www.davidlv.com NOVEMBER 2012
ELECTRIC MEMORIES
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Jewish Officers Who Serve and Protect
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JUVENILE JUSTICE OPERATION MAGIC ELIE WIESEL
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H&M Banana Republic GUESS Whole Foods Market A|X Armani Exchange bebe Juicy Couture Victoria’s Secret Aldo
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GAP Abercrombie & Fitch The Container Store Yard House Texas de Brazil Brio Tuscan Grille Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar Blue Martini Ranch House Kitchen i v burgers
NOW OPEN Charming Charlie Stoney’s Rockin’ Country Meatball Spot Aveda
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OVER 100 STORES | 15 RESTAURANTS | 18-SCREEN THEATER | INTERACTIVE CHILDREN’S PARK
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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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November
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explore The month’s event listings to help plan your day or your stay
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devour Where to find some of the best eats, drinks and foodie happenings in the Valley
Electric Memories The Neon Museum flips the switch on a history of the Vegas light show.
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sense The juvenile justice system and community resourses come together to help youth offenders stay out of trouble.
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know Discussions with two gaming lawyers who protect the intellectual property of Vegas’ core industry.
Metro Menches Las Vegas Meropolitan Police Department’s Jewish officers who serve and protect
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Operation Magic Jeff Bornstein and his wife Kimberly tour the world to entertain the troops.
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discover Places to go, cool things to do, hip people to see in the most exciting city in the World 40
daven Candle Lighting times and synagogue information.
www.davidlv.com NOVEMBER 2012
on the cover
ELECTRIC MEMORIES
Mensches
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s mensches: Officer Darren Schwartz, Det. Dori Koren, Sgt. Harry Fagel and Sgt. Alan Schlossberg Photography: Steven Wilson.
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.
JUVENILE JUSTICE
Metro
OPERATION MAGIC
Jewish Officers Who Serve and Protect
ELIE WIESEL
www.davidlv.com
mingle Snapshots of the latest, greatest events
taste Ceasars Palace doubles down on its commitment to a Vegas institution. The new Bacchanal Buffet is a triumphant celebration of 21st century culinary trends.
NOVEMBER 2012
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desire Sin City abounds in world-class shopping ... these are a few of our favorite things
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Elie Wiesel, Humanist The month’s spotlight on a person of interest
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Joanne Friedland joanne@davidlv.com
EDITORIALllllllll
Editorial Assistant
Brianna Soloski
Copy Editor
Pat Teague
Jeremy Leopold a
Contributing Writers
brianna@davidlv.com
Marisa Finetti Jaq Greenspon Marilyn LaRocque Christina Parmelee Brian Sodoma Lynn Wexler-Margolies
ART & PHOTOGRAPHY
Art Director/ Photographer
Steven Wilson
steve@davidlv.com
ADVERTISING & MARKETING
Advertising Director
Joanne Friedland joanne@davidlv.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS 702-254-2223 | subscribe@davidlv.com
Volume 03 Number 07 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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BELIEVE...
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contributors
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 fi lmmaking but is most proud of his role in the fi lm, Lotto Love. A Vegas resident for most of his life, his native language is Hebrew, but he doesn’t speak it anymore.
Marilyn LaRocque is Contributing Editor for Gastronomique en Vogue and former Senior Food and Wine Editor for LUXURY Las Vegas. She’s traveled extensively around the world, visiting great wine regions and enjoying fantastic food. She’s also Vice Chargée de Presse Nationale des Etats Unis for Chaîne des Rôtisseurs USA.
Christina Parmelee originally aspired to be a physical therapist, needing to graduate from college, she changed her major to English. In 2005, after writing jobs in numerous publications and ad agencies in Metro Detroit, she moved to Sin City. The frigid Michigan winters gave way to the Vegas climate she now adores. She has held copywriting positions on the Strip and is presently a freelance writer moonlighting in outside sales. Her hobbies include travel, watching football and trying to get through “Fifty Shades of Grey.”
Brian Sodoma has been writing professionally since 1998. He has called Las Vegas home since 2002, and enjoys covering the city’s business issues, real estate, health, sports ... anything that isn’t fashion. Sodoma currently is working on a feature-length screenplay about Las Vegas real estate meltdown with local fi lm director Roger Tinch. When he’s not hunting for new story ideas, Sodoma dabbles in real estate, coaches youth soccer and plays ice hockey.
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.
8 DAVID CHESHVAN / KISLEV 5773
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from the publisher To the dismay and consternation of the DAVID production team, I have once again delayed typing this publisher’s note. With copyediting and proofreading completed, corrections (and there were many) made and the artwork finetuned, the printer can finally produce a pristine copy for my review. I pour a cup of French dark roast coffee and sit down to study the product of these last few weeks’ labors. Our editorial calendar had advertised the November issue as a “Leading Lawyers” special edition. DAVID’s mission always has been to bring relevant and entertaining content to our readers. Adding our voice to the chorus of publications offering legal profile advertorials would certainly not fulfill this commitment. In this month’s issue we offer unique perspectives on the law, specifically as it relates to life in Las Vegas. We interview two lawyers who work with gaming developers and manufacturers. They discuss the law as it relates to the protection and licensing of intellectual property. Las Vegas is the world’s gaming technology center (Contrary to the popular slogan, what happens here, most definitely does not stay here.). The number of gaming venues is exploding worldwide; the games being developed here are played on every continent. Our Juvenile Justice system administrators are thinking outside of the box to help youthful offenders out of their boxes. Community partnerships have been forged to provide the full slate of services needed to get these kids their Get Out of Jail cards. It’s inspiring to know that national pilot programs that include the use of new technologies are being developed right here in Sin City. Having recently read Michael Chabon’s The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, I couldn’t help but wonder about the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and whether it, in fact, employs any Jews. This consideration provided the perfect motivation for an article. DAVID located and interviewed four Jewish officers, who informed us there are many more. We’re not sure what percentage of the roughly 2,500-strong force are Jewish. But, as a result of our efforts to bring these officers together for the piece, plans are under way to launch a Las Vegas Jewish Police Union (Now, where did I put that parking ticket?). Thanks to Rabbi Cohen of Temple Sinai, DAVID magazine now supports the Global Day of Jewish Learning to be held this year on Sunday, Nov. 18, at the Springs Preserve. Please consult our Explore calendar of events for all the details. The organizer’s website claims that events are planned in a total of 300 communities in 40 countries. What a special opportunity to join this international phenomenon; let’s make our Las Vegas event one of the finest. Lastly, the staff at DAVID joins me in wishing all our readers a wonderful Thanksgiving; enjoy family, friends and good cheer, just remember not to burn the bird.
Max Friedland max@davidlv.com
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THE 18TH ANNUAL KOMEN SOUTHERN NEVADA RACE FOR THE CURE速 Saturday, May 4, 2013 | Fremont Street Experience Register Online at www.komensouthernnevada.org 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Be Aware. Get Screened.
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NOVEMBER 2012 DAVID
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eXplore L A S
JANA CRUDER: GREAT EXPECTATIONS: Through Nov. 24, free. Brett Wesley Gallery, 1112 South Casino Center Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-433-4433. brettwesleygallery.com LAS VEGAS ACADEMY PHILHARMONIC WIND ENSEMBLE & CHORUS "SONGS OF PROMISE & JOY": 7 p.m., $20-$100. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
V E G A S
WARRIOR'S JOURNEY - THE MUSIC OF NATE KIMBALL: 7:30 p.m., $15-$50. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com ZOPPÉ - AN ITALIAN FAMILY CIRCUS: Through Nov. 4, times vary, $25-$50. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
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FIRST FRIDAY: 6 p.m., free. Various downtown locations. firstfridaylasvegas.org BARBRA STREISAND: 8 p.m., $104.15$791.35. MGM Grand Garden Arena, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 877-880-0880. mgmgrand.com THE GREAT CRAFT FESTIVAL: Through Nov. 4, times vary, $8. Cashman Center, 850 North Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. stevepowers.com DINNER WITH CHEF HUBERT KELLER: 7 p.m., $85. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777. mandalaybay.com
JAZZ ROOTS: BRAZIL MEETS FUNK: 7:30 p.m., $29-$99. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
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WORLD FOOD CHAMPIONSHIPS: Through Nov. 4, times and costs vary. worldfoodchampionships.com “OBJECT ILLUSION”: Through Nov. 15, Mon.Thurs. 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m., free. Las Vegas City Hall Grand Gallery, 495 South Main Street, Las Vegas. 702-229-1012. artslasvegas.org “MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS WITHOUT END”: Through Dec. 8, Weds.-Fri. 12:30-9 p.m. & Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m., free. Charleston Heights Art Center, 800 South Brush Street, Las Vegas. 702-229-6383. artslasvegas.org
“EHSOTI: STANDING ON TRADITION”: 7 p.m., free. West Las Vegas Arts Center, 947 West Lake Mead Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-229-4800. artslasvegas.org
PARENTS NIGHT OUT AT KIDVILLE: Thurs. through Dec. 20, $15-$25. Kidville at Tivoli Village, 420 South Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-933-9253. kidville.com/ tivolivillage
2ND. ANNUAL MARYLAND PARKWAY MUSIC FESTIVAL: Through Nov. 4, times and costs vary. Various locations around Maryland Parkway. 702-353-8178. marylandparkwaymusicfestival.com
JCC SINGLES HAPPY HOUR 35-50YO AT BLUE MARTINI LOUNGE: 6 p.m., cost varies. Blue Martini Lounge, 6593 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-794-0090. jccsn.org
VOCAL JAZZ SOLO NIGHTS: Through Nov. 3, $-$8. CSN Cheyenne, 3200 East Cheyenne Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-651-5483. csn.edu/pac RAY ROMANO & KEVIN JAMES: Through Nov. 3, 10 p.m., $99.99-$120.99. The Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-792-7777. mirage.com
MOAPA VALLEY ART GUILDS MEMBERS SHOW: Through Nov. 4, free. Enterprise Library, 25 East Shelbourne Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-507-3760. lvccld.org
EDDIE VEDDER: 8 p.m., $91.35. Pearl at the Palms, 4321 West Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-942-7777. palms.com
VEGAS VALLEY BOOK FESTIVAL: Through Nov. 3, times and costs vary. Various locations. vegasvalleybookfestival.org
AN EVENING WITH CHARLAINE HARRIS: 7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org
TAYLOR HICKS: Through Nov. 13, 7 p.m., $39.99-$69.99. Bally's Las Vegas, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-777-7776. ballyslasvegas.com
FARM TO STRIP DINNERS: Through Nov. 3, 6 p.m., $48. First Food & Bar, 3327 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-607-3478. firstfoodandbar.com
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FOURPLAY: 8 p.m., $30-$55. UNLV Performing Arts, 4505 South Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas. 702-895-2787. pac.unlv.edu
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Valle Verde Drive, Henderson. 702-733-6292. lvnertamid.org MEET THE LAS VEGAS HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR AUTHOR'S: 1 p.m., free. Holocaust Resource Center, 4794 South Eastern Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-433-0005. lvhresourcecenter.com JEWS IN NEVADA DOCUMENTARY: 3 p.m., free. Sun City Anthem Freedom Hall, Independence Center, 2460 Hampton Road, Henderson. 702-706-7522. jccsn.org JCC YOUNG ADULTS PINBALL HALL OF FAME: 6 p.m., cost vary. Pinball Hall of Fame, 1610 East Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702794-0090. jccsn.org Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival, 11.3
BALLET FOLKLÓRICO DE MÉXICO: Through Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m., $24-$59. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
BILL MAHER: Through Nov. 4, 8 p.m., $64.95. The Orleans, 4500 West Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-365-7075. orleanscasino.com THE GAY AND LESBIAN COMMUNITY CENTER OF SOUTHERN NEVADA COMMUNITY EVENT: 5:30 p.m., $150-$250. Rain Nightclub at Palms, 4321 Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. thecenterlv.com
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ERIC CHURCH: 7:30 p.m., $44.55-$57.10. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777. mandalaybay.com
GODS & HEROES OF THE MAYA: 11 a.m., free. Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, 888 West Bonneville Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-4836023. clevelandclinic.org
VEGAS VALLEY COMIC BOOK FESTIVAL: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702507-3459. lvccld.org JEWISH REPERTORY THEATER OF NEVADA: ODD COUPLE: Through Nov. 4, times vary, $28-$34. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG™ - LIVE!: 6 p.m., $17-$29. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
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ARABIAN NIGHTS: 9 p.m., $75-$285. Paris Las Vegas, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-777-7776. parislasvegas.com
JEWISH SENIOR SINGLES: 6:30 p.m. JCC of Southern Nevada, 9001 Hillpointe Road, Las Vegas. 702-794-0090. jccsn.org
REMEMBER YITZHAK RABIN: STOP THE VIOLENCE: 4 p.m., cost to be determined. Adelson Educational Campus, 9700 Hillpointe Road, Las Vegas. 702-479-4455. jewishlasvegas.com JNF SUNDAY BRUNCH ON THE EAST SIDE: 10 a.m., call for cost. Midbar Kodesh Temple, 1940 Paseo Verde Parkway, Henderson. 702434-6505. jnf.org CNT SISTERHOOD HOLIDAY BAZAAR: 11 a.m., free. Congregation Ner Tamid, 55 North
ELOISE FORNIELES: Through Dec. 2, free. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com SOCIAL HOUSE SAKE TASTING: 7 p.m., costs vary. Social House at CityCenter, 3720 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-732-0556. jewishlasvegas.com
LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC - CHARLIE CHAPLIN'S 'CITY LIGHTS': 8 p.m, $46-$94. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
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TUESDAY AFTERNOON AT THE BIJOU: SUSAN HAYWARD’S ACCLAIMED BIOPICS: Tues. through Nov. 27, 1 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org
301 N. Buffalo Drive 255-3444
MINUS THE BEAR: 6 p.m., $23. Fremont Country Club, 601 East Fremont Street, Las Vegas. ticketfly.com
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING www.thebagelcafelv.com
AN EVENING OF CABARET BENEFITTING AFAN (AID FOR AIDS OF NEVADA) FLORENCE HENDERSON — ALL THE LIVES OF ME, A MUSICAL JOURNEY: 8 p.m., $35-$75. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
WhereTheLocalsEat.com
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JOHN PINETTE: Through Nov. 10, 8 p.m., $39.95. Orleans Hotel, 4500 West Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-365-7075. orleanscasino.com SESAME STREET LIVE "ELMO'S SUPER HEROES": Through Nov. 11, times vary, $16$58. Cox Pavilion, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas. 702-739-3267. unlvtickets.com STEVE WINWOOD: 8 p.m., $49. Pearl at the Palms, 4321 West Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-944-3200. palms.com AH! WILDERNESS: Through Nov. 18, times vary, $10-$12. CSN Cheyenne, 3200 East Cheyenne Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-651-5483. csn.edu/pac LEWIS BLACK: Through Nov. 10, 10 p.m., $59.99-$79.99. The Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-792-7777. mirage.com JAZZ ROOTS: BRAZIL MEETS FUNK: 7:30 p.m., $29-$99. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com SAM HARRIS: Through Nov. 10, times vary, $39-$59. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
2012 PRESENTING SPONSOR
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“POETICALLY CORRECT” – FEATURING “LABLAQUE” WILLIAMS: 3 p.m., free. West Las Vegas Arts Center, 947 West Lake Mead Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-229-4800. artslasvegas.org
Saturday, December 15 – Sunday, December 23, 2012
MT. CHARLESTON ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., free. Mt. Charleston Lodge, 5375 Kyle Canyon Road, Mt. Charleston. 702-8725408. mtcharlestonartsandcraftsfair.webs. com
The Smith Center for the Performing Arts
AVIATION NATION 2012: Through Nov. 11, times vary, free. Nellis Air Force Base, 4700 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-652-7469. nellis.af.mil/aviationnationa
For tickets call 702.749.2000 or visit NevadaBallet.org
SATURDAY MOVIE MATINEE: ROCK OF AGES: 2 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org
Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
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2012 WINTER JAM TOUR SPECTACULAR: 6 p.m., $10. Orleans Arena, 4500 West Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleansarena.com
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JIM BRICKMAN'S ON A WINTER'S NIGHT: 7:30 p.m., $26-$79. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-7492012. thesmithcenter.com CITY LIGHTS MUSIC TOGETHER:12-3 p.m., $25 per family. Temple Beth Sholom, 10700 Havenwood Lane, Las Vegas. 702-838-4751 citylightsmusictogether.com:
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UNLV JAZZ CONCERT SERIES FEATURING UNLV JAZZ ENSEMBLES I AND III: 7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org ETHEL M HOLIDAY CACTUS GARDEN: Through Jan. 1, free. Ethel M, 2 Cactus Garden Drive, Henderson. 702-458-8864. ethelschocolate.com ART & WINE AT BELLAGIO GALLERY OF FINE ART: 5 p.m., $30-$38. Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702693-7871. bellagio.com
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DERRICK SUWAIMA DAVIS, CHAMPION HOOP DANCER: 10:30 a.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org
THERESA CAPUTO: LONG ISLAND MEDIUM: 3 p.m., $80-$190. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-785-5555. planethollywoodresort.com AUTUMN HARVEST FESTIVAL: 8 a.m.-4 p.m., free. Tivoli Village, 302 South Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-570-7400. tivolivillagelv.com STEPPIN' OUT WITH BEN VEREEN: 7:30 p.m., $24-$59. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony
I Know I Came in Here for Something, 11.17
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$59.99-$79.99. The Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-792-7777. mirage.com
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ANA VIDOVIC: 8 p.m., $40. UNLV Performing Arts, 4505 South Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas. 702-895-2787. pac.unlv.edu I KNOW I CAME IN HERE FOR SOMETHING: $32, times vary. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-7492000. thesmithcenter.com HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN LAS VEGAS: 2 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org
STYX 11.16
BRANDEIS NATIONAL COMMITTEE GENERAL MEETING: 7 p.m., $10. Charlie's Lakeside, 8603 West Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas. For more information, contact inlehr@embarqmail.com worldfoodchampionships.com MAYOR'S PRAYER BREAKFAST: 7:30 a.m., costs vary. Texas Station, 2101 Texas Star Lane, Las Vegas. 702-732-0556. jewishlasvegas.com BETTY BUCKLEY STARRING IN "AH, MEN! THE BOYS OF BROADWAY": Through Nov. 18, times vary, $40-$70. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012.thesmithcenter.com
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TIM BLUEFLINT AND DENNIS PETERSEN: NATIVE AMERICAN FLUTE: 12 p.m., free. Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse, Jury Assembly Room, 333 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-229-3515. artslasvegas.org
IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE: ADELSON GALA 6:30 p.m., $250. Venetian Resort, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-255-4500. adelsoncampus.org GEICO ENDUROCROSS: 8 p.m., $37-$47. Orleans Arena, 4500 West Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleansarena.com BJ THOMAS: Through Nov. 18, 7:30 p.m., $15.95. Suncoast Showroom, 9090 Alta Drive, Las Vegas. 702-636-7075. suncoastcasino.com HOW TO SPELL HANNUKAH: 7:30 p.m., $25$200. Congregation Ner Tamid, 55 North Valle Verde Drive, Henderson. 702-706-7522. jccsn.org LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC - AN AMERICAN PORTRAIT: 8 p.m., $46-$94. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
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AN EVENING WITH JERRY LEWIS — LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS!: 8 p.m., $39.95. Orleans Hotel, 4500 Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-365-7075. orleanscasino.com
THE POETS’ CORNER: 7 p.m., free. West Las Vegas Arts Center Community Gallery, 947 West Lake Mead Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-2294800. artslasvegas.org
GRAPHIC NOVELS FROM THE INSIDE: 3 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org
STYX: Through Nov. 17, 8 p.m., $54. Pearl at the Palms, 4321 West Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-944-3200. palms.com
GLOBAL DAY OF JEWISH LEARNING: 9 a.m., free. Springs Preserve, 333 South Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-732-0556. jewishlasvegas.com
WHO'S ON BOARD ART SHOW: 6 p.m., free. Amanda Harris Gallery of Contemporary Art, 900 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. skilasvegas.com
JFLV ANNUAL MEETING: 7 p.m., free. Temple Sinai, 9001 Hillpointe Road, Las Vegas. 702732-0556. jewishlasvegas.com
GARTH BROOKS: Through Nov. 17, 7:30 & 10:30 p.m., $225. Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-770-7000. wynnlasvegas.com DANIEL TOSH: Through Nov. 17, 10 p.m.,
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MEDIEVAL MASTERPIECES: 11 a.m., free. Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, 888 West Bonneville Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-483-6023. clevelandclinic.org NOVEMBER 2012 DAVID
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JEWISH GENEOLOGY SOCIETY: 1 p.m., free. Sahara West Library, 9600 West Sahara Avenue. 702-528-4334. jgssn.org
Members Wanted
MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER: Through Dec. 30, times vary, $64-$124. Palazzo Las Vegas, 3325 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-4149000. palazzo.com THE ADDAMS FAMILY: Through Nov. 25, times vary, call for ticket prices. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
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KELLIE PICKLER: Through Nov. 24, $44$66. Orleans Showroom, 4500 West Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-365-7111. orleanscasino.com
Cantor Mariana Gindlin
Rabbi Malcolm Cohen
Celebrate your Wedding, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs We offer Adult Education and Spiritual Worship with the Rabbi Nov 18th 7pm-9pm Jewish Federal General Meeting Shabbat Worship
Friday evenings at 7:30pm Saturday mornings at 10:00am Got Kids? 1st Friday Tot Shabbat 6:15pm 3rd Friday Family Shabbat 6:15pm
Interfaith Marriage? Looking to get Involved? Seeking Adult Education? LGBT?
Temple Sinai is Your Family - Your Home! Call Temple Sinai Office and ask Debra for membership information. 9001 Hillpointe Road, Las Vegas, NV 89134
702-254-5110 www.TempleSinaiLV.org
Member
Temple Sinai a Reform Congregation in Summerlin
MOTOR TREND INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW — LAS VEGAS: Through Nov. 25, times and costs vary. Las Vegas Convention Center, 3150 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-892-0711. motortrendautoshows/lasvegas/generalinfo MORRISSEY, WITH KRISTEEN YOUNG: 8 p.m., $67. The Chelsea at Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com BILL COSBY: 8 p.m., $59. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-8947722. treasureisland.com JIM GAFFIGAN: Through Nov. 24, 10 p.m., costs vary. The Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-792-7777. mirage.com MORRISSEY: 9 p.m., $67. The Chelsea at Cosmopolitan, 3708 North Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com BOB ANDERSON — SIMPLY THE BEST: Through Nov. 25, times vary, $36-$56. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
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SATURDAY MOVIE MATINEE: MAGIC MIKE: 2 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org
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NEW FOUND GLORY: 6 p.m., $25. Hard Rock Cafe, 3771 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702733-7625. hardrock.com
THE IRISH TENORS - THE PREMIERE IRISH HOLIDAY CELEBRATION TOUR: 7:30 p.m., $26-$99. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
Morrissey, 11.23
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UNDER THE STREETLAMP: 7:30 p.m., $24$59. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
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TRIO CAVATINA: 7:30 p.m., $25. UNLV Performing Arts, 4505 South Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas. 702-895-2787. pac.unlv.edu
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UNLV CHORAL ENSEMBLES AND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: 7:30 p.m., $8$10. UNLV Performing Arts, 4505 South Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas. 702-895-2787. pac.unlv.edu ALICE COOPER: 8 p.m., $49. Pearl at the Palms, 4321 West Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-944-3200. palms.com CLASSICAL MYSTERY TOUR: 7:30 p.m., $26-$79. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
THE TIERNEY SUTTON BAND: Through Dec. 1, times vary, $39-$49. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-7492012. thesmithcenter.com LATE NITE CATECHISM: Through Dec. 2, times vary, $29-$39. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, 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.
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devour Thanksgiving Turkey & Sweet Potatoes
Holiday Feast To-Go @ Mimi’s Cafe Mimi’s Cafe is your place for the holidays! Holiday Feast To-Go is a Mimi’s tradition that offers a meal full of flavor, free of fuss, so that families can spend more time together and less time in the kitchen. The inclusive heat-and-serve meal features a Whole Roasted Turkey, Cornbread Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Whipped Sweet Potatoes, Fresh Steamed Vegetables, Cranberry Relish, Carrot Raisin Nut Bread, and a whole Pumpkin Pie. Available from October 25 through January 2. Mimi’s spectacular Holiday Feast To-Go serves six to eight for only $89.99. Mimi’s recommends placing your order at least 24 hours in advance. For more information and location nearest you, visit mimiscafe.com
Fed up with dry, tasteless Thanksgiving turkey? Divide to conquer! “You’re really cooking two different meats,” remarked Ronnie Rainwater, Chef de Cuisine, Emeril’s Delmonico Steakhouse, The Venetian, “leaner breast and fatter thighs and legs. I debone the legs and thighs, roll them back together and tie them up, then braise them in aromatic chicken and veggie stock. “I roast the breast on the bone. First I baste it with butter or margerine, to be kosher, then put it in a covered roasting pan on a bed of celery, onions, and carrots seasoned with fresh herbs. Aromas of the roasting veggies flavor the turkey. You can deglaze the bottom of the pan, add the drippings, and make delicious gravy. “Although you sacrifice traditional whole bird presentation, both white and dark meat fans enjoy succulent turkey.” As accompaniments, he adds cornbread stuffing, fresh cranberry sauce, smashed potatoes, brown-sugar-glazed pecan sweet potatoes, and smothered green beans. For the sweet potatoe recipe visit our website at davidlv .com
DAVID’s Brandy Alexander Cocktail For Thanksgiving we go back to the classics. Nothing celebrates the autumnal season better than the noble Brandy Alexander. This symphony of golden cognac infused with coffee goodness is guaranteed to warm the soul whilst putting a smile on even the glummest face. This recipe is for a single serving: 1 cup ice 1 oz. Chabanneau VS Cognac 1 oz. Mr Stacks Dark Creme de Cacao Liqueur 1 oz. Half and Half 1x Whole Nutmeg and Grater Ice up the cocktail shaker. Add cognac, liqueur and half and half. Vigorously shake and pour into a martini glass (Luigi Bormioli Black Swirl Martini Glass). Add a cinnamon stick as a stirrer to the mixture and gently dust with freshly ground nutmeg. Total Wine & More, 730 Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas. (702) 933-8740. totalwine.com NOVEMBER 2012 DAVID
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Fall Entertaining
Olive oil from this striking Michael Aram dispenser adorned with olive branches, handcrafted in oxidized bronze, makes for a handsome pour, while a warm crusty baguette stands by for a dip. $99. Macy’s Home Store, 4450 Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas. 702-579-6333.
Your favorite edibles, whether they are pretzels, candies or olives, displayed in Nambe’s Heritage Pebble Collection will lure happy company. $200. Saks Fifth Avenue at Fashion Show, 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-733-8300.
Even though they are basking in sunlight just steps outside the kitchen door, Meyer lemons are a delight to bring indoors, as they are the most popular lemon for home chefs. Their smooth, supple skin gives way to juicy and sweet tart flavor. $59.95. Sur la table at Fashion Show, 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-732-2706.
Cast iron’s unparalleled ability to retain heat makes Staub’s Oval Cocotte oven a great choice for braising and roasting meats and slowcooking the hearty stews and soups that we all love during the fall season. $149.95. WilliamsSonoma at The District, 2255 Village Walk, Henderson. 702-897-2346.
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Recalling the distinctive look of Florentine alabaster swirled with an iridescent glaze, Arte Italica’s striking serve ware is almost too stunning to top with delectables. $243. Bloomingdales at Fashion Show, 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas. 702-784-5400.
Deco-inspired design and mouth-blown in France, the rubycolored Vega Martini glass by Baccarat reflects an expression of persona and is an exemplary marriage of beauty and practicality. $185. Bloomingdales at Fashion Show, 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-784-5400.
It’s a delight to enjoy life’s simple pleasures with company, like this squirrel perched on a handsome nut bowl. A true conversation piece, the set comes with a scoop, to enjoy continuous helpings of assorted nuts. $129. Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show, 3200 S. Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-731-3636.
Excellent for chopping fresh herbs, the bowl-shaped Mezzaluna chopping block and knife is chic enough to leave out, even when the guests arrive. $45. Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show, 3200 S. Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-731-3636.
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discover Marjorie Barrick Museum @ UNLV
Aaron Mayes
Recently reopened, the Marjorie Barrick Museum is positioned to offer the latest and greatest in contemporary art. Located at UNLV, the museum features engaging art exhibits from UNLV students and staff, local artists, and nationally and internationally known artists. There are a number of exhibits and the museum is always seeking new artists to showcase. The longest running exhibit is the “Pre-Columbian Collection.” It was initiated in 1979 and has been housed at the museum ever since. Since reopening, the Barrick Museum has acquired many pieces from the Las Vegas Art Museum, which was previously housed at the West Sahara Library. Marjorie Barrick Museum, 4505 South Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas. 702895-1402. http://barrickmuseum.unlv.edu/
Exotics Racing School
All Las Vegas Mountain Bike Tours With cooler weather on the horizon, there’s no better time to get out and explore Las Vegas and the surrounding areas. Sure, there’s Red Rock and Mt. Charleston and Valley of Fire, but why not try something a little different? All Las Vegas Tours offers a variety of tours, including mountain bike tours. Their Hoover Dam tour is quite popular and includes everything one needs to see the Dam by bike – the bike, lunch, a tour guide, and more. The tour is designed for everyone, from beginners to those seeking a little more adventure and includes a stop at Lake Mead and plenty of photo opportunities. $158+. For more information, visit http://www.alllasvegastours.com/body.asp?tour=LAS-CY010&page=TourDetails.
© Linda Haulbrook Evans/ Erik Kabik Photography llc.
Start your engines! Have you ever wanted to drive an exotic car, like as Aston Martin or a McLaren, but didn’t think it was in your budget? Exotics Racing is here to change all that. Offering lessons and the chance to drive the track, the company has a fleet of fancy cars to satisfy the dreamer in all of us. Packages start at $299 and include instruction, a discovery lap in a Porsche Cayenne, and five to one hundred laps in a car of your choice. Everything is included in the cost – car, track, instruction, insurance, etc. You just go and enjoy this once in a lifetime experience. Exotics Racing School, 6925 Speedway Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-405-7223. exoticsracing.com
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mingle NEVADA BALLET THEATRE: OPENING NIGHT OF GEORGE BALANCHINE’S JEWELS The Smith Center
Saturday, October 13 Catherine Lacy and Sharon Jenkins
Photographs by Denise Truscello
(left to right) Madeleine Andress, Chris Holmen and Katie Holmen
(left to right) Don Snyder, Dee Snyder, Jillian Plaster Kester and Wendy Plaster
(left to right) Robert Blau, Leora Blau and Ruth Fung
(left to right) Leigh Zimmerman, Cayleigh Capaldi and Domenick Allen
(left to right) Cecil Andrau, Beth Barbre, Shienni Houlzet and Nicolas Turko
Jodie and Bruce Hansen
(left to right) Peter Boal, James Canfield, Elyse Borne, Beth Barbre, Adam Sklute, Barbara Hogan and Sandra Jennings
Abby Tegnelia and Melissa Weiner
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mingle ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE : 2012 AMERICAN HERITAGE DINNER HONORING JIM MURREN AND MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL Bellagio, Las Vegas Saturday, August 25 (left to right) Asst. Sheriff Ray Flynn, ADL Nevada Dir. Phyllis Friedman and Asst. Sheriff Greg McCurdy
(left to right) Larry Plotkin, Audrey Plotkin, Rabbi Jonathan Porath and Rabbi Yocheved Mintz,
Toni and Victor Chaltiel
Photographs by Cashman Productions
Sonja and Mike Saltman
Kitty Lam and Ken Heck
(left to right) Cari Marshall, Art Marshall and Todd Marshall
ADL Nevada Board Chair Ellis Landau and Yvette Landau
2012-2013 Nevada ADL Glass Leadership Institute
(left to right) Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael A. Cherry, Judge Elissa Cadish and Judge Ron Israel
NOVEMBER 2012 DAVID
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mingle JEWISH REPERTORY THEATRE OF NEVADA: RECEPTION FOR MONA GOLABECK One Queensridge Place Saturday, October 6
(left to right) Charles Lipschitz, Shevy Shalev, Linda Wilner and Martin Wilner
Photographs by Tonya Harvey
(left to right) Shevy Shalev, Barbara BlochLipschitz, Rachel Ventura and Lorraine Mansbridge
Patrice and Wayne Tew
(left to right) Norma Zuckerman, Mona Golabek and Charlene Sher
Laura and Richard Litt
Audrey & Larry Plotkin
Paul Beard & Lisa Davis
Mona Golabek greeting guests
(left to right) Joseph Shalev, Sam Ventura and Chico Felber
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Juvenile Justice Courts and Community Offer Youth Offenders the Get Out of Jail Card
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untrell Jackson of Blytheville, Arkansas, and Evan James Miller of Speake, Alabama, had a few things in common. Both were 14, both were involved in crimes where somebody got killed and both ended up being sent to prison for the rest of their natural lives – with no hope of ever getting out. But earlier this year the U.S. Supreme Court, on a 5-4 vote, held that sentencing judges must consider a defendant’s age and the nature of the crime, and extenuating circumstances, before imposing a term of life without parole. It sent the Jackson and Miller cases back to the trial courts for “individualized” sentencing decisions, where the age of the defendant is considered; his childhood and life experience is scrutinized; how much responsibility he could have exercised is weighed; and his chance for rehabilitation is assessed.
The court didn’t say life without parole sentences can’t be imposed on the 14-year-olds again, but it barred making such a sentence mandatory for youths under 18. It also served notice that such sentences will face intense scrutiny in the future should youths in such situations seek legal remedy from the court. About a quarter century ago, courts began to hold that punishment for children should be less severe than for adults, who unlike their younger counterparts may be considered irredeemably corrupted. In Jackson’s case, he and two other teens went to a video store in Arkansas intent on robbing it. As he waited outside, one of the other youths killed the store clerk. Jackson was charged as an adult and given a life term without possibility of parole. Miller was convicted of murder after he and a second boy set fire
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to a trailer where they had bought drugs from a neighbor. Like Jackson, he got a life sentence without parole. The court’s ruling was the third in a decade to place limits on punishment for crimes committed by juveniles. In the latest decision, the court held that state legislatures never intended to impose life without parole terms on all juvenile offenders, but did want to place youthful defendants in jeopardy of facing adult penalties if convicted of serious crimes. During the early 1990s, as gun homicides reached epidemic proportions in parts of this country, laws were passed mandating sentences of life in prison without parole in some murder cases. Today, the system is more willing to consider whether a youthful offender’s mental health may be compromised. Here in the Las Vegas area, fewer and fewer minors are being treated as adults in the criminal justice system these days. Fritz Reese, recently retired after 36 years, is a former director of Juvenile Justice Systems in Clark County. He agrees with today’s more lenient approach to juvenile offenders. On a nationwide basis, he says, too many youths end up in juvenile justice systems, often inappropriately or unnecessarily. But in Clark County, he says, the approach is to collaborate with appropriate community-based services to avoid such an outcome, or to keep the child from sinking deeper into the system. “Providing these kids with an opportunity — obviously while holding them accountable — is much more rehabilitative … and less costly,” he says. Reese is proud of his achievements as director of the system, including forging relationships with community and local agencies, and fostering a shared understanding that many delinquents have recognizable mental health issues. “Of the kids who are in our detention centers,” he says, “it’s about 78 percent (with mental health problems). And it’s much higher for those who are deeper into the system.” As recently as 20 years ago, Reese says, social and criminal justice professionals believed kids were just being kids in committing crimes, including serious infractions. Today, experts understand that more than 70 percent of kids referred to the system are from households headed by a single person, he says, which may not be the child’s mom or dad. “We have found that 8 percent or so of the [juvenile justice] population do serious crimes,” he says. “The rest are all floating around being involved or becoming involved. Maybe the 8 percent will go on to the adult system. But how do we deal with the other 92 percent, and how do we become more effective with the resources we have available? “It used to be that if you got referred for alcohol, well, nothing would ever happen,” says Reese. “Now, if you get referred for firsttime drugs or alcohol — like a very minor possession of marijuana or even beer — we do an assessment. We start out identifying those things at the front end and work with the families and say, ‘Hey, you’ve got some identifiable needs here, and here’s your road map to get some help; here’s your road map out of here.’” Emerging studies, including one that the National Institutes of Health conducted, have shown that the male brain — particularly the area that governs judgment, decision-making and impulse control — doesn’t fully mature until age 25, a factor some experts think should be considered when working with juveniles who’ve run afoul of the law. Others believe that detention does a juvenile more harm than good. Once inside, Reese says, the offender begins to identify with a separate culture that fosters a disconnect from society. As a result, NOVEMBER 2012 DAVID
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efforts are under way to channel youthful offenders away from the system, to avoid such institutionalization, Reese says. At Clark County Family Court, Judge Stephen Compan presides over a true diversion program — one focused on identifying kids who are of relatively low risk to the community, but high risk to themselves. The courtroom is more like a hub, where community agencies, treatment providers and mentors come together to support at-risk teens entering the justice system. The program’s strength lies in the belief that early intervention is part of the solution. By pairing at-risk kids with appropriate community resources, such as substance-abuse centers, nonprofit organizations and mentors, teens complete the recommended steps, which often include community service. For those who get through successfully, citations are dismissed. The program emphasizes an open environment, where teens can talk about their hardships and receive guidance. The community offers other alternatives for youth as well. Spring Mountain Youth Camp on Mount Charleston is among them. The average stay there is six months, and only about 12 percent of those admitted to the program will re-offend, based on statistical analysis. While there, they maintain and develop an extensive trail system, working in what Reese calls “the best forestry program in the nation.” In the case of substance abuse, a youth is assessed and an appropriate referral is made. Reese said many of the offenders with mental health issues tend to self-medicate, an issue that is even more complex to overcome. “Now, this is recognized so that we can resolve the issue, work with the family and reduce escalation,” he says. Concerted efforts to work with the community to find appropriate solutions for youthful offenses may be contributing to fewer referrals, despite the growing youth population. In 2007, Clark County received 26,700 referrals; in 2011, there were 21,000. The SPIRIT Project, another youthful offender initiative, began 30 DAVID CHESHVAN / KISLEV 5773
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in September and is designed specifically for the courts and law enforcement. The Las Vegas-based organization recently received help through its partnership with VegasTechFund, which invests in innovative companies using technology to solve local problems. Tony Origin_India_11_2011.indd 1 10/19/11 Hsieh, founder and CEO of Las Vegas-based Zappos.com, an online shoe and clothing shop, is among the fund’s managers. The SPIRIT Project is designed to improve the way at-risk youth are managed in the judicial system. SPIRIT focuses on improving communication between agencies and streamlining processes. SPIRIT’s innovative and secure software application, modeled as an SAAS (software as a service), supplies real-time updates on cases to authorized users, identifies appropriate youth mentors, links agencies to share data, monitors the effectiveness of different programs and much more. Through SPIRIT, a community can ensure that youth and their families will get the help they need, and communities will save money. Reese says it costs Clark County taxpayers $224 a day to house a juvenile inmate. To supervise him or her in the community, he says, costs less than $10 a day. THURSDAY, NOV 1 − SATURDAY, NOV 3 Geoffrey Radcliffe is senior vice president of SPIRIT. “Oftentimes, A CELEBRATION OF IMAGINATION.»LEARN.DISCOVER.ESCAPE. youth are jailed for offenses that don’t require incarceration, but there just aren’t other options readily available for police or intake officers,” HISTORIC FIFTH STREET SCHOOL & CLARK COUNTY LIBRARY he says. “SPIRIT closes those gaps and helps youth and families get MAIN FESTIVAL Saturday, Nov. 3, 9:00 am to 9:00 p.m. Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth Street the help they need immediately, while saving cities and counties here CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL Saturday,, Nov. 3, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and all across the country millions of dollars each year.” Fifth Street, School, 401 S. Fourth Street COMIC BOOK FESTIVAL Saturday, Nov. 3, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. And SPIRIT Project CEO Eric Nidiffer says it “bodes extremely Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road well for VegasTechFund that they are willing to back a project that FREE FUN FOR ALL AGES! Join us for Keynotes by Charlaine Harris and Jennifer Egan, First Friday Poets’ Stage, Las Vegas Writes, and a Steampunk Ball. will have a far-reaching positive impact on future generations.” Reese says the “youths remind us that their troubles reflect the VEGASVALLEYBOOKFESTIVAL.ORG NOV 1-3 2012 collective problems of a larger community, and that the only way to solve a community problem is to join forces with committed citizens with the intent to effect change.” — Marisa Finetti NOVEMBER 2012 DAVID
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Katie Lever
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Gaming’s Suits Protecting Sin City’s Intellectual Property
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odern games of chance endure plenty of scrutiny and vetting before they make it to the casino floor. Whether they are electronic games, slots, table games or even card shufflers, there are teams of inventors, lawyers, every-day people and company brass weighing potential pitfalls and profits. And once the worrying about the mathematical calculations is done, the intellectual property deals signed, the aesthetics refined, more tinkering ensues to please individual state, regional and national regulators. With extensive testing and literally thousands of legal pages created for any one game, it’s a wonder any get made in the first place. But the window from concept to casino floor is remarkably small, all things considered. Many in the business will say a two-year development cycle for a game is actually a long time; most get done in a year to 18 months. And the ideas can come from anywhere. Katie Lever, general counsel with Shuffle Entertainment, formerly Shuffle Master, said the company has its own in-house “game wizard school,” or staffers committed to creating games and adding twists to older titles. Employees are encouraged to submit their ideas as well. The company also has a website inviting game inventors to pitch concepts. The development process, above all, works to prove the mathematical formulas behind a game and patent them. Then playability tests with employees and members of the public follow. “I think people would be surprised at how much energy and effort goes into securing patents and the rest of the intellectual property and all different elements of a table game,” Lever said. Getting the approval from state watchdogs can be daunting, too, Lever added. State regulations on wager limits, machine or game allocations, cashless instruments and numerous other factors play a part in how a machine is delivered and used in each state. “We had one game we really liked but … regulators didn’t like some of the elements of it. So we kept tweaking,” she said. “I was actually at a casino last weekend and was watching people play it. That was really gratifying.” In the slot world, iconic imagery and brands often rule the day. Shuffle Entertainment holds two Australian slot machine intellectual property agreements for The Flintstones and Pink Panther brands. As with many other brands, copyright or trademark agreements often are done by jurisdiction. But with Internet gaming evolving that contract approach could be tested. Marketa Trimble, associate professor at UNLV’s William S. Boyd School of Law, says with the evolution of Internet gaming more and more land-based users likely will crave that incarnation of their
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favorite slot, electronic or table game online. That could affect how intellectual property agreements are structured in the future. “It’s really becoming an issue of how to transform and transfer those types of games associated with copyright-protected images and sounds to online games,” she said. “The question also becomes, given that the Internet is somewhat borderless, whether it will be tenable to limit licenses geographically.” For the time being, land-based games maintain their allure, and the focus to bring a new, unique experience among them remains strong.
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Jean Venneman
It’s easiest to prevent the devastating effects of bullying when you can stop it at the source. So we have to rewrite the story from the beginning. Each of us is responsible for intervening in a bad situation. Sometimes it’s telling an adult and sometimes it’s acting like an adult. But it’s never to look the other way. Take the pledge today at flipthescriptnow.org.
Jean Venneman, vice president of product management for Bally Technologies Inc., knows that a name, brand or iconic figure can be key to an electronic game’s success. But the industry veteran, who has been involved in her share of negotiations for great brands, said her employer is light on the trigger. “We tend to look for brands that are a little more classic. It’s dangerous to pick up on the latest craze,” she said. “It takes about a year to a year and a half to create that game and get it into a casino. You have to ask yourself at that point: Will it still be a relevant brand? It needs to have a more timeless appeal.” More recently, Bally established licensing for its King of Pop interactive touch screen game and Grease, a wide-area progressive slot machine. It also has some unique classics like Skee-Ball and Connect 4 that have done well through the years, along with a Playboy slot machine agreement that’s going on 10 years, Venneman adds. The company also looks to its player profile to match intellectual property and game types. The Bally player profile tends slightly more toward females, with an average age just over 50, some skewing a little higher or lower in certain markets. “Generally, there are enough ideas. No single brand is going to make or break a company,” she said. “We want a brand that
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resonates with the player and player demographics, a brand our player base knows and loves, then translates somehow into an interesting game play experience.” But the company has also opted for more current trending brands. Its NASCAR Roared to Life virtual racing application is the result of an 18-month development cycle. Bally needed to negotiate a licensing agreement with NASCAR, and about five racing teams as well. Each team had different sponsors that needed to be taken into consideration as well. “That one definitely had a lot of moving parts,” she added. Venneman said intellectual property contracts of seven years are common in the business. Plenty of brands actively seek out the gaming environment for exploitation. Venneman said her group goes after brands about 25 percent of the time; otherwise, Bally is being approached. Intellectual property licensing also comes into play with table games, Lever added. The company’s Ultimate Texas Hold’em is one of its most successful games. As with others, it went through its share of game and naming tweaks before becoming a reality. Texas Hold’em would have required a licensing agreement. Adding the word “ultimate” and additional logo material made the brand unique.
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Even after intellectual copyrights are secured, the threat of theft persists. In the past four months, Shuffle Entertainment has shut down more than 15 websites using its games, logos and other game elements, Lever said. “I have an amazing little team that spends an awful lot of time and energy protecting all the intellectual property that surrounds [our] games,” she added. “We look at intellectual property as one of our most valuable assets.” — Brian Sodoma NOVEMBER 2012 DAVID
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taste
Bacchanal Buffet Triumphs Caesars Palace Doubles Down on a Vegas Institution
Italian Meatballs
“V
eni, vidi, vici” — I came, I saw, I conquered — Gaius Julius Caesar is said to have reported in 47 B.C. after his triumph in today’s northern Turkey. Now the Palace meant to evoke his image (and other Caesars) triumphs in the Vegas buffet wars with the opening of Bacchanal Buffet. Kitty Bean Yancy, USA Today’s travel editor, proclaimed the new Caesars Palace dining phenomenon the No. 1 buffet in Las Vegas almost immediately after it opened – quite an accolade considering the competition. But you ain’t seen nuthin’ until you embark on your culinary cruise through the 25,000-square-foot dining marvel designed (appropriately) by Super Potato, known for its distinctive
restaurants at Island Shangri-la Hotel in Hong Kong and the Grand Hyatt in Singapore and Beijing. Oodles of talent, as well as Michelin-starred experience, would seem to justify this assertion. Executive chef Scott Green combines land and sea experience, having worked for Celebrity Cruises, and Alizé at the Palms and André’s at Monte Carlo before joining Caesars Palace. Michael Van Staden, executive sous chef, also includes Celebrity and Alizé on his résumé and adds Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas. Restaurant Guy Savoy and Payard Bistro and Patisserie at Caesars, plus MIX at Mandalay Bay, sharpened the skills of specialty pastry chef Dyan Ng. As if they weren’t enough to ensure “fine
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Eggs Benedict
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dining” in a buffet setting, the culinary team includes seafood chef John Goyak Jr., (Charlie Palmer Steak at Four Seasons); American menu and meat carving chef Craig Herber (also Charlie Palmer Steak, plus Morels at Palazzo); Mexican chef Jorge D’avilia (Rao’s at Caesars); and Asian chefs Francis Yang (Caesars Palace Villas) and Jin Zheng (Sea Harbor, Caesars). They, and their culinary colleagues, create more than 500 different dishes daily, and new ones are constantly being added. You can see what’s cooking in nine show kitchens that open onto the dining area. You could probably eat there for weeks and not repeat your meal, experiencing cuisines from around the world without presenting a passport. In short, Bacchanal showcases a global gourmet buffet, once an oxymoron in Las Vegas. The first impression of the triple-themed space is its openness and light, helped along by high ceilings. In the first area, colorful transparent glass panels suspended from the ceiling create congenial sections; chandeliers made of upside-down wine glasses provide novel lighting. During the day, natural light floods enormous windows overlooking the Garden of the Gods pool. Stacked natural wood blocks form walls and ceiling. The patchwork pattern overhead creates an illusion of dappled sunshine. The third décor concept conjures industrial chic, via repurposed, weathered steel plates from factories and warehouses. The contiguous buffet stations undulate along the left wall, guiding guests on a sensory safari. Each section is imaginatively identified by shelves of signature products in oversized Mason jars: seashells for seafood; Dessert Display the bounty of a garden for the American section;
red, yellow, green and black tortilla chips, chili peppers and dried corn husks for Mexican; every conceivable pasta and copper pots for Italian. You get the idea. As you stroll this culinary avenue, the aromas are more seductive than those at a perfume counter. There’s one diversion – a dessert island, a freestanding oasis of decadence that epitomizes the maxim “Life’s short. Eat dessert first.” The crumble-crusted apple pie is amazing, and the ice cream purveyor scoops not only pie-perfect vanilla but also off-the-chart flavors like Aztec chocolate with a kick. Carrot cake is layered with cream cheese. Dark chocolate engulfs huge strawberries. Bowls of fresh fruit and sugar-free desserts counter-balance the indulgence. And the irresistible soufflés are incomparably fresh, made continuously in an oven in the center of the island. But back to the beginning. The first formidable array is seafood – raw and cooked. Fresh oysters loll on beds of ice next to large, tender green lip mussels from New Zealand. Fennel accents halibut, and cherry tomatoes complement grilled salmon. Chunky tartar sauce and spicy rémoulade add accents. Centerpiece of the American section is carved-to-order meat and poultry, with more than a dozen choices. Standouts are BBQ housesmoked meats from a wood-burning smoker and grill. Artisanal sausage sizzles. Oak-grilled lamp chops are tops. Roast beef, from well done to nearly mooing, is juicy and tender, house-smoked brisket is tender and tasty; rotisserie chicken is sassy. If you’re looking for basics, try the sliders with fries served in mini frying baskets. When it comes to veggies, head for the broccoli and cheese and thick, al dente asparagus. American breakfast favorites grab the
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Souffle Selections
morning spotlight. Even if you forgo the zesty Mexican fare, the richly ripe, citrustinged guacamole and some of the 12 tongue-tingling salsas are musts. Tortas, tacos and corn tortillas are freshly made. For breakfast, the griddle yields French toast and red velvet pancakes. When it comes to Asian food, there’s Japanese, Chinese and Thai. Specialty dishes complement traditional offerings of sushi, sashimi, dim sum steaming in bamboo baskets and roasted duck. Aromatic food fills a row of woks. If you’re looking for Italian, don’t miss the individual portions of luscious lasagna. Pizzas are fabulous, especially the BBQ chicken. The antipasto display is a meal in itself. Augment your enjoyment with nearby cheese and charcuterie. Even soups — four are offered daily — and freshly baked breads (a cornucopia of varieties sliced to order) have a featured niche; in the morning, that spot’s occupied by hot cereals. Cold breakfast foods and salads are neighbors. Plain cream cheese and lox aren’t the only embellishments for a myriad of bagels. Flavored cheese and various smoked fish help open your eyes. Besides a diverse assortment of greens, the salad bar features tempting “composed” salads, such as caprese, beets and watermelon. Unique bean salad overflows with crunch and flavor. Satisfy your cravings from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Weekday breakfast is 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Weekend brunch runs 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Weekday lunch is 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Dinner is available daily, 3 p.m. until 10 p.m. Prices (as of Oct. 5) are: Weekday breakfast, $21; weekend brunch, including unlimited champagne, $41.99; weekday lunch, $18.99; daily dinner, $44.99. Unlimited draft wine and beer are $15.99. Total Rewards guests receive a discount, and kids, ages 2-8; eat for about half the price. Expect very long lines at peak times. You can buy a line pass for $15 per person to end-run the mob. — Marilyn LaRocque NOVEMBER 2012 DAVID
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daven
Synagogues Central
Candlelighting Cheshvan / Kislev 5773 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, CHESHVAN 17 Light candles at 5:25 p.m.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, CHESHVAN 18 Shabbat ends at 6:21 p.m.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, CHESHVAN 24 Light candles at 4:19 p.m.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, CHESHVAN 25 Shabbat ends at 5:16 p.m. Blessing of the New Month
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, KISLEV 1 Rosh Chodesh Kislev
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, KISLEV 2 Light candles at 4:14 p.m.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, KISLEV 3 Shabbat ends at 5:12 p.m.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, KISLEV 9 Light candles at 4:10 p.m.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, KISLEV 10 Shabbat ends at 5:09 p.m.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, KISLEV 16 Light candles at 4:08 p.m.
CONGREGATION SHAAREI TEFILLA
1331 S. Maryland Parkway Las Vegas, NV 89014 Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America Rabbi Yakov Wasser 702-384-3565 East
CONGREGATION OR-BAMIDBAR
2991 Emerson Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89121 Sephardic Orthodox 702-369-1175 Green Valley/Henderson AHAVAS TORAH CENTER
55 S. Valle Verde Drive, Suite 430 Henderson, NV 89021 Traditional Rabbi Yehoshua Fromowitz 702-487-3133 ext. 1
BETH EL CONGREGATION
2756 N. Green Valley Pkwy, Suite 195 Henderson, NV 89121 Traditional Reform Rabbi Simon Bergman 702-389-8090
CHABAD OF GREEN VALLEY
10870 S. Eastern Ave., Suite 104 Henderson, NV 89052 Orthodox/Chabad Rabbi Mendy Harlig 702-617-0770
CONGREGATION NER TAMID
55 N. Valle Verde Drive Henderson, NV 89074 Union for Reform Judaism Affiliate Sr. Rabbi Sanford D. Akselrad Rabbi/Educator Sadie Reuben Cantorial Intern Philip Goldstein 702-733-6292
MIDBAR KODESH TEMPLE
1940 Paseo Verde Parkway Henderson, NV 89012 United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Rabbi Bradley Tecktiel Cantor Andres Kornworcel 702-454-4848 Southwest CONGREGATION P’NAI TIKVAH Services: 3975 S. Durango Drive, Ste. 104, Las Vegas, NV 89147 Office: 2045 Grouse St., Las Vegas, NV 89134. Reconstructionist Rabbi Yocheved Mintz Cantor Marla Goldberg
Music Director Marek Rachelski 702-436-4900 Summerlin BET KNESSET BAMIDBAR
Desert Vista Community Center 10360 Sun City Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89134 Traditional Reform Rabbi Elaine Schnee Cantor Jonathan Friedman 702-391-2750
CHABAD OF SUMMERLIN/ DESERT SHORES
2640 Regatta Drive Las Vegas, NV 89128 Orthodox/Chabad Rabbi Yisroel Schanowitz 702-855-0770
CHABAD HEBREW CENTER
8502 W. Lake Mead Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89128 Sephardic Orthodox/Chabad Rabbi Samuel Attal 702-271-8025
TEMPLE BET EMET
Mountain Shadows Community Center 9107 Del Webb Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89134 Reform Rabbi Craig Rosenstein Cantor Lola Rivera 702-254-8103
TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM
10700 Havenwood Lane Las Vegas, NV 89135 United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Rabbi Felipe Goodman Cantor Robert Menes 702-804-1333
TEMPLE SINAI
9100 Hillpointe Road Las Vegas, NV 89134 Union for Reform Judaism Affiliate Rabbi Malcolm Cohen Cator Mariana Gindlin 702-254-5110 YOUNG ISRAEL AISH LAS VEGAS
9590 W. Sahara Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89117 Modern Orthodox Outreach Rabbi Yitzchak Wyne 702-360-8909 West CHABAD CENTRAL
1261 S. Arville St. Las Vegas, NV 89102 Orthodox/Chabad Rabbi Shea Harlig 702-259-0770
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ELECTRIC MEMORIES pg. 42
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Electric Memories The Neon Museum Flips the Switch on the Vegas Light Show By Christina M. Parmelee
M
ost cities in the world offer museums filled with the classics of Rembrandt, Monet and Picasso. Hushed facilities showcasing old relics, undecipherable abstract art and extinct creatures. But as every local, native and visitor can attest to, Las Vegas is nothing like most cities. Although we do have a cultural community that has grown exponentially thanks to the Smith Center and the growing and thriving arts district downtown, art museums have come and gone at an alarming rate, with low attendance numbers. Here, we gather to celebrate the implosion of a casino past its prime. We flock to the newest nightclubs and restaurants, never knowing if the party will continue into next year. Las Vegas will always celebrate the latest and greatest monolithic
structure on the Strip but pride in this great, one-of-a-kind city also has produced the ultimate labor of love, 15 years in the making. Las Vegas is a transient town. To find something lasting, historical and significant is worth its weight in glittering gold. Enter the Neon Museum. The Neon Museum officially opens its doors to the public on Saturday, Oct. 27. It consists of the Neon Boneyard, the Downtown Gallery and the Las Vegas Signs project. Technically, the collection has been around since 1996. Young Electric Sign Co. (YESCO), the manufacturer involved in creating a number of the historical signs, began rescuing, collecting and preserving the landmarks 20 years ago. YESCO donated its retired signs for display at the Boneyard
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and the rest is history. An extremely popular spot for funky wedding engagement pictures, the Neon Boneyard spans 2 acres near downtown and is home to more than 150 donated and rescued neon signs that date between 1930 and the modern day. It’s a living, breathing, panoramic snapshot of history from some of Las Vegas’ most historic properties, including Desert Inn, Moulin Rouge and Stardust, along with signs from wedding chapels, mom and pop casinos and restaurants. Each sign tells a story and captures part of Las Vegas’ rich history and ever-changing landscape, when the signs were more iconic and recognizable than the property itself. But visiting the Boneyard hasn’t always been easy. Tours, by appointment only, had to be booked in advance. They filled up fast and staff found it hard to keep up with demand. Luckily, that all changes with the addition of the Visitors Center. In true fashion of rescue and restore, the center is hosted in the seashell-shaped La Concha Motel lobby, formerly located next to the Riviera. It was saved from demolition, transported to a new location and given new life at the Neon Museum. Tours will commence Monday through Saturday, every half-hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 770 Las Vegas Blvd. North. Reservations are still recommended. The Neon Museum also has partnered with the city of Las Vegas to present the Las Vegas Signs Project and The Downtown Gallery, where restored signs have been displayed on Las Vegas Boulevard to delight passers-by 24/7. It’s truly a public art installation you can 44 DAVID CHESHVAN / KISLEV 5773
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only find in Las Vegas, or perhaps on the historic Route 66. Take the time to admire the pieces next time you’re out on the town. It’s unexpected and fun, in a part of town that hasn’t always been so art-worthy due to the effects of the unfortunate economy. Right now, seven restored signs from the museum collection make up the Las Vegas Signs Project, including the Silver Slipper outside of Cashman Field, Binion’s Horseshoe and the Hacienda Horse and Rider. The Downtown Gallery erects nine signs between Fremont and Third Avenue, including Aladdin’s Lamp, The Flame Restaurant and The Red Barn. It’s the perfect addition to an artsy atmosphere that just gets better every First Friday. For years, casinos have looked to advanced technology to save on electric costs. Lights continue to be replaced by lower wattage versions and signs removed in favor of marquee-quality LCD and LED screens. Each screen is erected bigger and flashier, in hopes of outdoing the competitor down the street. Driving along Las Vegas Boulevard is an assault on the visual sense, with every sort of commercial blazing in the night sky. It makes sense in a town that continues to evolve based on the demands of tourism and revenue. But Vegas Vic still stands tall on Fremont Street, waving to visitors from his perch since 1951. The times they are-a changing, but at least there’s a place that plays homage to our history and will forever be a part of what truly makes Las Vegas the City of Lights.
NOVEMBER 2012 DAVID
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METRO MENSCHES JEWISH OFFICERS THAT SERVE AND PROTECT
By Lynn Wexler-Margolies
“W
hat, a policeman? A Jew becoming a policeman? Unheard of! If you want to deal with the law, go to law school and become a lawyer!” the Jewish mother says in her matter-of-fact tone. On the one hand, the pursuit of education and a profession has been a trait of the modern Jewish family. On the other hand, Jews have a long history as protectors of their communities. The Book of Leviticus, 9:16, says: “Thou shalt not stand idly by thy neighbor’s blood.” In biblical times, the Shomrim (Hebrew for guards or watchers) were sentries who guarded Jewish camps, fortresses and villages. When a Jew accepted the responsibility as Shomer, he committed to standing guard for those who were vulnerable and at risk. Fast forward to 1924 and the establishment in New York City of the first Shomrim Society in the United States; initially, it was organized to guard against discrimination of Jewish Police Officers. Now, Shomrim Societies are all over the country (though not in Las Vegas). Their main function is to unite and serve the many Jews in public safety fields. In the UK they are known as The Jewish Police Association. “The concept of the law, its enforcement and adjudication have always been vital and central precepts of the Jewish religion,” says Jack Kitaeff, author of Jews in Blue. “In fact, there has been no other system in the history of the world which has sought for so long to combine moral and ethical teaching with the practical exercise of civil and criminal jurisprudence.” Perhaps that’s why our Jewish mother reconsiders her assertion, softly recanting, “Do what you think is best. I will always be proud of you.” Today, a fair percentage of Jewish men and women hold a variety of positions, and almost every rank, in most major U.S. city police departments. Las Vegas seems to be the anomaly, though it’s unclear if that’s true. The LVMPD’s Office of Public Information stated that the department does not keep racial, ethnic or religious profiles of their personnel. As such they do not know how many Jewish officers are on the force. The four Jewish officers I spoke with for DAVID also did not know. And no one knew if there were any Jewish women on the force.
With some 80,000 Jews living and working in the greater Las Vegas valley (and judging by their percentage in departments elsewhere), there should be a fair amount. With a police force of some 2,500 officers (that number is down due to budget cuts, including a Police Academy that has been unfunded for recruitment for more than two years), it’s curious that most Jewish officers are unaware of each other. The officers reason that Jews on the force are likely flying below the radar, preferring to focus on work rather than visibility. They agree that, given the existence of police associations for Latinos, Asians and black members of law enforcement, perhaps it’s time for that to change. And yet these Jewish officers are quick to mention that the strength of the force lies in its neutrality. Each officer is proud of and values his Jewish identity and the morals that guide him, but also is aware that the department’s mission is “to protect the community through prevention, partnership and professional service.” LVMPD’s vision is to be “the safest community in America.” Officers subscribe to the guiding principle of I CARE (for Integrity, Courage, Accountability, Respect for People and Excellence). LVMPD is Nevada’s largest law enforcement agency, and one of the biggest in the U.S. It was formed in 1973 as a city-county police force overseeing Las Vegas and all of vast Clark County. It’s headed by the Clark County sheriff, who is elected to a four-year term. As the only elected head law enforcement officer within Clark County, the sheriff is not under the direct control of the city, county or state. Doug Gillespie, elected in November 2006 and again in 2010, faces no term limits by law. The department’s headquarters, completed in 2011, are downtown on Martin L. King Boulevard. The 370,000-square-foot building consolidates 27 law enforcement bureaus. The spacious lobby features a memorial wall honoring officers fallen in the line of duty, and museum-style cases filled with police paraphernalia, history and anecdotes dating to the 1930s. Each officer I sat with described the department in glowing terms. By their accounts, and by the national recognition and accolades accorded LVMPD for its many forward-thinking programs and successes, the safety and welfare of Las Vegas is in capable hands. NOVEMBER 2012 DAVID
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“As a people, we want to leave the world a better place than how we found it.” — Sgt. Alan Schlossberg
Sgt. Alan Schlossberg, 57, is originally from Boston. He entered the Las Vegas Police Academy when he was 28. “I was in business at the time. Making money for me was never an issue. But fulfillment … that was different. I had an epiphany. I wanted a hand in saving the world. It was a time when a lot of my friends were turning to drugs … there was the Vietnam War. I watched America begin its slow decline socially, and I thought I could make a difference.” That’s why he chose Detention Services. “I thought I would have more time to help post-arrest folks in crisis than I would on the streets.” He went through extensive training in what he says is today “ … recognized as the finest academy of its kind in the United States.” He attributes that to the sheriffs and staffers who stepped up to accommodate the department’s needs. He has seen many changes in Detention’s philosophy toward corrections. In the 1990s the lockup became one of the first new generational jails in the country, a response to civil rights advocacy. “We implemented The American Correctional Association’s procedural manual on modern correctional methods, which holds that a loss of freedom is not a loss of dignity.” That led to construction of the Las Vegas Tower, which eliminated jail bars and a lack of privacy in favor of single-occupancy rooms with doors. The Tower eventually was closed due to budget considerations, but the overriding philosophy of using interpersonal communication to accomplish the corrections mission — with force as a last resort — endured. Schlossberg is proud of a number of achievements throughout his career, principally his appointment as the first program coordinator ever in Detention Services, which yielded him the autonomy to pursue his vision of corrections work. “In a year and a half, I put together 16 behavior modification programs,” he says. Then, with a close friend and associate, he got the General Assembly in Carson City to pass unanimously a vital piece of legislation. “It allowed Juvenile (system) justices to sentence atrisk youth to alternative program sentences as opposed to jail.” Though he received no recognition, Schlossberg says he would do it all again under the same circumstances. “It’s all about ethics and integrity. At the end of the day you have to know that you did the right thing.” He credits his Jewish values for his epiphany and his integrity. “As a people, we want to leave the world a better place than how we found it,” he says. And as a proud husband, father, friend, professional and involved community member, Schlossberg embodies that principle while remaining vigilant in his charge to guard and protect. 48 DAVID CHESHVAN / KISLEV 5773
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“I don’t think there’s anything more Jewish than being a police officer.” — Sgt. Harry Fagel
Sgt. Harry Fagel, a 19-year veteran of the LVMPD, works in the Professional Standards Division of the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau. “I’m the policemen’s police,” he states with a jovial demeanor. Born and raised in Las Vegas, and Bar Mitzvah’d at Temple Beth Sholom, Fagel graduated from UNLV with a criminal justice degree before entering the Police Academy. “I thought about going to law school — yes, my mother suggested it — but after taking a ride in a patrol car I knew that police work was for me,” the 44-year-old says. “It sounds crazy because we’re often involved in trauma. But the officer is generally the only person in the midst of chaos and catastrophe that a victim can cling to for psychological survival. You feel like you’re saving lives in more ways than one. “Internal Affairs saves people’s careers,” Fagel says. “Our goal is to protect the integrity of the department and its officers. When things happen, they get investigated. If someone is evil, they shouldn’t be wearing a badge. But that’s the exception. Often it’s a misunderstanding that gets straightened out. Other times it’s behaviors that need to be corrected. Some very good people, even in high places, make mistakes. We help them through the consequences and the corrections.” He believes LVMPD is one of the nation’s best-trained forces. “Our leadership is progressive and strives to stay ahead of the curve.” Whether it’s the focus on community-relations and outreach, preparedness for all situations and a commitment to making Las Vegas safe for its residents and tourists, “… everyone who works at the department loves what he does, Fagel says. “That doesn’t mean we’re without challenges. Change is a challenge. Police work is typically grounded in tradition and it’s tough to switch gears. When society changes, the department has to change to meet the needs of the people. “The economy is a challenge because job and home loss creates hopelessness, and more crime. And media sound bites that stereotype us in a bad way … that makes it harder for the public to trust us and impacts our effectiveness,” he says. Fagel balances the negatives with family, humor and writing poetry. He’s published two works; does readings for private and public events and has played a cop in movies and on TV. “I don’t think there’s anything more Jewish than being a police officer. It’s tikun olam [Hebrew for repairing the world]. Justice, kindness, standing up for others and helping strangers … they’re all tenets of being an officer and being a Jew. I love what I do and it suits who I am.” NOVEMBER 2012 DAVID
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“Jewish identity is very important to who I am, though adversity is more likely the author of my ambitions.” — Det. Dori Koren
Detective Dori Koren works in counterterrorism at LVMPD. He entered the Police Academy at 21, after graduating from UNLV with a criminal justice degree. Seven years later, it may sound strange to describe him as a veteran. But Koren’s the exception. Born in Israel, he and his family moved to America when he was 2. He’s charming, energetic, focused, single and available. Koren is close to his three brothers and considers his mother his hero. She raised her sons after their father left when Dori was 6. “Life was difficult. I saw very bad things, which motivated me to want more and better. I watched my mother sacrifice for us. My Jewish identity is important to who I am, though adversity is more likely the author of my ambitions.” He moved quickly from patrol officer into counterterrorism, where he works in intelligence. “Over the past year, I’ve been fortunate to represent the homeland security interests of our community and the department in Washington, D.C., and around the country, serving as a subject matter expert and law enforcement liaison for multiple federal, local and private sector agencies. I was also given the opportunity to review and write national level policy that’s been implemented.” His capabilities and ambitions notwithstanding, he credits his early rise in the department to supportive leadership, a cadre willing to operate outside the traditional advancement schedule. “The sheriff supports a very proactive Homeland Security Department, with a strong commitment to protecting our citizens. Our bread and butter is that Strip, and the Strip could be a potential target due to its intrinsic vulnerabilities, value and visibility.” he says. “Our biggest challenge in counterterrorism is to stop extreme ideologies when they become violent. Prior to that, there’s no law against having the ideology, and it’s equally as important to protect those freedoms.” As far as being Jewish, “It’s in my blood to be determined, to go beyond, to defy the odds, and to do it for the welfare of the greater good. Seems Jewish to me.”
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“As a Jew I learned that if you save a life, it’s as if you’ve saved the world.” — Officer Darren Schwartz
Darren Schwartz is a 15-year veteran of the LVMPD force. At 35, he’s served as a uniform patrolman, field training officer, a detective in the Gang Crimes Bureau and has been assigned over the years to various area commands, working all three shifts. “I like moving around. I could never have a desk job,” he explains. Born in Queens, he moved to Las Vegas in 1981, where his family opened an Exxon gas station. After graduating from UNLV with a criminal justice degree, he entered the Police Academy. “Ever since I was a boy, I’ve wanted to be either a firefighter or police officer,” he says. His mother reminded him that nice Jewish boys don’t become police officers. But he did and “she’s always proud when she sees me in my uniform and helping others.” He’s been married for 11 years to a criminal defense attorney, which “makes for some very interesting, if not heated conversations at home,” he says. “It’s funny. We work in the same system but approach it from different perspectives. I work to arrest them and she works to put them back on the streets. We’ve learned to tone it down, though, to maintain the peace.” Growing up, his family was more religious. They still go to temple, he says, but on the high holidays. “I grew up in USY. All of my lessons learned were in Jewish youth groups. I remember hearing that, as a Jew, if you save a life, it’s as if you saved the world. That’s my job … to protect and save. It’s very Jewish.” But on the force “once you’re in uniform, it’s a family. We’re all the same,” Schwartz says. He wishes more Jews would become officers. He figures they don’t consider it a profession. But with “all of the specialty training, and the college degrees earned, that’s changed. It’s a great profession and deserves more consideration. True, there are days when I hate the world. But there are more days when I feel like I saved it!” he says. Schlossberg, Fagel, Koren and Schwartz met for the first time when they posed for DAVID’s cover photo. They would like to form a Jewish Police Association, and DAVID is pleased to have had a part in bringing that about. They have asked that Jews in Las Vegas law enforcement interested in joining please call Alan Schlossberg, at 702-671-5720, or Harry Fagel at 702-828-1948.
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Operation Magic The Bornsteins Entertain U.S. Troops at Home and Around the World 52 DAVID CHESHVAN / KISLEV 5773
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By Jaq Greenspon
A
number of reasons emerge for why we do wild, crazy, sometimes stupid things, the kind of antics that could have a huge impact on our lives. Sometimes it’s a friend, sometimes a girl, sometimes it’s having to prove yourself to a parent or loved one. For Jeff Bornstein, at various times in his life, it’s been all three. The friend, in this scenario, was Vince Miller. He and a 21year-old Bornstein, who by his own admission was not the best kid — “I was very rebellious and [my father] was always trying to figure out ways to straighten my ass out” — had gone to see The Boys in Company C. After 125 Hoo-Rah minutes, they decided that maybe military service was for them! Why not? Bornstein’s dad had done tours in Korea, and had many times told his son, “Go into the Army, it’ll make a man out of you.” So Bornstein and Miller decided to enlist in 1980, going in on the buddy system to get whatever extra benefits they could. At the recruiter’s office, Miller went in one door and
Bornstein another. When they exited, Bornstein looked at his pal and wanted to know one thing: “Dude, when do you leave?” “I didn’t join,” came the reply. Bornstein hasn’t talked to Miller since that day. He certainly didn’t know it at the time, but joining up may have been one of the best decisions of young Bornstein’s life. Until then, “I never could hold down a job per se, but I had lots of jobs. Construction, flipping burgers at McDonald’s.” Then there was the magic. The magic had come at 10, as a combination of factors congealed. Bornstein’s parents took him for a Sunday brunch at The Magic Castle (the only day the private club in Hollywood is open to guests under 21); then he saw an ad on TV for Marshall Brodien’s Magic Cards, which his folks purchased for him; finally, they treated him to an evening in the theater watching “It’s Magic,” an annual touring magic show. For the next several years, no matter what else he was doing, Bornstein always made time for honing his magic skills. He’d save NOVEMBER 2012 DAVID
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his allowance and, on weekends, he and a cousin would ride the bus from Bornstein’s home in the San Fernando Valley out to Hollywood Magic on Hollywood Boulevard, to get the latest tricks to add to his repertoire. By 12, he was performing a few nights a week at Mancini’s Pizza Boy, doing close-up magic on Mondays and Wednesdays and a small stage show on Friday nights. Nothing special, just the kind of tricks you’d find in any young magician’s case. But he had a presence and was having fun. The real trick was making money because magic wasn’t providing much. “From (ages) 10-17, I did other things as well. I raced motorcycles, I was a professional motocross racer. My dad was a motorcycle racer as well. I split my time between racing motorcycles, racing BMX and doing magic.” Bornstein fit the stereotype of someone with such skills: small frame, geek appearance, not to mention “a Jewish nose” and a penchant for getting picked on — a lot. Catcalls aimed at him, along with bigoted slurs, sometimes led to violence. “I was beat up a lot as a kid for being Jewish - that’s what launched me into bodybuilding. (He thought) ‘I’m gonna get big and you’re never going to touch me again.’” And that’s what he did through bodybuilding. He placed fifth in the Palm Springs Classic (When his wife Kimberly, asks about that competition – “Didn’t you get ‘Mr. Palm Springs?” – his beautifully timed response is: “No, I got Mr. Bornstein.”)
The workouts paid off – literally, at 17. He found a job as a bouncer in a strip club. Instead of checking IDs, though, he practiced stealing customers’ watches. While at the door, he fumbled with a coin, or a deck of cards, always honing his craft. Then came that fateful day with Vince Miller at the recruitment office. As his friend left, Bornstein headed for basic combat training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina, on his way to becoming an 05C1A4 (that’s a radio teletype operator with Morse Code for you civilians). “Let me tell you,” Bornstein says now, with a laugh. “There’s a whole bunch of people banging down my door looking for people with that Morse Code skill.” It sent him places as a young soldier, though, including Germany and Colorado, where he ended up with a Top Secret clearance and assigned to a recon unit in a Ranger battalion. His military service ended in 1989 when he had a seizure in his sleep. Numerous tests and CT scans showed nothing abnormal, but the initial seizure meant some sort of action would have to be taken. The Army gave him a choice: take a medical honorable discharge or be transferred to a desk job. Bornstein said, “Screw you! I’m not sitting behind a desk,” a response he now regrets. “I would have stayed in. I believe I would have done 25-30 years in, but everything happens for a reason.” That reason had actually presented itself several years earlier.
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While stationed in Germany in the early ’80s, the USO, as part of a publicity tour, had sent the cast of TV’s Happy Days overseas to engage the soldiers in a friendly softball match. Bornstein remembers thinking how cool it would be to do something like that. It would take a few more years, but he’d get there eventually. Bornstein left the Army in 1989, technically due to a physical disability. He immediately picked up work as a stuntman. He had grown up around the children of TV personalities and movie stars. And he found it easy getting behind the wheel of a car to do some precision driving, or falling off a building as the real star relaxed in his dressing room. Bornstein made a decent living putting his body to the test for about 10 years, proving his father was right about enlisting. The elder Bornstein, who died in 1986, would certainly have been proud of the man his son had become. In the late ‘90s, though, came another turning point for Bornstein almost setting him on his current path. “We were practicing high falls,” he says. “I was doing a 30-foothigh fall, over-rotated and broke my back. That took me out of the stunts, at least doing high falls.” He was still able to drive and coordinate (he still does from time to time), but knew he needed to do something less physically demanding. Enter his old friend magic, and his sidekick comedy. After visiting the Magic Castle at the age of 10 in 1970, he
returned there as a performer in 1991. He worked all three major rooms of the hillside club, performing close-up, parlor and stage magic. He worked humorous bits into the show. He dropped the magic for a while, though, and began a fiveyear run of performing and headlining at comedy clubs across the country. All the pieces started coming together in 2004. Bornstein joined four other comics (two of whom were also veterans) and hit the road with a group called “Comics On-Duty,” performing 32 times in the Middle East over a 23-day period. They entertained U.S. soldiers in Kuwait, Bahrain, Djibouti and Saudi Arabia and never once forgot the danger nearby. “Our last night, flying over Baghdad, we got shot at in a Blackhawk helicopter and I took it personally,” Bornstein says, laughing. “I thought they didn’t like my jokes.” Upon his return to the States, though, Bornstein knew this was what he wanted to do. The one piece missing was waiting just around the corner. Bornstein has three children from a previous relationship, and he had subscribed to several online dating services, including Match. com and JDate. While headlining The Looney Bin in Oklahoma, he figured he’d use these sites to try and get an audience. He sent out an email blast announcing the show. Among the numerous responses he got was one from an attractive blonde called Kimberly.
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The two emailed back and forth over the next 36 hours. Finally, Bornstein demanded her phone number. Hesitant at first, she eventually gave in. The two shared a phone call that turned into a two-year, long-distance relationship. He was in L.A., she was in Oklahoma. Something had to give. “I wasn’t about to let this little Okie go,” he says. “I bought a one-way ticket to Oklahoma on Aug. 25, 2006, and showed up at her front door. She didn’t know I was coming. I said, ‘Let’s go. I’m kidnapping you, taking you to California.’” Two years later, they were married in a small ceremony in Las Vegas. With the pieces in place, it was up to Kimberly to make them fit. One night, Bornstein had a bad set. He got home in a bit of a mood. Kimberly suggested they do a show together. Bornstein wasn’t convinced. “I got this bright idea, because I’m brilliant (apparently not), and I said I’ll put together a 10-minute act, she’ll have no idea how much work she has to put into this and finally she’ll leave me alone. Five years later, it backfired.” Today, the Bornsteins’ act focuses more on mind-reading than straight magic. Kimberly is the acknowledged star of the show. They’ve also produced Operation-Magic, a touring show designed for any military base or mobile installation in the world. The Bornsteins have gotten some of the top comics and magicians in the world to perform alongside them. Kimberly, who had followed her
mother into jobs as a civilian contractor for the Army base near the family home in McAlester, Okla., loves that she gets to help men and women in uniform. “We’re here for them, we’re going to get to meet them, to perform for them,” she says.“We’re going to get to talk to them, we’re going to get to hear their stories. And they can forget whatever is going wrong or something that they’re worrying about for an hour or an hour and a half.” Bornstein agrees, recalling a time they were at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, near San Diego. They met a young Marine in a wheelchair. His wife stood next to him, as he cradled his newborn daughters on his lap. He was 17 and had just returned from a deployment where his legs were blown off. He was smiling, happy to be home. “He (said he) would have died for our country,” Kimberly recalled. “And he meant it.” “It’s been a wonderful journey,” says Bornstein, who has a TV show in the works called “Mind Over Matrimony.” He and Kimberly also intend to keep entertaining U.S. troops overseas and in the states. The Bornsteins will be performing Nov.5-11, Veterans Week, at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. All the scheduled performers that week are veterans. If you’d like to attend a show, contact Jeff Bornstein at www.bornsteins.net or jb@jeffbornstein.net. Tell him David Magazine sent you.
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Elie Wiesel, Humanist A Crusader for Tolerance and Justice Born 1928 in Transylvania (now part of Romania), Elie Wiesel is a voice against human atrocities and an advocate for the perils of silence. As a Holocaust survivor, his destiny rose from the ashes of Auschwitz. He was educated in Paris and later became a journalist and author of more than 50 books. He is a professor, a 1986 Nobel laureate, and the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor, National Humanities Medal, Lifetime Literary Achievement Award, Medal of Liberty and the rank of Grand-Croix in the French Legion of Honor. He has been awarded more than 100 honorary degrees from institutions of higher learning. As president of The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, he and his wife are dedicated to the fight against indifference, intolerance and injustice. In their citation The Norwegian Nobel Committee called him a “messenger to mankind,” Mr Wiesel has delivered to mankind, throughout his life, a powerful message of “peace, atonement and human dignity.” DAVID: You are the voice for protest and the conscience for indifference. You experienced first hand the price paid for silence. As the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University’s Departments of Religion and Philosophy, how do you educate young people who have not paid that price, and instead fear the cost of speaking out? WIESEL: Evil has no boundaries. The destruction of one people represents the destruction of all. The message is not whether one should consider paying the price for protesting. The price will inevitably be paid. The question is, do you want to pay it sooner and minimize the damage, or later and face greater, unspeakable horrors? Never be silent. Protest at any sign and at any cost. Don’t give hatred the possibility of growing. DAVID: How old were you when the Nazis deported you and your family to Auschwitz? WIESEL: I write about it in my book Night (La Nuit). I was 15. My mother and younger sister died there. My two older sisters survived. My father and I were later transported to Buchenwald, where he died shortly before the camp was liberated in 1945. It was where I understood my mission: that I must be the voice for the millions who were silenced; that
this should never happen again; and the world must guard against it. The moment I saw that I had a public audience, I took the opportunity to be heard, even if they were not listening. DAVID: Do you see a comparison between the current rise of radical Islam and world appeasement, and the past rise of the Nazi regime? WIESEL: I don’t like comparisons. They are not helpful. And I do not believe radical Islam is the same as the Nazis. The mission of the Nazis was to wipe out all the Jews. I do not believe that is the mission of radical Islam. Don’t get me wrong; I oppose them. They should be stopped, but they are not the same as the Nazis. DAVID: You said, “Friendship marks a life more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession.“ Please elaborate. WIESEL: I have been blessed with wonderful friends who have been with me for much of my life. Friendship lasts because of what you share together. Love is sometimes too emotional, and cannot always withstand the test of time. DAVID: As a learned Jew, do you have a favorite biblical character? WIESEL: I would have to say Moses. He was a prophet and never had a good day in his life. Either the people were against him or G-d was against him. But he followed his G-d-given mission no matter what. He was the commander in chief of perhaps the first liberation army, and the greatest legislator who ever lived. And he had humility, something everyone needs, especially leaders. DAVID: Why especially leaders? WIESEL: Because they have power. DAVID: Can you share a regret, or lesson learned, that could enlighten readers? WIESEL: I thought maybe by my witness to atrocities, it would be received and things would change. But if this were true, there would not have been Rwanda, Darfur, Cambodia and Bosnia. Human nature cannot be changed in one generation. We must continue the fight. Mr Wiesel will be honored at The Dr Miriam and Sheldon Adelson Educational Campus Anual Gala, Saturday, November 17, 6:30 pm, The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino.
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BE SMART. BE SAFE. BE SEEN. Fact: Nevada is one of the five most dangerous states for pedestrians. Recent painful events in Las Vegas have reminded us of this repeatedly. Through your emails and calls, you’ve told us you are concerned and are tired of pedestrians, especially our children, dying and being injured on our roadways. Action News wants to change that. IF YOU ARE DRIVING: Pay attention! Respect pedestrians. Slow down near crosswalks. Pedestrians do have the right of way in crosswalks and at intersections. IF YOU ARE A PEDESTRIAN: Pay attention! Look both ways before crossing. Always stay focused on the traffic while you are in the intersection. Don’t assume all cars will stop for you. Wear bright clothing. Don’t wear dark clothing at night. For the rules of the road regarding pedestrians and driving, go to KTNV.COM.
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