thing two nights in a row on the Strip, which probably hadn’t happened ever before. Book & Stage didn’t last long, but it was an emblem of the spontaneous fun

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TRUE CALLING

Las Vegan Kat Kalling prepares to unleash personal new songs on Eberly

Kat Kalling (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

BY LESLIE VENTURA

t’s “an ode to feminism,” explains Las Vegas singer-songwriter Kat Kalling. She’s talking about her stage name, chosen as a way to own the unwanted—and all-too-common and act of cat-calling, by claiming the power away from misogynists. “I grew up in a troubled, abusive home,” the 30-year-old Kalling says candidly over the phone, her voice warm and inviting. On her upcoming EP, Eberly, that voice transforms into a different kind of call—a call to action, a reckoning. “I had a psychotic breakdown when I wrote these songs,” Kalling says. She had also been in a severe car accident with a semitruck. “I’m a chaos magnet,” she laughs. “I discovered I’m autistic through therapy, which explains a lot of my behavior problems; drinking myself to death.” The song “Breathe” is partially about that, she says. Another track, “Quicksand,” deals with the tendency to self-sabotage. “I started

digging into therapy and uncovering these things,” of Hayley Williams, along with country stars like Kalling says. “I’m developing who I am.” LeAnn Rimes. Those two genres coalesce on Eberly, Originally from Wyoming, Kalling has played which will be released over the next few months, guitar and written songs since age 13. Eventually, beginning with “Quicksand” on January 18. “I’m she moved to Minneapolis, where she fronted the trying to marry those genres a bit, because they’re band Attention, Whore, before landing in Las Vegas the same, lyrically,” Kalling says. “Those two things in 2014 on the heels of a rocky relationship. are my lifeblood.” “I was just trying to find a way to reinvent Though she’s been playing music since KAT KALLING myself and get my steps back,” she says. she was a teen—and she released a single in Facebook.com/ katkalling “I made a really big point of always sharing 2020—Eberly is the singer’s true solo debut and being very vulnerable with who I am,” as a Las Vegan. “I’ve been sitting on these Kalling says, mostly because she “always felt songs for a little bit and decided there’s very alone” in her struggles. “I’m very open about my really no better time to release them,” she says. “Evmother’s abuse. … I try to be almost to the point of overeryone’s sitting at home and they’re not able to go to sharing with people. What you see is what you get.” shows. People need music right now. Vocally and instrumentally, Kalling’s music “I really hope that people like it, and if it helps echoes the gritty sweetness of Paramore, using popsomeone get through something, that’s great,” she punk power chords to frame emotional storytelling. says, then pauses. “I don’t know that I have an exThat’s not by accident. Kalling says she’s a big fan pectation. I just want to create and keep doing it.”

“We’re outside - I don’t need a mask.” A mask significantly reduces chance of transmission, even outside.

Little things make a huge difference. Please follow COVID guidelines.

#DoYourPartNV

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A PARTY OF FRIENDS Priscilla Fowler’s invitational ‘New Faces, Familiar Faces’ brings the Vegas art scene together

“Waiting 4 the Express” by Darien Fernandez (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

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“Sun Like Fire” by Cheryl Magellen (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

BY C. MOON REED

rtist Priscilla Fowler moved to Las Vegas in 2016 with the simple plan to rent a studio space. But the idea of being squirreled away alone somewhere making art seemed incredibly lonely. So Fowler used her savings to rent a space that could double as a gallery, where she could work and display works by a variety of artists alongside her own. “It’s not easy to get to know people,” Fowler says. “But for me, this has been an absolutely fabulous way to get to know a whole bunch of artists in Vegas and to really understand the Vegas art scene.” Fast-forward several years, and Fowler’s eponymous gallery has expanded from its initial 800-squarefoot space in the Arts Factory to a 3,200-square-foot storefront on Main Street. The gallery also shows work at two other Arts District hot spots: Garagiste Wine Room and the Good Wolf Lifestyle Co. Artists often approach Fowler, asking to be part of her gallery. “Mostly they’re not a fit,” Fowler says. “But occasionally, we’ll get people whose work we like.” Fowler says that she and her team of five had accumulated enough talent over the past year that it was time for a big new show. “We just thought we had a rich group of good artists … so we put them all together. And that’s how

Works by Scott Bauer (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

NEW FACES, FAMILIAR FACES Through January 30; Sunday-Wednesday, 1-5 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, noon8 p.m.; free. Priscilla Fowler Fine Art, 1300 S. Main St. #110., 719-371-5640.

that happened.” The invitational, running through January 30, is titled New Faces, Familiar Faces. It features 19 artists in a variety of media, including sculpture and

painting. Participants include Susan Henry (aka Candy Constantly), Katie Klemp, Brien McCrea, Kim Reale and Joseph Watson. Fowler hopes viewers “see what a broad range of talents there is in Vegas.” She says people often assume Las Vegas’ talent is limited to a small pool of the best-known creatives. “I just want people to know that there’s this depth of talent here.” One of Fowler’s favorite artists in the show is Darien Fernandez, a painter who uses the traditional medium of oils to portray contemporary street art. One of his large canvases hangs in the gallery’s window: a young man sitting on a park bench, wearing a Middle Ages plague mask, with a large COVID-19 virus particle tied to his foot by a string. Fowler also highlights art by Austin transplant Scott Bauer. “[His]

geometric abstracts are bright and cheery and precisely put together, and they just draw you in,” Fowler says. In an effort to make the art accessible to fans who can’t pay “LA or New York prices,” Fowler asked artists to present at least one work in the $400 range. “We’re trying to meet Las Vegas halfway,” Fowler says. “If you can’t spend a lot of money on something, then come over and see what we’ve got anyway, because we really do try and have a range of things. We have this gift shop that starts with things around $5, $10, $15.” The process for hanging the show is both collaborative and intuitive, Fowler says. She and her team begin by placing the work “more or less randomly” around the room, then they move pieces until “it just clicks” and connections between works emerge. Four movable walls make the possibilities near infinite. “It just eventually all kind of fits together,” Fowler says. “And when that happens, the whole team has this kind of gut-level happy response.”

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THE LEGENDS OYSTER BAR & GRILL 3220 S. Durango Drive #B1, 702-476-8887. SundayThursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Load up at Legends (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

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FRESH CATCH

Legends brings casino classics to the neighborhood

BY BROCK RADKE

he Rio finally reopened last month, bringing along some, but not all of its signature food and drink offerings. VooDoo Steak and KJ Dim Sum are back, but the Wine Cellar and Guy Fieri’s El Burro Borracho aren’t yet. When you think of eating at the Rio, you might think of the Carnival World Buffet, which is obviously closed right now. I think of seafood. The Rio once had a second buffet dedicated to fish dishes, before it merged into the Carnival buffet operation. Even earlier, the resort boasted an often-overlooked but truly delicious oyster bar called Buzio’s, which closed five years ago to make way for the Fieri Mexican restaurant. I ate a lot of creamy, spicy pan roasts at Buzio’s. Ekasit “Jack” Jerukasem, who came to the U.S. from his native Thailand at age 11, spent years in the kitchens of the Rio making those pan roasts and running the seafood buffet. In April, he opened his own restaurant near the Lakes neighborhood—at first for takeout only due to pandemic restrictions—serving locals the type of food he’s been cooking for two decades for casino customers. “I looked around, but really all the oyster bars I’ve seen are in the casinos, and I want to bring that outside the casino, with a fair price and great value for locals,” he says. “Instead of finding a place to park and going inside a casino, it should be easy access for customers.” It’s no surprise that the rich pan roast ($25), a chili-spiked tomato cream sauce stocked with crab, shrimp and lobster served over rice, is one of the most popular dishes at his Legends Oyster Bar & Grill. Jerukasem says he’s also been selling plenty of gumbo ($27), another multimeat stew with shrimp, crawfish, mus-

sels, clams, chicken and pork Andouille sausage, and the over-the-top megameal called the Louisiana Boil ($27) that tosses fresh corn and potatoes into the seafood mix with a buttery Cajun-spiced sauce. But Legends is dishing up plenty of other favorites that don’t have Southern roots, like pan-seared Chilean sea bass ($35) with jasmine rice done risotto-style and a smooth miso beurre blanc, seven different types of fresh oysters, honey-sriracha chicken wings ($9) and a throwback beef Stroganoff ($20) pepped up with fresh dill. “That’s an old, classic dish people still love,” Jerukasem says. “It’s just become my passion to do all those dishes and the recipes I’ve collected in the past, but with my own touch.” Jerukasem says he’s looking to expand the menu to include a selection of crudos and other raw bar dishes plus a rotating chef’s catch of the day, but he’s strategically waiting for restaurant capacities to increase before making moves. Legends was originally set to open in early March of last year, and making its debut as a takeout-only option was rough sailing; being able to offer a traditional, dine-in oyster bar experience made all the difference. “Since that happened, business has been climbing, and it’s all word-of-mouth and social media,” Jerukasem says. “As soon as customers could come in and we can see they’re happy with their food and saying things like, ‘I haven’t had this in a long time,’ those [comments] give me the motivation to move forward.” If this type of seafood restaurant is new to you, start with the Chowder Fries ($9), bacon-laden clam chowder topped with cheddar cheese and crispy French fries. How can you not love a dish like that?

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Adam Thomas, owner of Fresh52 Farmers’ & Artisan Market, at the Picked Today Produce booth in Tivoli Village (Steve Marcus/Staff)

FARM FRESH

This year, get to know your local farmers BY GENEVIE DURANO

ere’s a great way to start the year while continuing to adhere to social distancing measures: Shop at farmers markets for seasonal produce and shelf staples like honey and oils. Adam Thomas, who recently took over the Fresh52 Farmers’ & Artisan Market, wants locals to think of the weekly gathering as their first stop in planning out healthy meals. “We want to be a true farmers market, which Las Vegas really hasn’t seen,” Thomas says. “[At] most places outside of Las Vegas, you might have four or five or six strawberry vendors—you know, it’s just packed full of produce. … Las Vegas might never get to that [compared] to other agriculture-rich areas across the U.S., but we do want to hold true to a farmers market in that it’s better to be handcrafted and handmade, with no artificial

ingredients.” Even with our arid desert climate, so much can At Fresh52, which takes place at Tivoli Vilbe grown here, Thomas says. And while we might lage on Fridays and Saturdays and in Henderson all be accustomed to buying our produce at superon Sundays, you’ll find more than three dozen markets, there is just no comparison to something vendors selling items like fresh salsa, that’s been recently picked from a honey, wellness products and pet farm. Take strawberries, for example, FRESH52 FARMERS’ food. which you can find at Thomas’ stands & ARTISAN MARKET Tivoli Village: Thomas spent 20 years in the casiright now. Fridays, 3-8 p.m.; no industry but took up farming full “We have the sweetest strawberSaturdays; 10 a.m.-3 p.m. time in 2017, starting with a 20-acre ries—you’ve never had anything 9480 S. Eastern Ave: Sundays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. plot in Kingman, Arizona, where he like it,” he says. “It’s not a prolific Fresh52.com. discovered fertile land and a good producer, and it doesn’t have a great climate to grow almond trees. He has shelf life. You have to really eat them since added acreage to grow vegetawithin three to four days. Once you bles, and his two farms—Picked Today Produce eat one of these strawberries, you’re like, wow, this and Kingman Organic Almonds—offer seasonal is what a strawberry is supposed to taste, pink all produce at the Las Vegas markets. the way through, super sweet and delicious.”

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GLOBAL FARE Full House BBQ’s Filipino fusion game is strong BY GENEVIE DURANO

he corner of Maryland Parkway and Silverado Ranch has seen a spate of restaurant openings in the past year, including Nutmeg Indian American Cuisine, Doh Korean BBQ and hand-pulled noodle palace Shang Mian. One spot that’s been there for seven years is worth revisiting, the Filipino restaurant Full House BBQ. Owner and executive chef Alexander Irlandes, who previously served as corporate executive chef for the Golden Nugget brand, brings a modernist take on Southeast Asian fare. Where most Filipino restaurants in town utilize the turo-turo format—a cafeteria-style presentation of dishes—Full House BBQ is a sit-down affair, with a menu featuring typical northern Philippine-style dishes, along with not-so-typical fusion offerings.

Among appetizers, you’ll find the signature Lumpiang Shanghai ($6) and pork and shrimp shumai in chili oil ($6). There’s also decidedly non-Filipino truffle fries ($4.75), but it’s served with banana ketchup, so we’ll call it a draw. Fried delicacies are a beloved part of the cuisine, and the crispy lechon pork belly ($11) doesn’t disappoint.

You’ll be licking every last bit of grease from your fingers. In the Noble Classics section, the more exotic dishes shine, including Kare-Kare ($16), braised oxtail with creamy peanut sauce, and, for the not faint of heart, Crispy Pork Belly Dinuguan ($13), with a beef blood orange sauce sure to revive the iron-deficient. The adobo ($12) comes in either pork or chicken, and while it’s considered the national dish, there are as many ways to cook it as there are islands in the Philippines. You won’t

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find a consensus as to how it’s best prepared (only that mom’s version is the tastiest), so order without expectations. There’s a section on the menu you won’t find in other Filipino restaurants: burgers. To pair a protein with anything other than rice is downright scandalous, but give these massive sandwiches a try. The Oxtail Burger ($11) is a juicy, meaty treat—a very Filipino flavor in an American home. Paired with garlic truffle fries, it’s the world on a plate.

FULL HOUSE BBQ 9890 S. Maryland Parkway #D19, 702-2274663. Thursday-Tuesday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Explore new combinations at Full House—and save room for flaming halo-halo (left). (Steve Marcus/Staff)

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Sizing up the NHL’s new-look divisions from a betting perspective

Auston Matthews

BY CASE KEEFER

t’s going to take even the most ardent hockey fans time to adjust to the new divisional groupings the NHL put together for the 2021 season. So, let’s get to know the four new divisions in the most Vegas way possible—by handicapping them. All odds come from the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.

NORTH DIVISION ■ Odds to win regular-season division: Toronto +120, Montreal 6-to-1, Calgary 6-to-1, Vancouver 10-to-1, Winnipeg 14-to-1, Ottawa 60-to-1. ■ Outlook: Playoff disappointments shouldn’t distract from the fact that the Maple Leafs have been one of the most efficient teams in the NHL the past two years. Behind the continued progress of 24-year-old superstar Auston Matthews, they’re going to be even better this year and perhaps threaten for the Presidents’ Trophy (for the best regular-season record). The consensus is that Toronto is much better than the rest of the Canadian franchises, but it might be in for more competition than expected. Montreal is well-rounded and has the division’s best goaltending with the duo of Carey Price and Brandon Allen. Calgary is one season removed from being one of the best teams in the league and showed flashes of getting back to that level by nearly beating Dallas in an early playoff series. Edmonton’s top-end talent with Connor McDavid and reigning Hart Trophy (MVP) winner Leon Draisaitl should be enough to help it edge Vancouver, still too young, and Winnipeg, too reliant on goalie Connor Hellebuyck, for the final playoff spot. Ottawa is a nonfactor as it ■ Bets: Calgary 6-tocontinues a seemingly never-ending rebuild. 1 to wvin the division, With the setup of this year’s season, a Toronto 10-to-1 to win natural joke among hockey fans was that the Stanley Cup, Vanof course the NHL found a way to make couver not to make sure a Canadian team would reach the final the playoffs at Even four. The irony is, with as strong as the top money, Montreal over three Canadian teams look, they might have 64.5 points. threatened to do so anyway.

Sidney Crosby

RESHAPE, EAST DIVISION

■ Odds to win the regular-season division: Philadelphia +350, Boston +375, Washington +375, Pittsburgh 4-to-1, New York Islanders 8-to-1, New York Rangers 10-to-1, Buffalo 20-to-1, New Jersey 40-to-1. ■ Outlook: There seems to be a perception that the Penguins are past their championship window while the Capitals might have enough to make one last gasp. What if it’s exactly the opposite? Pittsburgh might have been the most beaten-up team in the NHL last season and still posted a better goal differential than Washington. The decline in Pittsburgh’s stock seems to be a result of two consecutive playoff flameouts, which is unfair. It’s also unwise to doubt a team with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins are less flawed than Washington, which is one of the NHL’s worst defensive teams and is now throwing second-year goalie Ilya Samsonov into the fire. Pittsburgh will challenge Boston for a division title. The Bruins, the defending Presidents’ Trophy winner, are still the best team but must deal with injuries to start the season, including to their best player, David Pastrnak. The Flyers, despite getting hot at the end of the last regular season, ultimately ■ Bets: Pittsburgh don’t have the star power to keep up at 4-to-1 to win the the top of the standings. They’re going division, Washingto be in a struggle with the Capitals, ton not to make the Islanders and Rangers for the final two playoffs at +145, playoff spots. New York Islanders The Devils and Sabres have no chance under 62.5 points. and were unlucky to get forced into this gauntlet.

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Andrei Svechnikov

Alex Pietrangelo

, REEXAMINE

Torey Krug Alex Pietrangelo (Steve Marcus Staff); Others (AP) (Photo Illustration)

CENTRAL DIVISION ■ Odds to win the regular-season division: Tampa Bay +180, Carolina

WEST DIVISION ■ Odds to win the regular-season division: Colorado +125, Vegas +140,

3-to-1, Dallas +450, Nashville 6-to-1, Columbus 10-to-1, Florida 12-to-1, Chicago 80-to-1, Detroit 100-to-1. ■ Outlook: Tampa Bay, the defending champion, is still the best team in the league and deserves to be the Stanley Cup favorite over Colorado, which it’s currently trailing in the odds. Look to bet on the Lightning midseason at inflated prices, however, because much like last year, it’s going to take them a while to round into form. Fatigued from their short offseason and adjusting to life without their best player, Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay should start relatively slow. The Lightning could start so slow that they can’t catch Carolina in the standings. The Hurricanes are a sleeping giant ready to fully awaken this season. Carolina has got one of the NHL’s best top lines—Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen—along with a star defenseman in Dougie Hamilton, and the Hurricanes pressure opponents into oblivion. Carolina will be too much for every team other than Tampa Bay in the Central. Dallas caught fire and overperformed to reach the Stanley Cup Final last year but should take a step back. Nashville and Co■ Bets: Carolina lumbus are pests but don’t have the offense 3-to-1 to win the to be considered true contenders. Chicago division, Carolina to and Detroit have eyes on the 2021 NHL win the Stanley Cup Entry Draft. 20-to-1, Florida to Florida could surprise if goalie Sergei make the playoffs Bobrovsky proves a disastrous season a year +140, Dallas under ago was an anomaly, but it’s still far behind 65.5 points. Tampa Bay and Carolina.

St. Louis +450, Minnesota 30-to-1, Arizona 60-to-1, Anaheim 80-to-1, San Jose 80-to-1, Los Angeles 200-to-1. Colorado and Vegas are commanding so much hype, it appears everyone has forgotten about St. Louis. Don’t. The Blues are every bit as good as the Avalanche and Golden Knights. The Blues actually had a higher point total than both last regular season. Yes, they lost captain Alex Pietrangelo to the Golden Knights but were quick to replace him with former Bruin Torey Krug, perhaps the next-best defenseman available on the free-agent market. The Blues, Golden Knights and Avalanche are going to beat up on each other all season while ganging up to stomp the rest of the West. The divisional race will come down to the final weeks, with the big three all compact near the top of the standings. Minnesota, with its grind-it-out style and stubborn consistency, will probably capture the final playoff spot, but don’t count out any of the old Pacific division franchises, either. Arizona is considered the best of the bunch, but it lost some of what little of■ Bets: St. Louis fensive firepower it had in the offseason +450 to win the and relied too heavily on goaltending in division, Minnesota the first place. Los Angeles specifically to make the playoffs could surprise and doesn’t deserve to +110, Los Angeles be priced so far behind Anaheim and over 51.5 points. San Jose, considering its expected goals numbers were better than its record last season.

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When tourists are prepared to travel again, Las Vegas will be ready

BY BRYAN HORWATH he first signs of widespread tourist demand returning for Las Vegas aren’t quite visible, but several experts who track visitation trends say they’re ready to bubble up this year. The coronavirus pandemic might have crippled visitation to Las Vegas, but the end could be relatively near as vaccine distribution begins ramping up. “There’s clearly enthusiasm for what a successfully implemented vaccine rollout could do for the Strip,” said Barry Jonas, a gaming industry analyst for investment firm SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. “The question is when people will get comfortable.” Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), called vaccine distribution “the key” for Las Vegas to get humming again. The theory is that people worldwide will be ready to let loose once it’s free to go out from the safety of their quarantine, and Las Vegas is the perfect place to celebrate. Hill is optimistic about this year, though he cautioned that shows and conventions are likely to initially have a “smaller footprint” when they return. “Once we get into May and June, I think the city will feel close to what it normally is,” Hill said. “Room rates may not be quite as high, but it will be different. [In] the second half of 2021, we’ll see strong recovery.” The economic crisis brought on by the pandemic

has been especially hard-felt in Nevada, which relies on tourism as its main revenue generator and source of employment for residents. The downturn has brought historic jobless rates—once as high as 30%, but 10.1% in November—and $1 billion-plus deficit to Nevada. Consider this: In 2019, the LVCVA reported that 42 million visitors came to Southern Nevada, whether for conventions and business travel, sporting events, to get married or for leisurely fun. In the initial 11 months of 2020, only 18 million came—the product of nearly 80 days of closures on the Strip, plus air travel coming to a near halt. The resort corridor has already made small gains during the summer and fall with drive-in visitors, mostly from California. The gridlock of vehicles driving back to Southern California resembles any

normal Sunday afternoon. Mark Vitner, a Wells Fargo economist who tracks Las Vegas and other regional economies in the Southwest, said he expects tourism to start to come back in a noticeable way in a matter of weeks. “After February, we see a strong recovery taking hold, at least in leisure travel,” Vitner said. “I do think we’re past the scariest part of all of this. Things will get progressively better.” For Las Vegas to return to its pre-pandemic self—or something close to it—it’s necessary, experts say, for two main developments to take place. First, mass distribution of the various COVID-19 vaccines must be successful. Then, once enough people receive the vaccines, they need to feel comfortable enough to partake in air travel. McCarran International Airport, one of the

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(Steve Marcus/Staff)

busiest airports in the country, reported in 2019 that about 51.5 million passengers “enplaned and deplaned.” Airport officials reported only 20.5 million people passed through the first 11 months of 2020. But there are positive signs that air travel will eventually regain its footing. Discount carrier Frontier Airlines recently announced six new 2021 routes to and from Las Vegas, including stops to places like Oakland, California, and Wichita, Kansas. A Frontier spokesman said the airline “listened to our customers and recognized the pent-up demand for travel, particularly as the COVID-19 vaccine becomes more widely available.” In a statement, Frontier executive Daniel Shurz said the airline has made a “strong commitment” to Las Vegas and that it hopes to continue to “build

on our partnership through the addition of new service.” As the airline noted, though, vaccine availability is likely the most important factor for the return of leisure travel. As for business travel, it’s expected that corporate gatherings and trade shows will take longer to return, Jonas said. In 2019, about 9% of the 42 million people who visited Las Vegas came for a convention, trade show or corporate meeting, according to the LVCVA. The annual CES show, which normally takes place every January at the Las Vegas Convention Center, became an all-virtual event this year. That trade show alone would have brought about 170,000 visitors to the Valley. “When we speak to companies like MGM [Re-

sorts International], there’s some conservatism about the cadence of the recovery,” said Jonas, the gaming industry analyst. “It won’t just be snap your fingers and everything’s back. Conferences will have a mix of in-person and virtual components, and it’s reasonable to assume that companies will be cautious about sending employees to conferences.” When tourists do return to the city in full force, they will get to see some new attractions, including the $2 billion Allegiant Stadium—home to the Las Vegas Raiders—just off the Strip, the new Circa Las Vegas resort Downtown and, soon, the new Resorts World property. “To a large extent, we’ve built the next era of what Las Vegas will be,” Hill said. “That’s ready. It adds a level of attraction to what the city already was.”

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Director of aviation: Visitors’ safety is top priority for successful tourist destinations

BY REBECCA CLIFFORD-CRUZ or Rosemary Vassiliadis, it’s important that people visiting Las Vegas understand that life in Southern Nevada isn’t just the Strip. “That’s one of the reasons you’ll see so much children’s artwork and other local artists’ works displayed at McCarran [International Airport],” said Vassiliadis, Clark County’s director of aviation. “We want visitors to see there are families here; there is culture and so much more than people see if they don’t venture beyond the Strip.” Lately, though, relatively few visitors have gotten to see much of any of the state. Air travel is the lifeblood of tourism in Nevada—and, by extension, the state’s residents—and while Vassiliadis was unwilling to make a prediction as to when tourism would rebound to its previous heights, she did discuss opportunities the county seized during the slowdown caused by the pandemic. Do you have any recent news you’d like to share? We continue to prepare for our expected long-term growth. Planning for the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport project along I-15 near Primm continued throughout 2020, with the studies required by the EIS [Environmental Impact Statement] moving forward. While still in the early phases, this remains a critical project for our community’s future. This second commercial airport will give us much needed airspace, airfield and surface curb space. Other than the pandemic, what challenges have you faced in local aviation facilities the past year? I’ve learned that running an aviation system often presents challenges most people outside this industry would never consider. McCarran’s location in the middle of an urban core that continues to develop has led to encroachment issues. There are many businesses looking to build on the land near the airport; however, that comes with the risk of hindering airport operations. Anything built too close may reduce the airport’s capacity, which will have an impact on the number of visitors who will be able to fly in and out. While continued growth is important to the community, we must ensure new developments don’t choke out the airport’s ability to serve travelers.

base for Southwest Airlines, is receiving updated flooring, more charging stations and space-efficient gate podiums to create more room for travelers. We rarely get the chance to complete a major project with minimal impact to travelers, which is why it was such a no-brainer to move ahead with this job back in September. With fewer passengers and flights to work around, we can complete each phase faster and for less cost than we would have otherwise. We also were able to apply for grants from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that will allow us to complete upgrades at Henderson Executive Airport and update facilities at McCarran, including a holding pad and gate. These were projects we would not have undertaken right away had it not been for grant monies made available during the pandemic. Describe your leadership style. How did you refine your approach during COVID? I’m very team-focused, and I believe that served me well during the pandemic; really the only refinements involved trying to be more proactive in how often, and in what manner I communicated with those around me. We’ve used a lot of new tools, from online town halls for employees to everyday videoconference meetings with outside parties, in order to stay in close touch with others. I have particularly placed an importance on two-way communication, as it is essential to hear from our employees, airline partners and concessions.

Rosemary Vassiliadis (Courtesy)

How long do you think it will take for Las Vegas tourism to make a full recovery? It is impossible to predict when a full recovery will happen, but I am confident Las Vegas will be at the forefront when it does come. I am hopeful for the effects of a successful vaccine distribution, though I want to caution that it will not bring an immediate return to pre-pandemic travel numbers. It will be a critical step toward bringing back large-scale conventions, sporting events and concerts. We cannot begin to talk about a “full recovery” until those high-volume events have resumed and people are again comfortable in attending them. With the city at a pause, what projects—relating to aviation—was the county able to accomplish that possibly wouldn’t happen under normal circumstances? The renovation of the C Concourse was a project already in the plans pre-pandemic, but we were able to expedite it due to the decline of passenger volume. The concourse, which serves as the local

What are you reading or binge-watching right now? My husband and I are both from Chicago, so for us, there was nothing better than The Last Dance on ESPN this past spring. There will never be another Michael Jordan, and revisiting those great Bulls teams was a welcome distraction, especially at a time when live sports hadn’t yet resumed. How do you wind down after a long day or busy week? I dream of the days when I can return to the nail salon without worries, or once more just spend some time at the spa with my daughter. What is something that people might not know about you? I am very passionate about stopping the epidemic of human trafficking. Unfortunately, traffickers often use airports when moving victims from city to city. To combat this, we’ve created an awareness program that’s shared with every person who works at McCarran. We’ll regularly bring in experts—social workers, law enforcement agents, sometimes even trafficking victims who’ll share their personal experiences. This is done so workers here might learn to identify victims, and potentially provide them with resources or assistance as they’re being moved through the airport. Airports are a key location to display the National Human Trafficking Hotline and let the victims know they do not have to remain invisible.

ELEVATE YOUR SPACE

The Library is Here for

SAFELY! Beginning January 4, 2021

Visit

LVCCLD.org/Limitless-Learning PPE Custom Dividers, Barriers & Partitions

for all the details. Social Distance Learning The Library District and Vegas Strong Academy provides all-day supervised support for K–8 students to learn remotely. Registration is now open for the second semester beginning on January 4. Financial assistance is available!

Open Early for Students All urban branches will continue morning hours for students K–College, with proof of enrollment, Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–10 a.m.

Free Learning Resources Visit select library locations for free tutoring and homework help, and find hundreds of online learning tools always available on our website!

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VEGAS INC BUSINESS

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Hotels

Ranked by number of rooms as of November 1, 2017

PROPERTY

ABOUT THE LIST Information in this list comes from Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and VEGAS INC research. SPECIAL NOTE Convention square footages are combined numbers for Venetian, Palazzo and Sands Expo Center.

NUMBER OF ROOMS

CONVENTION SQ. FT.

CASINO SQ .FT.

BUILT OR RENOVATED

MGM Grand• mgmgrand.com 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109 | 702-891-1111

4,968

850,000

171,500

1993

Luxor • luxor.com 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89119 | 702-262-4000

4,400

35,000

120,000

1993

Venetian • venetian.com 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109 | 702-414-1000

4,027

510,008

120,000

1999

Aria • arialasvegas.com 3730 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89158 | 702-590-7111

4,004

500,000

150,000

2009

Excalibur • excalibur.com 3850 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109 | 702-597-7777

3,981

12,226

100,000

1990

Bellagio • bellagio.com 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109 | 702-693-7111

3,933

200,000

116,000

1998

Caesars Palace • caesarspalace.com 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109 | 702-731-7110

3,794

300,000

124,181

1966

Circus Circus • circuscircus.com 2880 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109 | 702-734-0410

3,763

21,400

123,928

1968

Flamingo • flamingolasvegas.com 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109 | 702-733-3111

3,446

73,000

72,300

1949

Mandalay Bay • mandalaybay.com 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89119 | 702-632-7777

3,211

2,013,697

135,000

1999

1 .1 4 . 2 1 views of the Las Vegas Valley and amenities for new mothers and families.

VegasInc Notes Howard & Howard was named to the 2021 U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” list. Under Metropolitan Tier 1, it was recognized in commercial litigation, construction law, franchise Patrick law and trademark law; Tier 2 for arbitration, corporate law, employment law—management, labor law—management, litigation—construction and patent law; and Tier 3 for gaming law, litigation—banking & finance, litigation—labor & employment and real estate law. Howard & Howard also welcomed Kaila Patrick to the firm. Her practice focuses on business and corporate law matters. Patrick began her career with the firm as a 2019 summer associate. Bailey Kennedy received a Metropolitan Tier 1 ranking for appellate practice, commercial litigation, health care law and real estate law in the U.S. News and Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” list. The firm’s ranking, the highest available, is

based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process. Desert Radiology hired Leah Fischer, MMS, PA-C, as physician assistant. Fischer obtained her master of medical sciences in physician assistant studies from Nova Southeastern University and completed clinical rotations in various disciplines of medicine, including interventional cardiology, surgical oncology, pediatrics, general and plastic surgery, psychiatry, internal medicine, obstetrics & gynecology, emergency medicine and family medicine. The staff at Centennial Hills Hospital opened its first expanded patient care unit of its new five-story tower. The Birthplace at Centennial Hills Hospital added two labor and delivery suites along with 36 mother-baby (postpartum) suites. Each suite offers a calm, comfortable environment, technologically advanced equipment, sweeping

Trosper Public Relations promoted McKenzie Clemens to account executive. In this new position, Clemens will directly oversee and manage all public relations and communications efforts for public safety, Clemens business-to-business and nonprofit clients. In addition, the company hired Melanie Sanchez-Hernandez as account coordinator. Sanchez-Hernandez will assist with the public relations and Sanchezsocial media efforts Hernandez for the agency’s business-to-business clients. Prior to joining Trosper Public Relations, Sanchez-Hernandez served as a public information intern with the Nevada Department of Agriculture and a junior account coordinator with The Abbi Agency. Gov. Steve Sisolak appointed J. Brin Gibson to the Gaming Control Board and designated him to serve as the new chair and executive director. Gibson formerly served as Sisolak’s general counsel, where he was chief legal counsel regarding ethics, transactional

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and legislative matters as well as protection of state interests in the gaming and cannabis industries. He previously served dual roles as the first assistant attorney general and chief of the gaming division within the Nevada Attorney General’s office. CBRE promoted Adam Schmitt with CBRE Capital Markets to vice president. Since 2015, Schmitt has been a member of the Las Vegas team specializing in multifamily investment Schmitt properties, and has been involved in multifamily transactions totaling over $3.2 billion in value. Prior to joining CBRE, he worked as a market researcher for a multifamily developer in Denver. Tech entrepreneur Jenna Nye launched OTS Media, a new Las Vegas-based independent digital media company. Colliers International Las Vegas announced its executive managing director, Mike Mixer, was promoted to chairman of the Las Vegas office. He will take a more active role in client transactions with special interest on the Strip. Mixer, who co-founded Colliers International Las Vegas in 1993, served as executive managing director for more than 12 years where he oversaw the day-to-day operations of the firm.

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