DAVID

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What’s all

the Buzz About Dipping into the Sweet Nectar of the Bees

GO FUND YOURSELF

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ELIZABETH’S TABLE

CAN DO BREWS

NO SMALL CHANGE

8/20/15 9:08 AM

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INVE S T I N G I N NEVADA’ S MO S T PRECIO U S

RESOURCE Barrick believes every child should have what they need to succeed in school. That’s why we’ve donated millions to education initiatives throughout the state.

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The Jewish community has played an integral role in building Las Vegas. The Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project will preserve and share the many contributions of the Jewish people in our region through an online resource that connects people around the world to thousands of historical items.

Don’t let your part of the story remain untold.

Share it with the UNLV University Libraries today.

SHARE YOUR LIFE STORY

DONATE YOUR ARCHIVE

REACH OUT TODAY

with our Oral History Research Center so future generations can hear and read your story in your own words.

of personal, family, or organizational photographs, correspondence, diaries, newsletters, and more to our Special Collections to preserve your legacy.

Call 702-895-2222 or email special.collections@unlv.edu to set up an appointment today.

Images from UNLV University Libraries’ Special Collections, from left: Edythe and Lloyd Katz and their families on their wedding day (1948). Men with Torah scrolls and shofar (undated). Irwin Molasky, Merv Adelson, Tommy McDonald, Howard Capps, and Stardust Bluebell dancers Valda Boyne and Gaby Whitaker burying a time capsule to commemorate the opening of the Stardust Hotel Golf Course (1961). Hank Greenspun, Barbara Greenspun, Barbara Sinatra, and Frank Sinatra (undated). Photograph of Mark Fine at a groundbreaking ceremony (undated).

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SEPTEMBER

46

20 32

36

pulse

live

think

grill

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explore The month’s event listings to help plan your day or your stay

19

devour Where to find some of the best eats, drinks and foodie happenings in the Valley

28 speak Online crowdsourcing has exploded offering new hope to multitudes of the needy.

32 sense Elizabeth Blau offers us a glimpse of her private entertaining style.

36 taste Las Vegas is hopping, cool new breweries have popped up offering authentic local brews to thirsty patrons.

42 No Small Change Jewish New Year is a time of self-reflection. We explore the possibility of change.

58 Jeremy Gregersen, Head of The Meadows School The month’s spotlight on someone to know.

22 discover Places to go, cool things to do, hip people to see in the most exciting city in the World

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52 Sky High Holy Days An astronaut confronts the challenges of celebrating the Jewish High Holy Days in Space.

What’s all

the Buzz About Dipping into the Sweet Nectar of the Bees

on the cover

S E P T E M B E R 2 015

Honeycomb with two busy bees.

www.davidlv.com

25 daven Where to go for the High Holy Days.

6.5

20 desire Sin City abounds in world-class shopping ... these are a few of our favorite things

46 What’s all the Buzz About?

We thank the bees for their golden nectar and its blessing for a very sweet new year.

GO FUND YOURSELF

ELIZABETH’S TABLE

CAN DO BREWS

NO SMALL CHANGE

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Copyright 2015 by JewishINK LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. DAVID MAGAZINE is protected as a trademark in the United States. Subscribers: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we are under no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year.

The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited or contributed manuscripts, photographs, artwork or advertisements. Submissions will not be returned unless arranged for in writing. DAVID MAGAZINE is a monthly publication. All information regarding editorial content or property for sale is deemed reliable. No representation is made as to the accuracy hereof and is printed subject to errors and omissions.

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Publisher/Editor Associate Publisher

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Max Friedland

max@davidlv.com editor@davidlv.com

Joanne Friedland joanne@davidlv.com

EDITORIALllllllll

Calendar Editor

Brianna Soloski

brianna@davidlv.com

Copy Editor Pulse Editor Production Assistant

Pat Teague

Contributing Writers

Marisa Finetti

Marisa Finetti ZoĂŤ Friedland

Jaq Greenspon E.C.Gladstone Corey Levitan Lynn Wexler

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 06 Number 05 www.davidlv.com DAVID Magazine is published 12 times a year.

Copyright 2014 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.

8 SEPTEMBER 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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Purchase tickets online by October 5th and recieve a free BBQ t-shirt

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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 world traveling, dog loving, scuba diving, book collecting, writer currently residing somewhere in Eastern Europe. His words have been spoken by Capt.

Jean-Luc Picard and Robin Hood, been read by David Copperfield, and criticized by his 7th grade English teacher. He’d like to thank the members of the Academy, although he doesn’t know why. In his spare time, he’s a university professor and a kick ass uncle.

E.C. Gladstone is a Las Vegas-based writer/photographer and social media consultant. Covering the ever-growing worlds of travel, food, wine & spirits, he has contributed recently to BonAppetit.com, About.com, Thrillist, Everyday With Rachael Ray and multiple local Vegas outlets. Previously, he helped launched JLiving magazine and has held editorial positions with many websites and magazines including AOL.com, US Weekly, and Alternative Press.

His ideal day involves a busy kitchen, soul music, laughter and cask spirits. Currently he is compiling a book of his rock journalism from the ‘90s. Find more of his writing on food and beverages at nowimhungry.com and sipsavorswallow. com.

Corey Levitan is a regular contributor to Men’s Health magazine.

He wrote the most popular newspaper humor column in Las Vegas history, “Fear and Loafing,” which ran 176 times in the ReviewJournal from 2006-2011. At home, however, he is referred to as “Mr. Poopyhead” by his four-year-old daughter, and something much less printable by his wife. Follow his latest adventures here and at coreylevitan.com.

Lynn Wexler 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.

10 SEPTEMBER 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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8/23/15 7:56 AM

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from the publisher

In Celebration of

ROSH HASHANAH & YOM KIPPUR Smoked White Fish Salad Chopped Chicken Liver Matzo Ball Soup Potato Pancakes Round Challah • Honey Cake Tizzemes • Noodle Kugel These specialties will be served in addition to our regular buffet at these meal periods.

September 13-23, 2015 4:30pm to Closing

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The Jewish High Holy Days have come early this year; well, at least for me — as I edit this publication in the furnace commonly referred to as August. I sit at my desk shirtless, waiting for the front door bell to ring. Oh, please, let it be the AC guys, surely they know we have been without air-conditioning for some 20 hours.

Under these circumstances it helps to focus on the fall, on more auspicious but cooler days. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the autumnal equinox heralds the beginning of fall at precisely 1:21 a.m. in Las Vegas, on Sept. 23. We go to bed and it’s summer. We wake up and it’s fall, and the greatest show on Earth is about to start. We open our window coverings to look for confirmation of this magical transformation, knowing all too well that our landscape silently is about explode into a vibrant palette of reds, yellows and oranges. Leaves will be dropping; so will major league baseball teams (from contention); and “Are you ready for some football!” re-enters the national vernacular.

As is custom, the High Holy Days are a time for reflection, not on the external (as described above) but on the internal, our own human compulsions. To be signed, sealed and delivered in the book of life at the end of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), Jews are required to take a personal inventory.

The prayer services require multiple reckonings, considerations of ethical and spiritual failings. Each year I marvel at the comprehensive nature of the “sins” list, while pondering any items I may personally want to add. In No Small Change (pages 42-45), we honor the season by attempting to answer the proverbial question: “Can people change?”

In his whimsical Sky High Holy Days, Jaq Greenspon explores the challenges a Jewish astronaut might find celebrating the holidays aboard the International Space Station. Welcome to the wonderful world of zero gravity and apples and honey.

Speaking of honey, we ask the important question again: “What’s all the buzz about?” On pages 46-51, we delve into the world of bees. We look at the trail of sweetness their golden nectar has left throughout human history. Jars of perfectly preserved, supermarket shelf-ready honeys have been found in the burial chambers of pharaohs.

Two of our stories this month survey the subject of philanthropy.

Intrepid investigative journalist Corey Levitan dons his personal flak jacket to assay online giving sites. Go Fund Yourself (pages 28-31) spotlights the blessings and the b.s. of crowdsourcing.

In this month’s Grill we ask Jeremy Gregersen, the esteemed head of the Meadows School, about his efforts to help prepare the next generation of philanthropists. His students are on the track, training to run in the Las Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon and for a very good cause, kol hakavod (congratulations), Jeremy.

L’shanah Tovah U’metukah: May you all have a good and sweet new year. (Now let’s give thanks for the bees.)

Max Friedland max@davidlv.com

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pulse explore @ 14 devour @ 19 desire @ 20 discover @ 22 daven @ 25

LULA WASHINGTON DANCE 9.16

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eXplore L A S

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CELINE DION: Varying dates through Sept.

30, 7:30 p.m., $55-$250. Caesars, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-731-7110. caesars.com JEFF DUNHAM: Varying dates through Sept.

30, times vary, $72. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 877-333-9474. caesars.com/planet-hollywood

V E G A S

STORYTIME IN THE SQUARE: Wednesdays through Sept. 30, 11 a.m., free. Town Square, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-2695001. mytownsquarelasvegas.com

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PRIMUS AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY WITH THE FUNGI ENSEMBLE WITH SPECIAL GUEST CLUTCH: 8 p.m., $42.50. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702693-5000. hardrockhotel.com ROB SCHNEIDER: Through Sept. 6, 7:30 p.m., $35. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com AIR SUPPLY: Through Sept. 6, 8 p.m., $39.95.

Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleanscasino.com THE AUSTRALIAN PINK FLOYD SHOW FEATURING LED ZEPPELIN2: Time TBA, $39.50. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777. mandalaybay.com SKID ROW: Time and cost TBA. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702693-5000. hardrockhotel.com JOE ROGAN: 9 p.m., $29.99-$54. MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-891-7777. mgmgrand.com

PRIMUS AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY WITH THE FUNGI ENSEMBLE, SPECIAL GUEST CLUTCH: 8 p.m., $42.50. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. hardrockhotel.com

September 1

BUCKLES AND BARRELS FOR BAILEY CHARITY RACE: Through Sept. 6, times vary, costs vary. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com

FRANKIE MORENO: Varying dates through Sept. 29, 8 p.m., $25. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-7492012. thesmithcenter.com OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN: Through Sept.5 & Sept. 8-12, 7:30 p.m., $70-$150. Flamingo, 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-7333111. caesars.com/flamingo-las-vegas PICASSO - CREATURES AND CREATIVITY:

BREATHE ONTO THE MIRROR BY JACQUELINE EHLIS: Through Nov. 4, times vary, free. Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-507-3631. lvccld.org

Through Jan. 2016, times vary, costs vary.

Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 888-987-6667. bellagio.com BRENT SOMMERHAUSER: Through Sept.

13, times vary, free. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com PROJECT PLAYHOUSE: Through Sept. 13, times vary, costs vary. Town Square, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-269-5001. mytownsquarelasvegas.com THE BITLAB: Tuesdays through Sept.

29, 4 p.m., free. Enterprise Library, 25 E. Shelbourne Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-507-3764. lvccld.org

CORY BROWN: Fridays through Sept. 25, 5 p.m., free-$20. Lifetime Athletic Green Valley, 121 Carnegie Street, Henderson. 702-8027300. lifetimefitness.com/en/clubs/greenvalley-nv/your-it.html

5

KEVIN HART & FRIENDS COMEDY ALLSTARS HOSTED BY KEVIN HART: Through Sept. 6, times vary, $50. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-3000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com INCUBUS: Through Sept. 6, 8 p.m., $69.50.

Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. hardrockhotel.com

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RON WHITE: Through Sept. 6, 10 p.m., $59.99. Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-791-7111. mirage.com THE FLAMINGOS' DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: Through Sept. 6, 7:30 p.m., $15.95. Suncoast, 9090 Alta Drive, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. suncoast.com DJ CHUCK FADER: Sat.-Sun. through Sept.

27, 1 p.m., free-$20. Lifetime Athletic Green Valley, 121 Carnegie Street, Henderson. 702802-7300. lifetimefitness.com/en/clubs/ green-valley-nv/your-it.html SELICHOT SERVICE UNDER THE STARS 8:30 p.m.-10 p.m., free. Red Ridge Park in Spring Valley, 9135 W. Maule Ave., Las Vegas. 702-8041333, 702-454-4848.

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HARTBEAT WEEKEND PRESENTS DRAKE AT BOULEVARD POOL HOSTED BY KEVIN HART: 9 p.m. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-3000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com FRANKY PEREZ: 10:30 p.m., free. Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-9427777. palms.com RUSSELL PETERS: 8 p.m., $49. Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-942-7777. palms.com

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LENNY KRAVITZ: 9 p.m., $40-$90.

Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-698-3000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

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VIVA VERDI: 7 p.m., $49-$89. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

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BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY SHOWCASE BEVERLY WASHBURN: 11:30 a.m., $36. For details and to register, contact Evelyn Bruner at 702-823-3065.

11

STAYIN' ALIVE - THE WORLD'S #1 TRIBUTE TO THE BEE GEES: Through Sept. 13, 7:30 p.m., $25. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com HIGH ROLLER REIGNING CLASSIC HORSE SHOW AND WESTERN GIFT SHOW: Through Sept. 20, times vary, costs vary. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-7967111. southpointcasino.com MARCO ANTONIO SOLIS: Time and cost TBA. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd.

S., Las Vegas. 866-919-7472. caesars.com/ planet-hollywood MENUS 2015: To benefit the Epicurean Charitable Foundation of Las Vegas.

Time TBA, $500. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777. mandalaybay.com GABRIEL IGLESIAS: Through Sept. 13, times vary, $59.99. Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-791-7111. mirage.com

Shana Tova Celebrate with holiday specialties from Bagel Cafe 301 N. Buffalo Drive 255-3444 www.thebagelcafelv.com

WhereTheLocalsEat.com

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CLINT HOLMES — FIRE AND RAIN — THE SONGS OF JAMES TAYLOR AND FRIENDS: Through Sept. 13, times vary, $37. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com BROADWAY BOUND PRESENTS ANYTHING GOES: Through Sept. 26, times vary, $15. Summerlin Library, 1771 Inner Circle Drive, Las Vegas. 702-838-5131. broadwayboundlv.com 18TH ANNUAL ADVERTISING COMMUNITY TALENT SHOW (ACTS) BENEFITTING SAFE NEST: 6 p.m., cost TBA. Santa Fe Station, 4949 N. Rancho Drive, Las Vegas. actslv.org.

THE IN ITS ENTIRETY CONCERT SERIES — CHICAGO IX — CHICAGO’S GREATEST HITS: 7:30 p.m., $15. Red Rock, 11011 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-797-7777. redrock.sclv.com

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LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC - ANDREW TYSON: 7:30 p.m., $26-$96. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com JUSTIN MOORE: Time TBA, $29-$9. Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, 200 S. Third Street, Las Vegas. 702-388-2100. dlvec.com

PICNIC BY DESIGN: 6 p.m., cost TBA. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. For more information, call 702802-5403. thecenterlv.org LGBTQ “SENIOR” PROM: 6:30 p.m., $10. The Center, 401 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas.

702-733-9800. thecenterlv.org

CHAYANNE: Time and cost TBA. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

866-919-7472. caesars.com/planet-hollywood

PLACIDO DOMINGO: 8 p.m., $79.50-$500.

Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-731-7110. caesars.com

LUIS MIGUEL: Time TBA, $69-$299.

Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777. mandalaybay.com LITERATURE TO LIFE® WORKSHOP: 2 p.m., free.

Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth Street, Las Vegas. 702-229-ARTS. artslasvegas.com YOUNG AUDIENCES NEW YORK’S LITERATURE TO LIFE® STAGE PRESENTATION OF “THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES” BY SUE MONK KIDD: 7 p.m., free. Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth Street, Las Vegas. 702-229-ARTS. artslasvegas.com

ALEJANDRA GUZMAN: Time and cost TBA. Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas.

702-942-7777. palms.com JUAN GABRIEL: Time and cost TBA. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777. mandalaybay.com

ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: Through Sept. 14, 9 p.m., $39.50-$300. Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-731-7110. caesars.com DESERT AUTHOR SERIES - AN AFTERNOON WITH EDDIE LEE: 2:30 p.m., free. Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas.

702-507-3631. lvccld.org

Ira Epstein President

NMLS 308738 Nev. Lic. 2749

1401 Hillshire Dr. #150 Las Vegas, NV 89134 Tel:702.8717800 Cell:702.561.5444 Fax:702.871.7808 ira@statelinefundinginc.com

RICKY MARTIN: Time and cost TBA. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

866-919-7472. caesars.com/planet-hollywood ALEJANDRO FERNANDEZ: Time and cost TBA. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777. mandalaybay.com

13

Refinance Purchases Reverse Mortgages

15

LIPSHTICK - THE PERFECT SHADE OF STAND UP - JOY BEHAR: Time and cost TBA. Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-414-1000. venetian.com

SOMETHING SCOTTISH: 10 a.m., free. Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-507-3631. lvccld.org

NMLS 335665

FESTIVAL: Noon, free. Town Square, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-269-5001. mytownsquarelasvegas.com

14

PEPE AGUILAR: Time and cost TBA. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 866-919-7472. caesars.com/planethollywood MARC ANTHONY: Time and cost TBA. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777. mandalaybay.com POSITIVELY KIDS LUCKY DUCK FAMILY

16

CLIF BAR CROSSVEGAS: For more information, crossvegas.com.

SHANTELL MARTIN - RECORD AND PLAY: Through Oct. 11, times vary, free. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-6987000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com MARK KNOPFLER: 7:30 p.m., cost TBA. Caesars, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-731-7110. caesars.com JEWEL AT MARK KNOPFLER CONCERT: 7:30 p.m., cost varies. For more information and tickets, 702-732-0556, jewishlasvegas.com LULA WASHINGTON DANCE THEATRE WITH KAMASI WASHINGTON AND MARCUS L. MILLER: 7:30 p.m., $19. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

17

51ST MR. OLYMPIA COMPETITION: Through Sept. 19, 7 p.m., costs vary. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleanscasino.com

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O.A.R.: 9 p.m., $36. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777. mandalaybay.com JOEY DIAZ: Through Sept. 20, 7:30 p.m., $15. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com

HIGH END FASHION WEEKEND: To benefit Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. Through Sept.

20, times vary, costs vary. The Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-414-1000. venetian.com BLUE OCTOBER: Time and cost TBA. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas.

702-693-5000. hardrockhotel.com

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FLAMENCO LAS VEGAS: 3 p.m., free.

Windmill Library, 7060 W. Windmill Lane, Las Vegas. 702-507-3964. lvccld.org

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THE BOOK OF MORMON: Through Oct. 18, times vary, $36. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-7492012. thesmithcenter.com

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PITBULL: Through Oct. 7, time and cost TBA. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 866-919-7472. caesars.com/planethollywood JEWEL BREAK THE FAST: 8 p.m., cost varies. For more information, 702-7320556 or email marni@jewishlasvegas.com. jewishlasvegas.com

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The Book of Mormon 9.22-10.18

JERRY SEINFELD: Through Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m., $82.50-$165. Caesars, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-731-7110. caesars.com JAY LENO: Through Sept. 19, times vary, $59.99. Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-791-7111. mirage.com THE RAD TRADS: Through Sept. 19, 7 p.m., $35. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com PAUL ANKA: 7:30 p.m., $29. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

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FUELED BY MONSTER ENERGY - FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH AND PAPA ROACH WITH SPECIAL GUESTS IN THIS MOMENT AND FROM ASHES TO NEW: 6:15 p.m., $49.95. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. hardrockhotel.com HUDSON VALENTINE VEGAS STYLE TEXAS LONGHORN BREEDERS SALE: Times vary, costs vary. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com LIPSHTICK - THE PERFECT SHADE OF STAND UP - WHITNEY CUMMINGS: Time and cost TBA. Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd.

S., Las Vegas. 702-414-1000. venetian.com GEORGE THOROGOOD & THE DESTROYERS: 8 p.m., $23.50-$60. Sunset Station, 1301 W. Sunset Road, Henderson.

702-547-7777. sunsetstation.sclv.com

DANGEROUS CURVES - WOMEN IN MUSIC: 7 p.m., free. Sammy Davis Jr. Festival Plaza in Lorenzi Park, 720 Twin Lakes Drive, Las Vegas. 702-29-3514. artslasvegas.com

CATCH A FIRE TOUR 2015 WITH DAMIAN “JR. GONG” MARLEY, MORGAN HERITAGE AND TARRUS RILEY: 8 p.m., $43. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-3000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

BEE GEES TRIBUTE SHOW: 7 p.m., $19.99-$29.99. The M Resort, 12300 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Henderson. 702-797-1000. themresort.com

AN EVENING WITH THOM FILICIA: 5:30 p.m., $45-$50. Las Vegas Design Center, 495 S. Grand Central Parkway, Las Vegas. 702599-3093. lvdesigncenter.com

THE TEMPTATIONS: Through Sept. 20, 8 p.m., $39.95. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleanscasino.com

ANDALUSIAN WORLD CUP: Through Sept.

26, times vary, costs vary. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com

STEERING BY THE STARS - CELESTIAL NAVIGATION: 10:30 a.m., free. Centennial Hills Library, 6711 N. Buffalo Drive, Las Vegas. 702-507-6107. lvccld.org SONNY TURNER: 7:30 p.m., $15.95.

Suncoast, 9090 Alta Drive, Las Vegas. 702284-7777. suncoast.com MAXIMUM HOPE FOUNDATION CHARITY POKER TOURNAMENT: 12 p.m., $250. MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-891-1111. mgmgrand.com SHOW YOUR HEART RUN: To benefit Children's Heart Foundation. 7 a.m., $40-$45.

Kellogg Zaher Park, 7901 W. Washington Avenue, Las Vegas. chfn.org

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THE BIGGEST LOSER RUNWALK HALF MARATHON/5K: 7 a.m., $15-$35. Circus Circus, 2880 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

800-634-3450. biggestloserrunwalk.com

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FRANKIE AVALON: Through Sept. 27, 7:30 p.m., $45. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL FESTIVAL: Through Sept. 27, times vary, costs vary. lifeisbeautiful.com.

FRANK CALIENDO: Through Sept. 26, 8 p.m., $34.95. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleanscasino.com WANDA SYKES: 9 p.m., $47.95. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-894-7111. treasureisland.com UNSILENCED - CENSORSHIP, IRAN AND THE CONTEMPORARY NOVELIST IN EXILE: 7 p.m., free. West Charleston Library, 6301 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-507-3964. lvccld.org www.davidlv.com | SEPTEMBER 2015

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LIPSHTICK - THE PERFECT SHADE OF STAND UP - LISA LAMPANELLI: Time and cost TBA. Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-414-1000. venetian.com

Where words leave off, music begins.

OLIVER DRAGOJEVIC: 8 p.m., $69. Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-9427777. palms.com LOST 80S LIVE: Time TBA, $35. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-6327777. mandalaybay.com

THE 2015-2016 SEASON

Placido Domingo 9.15

MUSCULAR DYSTOPHY WALK: 7 a.m., costs vary. Town Square, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-269-5001. mytownsquarelasvegas.com PAINT THE SQUARE PINK: 5 p.m., free. Town Square, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-269-5001. mytownsquarelasvegas.com EARTH RISING — INDIE ROCK CONCERT: 7 p.m., free. Huntridge Circle Park, 1251 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas. 702-229-3514. artslasvegas.com

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LAS VEGAS RIDE FOR KIDS: To benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Noon, free.

Town Square, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-269-5001. mytownsquarelasvegas. com

Drake 9.6

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MERCADITO TEQUILA DINNER - PATRICIO SANDOVAL — FALL COOKING DEMO AND FALL MENU UNVEILING: 6 p.m., $45. Red Rock Hotel, 11011 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-797-7777. redrock.sclv.com

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EXECUTIVE CHEF'S CLASSROOM CUPCAKES & COCKTAILS: 7 p.m., $135.

Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

888-987-6667. bellagio.com

UNCENSORED VOICES - CELEBRATING YOUR FREEDOM TO READ: 7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org Viva Verdi w/ Daniel Sutin 9.9

Tickets available at The Smith Center Box Office at 702.749.2000 or at lvphil.org

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AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION NOVICE CHAMPIONSHIP: Through Oct. 4, times vary, costs vary. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.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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Taco with a twist Classic Chinese wok flavors meet authentic Mexican cuisine at Hussong’s Cantina. Recently opened in its second Las Vegas location at Boca Park, Hussong’s offers a wide variety of classic tacos, as well as a mouthwatering array of specialty tacos. Take the Kung Pow Shrimp tacos - featuring a fusion of flavors and textures, like the creamy garlic chili sauce, crunchy cabbage medley and agave-roasted peanuts.

Hussong’s Cantina, Boca Park, 740 S. Rampart Blvd. #7, Las Vegas.

702-778-2160 Anthony Mair

Cool off with Cucumber Coil Mojito America’s favorite off-shore cocktail, the Mojito, got its roots probably when a Cuban farmer wanted to make his cheap bottle of rum into something more palatable. He squeezed in some lime, cane sugar juice and a handful of mint. Since then, the Mojito has been dolled up a bit with the addition of carbonated water, lots of ice and a tall glass.

The newly-opened stylish bar called The Filament at Fremont Hotel and Casino has a “bright” solution to recharging and revitalizing a Las Vegas heat-induced thirst. It’s called the Cucumber Coil Mojito.

Bugsy’s Prime Rib While enjoying an elevated dining experience, El Cortez’s restaurant’s homage to Bugsy Siegel transports guests back in time with archival artwork of the city’s history, stunning floor-to-ceiling windows and a tiled ceiling with vintage-style lighting. The recently-opened Siegel’s 1941 plays off its 24-hour “Morning, Noon and Night” menu with a savory prime rib dinner, featuring seasonal vegetables and a baked potato from dusk-to-dawn for $10.95. That’s cashing in on old-school cool.

Siegel’s 1941, El Cortez Hotel & Casino, 600 E. Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-385-5200

Recipe: • 1 ½ oz. Bacardi Light • 0.5 oz. Simple Syrup • Soda Water • Muddled Cucumber and Mint • Garnish with Mint and Coiled Cucumber In a small glass, muddle cucumber and mint with simple syrup. Fill the glass with 2/3 ice and add the rum, then top off with soda water. Garnish with mint and artfully-sliced cucumber.

The Filament, Fremont Hotel and Casino, 200 Fremont St., Las Vegas. 702-385-3232 www.davidlv.com | SEPTEMBER 2015

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Essential Glass Cocktail Glass — This is the iconic glass. It’s most closely associated with the Martini cocktail and is often called (incorrectly) the Martini glass. In truth, it’s called a cocktail glass. The cocktail glass is used for any cocktail served ‘straight up’, that is shaken or stirred with ice, but served without. Marquis by Waterford. $28.99. Bed Bath & Beyond, 7575 Arroyo Crossing Parkway, Las Vegas. 702-617-4018.

Old Fashioned Glass or Rocks Glass — This is a short and stout glass that takes its name from the cocktail it’s most famous for - the Old Fashioned. It’s used for cocktails, as well as liquor served on the rocks. This style of glass, with its wide brim and heavy base, is used for making cocktails that you actually build in the glass, such as a Mint Julep or an Old Fashioned. It’s a weighty glass that feels good in your hand. Baccarat Harcourt 1841 Old Fashioned Tumbler. $215 - $310. Baccarat, Forum Shops at Caesars, 3500 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas. 702-693-6877.

Highball or Collins Glass — This tall, narrow glass is typically used for cocktails served on the rocks, as well as liquor-with-mixer drinks, like gin and tonic. It’s said that the name may refer to the practice of serving drinks in tall glasses of the dining cars of trains powered by steam locomotives. When the engine got up to speed and the ball that showed boiler pressure was at its high level, this was known as “highballing.” Fortessa Glace Highballs, Set of 2 $125.00, Neiman Marcus, Fashion Show, 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-731-3636.

The Flute — A tall, slender glass associated with Champagne and toasting, its narrow design enhances the longevity of the carbonation in sparkling wines. Typically used with sparkling wines and cocktails based on both. Villeroy & Boch “Octavie” Champagne flute. $40. www.bloomingdales.com The Snifter — With a very large bowl and short stem, this glass is used for sipping aged liquor. The large bowl allows the liquor to breathe, the smaller opening at the top allows for the aromas to be trapped. Waterford Elegance Brandy Glass (set of 2). $60, Macy’s Home Store, 4450 Spring Mountain Rd., Las Vegas. 702-579-6333.

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The Wine Glass — Enjoying wine has a lot to do with aromas. Thus, the wine glass should have a surface area to allow for swirling to release and collect aromas. Wine glasses differ in shape and size, driven by the types of wine they are intended to hold and can get quite complicated. But, as a general rule, a red wine glass has a larger bowl than the white wine glass. Narrowing it down to one size for both is fine, too. Riedel Vinum Wine Glass, $54.99 (Set of 2), Macy’s Home Store, 4450 Spring Mountain Rd., Las Vegas. 702-579-6333.

The Shot Glass — The shot glass can be short and squat or taller and skinny, but at most it holds about 2 ounces.

Mostly straight liquors or liqueurs are served in it. Schott Zwiesel Tossa shot glass, set of 6. $72. Sur La Table, Downtown Summerlin, 1980 Festival Plaza Dr., Las Vegas. 702-448-8611.

The Coupe — Legend has it that the coupe was molded from Marie Antoinette’s left breast, the truth is however that the coupe was designed for consuming Champagne in England in the 1600s. The Champagne vessel of choice for 1920s flappers and Hollywood leading ladies from Marilyn Monroe to Sophia Loren, the coupe is quite possibly one of the sexiest glasses out there. The wide bowl is also perfect for those who would want to catch all the aromas of the wine. William Yeoward Crystal Fern Coupe Champagne. $280. www.williamyeowardcrystal.com

The Pilsner — One of many specialty beer glasses, the pilsner is a large, tall glass with a slight v-shaped bowl. The narrow column enhances the clarity and maintains the beer’s effervescence. This shape is meant for enjoying pilsners and fruity, bubbly beers.

Spiegelau Wheat Beer Pilsner Glass. $19.99. Bed Bath & Beyond, 7575 Arroyo Crossing Parkway, Las Vegas. 702-617-4018.

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discover It’s Opening Night The Las Vegas Philharmonic’s new concert season opens Saturday, September 12th at 7:30 p.m. at The Smith Center. Music Director Donato Cabrera conducts Breakdown by young American composer, Dan Visconti, followed by Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 performed by emerging artist Andrew Tyson and Brahms Symphony No. 2.

Prior to the performance, Cabrera will host a Classical Conversation at 6:30 p.m. to share the history and meaning behind the music being performed. After the concert, the Philharmonic will host a cocktail party to toast the new season in The Smith Center.

For tickets and more information, lvphil.org, 702.258.5438.

Behind The Scenes How do they do that? It’s a question viewers may ask during a performance of Cirque du Soleil’s KÀ. An open house might give some insight. Visitors can now get an inside look, as the astounding history, background and science behind one of the most fascinating theatrical venues in Las Vegas is revealed. The KÀ Theatre Spectacular is free, an open house that highlights the impressive work, inspiration and unprecedented technology used in this $165 million production. It takes place at the KÀ Theatre inside MGM Grand every Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Guests of all ages are welcome to attend.

For more information, please call the box office at 702-891-7940.

Ghost Town Re-Emerges Once a thriving wild west town and a stopping point between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, St. Thomas, which lies on the northern part of Lake Mead went underwater, when Lake Mead first filled up in the 1930s. According to folklore, the last resident to leave was Hugh Lord, who paddled his way from his home when the rising waters reached his home. Today, remnants of the town can be seen thanks to the lowering water levels of the lake, due to severe drought conditions. Getting there is slow and bumpy along a three- mile dirt road, but the re-discovery of this piece of Nevada history makes it worth the trip. A visual field guide with complete directions can be accessed at nps.gov.

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LAS VEGAS

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mingle MGM FOUNDATION’S NINTH ANNUAL WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE Venue MGM Grand Conference Center

Date

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Monday & Tuesday, July 13-14

Photos 1.

Mary Ann Sena-Edelen, MGM Resorts International’s Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion.

2.

(left to right) CNN’s Natalie Allen, Regional Transportation 2

Commission’s General Manager Tina Quigley, Cathy Tull, the Senior Vice President of Marketing at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority; and Lillian Rodriguez Lopez, the Coca-Cola Company’s Vice President of Sustainability and Stakeholder Relations.

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Mary Chris Gay, Member of the Board MGM Resorts International.

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Keynote speaker Patricia Russell McCloud.

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Natalie Allen and Rear Adm. Margaret Klein, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense for Military Professionalism.

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Over 1000 women (and supportive men) participated

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Conference participants at any level in their careers were able to choose from twelve education sessions designed to encourage professional growth and leadership skills.

Photos courtesy MGM Foundation

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Synagogues Central CONGREGATION SHAAREI TEFILLA 1331 S. Maryland Parkway Las Vegas, NV 89104 Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America Rabbi Yaakov Wasser 702-384-3565

East CONGREGATION OR-BAMIDBARCHABAD EAST 2991 Emerson Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89121 Sephardic Orthodox Rabbi Yossi Shuchat 702-369-1175 CHABAD UNLV Orthodox/Chabad Rabbi Tzvi Bronchtain 702-635-1656

Green Valley/Henderson AHAVAS TORAH CENTER 55 S. Valle Verde Drive, Suite 430 Henderson, NV 89012 Traditional Orthodox Rabbi Yehoshua Fromowitz 702-551-7105 ext. 1 BETH EL CONGREGATION 2756 N. Green Valley Pkwy, Suite 195 Henderson, NV 89014 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 Cantor Jessica Hutchings 702-733-6292 MIDBAR KODESH TEMPLE 1940 Paseo Verde Parkway Henderson, NV 89012 United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Rabbi Bradley Tecktiel Cantor Daniel Gale 702-454-4848 CONGREGATION SHIRAT SHALOM 3037 East Warm Springs Road, Suite 300 Las Vegas, NV 89120 Cantor Philip Goldstein 702-987-1822

Southwest

CHABAD OF SOUTHWEST 5651 S. Grand Canyon Dr. #110 Las Vegas, NV 89148 Orthodox/Chabad Rabbi Levi Wilhelm www.chabadsouthwest.com 702-821-0770 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 702-436-4900

Summerlin

BET KNESSET BAMIDBAR Desert Vista Community Center 10360 Sun City Blvd.

daven

Las Vegas, NV 89134 Traditional Reform Rabbi Steven Rosenberg Cantor Jonathan Friedmann 702-391-2750 BET YOSSEF COMMUNITY CENTER Sephardic Orthodox Rabbi Shmuel Attal www.bycclv@gmail.com 702-271-8025 CHABAD OF RED ROCK Orthodox/Chabad Rabbi Yosef Rivkin www.chabadredrock.com 702-217-2171 CHABAD OF SUMMERLIN/ DESERT SHORES 2640 Regatta Drive Las Vegas, NV 89128 Orthodox/Chabad Rabbi Yisroel Schanowitz 702-855-0770 COMMUNITY KOLLEL OF GREATER LAS VEGAS 1755 Village Center Circle Las Vegas, NV 89134 Traditional Orthodox Rabbi Dovid Y. Kitainik 702-487-3133 ext. 3 TEMPLE BET EMET Mountain Shadows Community Center 9107 Del Webb Blvd.

Las Vegas, NV 89134 Reform Rabbi Craig Rosenstein Cantor Lola Rivera 702-240-3769 TEMPLE BETH SHOLOM 10700 Havenwood Lane Las Vegas, NV 89135 United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Rabbi Felipe Goodman Assist. Rabbi Benny Katz 702-804-1333

TEMPLE SINAI 9001 Hillpointe Road Las Vegas, NV 89134 Union for Reform Judaism Affiliate Rabbi Malcolm Cohen Cantorial Soloist Heather Klein 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

Going to Shul ...

For service times and seating arrangements and locations, please contact your Synagogue of choice.

Candlelighting Elul 5774/Tishrei 5775 FRI., SEPT. 4, ELUL 20 Light candles at 6:46 p.m.

SAT., SEPT. 5, ELUL 21 Shabbat ends at 7:42 p.m.

FRI., SEPT. 11, ELUL 27 Light candles at 6:36 p.m.

SUN., SEPT. 13, ELUL 29 Light candles at 6:33 p.m.

Eve of Rosh Hashanah

MON., SEPT. 14, TISHREI 1 Light candles after 7:28 p.m.

First Day of Rosh Hashanah TUES., SEPT. 15, TISHREI 2 Light candles at 6:26 p.m.

Second Day of Rosh Hashanah WED., SEPT. 16, TISHREI 3 Fast begins at 4:52 a.m.

Fast ends at 7:17 p.m.

Fast of Gedaliah

Eve of Yom Kippur

FRI., SEPT. 18, TISHREI 5 Light candles at 6:26 p.m.

WED., SEPT. 22, TISHREI 10 Yom Kippur ends at 7:14 p.m.

Yom Kippur

SAT., SEPT. 19, TISHREI 6 Shabbat ends at 7:20 p.m.

FRI., SEPT. 25, TISHREI 12 Light candles at 6:15 p.m.

TUES., SEPT. 22, TISHREI 9 Light candles at 6:20 p.m.

Fast begins at 6:42 p.m.

SAT., SEPT. 26, TISHREI 13 Shabbat ends at 7:10p.m.

SUN., SEPT. 27, TISHREI 14 Light candles at 6:12 p.m.

Eve of Sukkot MON., SEPT. 28, TISHREI 15 Light candles after 7:07 p.m.

First Day of Sukkot TUES., SEPT. 29, TISHREI 16 Light candles at 7:05 p.m.

Second Day of Sukkot

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mingle 2015 MISS NEVADA 7 & OUTSTANDING TEEN COMPETITION Venue The Smith Center

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Friday & Saturday, June 26-27

Event

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The Miss Nevada competition serves as a preliminary to the prestigious Miss America pageant. The Miss Nevada Scholarship Organization’s purpose is to change lives and positively influence Nevada’s young women. The organization proudly offers academic and community service-based scholarships for undergraduate and

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graduate studies, provides a forum for young women to showcase their talents, encourages civic-mindedness and eloquence, supports STEM initiatives and empowers young women to strive for excellence. Holding themselves to the highest standards, contestants inspire others and serve as positive role models throughout their communities.

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The Miss America Organization is one of the largest providers of scholarships to women in the world. Each year the organization offers millions of dollars in scholarships to its contestants and is honored to promote what the four points of the Miss Nevada and Miss America crowns symbolize: style, scholarship, service and success.

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Photos by Tonya Harvey

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live Go Fund Yourself @ 28 Elizabeth’s Table @ 32 Can Do Brews @ 36

CAN DO BREWS pg 36

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Go Fund Yourself Our Rabble-Rouser Tries Out the Latest Craze: Crowdfunding Complete Nonsense

SOIRÉE AND SILENT AUCTION

TOURO UNIVERSITY NEVADA CENTER FOR AUTISM & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES invites you to help spread the light and support families affected by Autism.

Benefiting the Center for Autism & Developmental Disabilities Sunday, December 13, 2015 | 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Presenting the

By Corey Levitan

T

his crowdfunding B.S. is out of control. Every week on Facebook, someone else I barely know has both hands out, begging me to send his son to boarding school, help make his dream (bad) indie film or get in on the ground floor of some business that’s so amazing nobody else would invest in it.

In 00 , when I first heard of crowdfunding, it was for noble causes, such as discovering the cure for a rare disease or treating a poor child stricken with it. Now, it’s for nonsense: a group of San Francisco “furries” lacking grizzly bear jackets for Halloween ($29k through Kickstarter), a Pennsylvania woman needing a “midlife crisis squirrel tattoo” ($615 through GoFundMe) and some guy trying to make potato salad ($55k through Kickstarter).

“Basically, I’m just making potato salad,” Ohio’s Zack “Danger” Brown wrote when launching his campaign last year. “I haven’t decided what kind yet.”

May I suggest the kind one makes in a brand new Porsche Cayman?

Asking strangers to give you money is as old as money. It has probably always worked a small percentage of the time. But a huge stigma has always been attached. The working poor in ancient Greece, for instance, were rewarded with much higher social status than the poor who begged. And during the Great Depression, when begging became necessary for millions who were starving, many preferred “eating” guns. (More suicides, 23,000, were recorded in the year following the 1929 Wall Street crash than in any previous year.)

Prostrating one’s self in public, especially before one’s neighbors, is degrading. Also, it’s no small hassle standing on a street corner all day. (The weather can suck, you can get robbed by another beggar and you might have to use your quarters to pay a 28_31_speak_GoFund.indd 29

SHARON SIGESMUND PIERCE AND STEPHEN PIERCE EGLET PRINCE LAW CENTER 400 South 7th Street, Fourth Floor Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Special ‘Chair’ity auction of one-of-a-kind chairs painted by local artists and celebrities.

Silent Auction

Get your tickets today.

Space is limited.

www.give.tun.touro.edu/season

702-777-3100 Holiday (dressy casual) attire – Valet Parking provided RSVP by December 4, 2015 Your tax-deductible gift will support families who cannot afford treatment in the Center.

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fine to police who don’t empathize with you.) ith the Internet, however, a few dozen website clicks and keystrokes are all that’s required.

And, if the modern beggar states his goals with sufficient irony or humor oom! most of his dignity can remain intact as well. And at least we know that ack anger rown was honest about his ironic intentions. arlier this summer, a altimore mom raised $ k by claiming that her homophobic neighbor insulted her relentlessly gay yard. he asked for money to make it even more relentlessly gay. ulie aker is now under investigation by altimore police, after eagleeyed proofreaders noticed that the letter she claimed to have received from her neighbor sported grammatical errors identical to her own oFund e description. o what’s a decent person to do to beat an unscrupulous and increasingly annoying trend I don’t know about a decent person, but I decided to stop complaining and join it. As a freelance journalist, I can rationalize pretty much any unscrupulous activity by writing a story about what happens when I try it. o I started a frivolous oFund e campaign of my own. y pitch, Fund y Family rip ee his irl, sought a very reasonable $ k for a family trip to ew ork ity — not even percent of

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what’s required to make potato salad these days. Because I became a journalist, instead of a lawyer as my parents had hoped, we haven’t had the scratch to visit my hometown in three years.

(Thanks, Obama!) Yet this doesn’t stop my family and childhood friends from constantly asking when they will get to see our adorable 4-year-old daughter Skylar again.

So the onus to pay was now on these suckers.

Donors were offered a personal visit with Skylar for $100. (For $150, I offered to wait outside in the rental car.) For $25, a phone call would be placed while we’re in Manhattan, featuring smalltalk and a B.S. excuse about why we can’t stop by. To illustrate my campaign, I chose the beggiest photo of my daughter I could find.

Immediately, Facebook ire erupted against me.

“What’s wrong with you?” one friend demanded. “Why don’t you just make a sign and stand on an exit ramp?”

“I’ve had three spine surgeries in a year,” another informed me.

“My jobs all let me go due to my injuries. I’m in so much debt I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. The state won’t give me food stamps to eat and I never ask for help, and people have the balls to ask the world of Facebook for help to fund their bullshit?”

One real-life friend — he may not be anymore — emailed me that our college housemate has a rare immune disorder and needs an operation he was hoping to use GoFundMe for. “Now you’re mocking it,” he wrote. “Neal is so pissed at you right now.”

I agreed with all these people, by the way, 100 percent. And yet I continued the campaign because the donations were arriving in step with the hate — 11 in total. I had finally unlocked the key to monetizing the Internet: being a selfish douchebag.

Sorry, Neal.

“I’m donating because a) your daughter is adorable and b) this is maybe the most ballsy and hilarious funding request I have ever seen,” wrote Ian, a former co-worker who donated $10. My buddy Brian, who plays guitar for the rock band Kix, kicked in $100. (And he isn’t even visit-qualified since he lives in L.A.!)

My campaign even sparked its own mystery. One $100 donation arrived with a note written entirely in Yiddish. According to Google Translate, it read: “Go knock your head in the wall, big shot.” The donor — who signed his or herself Narishkeit (for “foolishness”) — remains unknown, although I suspect it could be my father (who speaks fluent Yiddish), or perhaps the Old Testament God Himself. (I hear He has more money than even Bill Gates.)

After about a month, the money train sputtered to a stop at $343. But GoFundMe allows you to keep all contributions even if your goal isn’t met, so I withdrew the full amount ($312.71 after fees, or 80 percent of the cost of one of our three plane tickets). I was never even asked to show any kind of proof that the money was used for what I claimed it would be. But we’re going to New York, and we’re visiting a few generous people while we’re there, because I’m not that unscrupulous.

So does doing something I hate other people for doing so much cause me to hate myself? Hmm … I’ll give that some thought while enjoying my first halfway-decent bagel in three years on First Avenue at 21st Street (Ess-a-Bagel, the best since H&H closed). But I’m telling you right now, there are so many better reasons for me to hate myself, this probably won’t even make the Top 50.

Wait, the cost of New York City bagels can add up. New crowdfunding campaign!

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sense

Elizabeth’s Table

Blau’s Best Seat is Often at Home

By Marisa Finetti

Elizabeth Blau and Kim Canteenwalla at Andiron Steak & Sea, Downtown Summerlin

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hen you step into Honey Salt, Summerlin’s neighborhood farm-to-table gathering place, you’re instantly and virtually immersed in Elizabeth Blau’s personal spirit. Not just because she and her husband, executive chef Kim Canteenwalla, own the restaurant. But because the overall ambiance

reflects her signature style — chic, comfortable, fresh.

You wouldn’t immediately know this based just on her illustrious resume. It details her help in establishing just about every finedining outpost in this city. Blau was instrumental, for instance, in building the gourmet collection at several MGM Mirage properties,

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Bill Milne

L’Shana Tova

Honey Salt’s main dining room.

as well as Wynn and Encore, where her instinctive, restaurant-savvy talents led to an unsurpassed lineup of all-stars.

Her phenomenal taste and flair for hospitality have spilled over to her home, where imparting a comfortable lifestyle is central to her classic theme. The dining room table is no different.

“We love to entertain at home,” says Blau. “The whole inspiration of the restaurant [Honey Salt] was entertaining at home. It was the recipe for the design and for all the menu items.”

Blau says having a husband as a chef puts the spotlight on the food. But she believes it’s equally important to focus on the table, and she always adds her own special touches.

“I love to find antique placemats and antique tablecloths,” she says, “and look for accent pieces that I can use from year to year.”

Blau believes her East Coast heritage may have influenced her love for and awareness of the changing seasons, something reflected in her table settings.

“I love all of the grassy, springy greens that you see in my restaurants,” she says, “as well as earth tones, like the chestnut browns, the pumpkin oranges. It’s the colors that you find in nature.”

She often finds herself buying seasonal flowers at the local farm-

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Hanukkah is all about the home made doughnuts.

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ers market, and shopping around to find unique centerpieces and decorative items, depending on the holiday or theme.

“The fall is particularly fun, especially for the Jewish holidays and Thanksgiving,” she says. “There are so many seasonal flowers, items and colors. I like to use gourds, twigs, leaves, branches and fresh herbs to decorate the table. I also love to use candles.”

Besides traditional flower vases, Blau finds unique and unconventional vessels to hold her arrangements, like Mason jars and decorative bowls of all sizes and shapes. “Flowers are always kept small and low,” she says, “so they doesn’t interfere with conversation.”

Drawing inspiration from numerous magazines and online sources, Blau invents her own style to fit the occasion. But she usually keeps a simple approach that blends casual-chic with function. Guests will hardly find place settings on her table that are in perfect, geometric orientation, with specialized utensils spaced at equal distances.

“The number one thing is that it’s comfortable and welcoming,” she says. “Nobody will ever have to figure out which utensils to use.

I like to keep it simple and more casual.”

With the exception of more formal holidays, most of her gatherings are buffet-style and use the entire kitchen area to advantage.

Blau likes to offer fun decor or a surprise element at her gatherings. The self-confessed sweet tooth likes to set out bowls of candy as part of the table decor. She also converts her kitchen table into a dessert buffet, a much-anticipated centerpiece by her regulars.

“You can never have enough desserts,” she says. “There is always one or two items I make myself because I was a pastry chef a long time ago. But then I’ll get some items from Megan Romano and ask friends to bring a dessert.”

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She wouldn’t exactly encourage people to stay at home for all their dinners, but she acknowledges that the best seat in the house often can be at one’s own table.

“I have to believe that with all the resources that are out there, and if people have the interest, they can also create that ambiance at home,” Blau says. “But what we also try to create in our restaurants is an extension of our home.”

For holidays, Blau leans toward the extraordinary. “The High Holiday dinner is one of the times that I make the table setting more formal. I’ll put my best china and silver out, use more formal tablecloths and flowers,” she says. “The holidays give you a wonderful opportunity to bring together not only family, but friends. I love to invite people that are maybe new to the community, or don’t have their family, because when I moved to Las Vegas that’s what people did for me.”

Clearly, the best-dressed table to Blau is her own. She makes it delicious, comfortable and fun, yet sophisticated. Ultimately, her table is about the people who gather around it. And much like her restaurant’s concept, she welcomes folks with open arms.

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Courtesy Crafthaus, Banger Brewing & Bad Beat Brewing

taste

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Can Do

Brews!

Above: A typical tasting flight at Hop Nuts.

A microbrew scene finally takes shape in Las Vegas Story & Photographs by E.C. Gladstone

S

ummer turns to autumn and beverage lovers’ thoughts turn to beer, that curious concoction of fermented starch that dates back in history almost as long as civilization itself. From the province of Mesopotamian priestesses to a major worldwide industry, in the last few years beer-making has been rediscovered in America as an artisanal craft, as well as gustatory obsession.

Las Vegas, however, has been relatively slow to join the microbrew trend — perhaps in part because we’re used to doing things on a larger-than-life scale. True, we’ve had brewpubs here for a while: Big Dog’s, Gordon Biersch (which may now be a national chain, but first emerged after a major investment from Las Vegas’ Fertitta family in the ‘90s), Ellis Island, Triple 7, Chicago Brewing Company, Sin City Brewing. There’s a critical mass of spots to drink interesting beers from other places, from downtown’s Atomic Liquors to the Pub at Monte Carlo, our precise replica of Munich’s Hofbräuhaus to Aces & Ales; then there are our two bottling breweries, Joseph James and Tenaya Creek. And beer fests now abound from late August into October (Trivia: Know why we celebrate beer, which is made year-

round, in October? Oktoberfest began as a celebration of a Bavarian prince’s marriage in 1810.)

One could write volumes about beer appreciation in Las Vegas now — a thought that might cause some beads of sweat on my editor’s brow — but the development that gives us the most nachas has been the emergence of several homespun microbreweries across the valley, each taking creative spins on the classic brew styles of ale, lager, hefe, kolsch, porter, stout, and each with its own inspiring story.

Set in the most unlikely space downtown, wedged between a Denny’s and the infamous Heart Attack Grill on Fremont Street, Banger Brewing (450 Fremont Street) could easily be mistaken for another tourist trap. In fact, this pet project of five former Bellagio co-workers (inspired by the home brewing expertise of their pal Michael “Banger” Beaman) is anything but. Opened just shy of two years ago, with a boost from Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, Banger typically offers between eight and 14 of its own personality-driven beers (alongside almost as many “guest” taps) like El Heffe, a jalapeno-infused hefeweizen that is equal parts spicy www.davidlv.com | SEPTEMBER 2015

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Courtesy Crafthaus Preparing the newest brews to go from tank to kegs at CraftHaus in Henderson’s “Booze District.”

A special wish for a healthy and happy new year FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS

Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of The Valley Health System. The system shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians.

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A taste of Bad Beat’s basil pale ale.

cof feebea n lv.com

and smooth; Sandia, a watermelon wheat beer made for picnics; and the 10.5 percent alcohol Belgian Quad, a sweetish, roasty brew. Banger, where every employee has at least a level 1 Cicerone certification (that means, they know their beer), has made no secret of its mission to “Jumpstart beer culture in Las Vegas,”as bar man John Manero tells me. Banger’s brews are already available in several spots across the Valley and there are plans to build a larger production facility in the near future.

On the other side of downtown, along the arts district’s booming Main Street, Hop Nuts Brewing (1120 S. Main St) opened its doors a few months ago, just finishing their cool bar top of lacquered barleycorn as I write. The pet project of brewmaster Kevin Holder (along with friends/recruits Carlo Zoppi and Nikki Barkovsky), Hop Nuts produces a considered range of beers from an easy drinking Golden Ale to the impressive Green Mamba Double IPA, remarkably balanced for having more than 100 IBUs (that’s short for International Bitterness Unit, serious geek talk). Of their seven regular brews, the crisp Papa’s Red Ale was my personal favorite, though they’re most proud of their seasonal Nelson’s Landing IPA. Undoubtedly, this is a “there’s a beer for every palate” kind of place.

Far across the valley in a corporate office park that’s also home to the Las Vegas Distillery and the Nevada School of Winemaking (and thus being dubbed Henderson’s “Booze District”) are two more little-breweries-that-could. While the locale would seem remote to most, once there, both spots are inviting, fun places to sample some beers with old friends or make new ones.

Opened just over a year ago by former pro poker player and home brewer Nathan Hall, enlisting ex-Joseph James brewer Weston Barkley, Bad Beat Brewing (7380 Eastgate Road, Henderson) almost

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feels like someone’s basement rec room, with stained wood bar and tables, and a random shuffleboard table. The selection here is highlighted by an interesting basil pale ale, a dry Irish stout and an 11 percent alcohol chardonnay barrel-aged Belgian ale. Yes, they definitely like their ales here!

Celebrating a year open this September, CraftHaus (7350 Eastgate Road, Henderson) has a couple of noteworthy elements to its story, too, even before you get to the beers. Owners Wyndee and Dave Forrest, who crowdfunded their business with a $25,000 Kickstarter campaign, contributed to legislative history by convincing the city of Henderson to bifurcate an odd law requiring that all brew pubs have gaming on premises.

Then, they hired a traveling couple from Australia, Steph Cope and Steve Brockman as their brewers, making Cope most likely Nevada’s first female head brewer. Equal parts fun and artsy, CraftHaus’ pub room features cafeteria-style benches with board games, rotating murals and a collection of cuckoo clocks. Their beers certainly lean toward the bolder styles, including several IPA variations, a saison, two stouts and a mellow hazelnut brown ale for fall, alongside who-knows-what whimsical inspirations of the week. Two of their beers are canned and already have notable citywide distribution.

With this much brewing creativity taking place, and an air of friendly competition, Vegas seems ready to finally emerge into the ranks of serious beer-loving cities. Let’s raise a pint glass and toast to that.

Top: Banger Brewing’s unlikely Fremont Street setting. Bottom: Hop Nuts Brewing’s urban arts district setting.

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think

No Small Change @ 42 What’s all the Buzz About? @ 46 Sky High Holy Days @ 52 WHAT’S ALL THE BUZZ ABOUT? pg. 46

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No Small Change Can We Rewire Our Impulses?

By Lynn Wexler

I

t’s that time of year again. The emerging fall season brings with it the promise of change: a new school year, foliage, colors, climate, light, time … even mood, some would say. It’s an opportunity for beginnings, a time to consider the possibilities for altering our paths, improving ourselves. The Jewish calendar is right on target to assist with and inspire this perennial engagement.

Rosh Hashana — Hebrew for Head of the Year — kicks off this annual succession of propitious renewal and reflection with a spirit of optimism. Jews worldwide wish one another L’shanah tovah tikatevu v’taihatemu (May you be inscribed and sealed for a good life), offering hope that the New Year will provide good health and well being in relationships, family, work and life.

An additional 10 days following Rosh Hashana (regarded as the Days of Awe), and leading up to Yom Kippur (Hebrew for Day of Atonement), are set aside to reflect on the past and to contemplate improvements, in the belief that human beings have a continuing capacity to change themselves and how they live.

Judaism, as with other religions and spiritual movements, promotes and is based on the concept that people — at every age and stage of life — can change; that personal transformation is not beyond the individual but within; and that, with guidance and adherence to principles, each person can realize change at its most profound essence.

Still, resistance to change — even with insightful belief systems — can be monumental. Most people simply struggle with change, whether in trying to kick a bad habit, mending a broken heart, overcoming profound anger, changing physical and moral behaviors, altering company culture, generating ideas and finding solutions, shifting a business focus or trying to change the world. Experts say changing the mind and the mindset is at the core of unlocking the brain’s power.

“Resistance to change is not ineluctable,” says Dr. Jeffrey M. Schwartz, a research psychiatrist at UCLA’s medical school, and regarded as one of the world’s leading neuroplasticity experts.

Put simply, neuroplasticity is the brain’s capacity to change and adapt. It refers to the physiological changes in the brain that occur from a human being’s interaction with the environment. According to scientists, this purposeful process — it starts in the womb and continues until death — enables an individual to learn from and adapt to different experiences.

In You Are Not Your Brain: The 4-Step Solution for Changing Bad Habits, Ending Unhealthy Thinking, and Taking Control of Your Life, Schwartz describes advancements in brain analysis technology that let researchers track the energy of a thought through the brain, to elucidate the path of least resistance to the changes people seek to make.

“Watching different areas of the brain light up in response to specific thoughts has brought a new understanding to the corporeal mechanics of psychology in general,” Schwartz says, “and to our response to change in particular.

“From a neurological perspective, we all respond to change in the same way — we try to avoid it. Understanding the brain’s chemistry and mechanics has led to insights that can help to ameliorate the pain of change and improve people’s abilities to invoke and adapt to new ways of doing things. Change hurts, both physically and psychologically, and now we have the brain pictures to prove it,” he says.

The scientific explanation Schwartz gives is complex. But it essentially points to the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain that “lights up” during an MRI when change occurs. The prefrontal cortex is able to hold multiple threads of logic at once, Schwartz says, but only for a brief period before crashing against its limits. That leads to intense discomfort, fatigue and even anger, he says, because the prefrontal cortex is closely linked to the brain’s emotional center, the amygdala, which controls our fight-or-flight response.

Because the prefrontal cortex crashes easily, the brain prefers to run off the basal ganglia, says Schwartz, which collectively have a larger storage capacity and hold the hardwired memories and habits that dominate our daily lives.

“Most of the time the basal ganglia are more or less running the show,” says Schwartz. “It controls habit-based behavior that we don’t have to think about doing. The interplay between the basal ganglia and the prefrontal cortex helps explain our resistance to change.”

Schwartz believes that while brain science points to the significant influence the basal ganglia has on our behavior, “ … it does not have to be completely determinative. We can make our own decisions about how much we want to be influenced by our animal biology.”

David Rock, author of Quiet Leadership: Six Steps to Transforming Performance at Work, is the co-creator of the management-coaching curriculum at New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

“Because our brains are so complex and so individual,” he says, “generating change is difficult. And the key to successfully achieving change is patience and focus.”

“Behaviorism doesn’t work,” Rock says. “Change efforts based on incentive and threat (the carrot and the stick) rarely succeed in the long run. And humanism is overrated. The conventional empathic approach to persuasion doesn’t sufficiently engage people.”

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Rock believes focus and repetition hold the greatest potential for change. Paying attention creates chemical and physical changes in the brain. Attention density, he has found, shapes identity. Repeated, purposeful and focused attention can lead to long-lasting personal evolution.

In trying to focus people’s attention on changing their behavior, Rock uses the same technique psychoanalysts have employed since the profession began: He asks questions.

“When you ask someone questions, you are getting them to focus on an idea intended to form their epiphany or intended change,” he says. “Paying more attention to something solicits more connections in the brain.”

Once people “own” their epiphany, he says, they need to revisit repeatedly the behaviors enabling the change in order to help rewire the basal ganglia.

“We have pathways already in place, and they’re simply too strong to be changed in a single moment,” Rock says. “You need to repeatedly integrate the changed behavior into the existing pathways for it to become part of a new pattern.”

Behavioral scientists have become increasingly interested in

learning about the positive changes people report after highly stressful or tragic life events — among them terminal illness, war, bereavement, divorce, financial collapse and sexual assault.

Scientists refer to this as either adversarial or post-traumatic growth, or altruism born of suffering and benefit finding.

Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche’s claim that “what does not kill me makes me stronger” resonates with many in the science and religious spheres, who believe privation can leave one in a better place — if the choice is made to pursue that thinking.

Helen Keller, left blind and deaf by illness as a toddler, eventually graduated from Radcliffe College and achieved worldwide fame as an author, lecturer and activist. She said, “When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”

The Christian Bible (New Testament) states in Romans 5:3-5, “Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us.”

Albert Einstein put it another way: “Adversity introduces a man to himself.” Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz, founder and dean of Yeshiva

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Archie Noam in Monsey, N.Y., says the Einstein quote reflects the Torah (Old Testament) perspective on change.

“This belief reinforces the notion that our challenges — and how we respond to them — are an integral component of our persona.

The inevitable dark periods in one’s life can yield great opportunities for growth. Challenges help us find our inner strength, clarify our priorities, force us to focus on what is right and best, and ultimately enables us to arrive at our appointed change,” he said.

Richard Davidson, a psychology professor at the University of Wisconsin and author of The Emotional Life of Your Brain, introduces meditation as yet another vehicle to effect change.

“One of the roots of the word meditation in Sanskrit comes from the word familiarization. According to that definition, meditation is actually familiarizing yourself with your own mind. In that regard one can better access the knowledge of self necessary to focus on the task of changing behavior,” said Davidson.

Experts agree that the first rule of change is that it’s already happening. The world’s spiritual traditions teach, and science is now verifying, that our lives are, in fact, defined by constant change.

Brain sciences are producing a plethora of data revealing important links that reach across the various disciplines, encouraging a collaborative study of our contract with DNA by neuroscientists, social psychologists, anthropologists, philosophers and spiritualists.

One debate that crosses all academic lines is over how much change is within our control. One aspect of such change is a mystery, but that does not mean we are powerless to alter our course.

No one claims change is easy. Both Rosh Hashana and New Year’s Day offer annual periods for starting the process of contemplating and effecting change.

Tzedakah, the Hebrew word generally associated with giving charity, actually means following the commandment to act righteously, regardless of what one wants to do or feels like doing.

By acknowledging a potential to adhere to this divine directive, one accepts that we also have the capability of becoming more the person we want to be, in a universe that embraces science, technology, sociology and faith — and where anything is seemingly possible. www.davidlv.com | SEPTEMBER 2015

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What’s all the Buzz About?

Dipping into the Sweet Nectar of the Bees

By Marisa Finetti

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innie-the-Pooh knew what he was doing. A.A. Milne’s lovable, ursine foil went to great lengths and endured perilous adventures to get his paws on the golden goodness he craved. As it turns out, he was completely justified in his honey hankering, and he was grateful for the bees.

Thanks to the Apis mellifera, better known as the Western honeybee, one in every three bites of food we eat each day is the result of the species’ hard work. Through pollination, the prolific creatures are crucial to the production of many of our specialty crops, including apples, berries, tomatoes and squash. They also deliver the pure natural goodness Pooh couldn’t get enough of – honey.

The honeybee is the only insect that produces food eaten by man. The nectar that bees extract from more than 300 different flowers is stored in honeycombs. And their fast-beating wings dehumidify the nectar to produce the rich, thick golden sweetener we drizzle over toast, spoon into tea and even smooth over our faces.

SWEET HISTORY But how did honey come to be? It is believed that honey dates as far back as 20 million years.

And the practice of beekeeping to produce honey, or apiculture, goes back to at least 700 B.C. Roman legionaries slathered honey on their wounds to promote healing, and some say the body of Alexander the Great was preserved and embalmed with honey. Ancient myths and writings on alcoholic beverages throughout the world also contain references to mead, or honey wine – the world’s oldest fermented beverage.

HONEY DOs Hundreds of unique honey types exist, along with different tastes around the world. Almost every country produces honey, and each has its indigenous floral honey varieties with their own distinct tastes, textures and colors. Local varietals include Cat Claw, acacia, desert wildflower, lavender, mesquite, sumac and chaste. But the benefits of honey go well beyond its great taste.

For instance, it contains vitamins (all of the B-complex, A, C, D, E and K), minerals and trace elements (magnesium, sulfur, phosphorus, iron, calcium, potassium, iodine, sodium, copper and manganese), proteins, amino acids, carbs, organic acids. The live enzyme content of honey is one of the highest of all foods. From skin health to improved immunity, and allergy relief to nutritional powerhouse, honey has served humanity well through the ages and deserves a place in the pantry (and medicine cabinet).

As a great source carbohydrate, honey is known for instantly boosting the strength, providing endurance and reducing the muscle fatigue of athletes. The body quickly absorbs the glucose in honey, offering an immediate energy boost, while its fructose is absorbed more slowly to provide sustained energy.

Among honey’s many health benefits, the most impressive may be its role as a powerful immune system booster. Its antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties can help improve the digestive system function and assist in fighting diseases, such as cancer. Studies also have found that dark-colored honey, such as Buckwheat, seems to possess more antioxidants than its lighter-color varieties. And honey itself doesn’t go bad. Bacteria can’t grow in honey’s unique composition, making it inhospitable to micro-organisms. A food with an eternal shelf life? Yes! Over the years, bacterial resistance to antibiotics has led to a resurgence of interest into honey’s healing properties. It has an enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide, which is believed to be the main reason for honey’s antimicrobial properties.

Honey derived from the Manuka bush in New Zealand, for example, claims the highest antimicrobial effect.

Honey is considered useful in treating wounds, abrasions and burns by preventing bacteria from entering the wound and promoting healing. It also doesn’t hurt when applied. From acne and acid reflux, to heartburn, stress and warts, honey has a role in alleviating and curing symptoms.

Honey from the Las Vegas area is said to contain allergens that can be delivered in small, manageable doses to produce the type of effects achieved through a series of allergy shots. But some folks are allergic to honey, too, and that’s another story.

RAW OR PROCESSED? Raw honey is the most original sweet liquid that honeybees produce from the concentrated nectar of flowers. Collected straight from the extractor, raw honey is unheated, unpasteurized and unprocessed. And since it’s pure, it retains all of the enzymes and probiotics that make honey so health-giving.

For example, when mixed with ginger and lemon juice, it effectively relieves nausea and supplies energy. Foodies go raw for its exceptional nutritional value and amylase, an enzyme concentrated in flower pollen, which helps pre-digest starchy foods such as pastas and breads.

Raw honey can be found in health food stores and farmers markets, but much of the honey found in the supermarket is not raw. It appears clearer, smoother as a result of pasteurization, (heated to 158 degrees for a specific amount of time, followed by rapid cooling) for easy filtering and bottling. Pasteurization kills any yeast cells in the honey and prevents fermentation, but also affects the taste.

Delicate aromas, yeast and enzymes, which are responsible for activating vitamins and minerals in the body system, are partially destroyed in the pasteurization process. The federal government does not define “raw” honey. But the term generally refers to honey that hasn’t been heated or filtered. You may find raw honey that’s

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unprocessed but slightly warmed (to retard granulation) for a short period, and to allow light straining and packing into containers for sale. Using as little heat as possible is a sign of careful handling.

LOCAL LAS VEGAS HONEY The Farm offers delicious local honey from its hives. The average honeybee travels about 2 miles one way to find nectar-filled flowers, but The Farm has many flowering trees and plants on its premises, and there is a fruit tree orchard nearby.

The honey produced is raw, unfiltered, unheated and local. THE FARM, 7222 W. Grand Teton Drive, Las Vegas. 702-982-8000.

Thelasvegasfarm.com.

Tom Lioubas is a quality beehive builder, honey extruder, beekeeper and raw honey provider based in Las Vegas. In 1962, he and his family got the exclusive commission to build beehives for the Greek Agricultural Department. “Bees give us life,” Lioubas says. “If there were no bees, we would have no food on the table.” Tom’s Bee www.davidlv.com | SEPTEMBER 2015

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Hives offers beekeeping and honey extraction services, and sells raw honey and custom built beehives. Toms Bee Hives, P.O. Box 28372, Las Vegas. 702-303-4517. tomsbeehives.com Dee Dentra, a honey distributor from Henderson, supplies Wildflower Mojave Desert Honey and Bee Pollen to community health food stores and restaurants. “In the case of honey,” she says, “the term ‘local’ means it comes from the same region in which one resides, so as to reap the health benefits of the pollination process of the indigenous plants in that region. In our case, we live in the Mojave Desert. And Annsley Naturals Southwest honey from our desert offers the flavorful bouquet, texture and color as a result of the pollination of numerous wildflowers.” Dentra buys honey and pollen in bulk from Mojave Desert bee farmers, whose families often have been involved in the industry for generations. Her honey is available at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Glazier’s and Smith’s, as well as restaurants, including Hearthstone and The Juice Standard. Annsley Naturals Southwest, 702-370-0458.

Gilcrease Orchard is known for its 60-plus acres of fertile agricultural land that produces locally grown fruits and vegetables, and for its roughly 20 beehives. But the honey Gilcrease produces doesn’t stay on the shelves too long. “Many people like fresh, local, raw honey for allergies,” says Ava Peterson of Gilcrease. “We’ll probably have more (raw honey) available in September.” Gilcrease Orchard, 7800 N. Tenaya Way, Las Vegas. Thegilcreaseorchard.org.

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Bring the buzz back to the hive

T

hings just aren’t as sweet in the beehives these days as in the past. Since the 1940s, the number of honeybee colonies has fallen from 5 million to 2.5 million. Beehives are dying off because of a mysterious malady known as colony collapse disorder, or CCD. Researchers say there could be many reasons for the decline: parasites, including the Varroa mite, and bacteria to pesticides, environmental stress, a lack of pollen and habitat loss.

There’s good news, though, and ways you can help save the bees: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, London’s Buckingham Palace, New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art are all keepers of honeybees, and part of a growing collection of bee-friendly landmarks around the world. In recent years, hotels have joined the urban beekeeping trend, bringing their own honey straight to their tables.

Whether it’s from an apartment window box, a backyard garden, or a green space in your community, there’s something you can grow to help bees. Plant flowers, especially those that bloom in the off-season, when other flowers don’t. Check out the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s guide to planting for pollinators.

Limit the use of pesticides while plants are in bloom and when bees are out foraging. Pesticides poison bees.

Support beekeepers who produce honey in our neighborhoods, and buy locally grown fruits, vegetables and honey that help support beekeepers in Las Vegas.

The Pollinator Partnership is the world’s largest nonprofit dedicated solely to protecting and promoting pollinators, such as bees. If your plants are available for pollination, register your space on the Pollinator Partnership’s database.

www.davidlv.com | SEPTEMBER 2015

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Sky High Holy Days Astronaut Bloom’s Amazing New Year in Space Story by Jaq Greenspon • Illustrations by Warren Wucinich

“C

omrade Bloom,” said Dmitri Lagunov, “I don’t understand what you are asking of me.” Lagunov and Bloom had been partnered on the International Space Station for the last eight weeks, since late July when Bloom had come aboard as a mission specialist. Up until this moment, they had gotten on fairly well, enjoying an easy camaraderie, even through the perceived competition of their respective fields of expertise. Then Bloom had asked Lagunov for a favor. Nothing dangerous, just … odd.

“It’s simple,” said Bloom. “I need you to stand there for a minute while I pray near you.”

Ever since he was little, Solomon Bloom wanted to be an astronaut. All of his education was centered on science because his eyes weren’t good enough for him to be a pilot. He held a B.S. in astronomy, an M.S. in engineering and a Ph.D. in astrophysics, where his thesis centered on finding habitable planets. He served in the military and applied for an astronaut slot whenever there was an opening. Needless to say, he was more than ready for that call to come.

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The call came at 6 a.m. (9 a.m. in Canaveral) on a Monday in June.

They woke him up with the good news. He had been selected as a mission specialist to spend six months, starting in July, aboard the ISS. There had been some problems with the specialist who had been scheduled and Bloom was the designated backup. He’d been a backup twice before, but always a bridesmaid. This was his time to be a bride.

“Who was that on the phone?” Ana Bordofsky, Bloom’s actual bride-to-be, asked sleepily from the bed beside him.

“No one,” he said with forced casualness. “Just NASA, wanting to know if I can be ready to go to the ISS in six weeks.”

Now fully awake, she sat up in bed and looked at him.

“When, exactly.”

Everything was going great until some time in the beginning of September. Their weekly chats usually followed the same pattern: a bit of small talk, some non-classified tidbits about work and a reiteration of how beautiful it was out the window looking down on Earth.

“Anything new going on this week?” Bloom asked.

“I got tickets for the High Holidays,” Ana said. “Much easier when it’s only one of me. Remember that one year your brother had to go to a scalper to actually get into the synagogue?”

There was a long pause, longer than the usual delay when transmitting skyward 250 miles and half a world away.

“Sol?” she asked. “Everything OK?” “High Holidays?” he said softly, sounding as if he’d just been punched in the gut. “I completely forgot.” Solomon Bloom considered himself

“End of July, I think. Why? What difference does it make? I’m going into space!”

“As long as it’s after the 13th,” she said calmly.

“Why?” Her next words cooled him down like ice water on a summer’s day.

“That’s our wedding.”

Since Bloom wasn’t actually able to be part of any of the last minute planning for the nuptials, they went off without a hitch. Brains ran long with him, but common sense was a touch-and-go situation.

He was forgetful at the best of times, one of his goofily endearing qualities. But with all he had to do to prepare for the space flight, if he didn’t write something down, it was out of his mind faster than anything not bolted down escaping an airlock. Ana took this in stride and made sure his part in the wedding consisted of being told when to show up and, once there, to repeat what the rabbi said. He smashed the glass on command, was able to get through his speech (with the aid of his best man) and the wedding was one for the books.

They had a weekend honeymoon on Catalina Island two weeks before Bloom was sent to Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, while Ana was flown to Houston. While he was still on the ground, Bloom and Ana talked daily, and she watched the launch from a special visitor area near the command center. Everything went perfectly. After witnessing her husband disappear into the atmosphere, she returned home to Los Angeles, where they continued to have weekly video chats.

more culturally Jewish, despite having been raised in a conservative congregation. Yes, technically he could help make up a minyan, but he didn’t go to services every week; in fact, he hardly went at all. He loved bacon cheeseburgers as much as the next Jew. This was something different, though. Even the most secular of his tribesmen knuckled down and hit the synagogue for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

“When do they start?” he asked.

“Same as it is every year,” she said, smiling. “First day of Tishrei.”

“You’re funny,” he said sarcastically. “When is it in real days?” She told him. He looked at the clock calendar in the communication module where he was sitting. “And… what day is it now?” Bloom’s problem was that he was thinking in L.A. time, but the ship was on Greenwich. Originally ship time was set to Houston, home of the operations center. But that meant the Russians, having to be on duty during the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. shifts that “nauts” (astro- and cosmo-) usually worked, couldn’t log out until well after midnight.

And the trains didn’t run then so they couldn’t get home. Eventually, it was decided to set the station’s time to Greenwich Mean Time, which pleased no one entirely and thus fulfilled its role as a true compromise. At least he figured he should use GMT, since the more realistic approach of a new day starting at sunset (as prescribed by Jewish law) happened for him every 90 minutes or so.

All it really meant to Bloom was that he didn’t have much time if he was going to figure out how to celebrate while he was in space. He said goodbye to Ana and started running through a mental checklist,

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dredging back to see what he could remember, since getting time to use Google on the ship’s computers would take a little finagling.

Apples and honey, that was a thing he knew. He floated through the station to the kitchen area and began rummaging.

“What are you looking for?” asked Catherine Locke, the mission commander. She knew Bloom was good at his job, but also knew if anyone on the crew would make a mess, it would be him. She was just trying to head him off.

“Do we have any honey?” he asked. “And apples. I need apples.”

“I’m not sure if we -- ” “And raisins. In bread. Can we do that?” He found a packet of dehydrated fruits and mentally said a prayer of thanks for NASA’s reliance on dried food.

Lagunov shook his head slowly. “I’m not even going to comment on the stereotype.”

Christianson chimed in: “No alcohol in space.”

“Aldrin took a communion sip in ’69 on the surface of the moon.”

“You, sir, are no Buzz Aldrin,” said Locke. “Besides, we can’t make any up here.”

“There’s some grape juice in stores,” said Christianson.

“Like when I was 5,” Bloom said, smiling. “Deal.” Everything was coming together.

“Bloom, I have something for you,” said Locke, motioning him into the command area.

“Yes?” She handed him his own iPod. “I talked to your wife and she talk-

As the day got closer, Bloom was able to do more research, learning more about the holidays than he’d ever known before, which had led to his conversation with Lagunov. “The prayer is called Tashlich,” Bloom explained. “It’s the ‘casting away of sins.’”

“I still do not understand what this has to do with me? I was raised Orthodox.”

“You’re supposed to cast your sins into a body of water, like a river or ocean. If that’s not available, a cistern of rainwater will do – ” “I’m still confused.”

“Lagunov,” said Bloom, talking over his friend while enunciating the Russian surname. “It means ‘Water Barrel.’ You’re the closest I’ve got to a cistern.”

Lagunov nodded in deference to the logic and agreed to stand by. The entire crew was getting used to Bloom’s eccentricities over the last few days.

“Good. Now I need to know which way is east.”

“East is really more of an earthbound concept,” said Peace Christianson, the deputy commander. “Here we really spend more of our time thinking about three-dimensional space.”

“I know that,” said Bloom. “I’ve been up here for two months. But that doesn’t help me when I have to face the temple in Jerusalem.”

“Could you just look down?” Locke asked.

“That’ll work,” said Bloom. Then he taped a big letter “E” made from recycled food packets on the inside surface of the ISS closest to Earth. “We don’t have any wine on board, do we?” Bloom looked over at Lagunov. “Vodka would do in a pinch.”

ed to the guys at Ground Control and we uploaded a rabbi doing the Rosh Hashana service.”

“The whole thing?”

“The good parts version,” she said, laughing. “Yom Kippur will be coming next week.”

“Thank you,” said Bloom.

“It was Dmitri’s idea.”

At that moment, a piercing sound like that of an animal dying, ripped through the station. Locke slammed down on the intercom.

“What was that?”

Lagunov’s voice came back. “I found a recording of a Kazak goat herder blowing into a ram’s horn. Is good for chauffeur, no?”

Locke looked at Bloom, who laughed. “Shofar,” he said, so Lagunov could hear him. “And, yes, that’s great.”

“Good,” came the reply. “It’s set so all you have to do is hit a button and it will play. As many times as you need it to.”

On the day, Bloom listened to his recording, “blew” his shofar and faced “east” when called upon to do so. His colleagues gave him the space to do what needed to be done. As he was finishing the two days of prayer and getting ready for the 10 days of repentance leading into Yom Kippur – his fast already cleared by medics on the ground – he looked up, into the stars, away from “east.”

Lagunov walked over to him, sharing his view. “It’s all good now?”

“Yes,” said Bloom. “Thank you.”

Lagunov smiled at him. “L’shanah tovah tikatevu.” www.davidlv.com | SEPTEMBER 2015

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grill

Jeremy Gregersen Head of School at The Meadows School, Runner, Tigers Fan & Poet A thirst for learning, a passion for teaching and hunger for innovation in education has fueled Jeremy Gregersen’s journey from English teacher to the helm of The Meadows School. Under his leadership, TMS was named the most challenging private high school in Nevada by The Washington Post. Gregersen also received the Milken Educator Award in 2009, an honor bestowed annually on 50 people nationally. For this head of school, success means raising the standards of excellence in education and making that education more accessible to people of all economic means.

One of the biggest wins in his career thus far has been the creation of new scholarship opportunities. Under his leadership, roughly $9 million in scholarship funds have been distributed over the last five years. This includes two new scholarships: the Founders’ Scholarship pays for a portion of four years of Upper School tuition for up to five new students each year; and a private grant scholarship covers the cost of a K-12 education for five new kindergarten students each year (amounting to nearly $260,000 per child).

This year Gregersen is making new strides in fundraising for scholarships – 26.2 miles-worth.

In November, he plans to run The Las Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon to raise more scholarship dollars for TMS, and he has enlisted co-workers, students and alumni to join him. The Scholar Lane Marathoners Club, named after the school’s main street, will be running to make a difference for future Meadows students.

DAVID: What prompted your career in education?

GREGERSEN: A love of literature really began my career in education. After getting a taste of teaching at the University of Michigan, I realized I loved sharing my passion for the written word with students.

DAVID: You’ve been an English teacher, middle school director and are now the Head of School at The Meadows School. What has been your favorite position?

GREGERSEN: There’s nothing quite like being a classroom teacher. But in my current role as head, I’m blessed to have the opportunity to visit with students and teachers on a daily basis and stay abreast of what’s happening in the classroom.

DAVID: Why did you decide to take on this role in developing and reaching out to alumni and other people in the community to help establish scholarships?

GREGERSEN: I grew up in a middle class household in Twin Falls, Idaho, where there was no such thing as a top-flight college prep school. And even if one had existed, my parents couldn’t have afforded to send me there. For this reason, I think it’s vital for schools like The Meadows to try to do whatever it takes to make the best education available to as many students possible, regardless of their family’s income.

DAVID: What does giving back to the community mean to you?

GREGERSEN: There are so many worthy causes in Las Vegas. I suppose that, for me personally, giving back to the community means doing something that will have as great an impact as possible on the community at large.

Whether it’s volunteering time or expertise or donating funds, giving back means making a discernible difference in the lives of others.

DAVID: You’ve been training for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon to raise money for scholarships.

What’s this experience been like?

GREGERSEN: I picked up running a few years ago as a way to get into shape, and I quickly got hooked. I’ve run three marathons and around a dozen half marathons, with most of my training beginning right on my doorstep and now on campus at The Meadows. We’ve had a few group runs starting on campus, and I’d like to continue to grow these as the school year gets going. My hope is that running this marathon will build community and raise awareness for the fact that The Meadows School’s scholarship program helps students – who otherwise couldn’t afford it – have access to one of the finest educations available in the region. If people are interested in supporting me and the other runners, they can find us at www. crowdrise.com/meadowsschoollasvegasmarathon.

DAVID: After those long marathon practice runs, are there any treats that you indulge in?

GREGERSEN: Pizza or Mexican food, and I certainly don’t shy away from desserts while watching my favorite baseball team, the Detroit Tigers.

DAVID: Aside from The Meadows School, what is your favorite local cause or charitable organization?

GREGERSEN: My loyalty is split between two impressive local causes: Keep Memory Alive, which benefits the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, and Opportunity Village. Both of these organizations make massive improvements to the quality of life of so many here in Las Vegas and beyond.

58 SEPTEMBER 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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