DAVID

MAY 2012

www.davidlv.com

CELEBRATING OUR SECOND ANNIVERSARY

BALANCING MOTHERHOOD WORK AND KIDS IN A CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS

GET YOUR SHEITEL ON ORTHODOX JEWISH WOMEN MAKE A MODEST STATEMENT

WOMEN’S HEALTH CARE THE WAR OF WORDS IN THE POLITICAL SEASON

DISTINCT VISIONS 4 WOMEN ARTISTS WHO SHOW DOWNTOWN

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Spend the day with us...

H&M Sephora bebe Express Victoria’s Secret Banana Republic Brio Tuscan Grille Guitar Center Whole Foods Market Blue Martini Old Navy Yard House Texas De Brazil Apple M•A•C White House | Black Market Rave Motion Pictures and more...

The Container Store opening May 12

O V E R 1 0 0 S T O R E S | 1 6 R E S TA U R A N T S | 1 8 - S C R E E N T H E AT E R

www.mytownsquarelasvegas.com

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Las Vegas Design Center is home to the city’s most comprehensive selection of home furnishings and interior design resources.

LOCATED AT WORLD MARKET CENTER LAS VEGAS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, 10AM TO 5PM AND SATURDAY, 10AM TO 3PM COMPLIMENTARY VALET PARKING · LVDESIGNCENTER.COM

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14 explore The month’s event listings to help plan your day or your stay 18 devour Where to find some of the best eats, drinks and foodie happenings in the Valley 20 desire Sin City abounds in worldclass shopping ... these are a few of our favorite things 22 discover Hot spots to go, cool things to do, hip people to see—the Entertainment Capital of the World, need we say more 23 mingle Snapshots of the latest, greatest Vegas events

28 speak Local humorist, Corey Levitan hunts down his wife’s lost family.

32 believe To sheitel or not to sheitel, that is the choice Orthodox Jewish women must make.

It is expected that they cover their locks once married.

36 taste Reading between the slices. Local chef opens the ultimate sandwich emporium. A review we certainly could not run last month.

42 A Women’s Issue Debates, once settled rage again. The war of words intensifies in this election season.

46 Distinct Visions Four women artists who add luster to Vegas’ burgeoning art scene.

52 A Vegas Mother’s Day Burning the midnight oil does not stop these women from attending the PTA meetings.

58 Heather Allen M.D., Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada The month’s spotlight on someone of interest

on the cover Jennifer Henry’s cellophane coutre. Photograph by Steven Wilson, model Alexandria Finley, hair Eden Walton and make-up Kim Katunis.

Copyright 2012 by JewishINK LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. DAVID MAGAZINE is protected as a trademark in the United States. Subscribers: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we are under no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year.

The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited or contributed manuscripts, photographs, artwork or advertisements.

Submissions will not be returned unless arranged for in writing. DAVID MAGAZINE is a monthly publication. All information regarding editorial content or property for sale is deemed reliable. No representation is made as to the accuracy hereof and is printed subject to errors and omissions.

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6028006A

Mother’s Day Menu 2pm-9pm

Shrimp and Asparagus Chowder Sunshine Spinach Salad

Toasted Coconut, Mandarin Oranges, Fresh Pineapple, Blackberries and Strawberries, Creamy Orange Blossom Vinaigrette

Grilled Filet Mignon - $38.00 Petite Stuffed Baked Potato, Wild Mushroom Gratinée and Fresh Seasonal Vegetables

Pan Roasted Chicken Breast - $28.00 Grilled Shrimps, Duchess Potatoes and Fresh Seasonal Vegetables, Creamy Boursin Cheese Sauce

Grilled Chilean Seabass - $42.00

Julienne Vegetables, Grilled Shrimps, Lemon Beurre Blanc and Chipotle Barbecue Drizzle

Black Forest Chocolate Cake Raspberry Chambord Drizzle Also Serving Our Regular Menu

Reservations Recommended • 636-7111

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Max Friedland

max@davidlv.com editor@davidlv.com

Joanne Friedland joanne@davidlv.com

EDITORIALllllllll

Editorial Assistant

Jeremy Leopold a

Brianna Soloski

brianna@davidlv.com

Copy Editor

Pat Teague

Contributing Writers

Jim Begley Marisa Finetti Jaq Greenspon Corey Levitan Lynn Wexler-Margolies Pat Teague

ART & PHOTOGRAPHY

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS

CARLOS BANCHIK, PRESIDENT

(702) 220-6640 www.innovanv.com

COMMERCIAL | INDUSTRIAL HOSPITALITY | INSTITUTIONAL TRANSPORTATION | RESIDENTIAL

Art Director/ Photographer

Steven Wilson

Contributing Photographer

Tonya Harvey

steve@davidlv.com

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Advertising Director

Joanne Friedland joanne@davidlv.com

Innova is proud of its involvement in the 15 mile long Expresso Tiradentes monorail in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

SUBSCRIPTIONS 702-254-2223 | subscribe@davidlv.com

Volume 03 Number01 www.davidlv.com DAVID Magazine is published 12 times a year.

Copyright 2012 by JewishINK LLC. 1930 Village Center Circle, No. 3-459 Las Vegas, NV 89134 (p) 702-254-2223 (f) 702-664-2633

To advertise in DAVID Magazine, call 702-254-2223 or email ads@davidlv.com To subscribe to DAVID Magazine, call 702.254-2223 or email subscibe@davidlv.com

DAVID Magazine sets high standards to ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable manner. This copy of DAVID Magazine was printed by American Web in Denver, Colo., on paper from well-managed forests which meet EPA guidelines that recommend use of recovered fibers for coated papers. Inks used contain a blend of soy base. Our printer meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act standards and is a certified member of both the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. When you are done with this issue, please pass it on to a friend or recycle it.

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It’s An

We lov un wo

We’ve helped young Jews strengthen their roots in Israel.

Thanks to donors like you and the Adelson Challenge.

It’s not too late, you can still take the Adelson Challenge.

Any new or increased gift will be matched “dollar-for-dollar”.

We are actively supporting innovative new projects that inspire a deep love of Israel and Jewish life. From feeding the hungry and helping the unemployed to supporting local Jewish education, together we do a world of good. Donate. Volunteer. Make a difference today.

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702.732.0556 www.jewishlasvegas.com facebook.com/JewishFedLV twitter.com/JewishFedLV

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contributors

Jim Begley is an avid food lover who has recently taken up food writing in a feeble attempt to defray his obscene restaurant spending. If you like what you’ve read, follow him at splurgemonkey.com or via Twitter@ splurgemonkey.

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Marisa Finetti is a local writer, marketing professional and blogger. The Tokyoborn Finetti has called Las Vegas home since 2005.

She has written for such publications as Spirit and Las Vegas and Nevada magazines and has a healthy-living blog at bestbewell.com.

When she’s not writing, Finetti enjoys family time with her husband and two boys.

Jaq Greenspon is a noted local journalist, screenwriter and author with credits on The New Adventures of Robin Hood and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

He also is a literary and movie critic, has taught and written about filmmaking but is most proud of his role in the film, Lotto Love. A Vegas resident for most of his life, his native language is Hebrew, but he doesn’t speak it anymore.

Corey Levitan is a local journalist who was laid off four months before the Nevada Press Association named his “Fear and Loafing” series the Best Local Column of 2011. He is now a freelance writer, a new dad and a pauper. With unexpected time on his hands he has become a three-time NASCAR champion, an avid shrunken head collector and is now in training to become the first eunuch in space.

Lynn WexlerMargolies has been a feature writer and contributor for magazines and newspapers, locally and nationally, for over 20 years. She writes a monthly online column entitled Manners in the News, which comments on the behavior of politicians, celebrities and others thrust in the public arena.

She is the Founder and President of Perfectly Poised, a school of manners that teaches social, personal and business etiquette to young people.

She is a former TV Reporter and News Anchor. Of her many accomplishments, she is most proud of her three outstanding teenaged children.

Pat Teague has been a practicing journalist, manager and editor for international and regional wire services, and has worked for several metropolitan daily newspapers. He also has worked for one of the world’s largest corporations and was one of five Southern Californians in the Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists honored in 2000 for career achievement.

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tbird_05

The Trails Village Center 1990 Village Center Circle, Summerlin 702-256-3900 tbirdjewels.com 03_12_FOB.indd 91 tbird_052012.indd

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feedback restaurant and bar

SOUP Mixed Vegetable Soup

MOTHERS

SALADS Eggplant salad Bhel Puri Bundi Raitha Garbanzo Bean Salad Young Vegetable Salad

MAY 13 BRUNCH BUFFET This Mother’s Day, Origin India will prepare a very special Buffet Brunch. For only $22.95* per person, your family can enjoy a delicious and exotic meal in honor of the special moms in your life.

Reservations recommended.

Call 702.73INDIA. *tax & gratuity not included

ON THE GRILL Potato cake Lamb Kabob Grill fish CURRY ST Southern India Lamb Fry Chicken Makhani Kadai Okra Vegetable Briyani Spinach and Potato Yellow Dall Rice BREADS Plain Naan Garlic Naan DESSERT Gulab Jamun Kheer

To The Editor, I am a very busy person that never takes the time to sit down and write a letter to magazine. However, I feel that this response deserves my precious time. I was in the bank and saw your magazine – David – and picked it up to read as I was in line. As I browsed through, I noticed an article that interested me – Baptism by Proxy, It’s All (About) the Rage by Lynn Wexler-Margolies.

As an LDS member, and one that has many close Jewish friends and neighbors, I am deeply offended by the way this article portrays the Mormon community and our practices. Although it did state once in the article that baptism of the dead did include free agency on the other side, many of the facts were incorrect and the overall tone of the article was extremely negative towards Mormons. I don’t see where Lynn backed up the facts (I don’t think are true) – i.e., Whitney Houston (which I’m sure her family had much more to worry about than to be in uproar over that), Hitler (We all know where he is going to go in the afterlife), etc.

I believe that conjuring up negativity from sacred practices is disrespectful in any forum. It saddens me greatly to see this coming from a group of people (some of which) that at one time shared our building of worship for almost two years (while yours was being built), and one that shares a history of struggles and trials. In this day and age, when there is so much negativity around us, we should be looking at the things that help us come together as people and how we can be kind to each other. I, as a Mormon, wouldn’t want to step on anyone’s religious toes, think that I am better than anyone else or going somewhere better, or have anyone baptized besides me and my family.

So, think about the longterm damage and ripple effect that you might be causing when publishing an article like this, and ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish with your magazine because not only does it reflect poorly on us — it reflects poorly on you.

Sadly concerned reader, Nicolle Hallums Las Vegas

Frances-Ann Fine, Esquire

We want to hear from you!

8975 South Pecos Road, Suite 5 Henderson, Nevada 89074

Compliments and complaints are welcome, but only if we get them. Send them to the editor at editor@davidlv.com with “Letter to Editor” in the subject line or mail them to DAVID, 1930 Village Center Circle, No. 3-459, Las Vegas, NV 89134

p: 702-384-8900 • f: 702-384-6900 fran@thefinelawgroup.com

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from the publisher I thought long and hard before publishing Baptism by Proxy, It’s All (About) the Rage in the April 2012 edition of DAVID Magazine, and the responding letter to the editor on the opposite page. Beyond the fact that we at DAVID were delighted Nicolle took the time to write to us (something those of the tribe could learn from), I was concerned about further inflaming a sensitive issue. At the end of the day, the consensus was that we had to.

As mentioned in April’s publisher’s note, we rearranged the content of that publication to respond to a letter David Blackman sent, which we published last month. I consulted with friends, neighbors and relatives, some of whom were Mormon, about the potential impact of stirring up this controversy.

My 92-year-old father urged me not to run the story, as it would appear we were attempting to ruin the chances of the Mormon Republican candidate in this year’s presidential election. I reassured him that DAVID was no threat to Time magazine, and that even though our reach is rapidly growing we were not (quite yet) going to make a national splash. His many entreaties from his La Jolla abode finally ended with this, “If you must do this, please do like Fox News does, be fair and balanced.” As any good son would, I honored his wishes and believe that’s exactly what we have done. We invited comment from the local Jewish community and the Mormon Church.

It was never the intention of this publication to bash any religious denomination. In fact, we have critically reviewed Jewish religious practices. In this issue, we attempt to demystify the custom of Orthodox Jewish women who don sheitels (wigs) as an act of public modesty. At times our world can challenge even those stout of heart. The constant static noise of popular media and what passes for news does nothing to calm temperaments. In fact, we are forced to view issues through militant, ideological lenses.

As citizens we are forced into voting blocs. The war of words, competing talking points and talking heads rob us of the right to own our agendas. We are losing the art of civil discourse. Jews and Mormons share this planet; the fact that DAVID can act as a catalyst for dialogue is a fulfillment of our mission. We all need to realize that our actions, no matter how well-intended, can have unintended negative impacts on others. The way we guard against this is by keeping channels of communication open. Upon request, DAVID would be happy to convene a public forum where this issue, as well as any others, can be discussed respectfully.

We celebrate DAVID Magazine’s entry in its third year of publication with the spotlight where it needs to be, on the fairer sex. While we men dance to avoid the shards falling from shattered glass ceilings, we pay homage to our wives, mothers, sisters and friends. Happy Mother’s Day. Max Friedland max@davidlv.com MAY 2012 DAVID

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restaurant and bar

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pulse INSIDE explore @ 14 devour @ 19 desire @ 20 discover @ 22

The Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater Five Year Anniversary Concert. 7:30 p.m., $27$65. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com MAY 2012 DAVID

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eXplore L A S

Rainbow Youth Theatre Company “Sleeping Beauty.” Through May 6, 7 & 2 p.m., $3-$7. Charleston Heights Art Center, 800 S. Brush Street, Las Vegas. 702-229-6383. artslasvegas.org Tuesday Afternoon at the Bijou: Great Musicals of the 1960s. Tues. through May 29, 1 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas.

702-507-3459. lvccld.org

V E G A S

Jewish University. Through June 8, times vary. JCC of Southern Nevada, 9001 Hillpointe Road, Las Vegas. For more information or to register for classes, call the JCC at 702794-0090 or visit jccsn.org.

Cleveland Clinic Art Lectures: Harlem Renaissance. 11 a.m., free. Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, 888 W. Bonneville Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-4836023. keepmemoryalive.org

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Jewish Senior Singles. 6:30 p.m., free.

NV Energy, 6226 W. Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-233-8618.

Joseph Phelps Wine Dinner. 6 p.m., $195, 21+. Comme Ca at Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7910. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com 10th Annual Girls’ Night Out. 6:30 p.m., $150, 21+. Hyde at Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-770-7000. friendsoftheshadetree.net

Snow Patrol. 9 p.m., $35, 18+. Boulevard Pool at Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7910. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

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Las Vegas. 702-229-4800. artslasvegas.org Excellence in Design 2011. Through Oct. 9, by appointment, free. Historic 5th Street School, 401 S. Fourth Street, Las Vegas.

702-229-1012. artslasvegas.org

Dutch Village at Bellagio Conservatory. Through May 13, free. Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-693-7111. bellagio.com

Camp K’helah Origin India Fundraiser Night. 6:30-9:30 p.m., $25. Origin India, 4480 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. To register, call 702-327-5074 or e-mail decastro.desiree@ gmail.com

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Whoopi Goldberg. 9 p.m., $79. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-894-7722. treasureisland.com Project Playhouse. Through June 2, free. Town Square Las Vegas, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas. 702-269-5000. mytownsquarelasvegas.com

Art Coming to Life: Nja One. Through Nov. 5, Weds.-Fri. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. & Sat. 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., free. West Las Vegas Arts Center Gallery, 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-229-4800. artslasvegas.org

Grand Challenge II Poker Tournament. Through May 6, time & cost varies, 21+. MGM Grand, 3799 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-891-1111. mgmgrand.com

Portfolio Class Exhibit. Through May 31, free. College of Southern Nevada Cheyenne Campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-651-5483. csn.edu

Mama’s Fabric: John Broussard.

Through May 5, Weds.-Fri. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. & Sat. 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., free. West Las Vegas Arts Center Gallery, 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd.,

Campus Child Care Children’s Exhibit. Through May 18, free. College of Southern Nevada Cheyenne Campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-651-5483. csn.edu

Spring Dance Concert. Through May 5, 7 & 2 p.m., $8-$10. College of Southern Nevada Cheyenne Campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-651-5483. csn.edu

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Hollywood Hotel, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-385-2226. cabowabocantina.com Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Fremont Street Experience, 425 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. For more information and to register, visit komensouthernnevada.org/ komen-race-for-the-cure Asian Cuisine Live Cooking Demonstration. 11 a.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas.

702-507-3459. lvccld.org

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JFSA 5th Annual Tzedakah Luncheon. 11 a.m., $118. Four Seasons, 3960 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-732-0304. jfsalv.org Midbar Kodesh Temple Gala. 5-10 p.m. Midbar Kodesh Temple, 1940 Paseo Verde Parkway, Henderson. 702-454-4848. midbarkodesh.org

Nevada Ballet Theatre

CSN Jazz Combos. 2 p.m., $5-$8. College of Southern Nevada Cheyenne Campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-6515483. csn.edu

GEICO Endurocross & GEICO MiniMotoSX. Through May 6, times vary, $20$38. The Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-365-7075. orleanscasino.com Clint Holmes. Through May 5, 8:30 p.m., $38-$51. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com Cinco de Mayo Mariachi Concert.

7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org

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CSN Orchestra. 7:30 p.m., $5-$8. College of Southern Nevada Cheyenne Campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-6515483. csn.edu

CSN Concert Band. 7:30 p.m., $5-$8.

College of Southern Nevada Cheyenne Campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Avenue, Las Vegas.

702-651-5483. csn.edu

Bill Maher. Through May 6, 8 p.m., $54.95.

The Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-365-7075. orleanscasino.com

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s in our community!

Nevada Ballet Theatre 40th Anniversary. 7 p.m., $43-$128. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park, Las Vegas. 702-7492000. nevadaballet.org Walk for MS. 7 a.m., free. Town Square Las Vegas, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas. 702269-5000. mytownsquarelasvegas.com Filipino Festival. Through May 6, 10 a.m.10 p.m., free. Town Square Las Vegas, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas. 702-269-5000. mytownsquarelasvegas.com

301 N. Buffalo Drive

255-3444

15th Annual Lei Day Polynesian Festival. Through May 6, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., free.

California Hotel & Casino, 12 East Ogden Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-385-1222. thecal.com Cinco de Mayo at Cabo Wabo Cantina. Food & drink specials all day. Planet

www.thebagelcafelv.com

WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Bill Maher MAY 2012 DAVID Bagel_Cafe_05_2012.indd 1

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Lena Horne’s Stormy Weather.

Through May 12, times vary, $51-$75. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

America’s original

Say Goodnight Gracie. Through May 12, 3 & 7 p.m., $29-$49. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-7492012. thesmithcenter.com

hookah lounge

Rob Schneider. Through May 12, 8 p.m., $39.95. The Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-365-7075. orleanscasino.com

Open Every day from 5pm-1am, Happy Hour every day 5pm-7pm & Tuesdays from 5pm-1am

Featuring Specialty Cocktails, Beer, Wine, Mixed Drinks, Hookahs and Food.

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Las Vegas Philharmonic Masterworks V. 8 p.m., $42-$82. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-7492012. thesmithcenter.com

Say Goodnight Gracie

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Sweet Honey in the Rock. 7:30 p.m., $27-$65. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com UNLV Jazz Concert Series: Jazz Combos. 7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-5073459. lvccld.org ADL Nevada 2012 Jurisprudence Luncheon, honoring Senator Richard H. Bryan. 11:45 a.m., $75-$175. For more information or to RSVP, contact ADL at 702862-8600 or e-mail jbrislin@adl.org

2nd Annual Huntington’s Disease Society of America Team Hope Walk.

9 a.m., free. Town Square Las Vegas, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas. 702-269-5000. mytownsquarelasvegas.com Las Vegas 5K. 7 a.m., $35. Town Square Las Vegas, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas. 702269-5000. mytownsquarelasvegas.com Snow Patrol. 9 p.m., $35, 18+. Boulevard Pool at Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd.

S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7910. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com Earl Turner. Through May 13, 7:30 p.m., $15.95. Suncoast Hotel & Casino, 9090 Alta Drive, Las Vegas. 702-636-7075. suncoastcasino.com

CSN Big Bands. 7:30 p.m., $5-$8. College of Southern Nevada Cheyenne Campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-6515483. csn.edu

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hookahlounge.com paymons.com 702.731.6030 4147 S. Maryland Pkwy.

702.804.0293 8380 W. Sahara Ave. 16

Vegas Uncork’d. Through May 13, $75$200, 21+. For more information, visit vegasuncorked.com Hadassah New Members Wine & Cheese. 7-9 p.m. Home of Sherin Garber, 9829 Kernville Drive, Las Vegas. 702-2211370. sheringarber@cox.net CSN Spring Choral Concert. 7:30 p.m., $5-$8. College of Southern Nevada Cheyenne Campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-651-5483. csn.edu

Jane Monheit

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MaryPoppins

Country in the Park - outdoor country concert and festival.

2-7:30 p.m., free. Exploration Peak Park at Mountains Edge, 9700 South Buffalo Drive, Las Vegas. For more information, visit mountainsedge.com Saturday Movie Matinee: War Horse.

2 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org

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Lily Tomlin. 2 p.m., $29-$89. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas.

702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

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Buddy Guy with Quinn Sullivan. 8 p.m., $26-$79. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com Girls Day to benefit Boys & Girls Club of Las Vegas. 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., $50.

Lied Memorial Boys & Girls Club, 2850 S. Lindell Road, Las Vegas. 702-367-2582. bgclv.org

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PSY by Seven Fingers. Through May 16, 7:30 p.m., $24-$59. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-7492012. thesmithcenter.com Cleveland Clinic Art Lectures: Gods and Heroes of Greece and Rome. 11 a.m., free. Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, 888 W. Bonneville Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-483-6023. keepmemoryalive. org

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Botox® and filler treatment Wrinkle Reduction Laser Resurfacing Ear Lobe Repair Laser Hair Removal Chemical Peels Microdermabrasion Dermaplaning Skin Care Products Medical Spa Services Complimentary Cosmetic Consultations 653 N. Town Center Dr., #410 Las Vegas, NV 89144

(702) 456-3120

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Las Vegas Rotary Club 10th Annual Golf Tournament. 1-9 p.m., $50-$650.

Badlands Golf Club, 9119 Alta Drive, Las Vegas. 702-878-2800. lasvegasrotary.com Jane Monheit. Through May 19, 8 & 10 p.m., $35-$45. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

Dr. H.L. Greenberg, Dermatologist

Walk In Your Party Dress. 9 a.m., $25.

Town Square Las Vegas, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas. 702-269-5000. mytownsquarelasvegas.com

www.lasvegasdermatology.com

The Dairy of Anne Frank

Medical Grade Laser Tattoo Removal MAY 2012 DAVID LV Derm 05_2012.indd 1

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Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-691-5861. adventuredome.com/gradblast

Candlelighting

BARBARA COOK. Through May 27, 3 & 8 p.m., $40-$70. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

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Light candles at 7:13 p.m.

BILL COSBY. 8 p.m., $59. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-8947722. treasureisland.com

SAT., MAY 5, IYAR 13 Shabbat ends 8:14 p.m.

AIR SUPPLY. Through May 27, 8 p.m., $39.95.

The Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-365-7075. orleanscasino.com

SUN., MAY 6, IYAR 14 Pesach Sheni

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THURS., MAY 10, IYAR 18 Lag B’Omer

FRI., MAY 11, IYAR 19 Light candles at 7:19 p.m.

SAT., MAY 12, IYAR 20 Shabbat ends 8:21 p.m.

FRI., MAY 18, IYAR 26

Light candles at 7:25 p.m.

SAT., MAY 19, IYAR 27 Blessing of the New Month Shabbat ends 8:27 p.m.

TUES., MAY 22, SIVAN 1 Rosh Chodesh Sivan

FRI., MAY 25, SIVAN 4 Light candles at 7:30 p.m.

SAT., MAY 26, SIVAN 5 Shabbat ends 8:33 p.m.

SUN., MAY 27, SIVAN 6 Shavuot Light candles at 8:34 p.m.

MON., MAY 28, SIVAN 7 Shavuot Yom Tov ends at 8:35 p.m.

Bill Cosby

NEVADA PRIDE IN THE SADDLE: THE SATURDAY MOVIE MATINEE: GIRL WITH STORY OF GAY RODEO. 6 p.m., free. Clark THE DRAGON TATTOO. 2 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org County Library, 1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org

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AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY COACHES VS. CANCER. Through May 22, times & locations vary, $100. For more information, visit coachesvscancerlasvegas.com.

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK. 2 & 5 p.m., $27-$37. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com UNLV JAZZ CONCERT SERIES: BONUS CONCERT. 2 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702507-3459. lvccld.org YOM YERUSHALAYIM. 3-5 p.m., free.

Midbar Kodesh Temple, 1940 Paseo Verde Parkway, Henderson. 702-454-4848. midbarkodesh.org CSN PIANO FESTIVAL FINALE. 2 p.m., $5$8. College of Southern Nevada Cheyenne Campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-651-5483. csn.edu

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MARY POPPINS. Through May 27, times vary, $24-$129. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

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GRADBLAST 2012. 7 p.m.-2 a.m., $49.95.

Adventuredome at Circus Circus, 2880 Las

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YOUNG THE GIANT. 9 p.m., $22.50, 18+.

Boulevard Pool at Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7910. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

TOM DREESEN. Through May 27, 7:30 p.m., $15.95. Suncoast Hotel & Casino, 9090 Alta Drive, Las Vegas. 702-636-7075. suncoastcasino.com

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CHILDISH GAMBINO. 9 p.m., $30, 18+. Boulevard Pool at Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7910. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com BEACH BOYS. 8 p.m., $29-$125, all ages.

Aliante Hotel & Casino, 7300 Aliante Parkway, North Las Vegas. 702-527-2951. aliantecasinohotel.com

TAIKO DRUM SPECTACULAR. 2 p.m., free.

Clark County Library, 1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org

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THE LAS VEGAS CONTEMPORARY DANCE THEATER FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY CONCERT. 7:30 p.m., $27-$65. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas. 702-7492012. thesmithcenter.com

To submit your event information, email calendar@davidlv.com by the 15th of the month prior to the month in which the event is being held.

DAVID IYAR/SIVAN 5772

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devour China Poblano Know how your mother is always telling you to eat your vegetables?

China Poblano’s Shirley Chung does, which is why she makes it easy with her Twenty-Vegetable Fried Rice. Get your USDA recommended daily allowance of veggies in one dish – with 20 to choose from there’s something for everyone. Jicama! Brussels sprouts! Chayote! With a dish this good, you can make Mom proud while enjoying a hidden gem. China Poblano’s, 3708 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, (702)698-7900. chinapoblano.com

Carlos ’n Charlie’s Late April marked the opening of the first West Coast location of Carlos ’n Charlie’s – a Mexican-based chain with fiesta on its mind.

You should go for the unique vibe – see what happens when the Chariots of Fire theme song plays – but you’d be remiss to overlook the menu. They offer typical Mexican fare –their tableside guacamole is muy delicioso – with the surprising addition of barbeque. Ándale! Carlos ’n Charlie’s, 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, (702) 522-9254. carlosandcharlies.com/vegas

Kabuki Japanese Restaurant @ Tivoli With a thriving Town Square location, Kabuki Japanese Restaurant has recently expanded to the northwest. Offering fresh ingredients and traditional Japanese fare, this restaurant has something for everyone, even those who might be making their first foray into food from the exotic Orient. Touting Japanese food as the new comfort food, Kabuki guarantees you’ll be hooked after one visit, even if you’ve never tried sushi. Kabuki offers seafood, meat, and vegetarian dishes, along with sushi and sashimi. They also offer happy hour specials during the week and membership in the Red Mask Club, which earns you gift certificates and treats on your birthday – just ask your server for a card and register it on their website. Kabuki Japanese Restaurant, 400 S. Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-685-7776. kabukirestaurants.com MAY 2012 DAVID

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desire

May Chunky, geometric and bold, Marni at H&M dares you to show off your playful energy with this wide, elastic bracelet in kiwi and tangerine hues. $19.95.

H&M at Forum Shops at Caesars, 3500 Las Vegas Blvd.

S., Las Vegas. 702-207-0167.

You’ll be wearing these sleek patent leather wedges with multi-striped stacked heel alongside a slouchy knit tank for resort weather style, $328.

Kate Spade at Forum Shops at Caesars, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd.

South, Las Vegas. 702-413-7884.

Ted Baker’s chic and delightfully simple striped beach kaftan features a deep v-neck front, capestyle sleeves and sheer finish. $145. Ted Baker at Forum Shops at Caesars, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas 702-369-4755.

From outdoor famer’s markets to day trips, the Michael Kors Hamilton straw tote is a roomy and stylish addition to your wardrobe. $328. Michael Kors at Fashion Show, 3200 Las Vegas Blvd S., Las Vegas. 702-369-3900.

Even on the warmest days, this lovely two-tone toyo straw hat will keep you cool with its open weave at the crown, $78.

Tommy Bahama at Town Square Las Vegas, 6635 S. Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-948-8006.

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The bubble gum pink “tutu” flip flops, embellished with rhinestones and a sweet bow, are the perfect everyday summer favorite, $35. Guess at Town Square, 6605 Las Vegas Boulevard S., Las Vegas. 702-269-5000.

Elegant, museum-inspired earrings make it easy to look your best, with charms made of dazzling rubies and gold, $88. Tommy Bahama at Town Square Las Vegas, 6635 S. Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-948-8006.

Alex and Ani’s signature expandable bangles come in charmed and embellished designs to create your very own personalized collection, starting at $24. Square Salon, 1225 S. Fort Apache Rd. #160, Las Vegas, (702) 255-7050.

Bloom into the season with the purity of dancing white white florals with this necklace by Marni for H&M, $39.95. H&M at Forum Shops at Caesars, 3500 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-207-0167.

MAY 2012 DAVID

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discover National Atomic Testing Museum

Las Vegas is not the desination when looking for museums and definitely not when researching atomic testing. The National Atomic Testing Museum, in partnership with The Smithsonian Institution, is changing that. Located on the campus of the Desert Research Institute, the museum features a number of permanent and rotating exhibits designed to teach locals and tourists about Nevada’s history with atomic testing and the atomic bomb. The museum’s exhibits are designed for all ages and interest levels. The Area51 exhibit recently opened at the museum and provides insight into the urban myths surrounding the existance of the site. Visitors are left to decide for themselves whether or not they believe in aliens. The National Atomic Testing Museum, 755 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas.

Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 12-5 p.m. $11-$14. 702-794-5151. nationalatomictestingmuseum.org

Symphony Park @ The Smith Center

Geri Kodey

Located downtown, near The Smith Center and the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, resides Symphony Park. Its design focuses on community and sustainability. To that end, it achieved gold certification stage 2 status through the LEED-ND program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development) and is working hard to get an even higher cetification. Beyond that, Symphony Park is scheduled to stages unique art events. The St. Jude Hearts, created by a number of local artists, have recently been put on display. Another fixture of the park is the sculptural translation of Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man,” done by Tim Bavington. Made of steel pipe and automotive paint, the sculpture is 80 feet long, with the tallest pipe standing 26 feet from the base. The height is designed to mark the dynamics of the music, beginning in forte and ending in forte fortissimo, while the width is designed to mark the duration of the musical notes. Symphony Park, West Bonneville Avenue and South Grand Central Parkway, Las Vegas. symphonypark.com

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure The Komen Southern Nevada Race for the Cure was conceived in 1996 and has grown every year since than. This year’s race promises to be bigger and better than ever, with more than 15,000 people running and walking through downtown Las Vegas to raise money for the research and treatment of breast cancer. Any donations made to the local chapter of the race are split between the community (75%) and the national chapter (25%). Over the last 17 years, the local chapter has raised over $5 million toward research and treatment. There’s still time to register for this year’s race, taking place on May 5 at Fremont Street Experience. Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Fremont Street Experience, 425 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. For more information and to register, visit komensouthernnevada.org/komen-race-for-the-cure 22

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(left to right)Tanya Amid, Myron Martin, Jennifer Main, Dorit Schwartz

ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL, UNVEILING OF THE HEART SCULPTURES Symphony Park @ The Smith Center Friday, March 30 Photographs by Marc Frye, www.marcfrye.com

Representative from Congressman Joe Heck’s office presenting the Congressional Recognition award to St. Jude Regional Director, Kathleen Talbot

(left to right)Niki J Sands, Dorit Schwartz, Jennifer Seda, Jennifer Lier, Tanya Amid, Debora Ashton-Cooke and Michelle Perlmutter

Jennifer Main’s Heart Sculpture. Steps of Faith

Artist, Jennifer Main

Deborah Ashton-Cooke and Artist Martin Kreloff with Kreloff’s heart. Home Is Where The ART Is

Symphony Park at The Smith Center where the 2012 St. Jude Heart Sculptures are displayed until May 7th. This is the only time all 11 hearts will be in one place at the same time.

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The Smith Center President, Myron Martin

DAVID IYAR/SIVAN 5772

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cosmopolitanconnections.com HOSTED BY YVETTE BROWN

Roumor, Las Vegas

Wednesday, April 18

Photographs by Roger Bennett rogerbennettphotography.com

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DAVID IYAR/SIVAN 5772

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speak

The Lost Tribe Corey Levitan searches for long-missing family member

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T

he list of productive things I do for my wife is not long. I leave dishes in the sink and laundry in the basket. I often pretend not to notice our baby daughter crying or the Diaper Genie overflowing. But if I could find her long-lost father, that’s one thing she would always have to credit me for.

Since the 19th century, people have practiced genealogy to complete family trees, practice religious rites and confirm royal bloodlines. An entire cottage industry has arisen – as portrayed in the brilliant 2005 movie Everything is Illuminated – from Jews tracing the grisly last days of ancestors the Holocaust claimed.

Jo Ann already knew that her father was dead. She remembered a phone call her mom got when Jo Ann was 8. She recalled the sobbing afterward. It was not until Jo Ann was 18 that she was told the truth about the family friend she had been instructed to identify to her grandparents only as “company.”

In 1974, Jo Ann’s mom was married to the man Jo Ann was led to believe had sired her. This man was seeing an AA counselor. Turns out, Jo Ann’s mom was seeing the same AA counselor – in a different way. After divorcing her husband, Jo Ann’s mom moved from her native California to Hawaii – under the guise of landing a job – so she could hide the illegitimate pregnancy from her traditionalist parents.

Before the Internet, genealogy was a slow and expensive process fraught with red herrings. When she was 19, Jo Ann hired a private investigator to track down her father. Based on a William Butler who died around age 50 in Alameda County, Calif., in the early ’80s, she was told that the most likely candidate was African-American.

Not so, Jo Ann’s mom informed her $500 later.

Enter Sherlock Levitan. Why not? After my layoff, free time was no longer in short supply. My Dr. Watson was Ancestry.com. For a $59 semiannual membership, I discovered – in addition to the ship manifest listing my paternal grandfather’s voyage from Lithuania to Ellis Island in 1911, and a census record listing my maternal grandfather as a 20-year-old Brooklynite – that literally hundreds of thousands of dead people are named William Butler.

A month of emails volleyed back and forth with Jo Ann’s mom, who lives in Sacramento: birth certificates, yearbook photos tax assessor records. “Is it THIS William Butler?/Afraid not.”

Finally came the email subject I awaited: “That’s him!” She recognized the address on a voter registration card as one of his last apartments.

From there, his Social Security number was easy. (Numbers belonging to the dead are made public to prevent scammers from using them.) Then I paid the $18 to request the death certificate from Alameda County. If we were really lucky, it would contain useable contact information for the next of kin and Jo Ann – the only child of a mother who was an only child – would discover her first known living blood relatives.

Six weeks later, the letter arrived. I tore it open like Snooki with a McDonald’s bag. It read: “After thoroughly researching your request, we have determined that no one by the name of William Butler died in October 1983 in Alameda County.”

I phoned the woman who signed it, pleading my case – about how close Jo Ann had finally come to an answer, about the dishes and the laundry and the Diaper Genie. Although it wasn’t her job – and, in fact, could have jeopardized it – the woman suggested I try the neighboring county. I lived in California for 11 years and never even heard of Butte. (I know, because if I had, I would have laughed like Beavis.) But maybe the woman had access to information she couldn’t share. Maybe Jo Ann’s mom was wrong about the location of her paramour’s final breaths.

The next letter came in a thicker envelope, and I doubt that I will ever again be so happy to see a death certificate. The father-in-law I MAY 2012 DAVID

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will never know was raised on Long Island, just like me. Strangely, he was buried in the very cemetery in which I stood in 1991, while walking off a hangover during a visit to a friend’s share house in Westhampton. (I remember a strong déjà vu at the time, as though someone important to me was buried there.)

Amazingly, William’s next of kin, a sister, still lived at the same Connecticut address and had the same phone number as listed on the certificate. Jo Ann was too emotionally frayed to make contact, so I did.

Mary, 75, didn’t answer the phone or return my voicemail. But Ancestry.com revealed the identity of her son. Michael was polite but tentative when I called. His mom was on a cruise. They would chat when she returned. But he was not aware that Uncle Billy had any children.

Jo Ann couldn’t stand it. What if her existence was never revealed to Mary? We would sound like grifters seeking inheritance or a loan.

Once Jo Ann’s mom moved back to California, William Butler made several attempts to be part of his daughter’s life. The one bell-clear memory my wife has was formed one night in her mom’s living room.

Too much fun was had by them to be interrupted. She couldn’t go to bed because she was reading, she told him. When he pointed out that the “TV Guide” was upside-down, Jo Ann remembers, “We laughed and laughed.”

Yet, for some reason we’ll never know, being a father just didn’t feel right to William. So Jo Ann’s mom accepted a receptionist job requiring her to move out of town. Then William was diagnosed with lung cancer.

Michael called us back a week later. He welcomed Jo Ann to the family and informed her, for the first time, that she is half-Irish.

(Her mom’s Italian.) Although Mary never told her family, William did share his secret with her. Jo Ann beamed for weeks, showering me with kisses and get-out-of-dishwashing-free passes.

The transformation of 10 complete strangers into close relatives

was a little overwhelming. And although the conversation was pleasant at the reunion in Connecticut (or, more accurately: the union), the tension was thick. My daughter’s grandfather, it turns out, was not remembered only with fondness. Besides the commonness of his name, there was another reason he was so difficult for me to track: For most of his adult life, he slept on the streets of Oakland, Calif.

After a neighbor slipped him alcohol at age 10 to liven up a party, William succumbed slowly but steadily to its grim power. Back then, before alcoholism was a disease, they called people like him “bums.” And William was a mean one. “He would say horrible, hurtful things to you when he was drunk,” Mary recalled, “which was most of the time.”

William spent the last decade of his life sober and – as per his AA program – trying to make amends with the loved ones he devastated. The trip he took back East, seven years before his death, is the only memory Michael and the older cousins have of him. It was a valiant effort but, as Pat Benatar sang around that time, “a little too little a little too late.” And I’m sure the news of her love niece did not strike Mary as the act of a man cured of all irresponsibility.

(Nevertheless, telling her proved to be a mitzvah. If a stranger called you claiming to be a relative you never heard of, based on some facts he could have uncovered online, would YOU believe him?)

Just before we ended our visit to catch a Metro North train back to Manhattan, coffee was served with two lumps of brutal honesty.

Finally, all tension vanished. Severing someone afflicted with alcoholism from your life – after you try everything within reason to help them – is the only way to remain completely unafflicted yourself. We all agreed on that. Jo Ann, therefore, understood why her dad was not a popular dinner-conversation topic, and why she was never even mentioned by Mary – much less sought out. (Her biggest wish for our

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Jo Ann and Skylar Levitan with William Butler’s sister Mary.

daughter is a happy life free of addiction and its drama.)

Often, bad things bring good people together. And as I stared at Mary, noting her resemblance to the woman I love, I noticed her staring at Jo Ann the same way.

William, it seemed, was finally receiving some of the forgiveness he sought.

— Corey Levitan

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Get Your Sheitel On Wearing Wigs as an Act of Public Modesty

I

t’s happened. Jewish women freaking out ... scared senseless at the thought of compulsory head covering just because they’re getting married to an Orthodox man; or they’re already married but becoming more observant and thus are obligated suddenly to don uncomfortable headgear, never to show their lovely silken locks in public again.

Who wouldn’t be wigged out by such a hair-raising religious edict? Imagine, women mortified by the dubious options confronting their future ... sheitel (wig) or tichel (scarf)? snood (hair net) or pre-tied (scarf with bow)? Band fall (long hair fastened by a head band) or hat fall (long hair fastened by a hat)? Mitpachat (bandanna) or beret? Faced with such seemingly unreasonable and unpalatable decisions, what’s a nice Jewish girl to do – when all she did was say yes to the man she loves?

Jewish women who observe this halacha (Jewish law) likely will find the above to be a harsh characterization of a beautiful tradition they not only embrace, but willingly give themselves to in the name of holy matrimony. To the rest, it’s a primitive constraint men designed to inhibit a woman’s freedom in the world. After all, it’s been a long way, Baby, and we haven’t come this far to end up wearing the equivalent of a babushka to please a man.

But before we step into the ring to slug this one out, two such disparate views deserve reconciliation. No need to be wigged out over wigs.

It begins with the concept of tznius (tznee-US), Hebrew for modesty, privacy and humility as defined in the Talmud (the Book of Jewish Law given to Moses at Mount Sinai). Tznius sees its greatest influence in Orthodox Judaism, and refers to

modesty and discretion in one’s dress and demeanor. The guiding principle of tznius is that a Jew should not dress in a way that attracts attention.

From here we segue to those controversial head coverings, in particular the sheitel (SHAY-tuhl), Yiddish for wig, and most probably derived from the German word scheitel (SHY-tuhl), meaning skull. The Talmud states that it is a biblical requirement for married Jewish women to cover their hair as a part of their requirement to be tznius.

Yona Lazarus is a Chabad Rebbetzin, who belongs to Chabad of Summerlin and teaches at The Florence Melton Adult Mini School at the Las Vegas JCC. She explained that the law to cover one’s hair is Rabbinic and not explicitly stated in the Torah. A passage regarding the incident of the sotah (adulterer) tells us that her head is to be uncovered in shame. From this our Sages inferred that married Jewish women normally covered their hair.

“Herein lies the basic difference between Orthodoxy and the other denominations.

Orthodoxy follows G-d’s literal oral and written words to interpret and apply the commandments. The other denominations, to varying degrees, alter and adapt the laws to accommodate changing circumstances over the millennium,” Lazarus said.

Before the skeptics among you get even more riled up, renowned Jewish educator and speaker Rebbetzin Feige Twersky of Milwaukee beautifully relates that when a married woman is tznius, her speech, dress and manner convey to her and others that “I need to be attractive but not attracting.”

“Observant women who are tuned in to this mitzvah (commandment) find that it serves as a powerful medium to raise their

awareness to be inner directed rather than externally influenced,” she said. “When she leaves the confines of her home for matrimony, her hair, her crowning beauty, is kept private to show that this is for her husband’s eyes only.”

Lazarus added that a “woman’s hair is a sensual part of her nakedness that belongs to her husband alone.” By covering her hair, the married woman makes the statement, “I am not available. You can see me but I am not open to you. My hair, the most visible part of me, is not for your eyes.”

Wow! How romantic is that? Let’s be honest, regardless of whether one wants to partake in this act of privacy and exclusivity, surely the conversation has evolved from the earlier perception of constraints to a woman’s freedom.

The number one question that Lazarus gets regarding her sheitel implies a hypocrisy. If the intention is to ward off the advances from other men, why do women wear sheitels that often look real and better than their own hair?

“From the Jewish perspective, modesty has nothing to do with being unattractive.

The sheitel is not intended to make a married woman look ugly. Beauty is a divine gift. Jewish tradition encourages modesty, not to detract from a woman’s beauty but to save it for where it belongs – within the marriage,” Lazarus said.

Sheitels are becoming increasingly popular as the Orthodox movement grows and more women are available for their husband’s eyes only. In short, the sheitel business is booming. Chani Wuensch is a sheitel macher, or wig expert, with showrooms in Los Angeles and Burbank, where the market for sheitels is huge. Wuensch is skilled in the craft of fitting, customizing, cutting, MAY 2012 DAVID

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styling, cleaning and reviving sheitels. She spent six months training with a wig company that caters to the Orthodox Jewish www.uncoverdiscovercoaching.com market. Her sheitels are certified kosher, meaning they’re made of real, untreated uncover05_2012.indd 1 4/16/12 4:18 PM hair from companies that are considered the gold standard by wearers. “And we don’t use hair from countries where the hair was taken in an idolatrous ceremony, like in India’s Hindu temples.” She also offers private fitting rooms so women will be comfortable changing and trying on hairstyles in tznius.

Wuensch’s sheitels range from $1,300 to nearly $3,000. There are everyday sheitels, fancy party sheitels, even workout sheitels (think ponytail). For a new sheitel, clients seek Wuensch out just before marriage and “We go the extra mile often before major Jewish holidays. “I also for a better cleaning” cater to clients from around the country,” Wuensch said. “Cost is determined by tion n e length, and whether the hair is machineM nd FREE WINDOWS ad a .00 sewn in wefts directly onto a cap, or handthis 20 ve $ CARPET CLEANING recei count sewn, hair by hair, onto a double cap. With dis careful upkeep, a sheitel will last three to AFFORDABLE PRICES five years.” Clients who can afford it own three or more.

For those who can’t, the Chassidic comCALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATES munity collects and sells used sheitels. Lice and germs are not a problem. The sheitels are “washed and blown dry to kill any bug, LIC# M01-09616-4-14154 plus lice can’t live on a wig. They need a live scalp to survive,” said Elana Kornfeld, who helps her sister in the business.

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Italia has added Wig Leasing to its retail business. “Instead of spending a fortune upfront, a woman can pick up a sheitel through our leasing method and enjoy different designs and full service for a monthly fee of 270 shekels or about $75,” said marketing manager Iris Elkayam. “After a while, she may decide to buy that particular wig or use the same method on a different one.”

With sheitels on the rise in Orthodox communities everywhere, blogging advice has cropped up all over the Internet: Smartcookie to Skyscraper: Whatever you are willing to spend is not what’s important. Make sure your husband to be likes whatever style you will buy because he is likely paying for it, and even if he isn’t, he will have to look at you wearing it every day so make sure he likes it.

Lovin’ Felling to Alliegirl: I’m having sheitel style anxiety. I feel a crushing anxiety that I shouldn’t mess up the coiffure, that it should stay PERFECT. And I feel this every time I get my sheitel done. It’s aggravating. Help!

Sweetdreams to Powerplay: I’m so lovin my new sheitel! I don’t have to try hard to look nice. I can just put one on and BAM! I don’t have to use my hairdryer and flat iron anymore except to groom my pooch!

Instant polish and coif. I cannot overstate how awesome that is!!!!!

— Lynn Wexler-Margolies

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taste

From the Bakers’ Oven This Henderson eatery kicks it up a Notch

Pretzel Bread

T

his is a tale of two articles – the first, written four months ago, found a media darling that I thought wasn’t yet ready for primetime. The second reflects upon a recent visit and how the restaurant has found its footing.

In late 2011, when initially writing about Bread & Butter in Henderson, I noted how a restaurant can gain momentum in a small media town such as ours. One food writer homes in on a place and 36

others follow en masse, compelled by the modern-day Pied Piper.

The same goes for modern media review sites such as Yelp, where multiple good early reviews can drive traffic.

I broke my own rule of giving restaurants time to find their standing and rushed over to visit Bread & Butter, one of those places where you stand in line to pay, get a number and seat yourself.

After a few visits, I was frustrated to find it didn’t live up to its early

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Bagel and Lox

accolades. I also was mystified to not find an open table – inside or outside.

Trust me, I wanted to love Bread & Butter. All my friends loved – and continue to love – Bread & Butter, particularly those in the food industry, whose opinions (and more importantly palates) I trust.

Chris Herrin, formerly of Venetian’s Bouchon, is a talented chef and a genuinely nice guy. His initial off-Strip foray with Bread & Butter is a continuation of a trend I love – the migration of Strip chefs to strip malls. It started more than a decade ago by chef Michael Jordan with Rosemary’s and continues today with the migration of Sheridan Su to the Great Bao and Chris Palmeri to Naked City Pizza Shop, with a myriad of talented chefs in between.

At the time, I found Bread & Butter to be a case of the sum of the parts being less than the whole. Certain aspects of the dishes were wonderful. All in all, it was just not what I had expected, given the hype.

The pastrami sandwich was a perfect example: The pastrami itself was probably not as spicy as you’d find in other restaurants around town, but it was tasty. The problem was the artisan bread overwhelmed the meat. I understand this isn’t Carnegie Deli, where it’s all about the filling. Here, a slight helping of pastrami amid a giant rye bread roll was a challenge for this reviewer.

The breakfast pizza had ample helpings of scrambled eggs and mozzarella cheese atop a crust adorned with potato slices, caramelized onions and green peppers. The flavors are robust and the meal is hearty, but for those used to hand-held New York style pizza this is strictly knife and fork territory.

The pretzel bread was immaculate – I’m not certain I’ve ever had a better rendition and it’s undoubtedly the Valley’s best. The aforementioned rye bread was a trifle dry.

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Turkey Sandwich

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Herrin’s Nutella banana nut muffin was excellent; the holy trinity of hazelnut, chocolate and bananas were combined wonderfully.

On the other hand, an enticing cinnamon roll that delivered a wonderfully sweet frosting was a tad dry.

For full disclosure, this food writer is not a member of the tribe and restricted by Jewish dietary laws. I, however, attempt to bear members in mind when reviewing for DAVID. Occasionally, I am tripped up by a dish, which I know would not fly with the publisher’s rabbi. In this case it was the ham sandwich. While the sandwich meat could’ve been more plentiful, once again the pretzel bread was an epiphany. Slathered in a house-made mustard butter serving as a perfect complement to the meat, this is one dish I would cross town for without hesitation. It’s that good; take it from this goy.

Another noteworthy offering is Herrin’s rotation of the daily soups; during one of my visits it was a cream of cauliflower, with resounding vegetable flavor. While the dish overall was slightly under-spiced, the consistency was hearty and the croutons were very good. Herrin’s soups are worth checking out.

An unanticipated highlight of Bread & Butter is its almost overwhelming selection of root beers from throughout the country – close to 40 at any time. If you’re looking for a nostalgic drink from your youth, check out this panoply of dark delights. Upon our first visit my wife found a Dog N Suds root beer, reminding her of past visits to her grandmother’s house. The once-burgeoning chain, known for drive-in dining similar to A&W, still has limited locations in the Midwest.

The second visit to Bread & Butter occurred recently, where I found a restaurant that appears to be more comfortable in its skin.

I’ve also had the opportunity to try Herrin’s bagels at the Fresh 52

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Farmer’s Market, and they’re certainly tasty.

In the restaurant, a smoked salmon breakfast sandwich on a jalapeño and cheddar bagel did not disappoint, with ample amounts of lox and cream cheese balancing the airy bagel. For the non-Jewish reader, both the muffaletta sandwich – massed with ham, capicola, salami, mortadella, provolone, mozzarella, swiss AND fontina – and the waffle sandwich – fashioned with cheddar, ham, scrambled eggs and rosemary béchamel – are worth falling off the wagon.

During all visits, the staff has been consistently genial and friendly, and the room’s moderate décor is inviting. It’s a very comfortable restaurant (Herrin made some of the decorations himself and populated the shelves with cookbooks from his own collection), and I can understand why denizens of nearby Anthem have adopted it as their new home away from home.

I am glad that I persevered with Bread & Butter; it is worth keeping an eye on. While I may not be entirely ready to join the masses in heaping on unadulterated praise, I’m certainly starting to believe.

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think INSIDE A Woman’s Issue @ 42 A Distinct Vision @ 46 A Vegas Mother’s Day @ 52

Jenifer Henry’s cellophane couture is a must wear at any Lady Gaga concert. This polkadot outfit gift wraps model Alexandria Finley with whimsy and delight. The photograph was taken at Marty Walsh’s Trifecta Gallery.

107 E.Charleston Blvd. #135 Las Vegas.

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A Women’s Issue The War of Words in a Heated Political Year

By Pat Teague

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he U.S. economy, a continuing boon to some but a bane to the jobless, underemployed and prematurely “retired,” would seem a likely candidate for discourse in this political season.

But, as topics go, the jobs quest, growing economic inequity, the stifled housing market all seem to have been relegated to a lower tier than what some are calling The War on Women.

Who started this supposed conflict? Is it all political theater to distract voters from harder-to-solve issues?

Democrats claim Republicans launched the first strike more than a year ago, with a series of proposals and objectives that target women and reanimate arguments (including whether to provide abortions and birth control devices) that were thought to have been resolved long ago.

By the left’s reckoning, the GOP’s putative War on Women involves defunding organizations like Planned Parenthood, and – in the case of a proposed South Dakota law – even sanctioning the “justifiable homicide” of anyone who seeks to harm a fetus. The left also claims the far right would let women die in the emergency room rather than receive an abortion if a Republican-sponsored bill in Congress passes.

The reality is that such dire federal and state proposals often are usually symbolic, aimed at stirring the passions of a political base, with slight chance of becoming law or surviving judicial scrutiny if they did.

But, in a few cases, laws some claim are anti-women have gained purchase. Virginia, for example, recently became the seventh U.S. state to require ultrasounds for women who want to abort. Proponents called it “the gold standard” for medical care in such cases; opponents said it was clearly aimed at coercing a psychologically vulnerable woman into changing her mind about aborting. Some states require that a woman contemplating abortion be given an “opportunity” to see the ultrasound image.

Others on the left cite so-called personhood bills or initiatives (there is one in Nevada) that would redefine life as beginning at the moment of fertilization; arguably, that would make abortion and some birth control methods legally tantamount to murder, and could dissuade clinicians from performing in vitro fertilizations sure to result in some embryos being destroyed.

Opponents of the laws claim the true intent is to provoke a challenge to Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 landmark ruling that legalized abortions below the “viability” threshold.

Republican leaders insist the real culprit in the The War on Women is the Obama administration. They say it has been ineffective in righting the nation’s economic ship since taking the helm in January 2009. Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, trailing the incumbent with prospective female voters, has said that 92 percent of the jobs lost on Barack Obama’s watch have been women’s, a figure that others question.

In Las Vegas, the idea of a GOP War on Women resonates with Annette Magnus of Planned Parenthood.

“We’ve been experiencing this over the past year or so,” she says. “We’ve seen a large uptick in the number of (political) attacks happening, specifically to Planned Parenthood, and then more generally on women’s reproductive health care … There is MAY 2012 DAVID

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a war going on, and it’s directly aimed at women’s reproductive health care.”

Magnus believes the focus of the political debate “should actually be on jobs and the economy, things that Americans really care about. But the focus has shifted … (to) women’s reproductive health care. This is 2012. We should be allowing women to have access to reproductive health care without barriers … and it’s unfortunate that in today’s day and age that we’re not doing that.”

Nationwide, she said, Planned Parenthood sees one in five U.S. women during their lifetimes. “And if we were to shut down, or if we were to lose our Title X funding at our Flamingo and Pecos clinic … which allows us to see people for preventive services, on a sliding fee scale based on their income, that would have a huge impact on the clients we see every day.

“Millions of women, and men for that matter, would go without their health care. And, to me, reproductive health care is basic health care, things like birth control and Pap smears and breast exams, which is 97 percent of what Planned Parenthood does.”

Essentially, Magnus says, “We just want people to be able to have access to basic health care. We just want to make sure that our doors remain open … so that the people we see every day in our health centers, and our three health centers here in Las Vegas, have access to that reproductive health care that they need.

“I’m telling you right now, in this economy more and more people are coming to us who used us in college and now don’t have insurance and have no place else to go. And not only are we providing reproductive health care to them, a lot of times we are the only doctor that they see because they have no other place to go.”

She cited a range of Planned Parenthood services, including some for men.

“Basic things like Pap smears, breast exams, the HPV vaccine. We also do midwife services for older women … we do STD testing and treatment for men and women, testicular screenings. We also do basic things like diabetes checks and cholesterol checks, a lot of just 44

general and basic health care. We also offer education courses for parents and young people … whoever comes to our door … just general reproductive health care. We offer all options of birth control: the pill, the patch, the ring, the shot, the diaphragm.

You name it and we kind of do it.”

Of course, anti-abortion advocates see Planned Parenthood as a mortal enemy, one that also facilitates the termination of some pregnancies. In their view, Planned Parenthood’s funding should be terminated.

When staunch Catholic Rick Santorum was still in the race for the GOP presidential nomination, contraception also became a hot button issue again.

The word contraception comes from contra, for “against,” and conception. It is distinguished from contragestion, which means to prevent the implantation of a blastocyst, and from abortion, which involves removing or expelling a fetus or embryo from the uterus.

In our modern world, contraception includes so-called barrier methods, including condoms and diaphragms, along with hormonal (oral) and injectable contraceptives. Contragestives are post-coital controls, including intrauterine devices and the morning-after pill.

Trying to avoid pregnancy isn’t new. The earliest birth control document found dates back nearly 4,000 years, to roughly 1850 BCE. It describes the use of acacia gum, crocodile dung and a paste of honey and sodium carbonate as pessaries. In ancient Egypt, some women breast fed for up to three years in their efforts to stymy another birth.

Religions have various takes on the ethics of contraception.

Officially, the Roman Catholic Church accepts Natural Family Planning only. Even so, millions of Catholics employ modern birth control methods.

In a recent letter, the Nevada Catholic Conference weighed in on an executive branch directive, insisting it puts the church in an untenable position.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ: Religious liberty is one of the freedoms we cherish as Americans.

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution states that government shall not make any law prohibiting the free exercise of religion. We, the bishops of Nevada, bring to your attention a recent, alarming matter that seriously infringes on this freedom.

On January 20, 2012, the United States Department of Health and Human Services issued a new federal mandate requiring virtually all employers, including faith-based institutions, to provide insurance coverage for abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization and contraceptives. There is an exemption for churches but so narrowly framed that almost all Catholic institutions will have to pay for the coverage. The exemption applies, for all practical purposes, only if our schools, hospitals and charitable agencies hire only Catholics

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and serve only Catholics. As you well know, many of our institutions serve nonCatholics. For example, Catholic Charities here in our state and throughout the nation provide food, shelter and other essential services for millions of people who are not Catholic.

The issue comes down to this: Through this new regulation the federal government requires the Catholic Church to spend its money in a way that forces it to violate its religious principles. In effect, it restricts our free exercise of religion.

What are the effects of this regulation?

First to abide by the law would lead us to violate our moral teachings. To ignore the law would place us in violation of this federal regulation and make us subject to fines or other consequences. To act within the narrow religious exemption would remove us from our mission to serve people who are in need and count on the social safety net we provide. None of these is acceptable for people of faith in a nation that has freedom as the hallmark of its identity. Where else will this regulation lead?

The letter, urging Catholics to contact their elected representatives to express opposition to the HHS directive, is signed by bishops Joseph Pepe of Las Vegas and Randolph Calvo of Reno.

Yuval Levin, editor of National Affairs, was a White House domestic policy staffer under former President George W. Bush.

In a recent article, he too criticized the Obama administration for its “assault on religious liberty,” saying religious voters have a right to feel betrayed, particularly Catholics.

“The particulars of what the Obamacare insurance mandate rule does, and the unwillingness of the administration to exempt religious employers, are just stunning,” Levin writes.

“Religious institutions are basically going to be fined for holding views regarding contraception, sterilization and abortion that are different from the Obama administration’s views,” he continues.

“For instance, Notre Dame University, which employs more than 5,000 people, is going to be given the choice of either expressly violating its religious convictions or paying a $10 million fine to the federal government. It’s bad enough that any employer with a moral objection has to spend his money this way, but it is especially egregious to compel religious institutions to do so.”

Some Protestant sects countenance no forms of birth control, while others are quite lenient. Orthodox Jews tend to be strict about its use, those in Reform communities less so. Buddhists believe that preventing conception is ethically OK, but that intervening after conception is not. Hindus employ natural and artificial contraceptives. Islam allows contraceptives that don’t threaten health. The Quran contains statements encouraging procreation, but says nothing of the morality of contraception.

Interestingly, many nations and individuals have shunned

contraception in the past, convinced that producing more and more children contributed to wealth and power, and provided military strength. On the continent of Africa, many still take the view that large families are good, one the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation hopes to counter through philanthropic initiatives.

In a recent TED talk, Melinda Gates told a German audience that some African women ask for injectable contraceptives to hide the treatment from their disapproving husbands. Gates sees family planning as the economic gateway for millions of women.

“We’re not talking about abortion,” said Gates. “We’re not talking about population control. What I’m talking about is giving women the power to save their lives, to save their children’s lives and to give their families the best possible future.”

She said birth control has virtually disappeared from the global health agenda, “and the victims of this paralysis are the people of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.”

Her remarks came even as some European nations continue to experience a decline in their populations, a trend typical of modern countries with educated masses.

Last month, Republicans accused Democratic “strategist” Hilary Rosen of trying to start a “mommy war,” by stating that Romney’s wife Ann, a person the candidate claims to consult on women’s issues, had never worked a day in her life.

The Massachusetts mother of five wasted no time in responding to Rosen. She said raising her sons was no picnic when they misbehaved, and as a woman it was her prerogative whether to stay home.

Both political sides rushed to concur, with the president and first lady offering unsolicited testimonials on behalf of families and moms. Rosen, who quickly apologized for her gaffe, (after Democrats reminded the media that she did not work at the White House or for the Obama campaign) was left to swing in the wind.

As Stephen Colbert’s TV alter ego observed: “You know what’s actually never worked a day in its life? … Attacking motherhood.”

And the “war” continues.

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Distinct Visions

Four Vegas Women Artists Make their Mark Downtown

By Lynn Wexler-Margolies Photographs by Tonya Harvey

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Arts opening in the downtown sector, my skepticism as to whether there is a viable art scene in Las Vegas might have discouraged me from the “backyard” search.

Art has had a tough go in the neon basin.

The Art Museum came and went, as did the Guggenheim. Even Richard Barnaby, former CFO of the Metro Arts Council of Southern Nevada, chuckled softly when I told him I was looking for the Vegas Art scene and

could he help me find it. Indeed, he did.

It’s called the 18b District, the hub of the Las Vegas Arts scene. The b stands for the 18 blocks that comprise the original downtown Arts scene, or Arts industry as Joan Lolmaugh, president of the MAC, refers to it “because of the activity and economy it generates.” It’s immediately south of the downtown area and a short walk from Fremont Street. Bounded

Steven Wilson

he Cutting Edge Arts Culture believes art can change the world. Las Vegas artist Kristine McCallister believes women in the arts are already changing the world, and we need look no farther than our own backyard for the visionaries and luminaries challenging and influencing society’s prevailing codes of belief.

Truth to tell, if it weren’t for the recent Smith Center for the Performing

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Steven Wilson

“Orange” 48” x 48” oil on board by Kristine McAllister

by Commerce Street, Hoover Avenue, Fourth Street, Las Vegas Boulevard (at Charleston) and Colorado Avenue, the area has outgrown its original boundaries, boasting an expanse of eclectic and funky new galleries, one-of-a-kind antique shops and boutiques, artists studios, intimate and artsy cafes – a few of which offer cabaret space – diverse living accommodations, and a major furniture mart. This slowemerging cultural explosion over the past three decades has yielded a surprisingly sophisticated metro lifestyle in the neighborhood.

Despite this impressive evolution, The Las Vegas Arts District has enjoyed little brand awareness among locals and visitors, including this writer, until now. I recently strolled the quiet streets of 18b one sunny afternoon, walking in and out of galleries showing contemporary exigent and thought-provoking paintings and sculptures by perhaps some of the best artists in America today. I also saw mediocre art, and art that triggers the soul and the psyche. I was spiritually invigorated to discover, in 48

my own community, a world of relevance, vitality and inventiveness so many have overlooked.

If I’ve piqued your interest, but you still find the downtown area too formidable to approach, First Fridays will help you to break the ice and experience a comfortable first encounter with the arts scene.

Founded in 2002 by antique storeowner Cindy Funkhouser, attorney and art gallery owner Naomi Arin, and the late entrepreneur Julie Brewer, First Fridays is an outdoor art walk street festival the District convenes, aptly enough, on the first Friday of each month. It’s since become one of the premier arts events in Las Vegas. Hosted by more than 80 local businesses and galleries (from 6 p.m. to midnight), it attracts up to 18,000 visitors to shop, eat, drink and mingle amid street performers and fine arts for sale. A $2 entry fee is collected at the gated entrances along Casino Center and Charleston boulevards, Casino Center and California Street, Colorado Avenue and Main Street, and Colorado Avenue and

Third Street. It’s a cultural panacea, and the people-watching is priceless.

Once you’ve accomplished that adventure, you’ll likely return for a casual dinner at the intimate and artsy Bar ‘n Bistro, popping in a gallery that might remain open in The Arts Factory next door. Next you’ll attend an event at the Contemporary Arts Collection. Soon you’ll bring visiting friends and family for a day’s stroll, shop and lunch along the District streets. Now it’s funky to be sure, and still a work in progress, but try it and keep an open mind. I’ll bet you’ll write and thank me for the introduction.

As the surrounding 18b neighborhood continues to re-gentrify, the city of Las Vegas continues its support through the Arts District Neighborhood Association, which supervises neighborhood design standards; and the Arts District Task Force, which oversees growth issues and protects against real estate investment gouging. The ADNA, partnered with AIGA, The Professional Association for Design, is working on marketing and promoting the District through artist-generated signifiers for motorists and pedestrians. They also have plans to incorporate public art works in the Monorail Arts District Station once it resumes building. Through a live/work ordinance, the city “encourages” the artists to work and live downtown. The city also has developed a highway enhancement project to create two landmark gateways into the neighborhood.

Barnaby says he left MAC to work on an Arts Calendar (availability, early 2013), which will unite the arts community with Las Vegas. “An aware and informed patron is likely to participate, and that’s our goal,” he adds. The Calendar is intended primarily, however, for media outlets, “which in turn they can offer to their customer. We’ll also have a website that individuals can access.

But the intent is to get the media involved in spreading the word.”

The Las Vegas Arts scene, emerging from beneath the shadow of the encompassing Strip, is becoming an epicenter that radiates community pride through identity, and is generating a pulse of diversity, vision and the spirit of the artists. Government agencies, not-for-profit arts associations, gallery owners and artists all are working to foster a sustainable scene … without the smirks.

In honor of May, the month that justly celebrates mothers and women, I spent time with four notable women at the center

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of the Las Vegas arts scene. By virtue of their courage and creative spirits, they reminded me that a society without art is devoid of a heart, soul and capacity to push past limits, to better us all.

“Women are the stronger gender. The world of aggression and hardship will change when men will learn from women.”

Kristine McAllister “I’ve been inspired by so many great women … Georgia O’Keefe, Alice Neel,” says artist Kristine McCallister, 61. “I greatly respect all successful women in the arts, especially if they’re mothers. Women have a different experience in life than men.

We are the givers. I have three children.

Creating and accomplishing can be very difficult … especially so for a mother.”

McCallister has been painting for 30 years, exhibiting since 1984, and her work is in private collections in the U.S. and around the world. By her voice – soft, ethereal, child-like – you would expect someone in her 20s. Makes sense. Her current collection, Coming of Age (on exhibit at The Brett Wesley Gallery at Charleston and Casino Center boulevards), explores the child in us all. She uses lines, color and texture to remind us of fleeting childhood innocence in today’s world.

“Often, through circumstances beyond our control, innocence becomes broken and short-lived,” she says.

She learned about the importance of innocence years into an established career.

“I was living in Taos, New Mexico, painting cows, when an opportunity arose for me to get a visual arts degree from the university there.

I was excited but worried this might hurt my career or reputation.” She also worried that she knew too much, and then realized she would have to become “innocent” again. “Letting in the new allows us to be reborn.”

McCallister believes it is “vital that women are given the breadth to speak through the fine arts, moving out from under the more domestic applied arts” of needlepoint pillows and painted ceramics.

“Women are the stronger gender,” she believes. “The world of aggression and hardship will change when men will learn from women. We must teach men how to treat us … change the way they see us … particularly through images. It’s already beginning to happen.”

She likens Las Vegas to Madonna, “always reinventing itself,” and sees it as a mecca for visionaries.

Mary Warner

“When I first came here I would ride the bus up and down the Strip absorbing shapes, colors, skylines! Just look at the art in the signage, the shows, the architecture! … “In Las Vegas, you can create anything!”

“Women are the backbone of the arts scene in Las Vegas.”

Mary Warner Mary Warner, 63, came to Las Vegas in 1989 as a visiting artist in residence at UNLV. She has lived, worked and painted in downtown Las Vegas ever since.

Originally from Northern California, and recently retired as an art professor at UNLV, she remains irrepressibly attracted to the glamour-versus-cowboy theme Las Vegas exudes.

As a visual artist for 50 years, she has accumulated an impressive national exhibition and awards history, including fellowships from the Mid-America Arts Alliance and the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Nevada Arts Council’s 2011 Governor’s Arts Award for Excellence in the Arts.

She lives in a mid-century, sun-bleached, aquamarine-painted home (in the upand-coming Winchester neighborhood) that doubles as her studio. She’s one of many artists who live in the area once considered undesirable. “I think artists moved here because of the architecture and the potential. A lot of artists seek out domestic restoration.”

Painting flowers has become her trademark. Van Gogh painted the MAY 2012 DAVID

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Jennifer Henry

sunflower, O’Keefe the red poppy, Renoir the rose. Warner prefers zinnias. She paints vibrant, whimsical blossoms in monochromatic color, with articulated petals that burst like fireworks or curl with sensuality. “Painting flowers for me is abstract. I wanted to move away from the emotional or political, and into visual expression not rooted in narrative.” Her Heavy Petals exhibition recently ended at the Trifecta Gallery in the Arts Factory on Charleston at Casino Boulevard.

As one of the founders 22 years ago of the Contemporary Arts Center, she believes “women are the backbone of the arts scene in Las Vegas.” It was women primarily who started the CAC, she says, and who have kept the Las Vegas art scene relevant 50

and alive through various ventures. “Until recently there hasn’t been much of an infrastructure here to stop them, which has served as a positive,” Warner says.

Despite her love of zinnias, her current exhibition (with two other Las Vegas artists, through June 1) at the Winchester Cultural Center is called Dream House. Its focus is the house and home and it challenges one’s investment in the American Dream. She is unsure what will come next for her as an artist, but “If you take care of the present, opportunities will always present themselves in the future.”

“I learned that you have all the tools you need to create and to solve. You just have to be able to identify them.”

Jennifer Henry Before I introduce you to artist Jennifer Henry, 31, let me introduce you to her fictional friend … a nymph of a character … a kewpie doll with grit … a citizen of the universe. She is Lola, and, yes, she’s a showgirl, among dozens of other incarnations. Jennifer explains: However small in stature, Lola likes to explore the universe’s grander schemes.

She’s an avid activist, successfully leaving her mark from ANWAR to Africa. As a failed financial adviser she showed perseverance.

As a steam train conductor she showed perseverance. As a creative performer she showed perseverance. As a combatant she showed perseverance. It was only during her campaign for President of the Universe that she faltered under the weight of unsubstantiated rumors suggesting she had once (many, many years ago) sold herself on eBay, but it all turned out all right in the end.

Lola has learned much in her recent travels and although she still wrestles with many questions and insecurities, she feels confident that it will all turn out all right in the end.

And Lola is just the warm up. Jennifer herself exudes ingenuity, energy and possibility. She looks a bit like Lola … a statuesque kewpie doll herself. In her brief years in the arts, she’s accomplished more lateral creativity than most could in decades. Lola resulted from a Google search. Henry happened upon a glitterencrusted kewpie doll on eBay that evolved into an entire fine arts collage series of humorous and thoughtful juxtapositions of Lola contemplating infinity, falling in love, stardom, where babies come from, winning, losing and facing her fears. Lola’s success has enabled Henry to contribute Lola works to a variety of charity arts events, including the First Friday Annual Fundraiser and Opportunity Village. It seems whatever Henry touches turns to gold … well, on second thought, maybe cellophane …

Once again it started by accident. In November 2009, Henry and a friend were collaborating on a Christmas-themed photo shoot that required the model to pose in gold gift-wrap. Unable to find the gold paper, and running behind schedule, Henry settled on gold-tinted cellophane, quickly pleating and taping her subject into the design minutes before the shoot. Lo and behold she loved the look and created another for a friend to wear to a New Year’s Eve party. It was a hit! Long story short, she is now the queen of outrageous crinkle ‘n crunch creations,

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designing extravagant outfits for customers in Vegas and around the country, who are attending everything from costume parties to charity events to Lady Gaga concerts.

And if she weren’t preoccupied enough with the demands of Lola and her cellophane art, Henry owns a vintage clothing store called Flockflockflock. It’s inside Emergency Arts on Fremont Street, a retail creative co-op for working artists.

It’s a lot for one plate.

“I love to create, invent … problem solve,” Henry says. “There are always obstacles, even walls you hit. But I learned, from my husband, who is also in the arts, that you have all the tools you need to create and solve. You just have to be able to identify them.”

“Women in the arts typically bring a deeper, richer dialogue to their work than men.”

Marty Walsh Marty is the quintessential woman in the arts. Born in Detroit, she studied at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and majored in painting, with a minor in sculpture. But life’s stage has been her best education.

The road to becoming an artist and gallery owner in Las Vegas has been paved with food, entrepreneurial opportunity, marriage, travel, life abroad, gardening and nostalgia.

After her schooling, Marty went to work as an apprentice pastry chef. She learned to “taste” and “hear” color in what would be her prime training ground for a long art career. “Because all of my senses were at work, it made me a better painter.”

She moved to Martha’s Vineyard with a friend, opened a deli and six years later married Pete. They bought a VW bus, drove 20,000 miles along America’s side roads and live in a tree house in Georgia and managed a youth hostel. Pete was homesick so they moved to his native Ireland. They bought property outside Dublin, built a house, and Marty cultivated a 150-by-5-foot garden along a river. She also cultivated a keen sense of color and texture. In 1999, after nine years in Ireland, they moved to Las Vegas for dry weather and a booming economy. “I’ve been a Las Vegas downtowner ever since … living, working, shopping and playing in this fabulous community!”

Marty took a job as a food stylist, had a show at the Small Works Gallery, and got involved with the Contemporary Arts Center before opening the Trifecta Gallery in 2004 in the Arts Factory. She produces almost 24 shows a year. The

Marty Walsh

idea was to show her own works. But an impromptu exhibition featuring her friends persuaded her to become a full time curator, showcasing skilled figurative painters from Las Vegas and across the country.

Marty is best known for her extensive still life collections of diverse food paintings, and portraits of vintage appliances, each of which represents a member of her family. “All of my paintings have a biographical content to them. They pay homage to my memories and all things familiar. If there’s no familiarity with the subject, then I can’t paint it.”

The city recently honored her for Giving Women in the Arts a Chance.

“I don’t know why women have to fight for their notoriety. Women in the arts

typically bring a deeper, richer dialogue to their work than men. That’s not to discount the men.” She says it’s the women, though, who are overseeing the diversification of Vegas art venues, from cutting-edge galleries to government spaces to bedrock cultural institutions. And in a city where it sometimes seems the art scene could disappear at any moment, Marty says women “offer the best chance of holding it all together.”

They say art imitates life. Women historically embrace, nurture and provide the glue that keeps it all together. Marty may have never had any children of her own, but she has been a “mother” to her art, and to the artists she promotes and the arts community she loves and believes in. She holds it together, day-byday, always for the greater good.

MAY 2012 DAVID

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A Vegas Mother’s Day Kids and Work in the City that Never Sleeps

By Jaq Greenspon Photographs by Tonya Harvey

T

he houselights of this Las Vegas Strip showroom have just gone dark. The music starts playing and backstage almost all of the cast members are ready to go on and entertain the drunken tourists … all except one. She’s there, in her sequined bikini that barely covers anything and her headdress, which adds another 2 feet worth of feathers to her already impressive height, is tilted slightly as she jams a mobile phone in underneath so she can hear the person on the other end. Her side of the conversation, though, which says everything we need to know: “Tell your sister to stop bothering you, you need to do your homework. I’ll be home soon – gotta run!” She throws the phone to a stagehand, adjusts the head piece and saunters out on that stage with a fake smile as if she hadn’t a care in the world.

Motherhood in Vegas adds a whole new dimension to job.

Mothers everywhere will kiss your scraped knee and help you make a diorama – but in Vegas, that help may have to come in the middle of the night, when Mom gets off her shift at an evening’s show. She’s like one of Santa’s Elvises, working while the kids sleep.

See, in any other city, come career day, most kids will bring in moms who are dental hygienists, office managers, lawyers or police officers. No matter how fancy, moms from elsewhere just can’t compete with Vegas moms, who get sawn in half on a nightly basis. Such is the nature of the beast. Here, normal hours of operation don’t exist. The entertainment runs 24 hours a day, and that means Mom might be working shifts until the small hours of the morning, coming home and waking up just long enough to make sure the kids get off to school and then crashing right back out. It means scheduling time to meet with them can get a little tricky.

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Zulema Reynosa Zulema is sitting with her son at a Passover Seder, the first for both of them as they continue the process of converting to Judaism. She explains that at 7, her boy “was very nervous at first, especially with the reading and the Hebrew, so he’s unsure, but definitely excited. My mom and dad are Mormon, so he’s gone to church with them when I had to work on the weekend. But he’s never really connected with a religion, either. He’s pretty new to all of it.”

While religion may be new, what’s not is sitting patiently with mom while she does her work, often on him. Zulema is a makeup artist, under contract with several major hotels on The Strip, where she has made a number of famous and not-so-famous people look beautiful. “One of my most recent celebrities is Vanessa Russo; she is a professional poker player, so she’s big out here. She’s one of the most well-known faces in the poker industry.

I’ve also done Paris Hilton, smaller celebrities, in-town celebrities a lot.” What she wants to do, though, is something with a little more … bite. Special effects makeup is what really gets her creative juices flowing. “Halloween usually we do a lot of blood and gory stuff. I do a lot of the ‘Day of the Dead’ stuff around Halloween.” For her son, however, this passion of Mom’s translates to some time under the makeup brush. “Last year,” she says, “I needed to wear a specific look myself, so I practiced on him, where he was a ‘Two-Face.’ It was his face regular and then we did a blown-up face, so that’s fun.” Mom’s special skills also came in handy when, on the 100th day of school, he had to dress like a 100-year-old man. “Other than

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Melanie Kramer

that, though, he’s very much a boy; he tries to get the makeup off him.”

Aside from helping her son with his outward appearance, Zulema is working with him on the inside as well. She was raised as a Christian but never really connected with that facet of her life. Now, at 25, she finds herself trying out different temples as she looks for a spiritual home. “I want to find a temple where I feel very comfortable and where I can relate to the people more. I like that [Judaism] is very family oriented and that it is definitely

a lifestyle. And, to me, it’s something that I connected with being a single mom; as close as I am with my son, I found it very appealing. I love the fact that it’s such a family thing. The more that I read about the Jewish religion and the more that I see the interaction of the people, it’s something that I want to be a part of. It’s the lifestyle that I want to choose for myself and for my son.”

With her skills, we can assume that next Purim, the costume parade at whatever temple she chooses will be something to see.

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Elizabeth Grantham Odds are, if you live in or have visited Las Vegas anytime in the last six or seven years, certain parts of Elizabeth’s anatomy are quite familiar to you. You’ve seen her backside gracing billboards and the backs of taxis as the dance captain of the Crazy Girls show at the Riviera. Of course, this ad also caused some questions at home, where her daughter was wondering about the lack of clothing on display. “She’s all, ‘Mom, these girls are naked.’

Because you see them from behind. I was like, ‘No, Em. They have bathing suit bottoms on and you can’t see their tops because it’s from the front.’

And she was like, ‘I don’t know.’ And I was like, ‘I promise.’” But, as Elizabeth points out, that’s not her biggest concern right now. “She’s obsessed with potty humor. I don’t know what to do about it. She’s like, ‘Mom, I farted eight times during dinner.’” Typical 7-year-old (“almost 8,” young Emmalee is quick to point out) behavior.

For a single mom, though, being a topless dancer in a Vegas show had its pros and cons.

“The cons were that I had to be gone late at night, and it’s hard to find somebody to watch your daughter during those hours. I solved that by having someone live with me and paid her to watch her and just be at the house. That’s probably the biggest con. The other thing is the people that I worked with. None of them had children so none of them really understood the kind of stuff I was going through. There were more pros than cons, and the pros were that I was home during the daytime, when she was awake, every day. I never had to miss Easter morning, or anything like that.”

At the same time, while Elizabeth was in the show she had to present the image of a single, footloose party girl. And the one thing she could never, ever mention was her daughter.

“They would feature a different dancer in certain magazines every month and when my turn would come around they would tell me, ‘Okay, Liz, don’t forget: Wayne is coming to interview you and don’t forget you’re ‘young and fun.’ And don’t mention Emmalee at all.’ You know, as a mother, the thing you talk about the most is your kid. And they would be like, ‘So, what do you do in your free time?’ ‘I like to lay by the pool and drink cocktails’ … and really in my head I’m thinking, it’s so [silly] because really I’m at home, cleaning up throw-up and poop, all day long. That’s reality, but I can’t tell them that. I have to be ‘young and fun.’ It was always a big issue that I had a child at that show, for sure.”

Now though, as Emmalee is growing up, Elizabeth (a classically trained dancer and member of the first Las Vegas Academy graduating class) has loftier ambitions for her offspring: “I would prefer that she went to college and pursued 54

other avenues, just for the simple fact that (show business is) a very materialistic type of world, and I would like her to focus more on who she is on the inside.” Elizabeth offers herself as inspiration. “I crave learning now – I used to sit and watch MTV all the time, and now I watch Discovery Channel. I just crave knowledge now.”

Melanie Kramer The problem with having a mom who is an all-around entertainer is that you never know what’s going to happen from one minute to the next. At least that’s how Melanie Kramer, a magician’s assistant, balloon twister, stiltwalker, mime, showgirl and single mom, describes some of the issues her young son faces. “He gets mad at magic. Like once he wanted me to take out a diamond ring and he wanted me to put it into a little pouch that he had. And I was like, ‘Oh, Baby, it’s my diamond ring, I don’t want to lose it.’ So I went to put it in but I palmed it and put it back on my finger.

He started walking away with the pouch and he opened up the pouch to look in and he was like ‘Mommy! Put it in the pouch!’ so I did it again and he said ‘Mommy, stop doing magic!’”

He was born into the art, though, and takes to it like a duck to water. “If he sees a top hat or my fedora, and if he has a stick he puts it in his hand and goes, ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the stage … Mommy!’ and he gives me this big intro, which I’ve never taught him to do. He just does it. He’s very much a performer. You can see it’s totally and completely in his blood.”

It makes sense, though, since Melanie was back in the theater a mere three months after he was born. She almost had to, though. As a freelance entertainer, you never know where or when your next job is coming, and if you’re out for too long, coming back is like starting over.

It’s not a bad trade-off, though. “Before he started school,” she says, “I was able to hang out with him all day long, and then I’d go to work at night and I’d come home and he’d be asleep, so I wasn’t missing much. But now he’s in school, so it’s taking away a little more time and now he’s started T-ball so I have to run around doing that.

It’s not easy but I wouldn’t trade it.”

As an entertainer, Melanie realizes there are only so many places where she can do what she does, and Las Vegas fits the bill completely. “I feel like I would end up staying here, because I know I can do well here. And if Mommy is happy at work then Mommy’s happy when she comes home and everybody’s happy, you know?

I would never want to live somewhere where I would have to have a normal job, because then I’d be pissy and miserable all day long. I love what I do. Most of my gigs, if I’m not back-to-

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Courtesy of Elizabeth Grantham

Elizabeth Grantham

back working, then they’re only a couple of hours a day.”

Of course, there are perks, too. Her son doesn’t see anything out of the ordinary in what Mommy does. “He thinks most people’s parents can make them a balloon animal whenever they want one.

All of his birthday parties have magicians, balloon artists, face painters … and they’re all friends of mine. They come and perform for free. His softball team is called the Fireballs, so my friend is going to come do a half-time show where she’s going to do a fire act. These are things entertainers’

children have that other children don’t that they don’t really see as anything special.”

Mother’s Day advice to their kids: Zulema Reynosa – “I want him to be true to himself.

In my life, with religion and with everything, everybody wanted to push me in a certain direction, and it’s something I would never have been fulfilled with, because it’s not something that came from within. So I definitely would tell him to be true to himself, and to follow his heart, because that’s how MAY 2012 DAVID

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Zulema Reynosa

he’s going to find fulfillment. Otherwise, he’s going to be living what everybody else wants and it’s never going to make him happy.”

Elizabeth Grantham – “Don’t ever have a child that you’re not going to be with forever, because it’s the hardest thing you’ll ever have to go through. I don’t regret it, but every aspect of my life is good, it’s nice, it’s falling into place, but there’s this one little piece of my past that will never go away. It’s because I’m attached to a person that I don’t care for, forever. And that’s been a hard thing to swallow, especially when they get involved with other people, 56

so now these other people are in your child’s life, totally out of your control. Having to take your kid somewhere and leave them with somebody else 3 o’clock on Christmas Day, it’s just not fun.”

Melanie Kramer – “I want him to grow up to be happy, whatever that is. It’s a hard life but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’ve been very blessed in my career. I’ve also worked very hard and gotten screwed a lot, so … Of course, I want him to be a doctor or a lawyer or something where he can take care of me because, once again, I’m an entertainer and I don’t have a retirement fund.”

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grill Heather Allen M.D., FACP Breast Cancer Specialist, Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada DAVID: Are physicians more neurotic than the general population?

ALLEN: I don’t think neurotic is the right word. I think obsessive compulsive is a better term. You want them to constantly be thinking, weighing the good vs. bad, striving for better therapies for their patients.

DAVID: What’s up with estrogen these days?

ALLEN: It really depends on family history.

There are some diseases impacted by those hormones. The current recommendation is that if you’re going through menopause, it’s okay to do hormone replacement for a brief period of time.

To start a woman on hormone replacement at 48 is unnecessary. There is no reason for medication if you’re not having problems. Hot flashes are a strange phenomenon. Some women don’t have any; some have them for a long time. There are things we can do to lessen their impact. Consult your physician.

DAVID: Where are we in the debate between environment vs. genetics being the cause for breast cancer?

ALLEN: I think it’s a combination of both.

There is an increase of the disease; it’s not all genetic. There are genetic mutations. If there is a strong family history – be evaluated.

Sometimes the test comes back negative anyway. There may be an unidentified gene putting certain family members at risk.

It’s the same with the environment. It’s important to know the history of all close relatives – mother, sister. Sometimes that isn’t enough information; we need to look at both sides of the family, mother’s and father’s. It’s important to know what your family members died from.

DAVID: Mammograms, are there any new technologies, protocols or procedures?

ALLEN: We look at the justification for doing or not doing one? It depends on the family history, ages 35-40 is the baseline to have one.

Women need to start having them yearly once they hit 40+. It’s rare to find cancer in a 38 year old, but it happens. Understand having one can save a life. Mammograms are inexpensive.

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things, abnormalities in women who have very dense breasts. That usually happens in younger women, but sometimes in older women.

There is additional testing that can be done – an MRI of the breast. It can pick up what a mammogram might miss, but it also might pick up other things and cause unnecessary worry. MRI is very expensive. We don’t have unlimited funds to spend on healthcare.

DAVID: What about drugs to reduce the risk of breast cancer?

ALLEN: Some women can benefit from taking these drugs. They can prevent cancer in high-risk women. Many questions are asked to determine the risk. We use a computer model to calculate the risk for five years, for a lifetime. We often recommend drugs that can lower the risk up to 65%. They are usually pretty well tolerated.

DAVID: The economics and politics of women’s’ healthcare complicates things today.

ALLEN: This is very true. It makes my job difficult. At the end of the day, I’m just trying to do what’s best for my patients. I’ve always done the best I could to provide the best care for my patients. I’ve been doing this for 30 years. There have been amazing advances. There are more advances to come in 10-20 years. The problem is finding a way to pay for it. None of it is cheap.

It’s a problem for future doctors.

DAVID: What got you into this field?

ALLEN: I’ve been incredibly fortunate to find my calling. I look forward to coming to work everyday. My mother had ovarian cancer when I was 16, this had a huge impact on my life. Initially I wanted to be a marine biologist but landed up going to medical school. An influential professor I met during my senior year inspired me to become an oncologist.

DAVID: What are some of your other passions?

ALLEN: I have a lot of interests. I love to play the drums. I don’t have as much time as I would like.

I would like to be a better Spanish speaker. I’ve raised a family. My daughter just got married. I love to travel. I love to hike. Hiking is a time to clear out the chatter and just be at peace.

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