2020-12-10- Las Vegas Weekly by Greenspun Media Group

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

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CIRQUE DU SOLEIL REMAINS COMMITTED TO ENTERTAINMENT IN LAS VEGAS About a year ago, Cirque du Soleil’s aquatic landmark O shifted to a seven-night schedule, a first for the dreamlike epic that originally opened with Bellagio in October 1998. After passing the 10,000-show mark last September, the production hired new artists and increased its cast to 117 from 77 in preparation for what should have been its biggest year yet. Recently, Cirque du Soleil President and CEO Daniel Lamarre said O will likely be the first Cirque show to reopen on the Strip in 2021. “People in Las Vegas— and even we ourselves— sometimes forget that O is the most successful show in the world. There is no other single show that is selling that many tickets year after year for over 20 years now,” he said. “This signature show is a symbol for us, and that’s why it will be more than natural to open O first. It will send a clear signal worldwide that Cirque du Soleil is back.” Cirque announced the permanent closure of the 17-year production Zumanity at New York-New York last month and simultaneously announced contract extensions for its other shows on the Strip. The Cirque group also owns the long-running Blue Man Group show at Luxor, which has yet to return to performances since the March shutdown of the Strip. There are now two Strip theaters previously occupied by Cirque shows without long-term residency plans, and Lamarre said he’s hoping to make some announcements regarding those venues soon. –Brock Radke

WEEK IN REVIEW WEEK AHEAD EV E N TS T O F O L L OW A N D N EWS YO U M I SS E D

Bellagio’s Christmas snow queen Bellissima gazes serenely at her visitors to usher in a season of cheer and optimism, perfumed by two dozen firs and tens of thousands of carnations. (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

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IN THIS ISSUE

10 22 28 34 38

Cover story: Keeping the holidays fun for kids 5-Minute Expert: A history of home video game systems The Strip: The Sahara gears up for 2021 Food & Drink: Hanukkah dishes around town Sports: Five keys to a Raiders playoff run

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

STORIES FROM LAST WEEK DYLAN CATALOG SOLD Bob Dylan’s entire catalog of songs dating back 60 years is being acquired by Universal Music Publishing Group. The catalog contains 600 song copyrights. Financial terms were not disclosed December 7, but the catalog may be the most prized in the music industry. Four years ago, when Michael Jackson’s estate sold the remaining half-share it owned in the artist’s catalog, it fetched $750 million.

NEVADA HOSPITALIZATIONS UP The number of people hospitalized in Nevada with COVID-19 has more than doubled over the past month, officials said December 7, increasing to 1,617 hospitalized patients statewide and up from 692.

POSITIVE REVIEW OF VACCINE Documents released by U.S. regulators December 8 confirmed that Pfizer’s vaccine was strongly protective against COVID-19 and appeared safe. The positive review from the Food and Drug Administration set the stage for a decision, allowing the vaccine’s initial use within days.

Veterans and active-duty service members head southbound on the Strip near Circus Circus during the inaugural Las Vegas Irreverent Warriors Silkies Hike on December 5. The purpose of the hike is to bring vets together using humor and camaraderie to improve mental health and prevent veteran suicide, an organizer said. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

PANDEMIC DELAYS VIRGIN’S OPENING BEYOND JANUARY 15

The opening of the new Virgin Hotels Las Vegas has been pushed back again, with owner JC Hospitality citing the “continuously evolving COVID-19 situation.” The off-Strip resort was initially anticipated to open in November, but that date was pushed back to January 15. The company did not set a new opening date. Construction on the project at the former Hard Rock Hotel on Paradise Road is on time, and the delay was “predicated on the current conditions in the market as it pertains to the pandemic,” JC Hospitality CEO Richard Bosworth said in a statement. Bosworth said the company is excited to introduce the new resort, but the “safety and health of our guests, partners and team members continues to be our top priority.” –Staff

CHUCK YEAGER DIES AT 97

HE SAID IT

“This is a vicious virus. It is much more problematic than the annual flu in its morbidity and mortality and lack of understanding of who ... would have this really bad outcome. That’s a difference that I think we really have to emphasize to the population. We need a large portion of the population who is immune. The best way to get that is through a vaccine.” –UNLV immunologist Jeffrey Ebersole

Charles “Chuck” Yeager, the World War II fighter pilot who showed he had the “right stuff” when in 1947 he became the first person to fly faster than sound, died December 7. He flew for more than 60 years, including piloting an F-15 to near 1,000 mph in October 2002 at age 79.

BIDEN’S DEFENSE SECRETARY President-elect Joe Biden will nominate retired four-star Army general Lloyd Austin to be secretary of defense, according to four people familiar with the decision. If confirmed by the Senate, Austin would be the first Black leader of the Pentagon. Biden offered and Austin accepted the post December 6, according to a person familiar with the process.

LOCAL FOOD BANK OFFERS UNLIMITED PICKUPS The Culinary Academy of Las Vegas’ community food-assistance program has a large surplus of food from an anonymous donor that is now available to Clark County residents until December 31 (or whenever supplies run out). Each order consists of 40 pounds of meat, rice, beans, pasta, onions, fruits and vegetables, and there are no limits on how often one can pick up. Call 702-227-8842 or go to forms.theculinaryacademy.org/calv/ nvcaresfa to answer a few questions (name, address, phone number, email address, household size, etc.), and choose a day and time for pickup. You may also pick up food on behalf of someone else, as long as you have their ID, and seniors over 60 are eligible for delivery. Pickup times are Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Culinary Academy, 710 W. Lake Mead Blvd. –Genevie Durano

LV W H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S

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THE GIFT OF HEALTH

Fill your loved ones’ stockings with a lifetime of good habits BY GENEVIE DURANO You know that old adage about health, that we take it for granted until we no longer have it? The holidays are a good reminder to make it a priority. This season, give the gift of health to someone you love, even if it’s yourself. Start with these ideas. UnderArmour sports mask Masks are absolutely necessary, even more so when you’re working out and breathing hard. This high-performance face covering from UnderArmour has a water-resistant outer shell and a smooth, breathable spacer fabric. It even has built-in UPF 50+ sun protection, perfect for long daytime runs. $30, underarmour.com. Apple watch series 6 The Apple Watch has become so sophisticated, telling time has become the least of its functions. It’s primarily a health and fitness gadget now—it measures your heart rate and blood oxygen levels, takes an ECG, tracks your daily activities and measures your favorite workouts. And it even takes calls. $399+, apple.com. Weighted jump rope Remember jump rope from grade school? Well, it just happens to be one of the least expensive and most effective exercise tools for your home gym. Jumping rope burns more calories than swimming, cycling or rowing, and this weighted version will give every major muscle group a workout. $99+, crossrope.com.

A set of kettlebells Kettlebell workouts are popular for a reason: The combination of weight training and high-intensity cardio burns fat and sculpts the body, while improving core strength, balance, flexibility and coordination. $24+, roguefitness.com.

Stretch strap Strength and flexibility go hand in hand, so when you’re done with your weight-bearing exercises, don’t forget to stretch. A stretch strap elongates the spine, unwinds the shoulders and chest, and opens up those hamstrings, allowing for a greater range of motion. $13, gaiam.com.

Resistance bands and tubes Here’s another small addition to your home gym that packs a wallop of benefits. Through a combination of different tube strengths and resistance, this series of bands increases muscle definition and builds size. And it hardly takes up any room. Ultimate ProGym, $40, gofit.net.

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LV W H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S

(Shutterstock/Photo Illustration)

Portable blender Who doesn’t want a healthy smoothie at a moment’s notice? BlendJet is the mobile cousin to the hulking Vitamix, in a size compact enough to stash in your bag. It’s lightweight, durable and USB-rechargeable, and it cleans itself, too. $50+, blendjet.com. Glass tea infuser bottle For the tea lover on your list, this double-walled glass infuser bottle will be a constant companion. The infusing basket’s large enough for loose tea, fresh fruit, herbs and whatever else you’d like to infuse into your drink. The company’s credo is, “Take care of your body and respect Mother Nature,” and it does so by using sustainable materials like bamboo. $35+, purezentea.com. Hungryroot The temptations you find at the grocery store can make or break a diet. Enter Hungryroot, a service that delivers groceries that sustain and nourish. It sources the best ingredients free of hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, colors and preservatives and delivers them to your door, along with easy-to-follow recipes. Gift cards $75+, hungryroot.com. Daily Harvest Daily Harvest is a meal-delivery service built on organic fruit and vegetables, which come in smoothie or bowl forms (along with soups and snacks). The giftee will surely appreciate the convenience of readyto-make meals that are both delicious and nutritious. Dailyharvest.com. GRID foam roller This multidensity foam roller is the best massage you can give yourself. It relieves muscle pain and tightness, improves mobility and increases circulation, perfect for workout recovery or when you’re just sitting on the couch bingeing Netflix. $35, triggerpoint.implus.com.

Mineral salts The best aid for muscle recovery is a hot bath with mineral salts. Kneipp’s plant-based bath salts are free of toxins and chemical additives, and rich with trace minerals such as magnesium, calcium and zinc. They’re blended with essential oils for extra health benefits. $4+, kneipp.com.

Hydroflask water bottle Hydration is key for any fitness activity, and there’s no better water bottle than a Hydroflask, which keeps beverages cold or hot for hours, thanks to its double wall stainless steel construction. It comes in various sizes and colors, and it’s dishwasher-safe and virtually indestructible. $30+, hydroflask.com.

Eat More Plants cookbook If you have someone on your list who likes to cook and wants to explore a more plant-based diet, registered dietitian Desiree Nelson offers more than 100 recipes including blackberry ginger muffins, an edamame hula bowl with almond miso sauce and a socca pizza with zucchini, olives and basil. $26, amazon.com.

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How to help children feel safe and happy this year The winter holidays will be weird this year. Whether we celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus or something else, on that, surely, we can all agree. Gatherings will be smaller, hugs may be virtual and gifts might be exchanged via delivery truck rather than in person. Yet now, as ever, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important for parents, grandparents and other adult guardians to help children feel safe and happy during December. There are lots of traditional ways to do thatâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;by driving through neighborhoods with spectacular lighting displays, by Spotifying holiday playlists and by visiting with Santas (albeit socially distanced ones), for example. Here are some other suggestions, cooked up by the merry crew at Las Vegas Weekly Weekly.

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This year saw a lot of us spending time in the kitchen, and the holidays are a perfect opportunity to get the kids involved. While celebratory circles will be much smaller, you can still make them special by giving kids a central role in the planning and cooking of the holiday meal. Your child’s age will dictate the complexity of the dishes you make, but in general, keep it simple. Prepare the main dish yourself—a prime rib or ham, for example—but let the kids choose and help make everything else, starting with appetizers. Pigs in a blanket, deviled eggs, a charcuterie board and a fruit plate are some of the items you can delegate to children of any age. If you have an aspiring Junior MasterChef, they can shine on the side dishes. Maybe this is the year your teen makes Joel Robuchon’s puree pomme, the silkiest, most indulgent mashed de pomme, potatoes on the planet, or Gordon Ramsay’s famous mushroom risotto. Both require a bit of technique and attention, but the results can be culinary showstoppers.

LV W C OV E R S T O R Y

Desserts are perhaps the most fun to make for kids, and you can remove some of the pressure by making them ahead of time. Homemade candies and ice creams can be made the week of, cookies a couple of days before and cakes and pies a day early. As for beverages, break out the cocktail glasses, and make this the year of the mocktail. Eggnog, punch and fruit spritzers can all be made kid-friendly. For an extra-special treat, make homemade marshmallows for late-night hot chocolates. And since most of us won’t be with extended family this year, coordinate with relatives to make a family recipe together. Meet up on Zoom as you cook and compare notes. It’s a way to be with our loved ones and share a meal during a year we won’t soon forget. –Genevie Durano

Sure, you could order some new shapes and sizes online, but why not try these at home? Salt Dough Ornaments. Got leftover flour from that short-lived attempt at pandemic bread baking? Use it to whip up some salt dough. The basic recipe, according to BBCGoodFood.com is 1 cup of flour, half a cup of salt and half a cup of water. Mix the dough, and shape as if making Christmas cookies (being sure to leave a hole at the top for a hook). Bake on the lowest setting for about three hours. You can paint and decorate when done. It’s a great project for kids of all ages.

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Drop-in Crafting. If the thought of handling scissors fills you with creative dread, it’s OK to get some outside help. Downtown Summerlin’s Corks ’n Crafts (corksncrafts.com) offers socially distanced drop-in crafting hours. The DIY bar has all the supplies you need to craft a variety of holiday treasures. Downtowners should check out Open Art Las Vegas (openartlasvegas.com) in the Arts Factory for virtual classes for kids and adults.

Create a 2020 keepsake. Buy some paint and blank wood for slice ornaments from the craft store. Paint a simple masked picture of Santa or a snowman. If you have no painting talent, no worries. The worse your ornament looks, the more it’ll remind you of this crazy year. Hopefully, in 2021, we’ll all be able to look back on these hand-painted keepsakes and laugh. –C. Moon Reed

(Shutterstock/Photo Illustration)

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Every year, my father-in-law sends a Christmas letter—a single-spaced, twopage missive of the year’s highlights, with inspirational quotes and uplifting anecdotes thrown in for good measure. It’s folksy and sweet and something my son and I look forward to reading, and it’s as much a part of our holiday celebration as decorating the tree. Sending greeting cards and letters is well and good, but 2020 has been anything but. So why not make this year’s dispatch reflect the times (or the best of it, at least)? And who better to help than your tech-savvy children? Start with TikTok. The platform has been a lifesaver for Gen Z during this pandemic. From dance challenges to K-pop activism, the app’s capacity to bring out children’s creativity is unlimited. This year, make a holiday greeting on the app, complete with a choreographed dance. Then send it to your relatives and make them laugh. YouTube is another playground for the young. Task your kids with compiling short video clips from everyone’s phones throughout the year, and have them edit them into a cohesive supercut, complete with title cards and a royalty-free soundtrack. An even quicker option? Have kids choose their favorite photos of the year and create a slideshow on their smartphone to send to relatives. For filter-savvy teens, let them create an Instagram-worthy mood board of sorts using personal photos and images from the internet as a way to look back on 2020. –Genevie Durano

My mother has dabbled in genealogy for most of her adult life. Not only has she researched our family’s origins, she’s volunteered at library and church facilities and helped others learn more about their own histories. When the internet gave rise to powerful subscription-based resources like Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org and made billions of records available with a few keystrokes, I thought it was cool that many more

people were making the kind of illuminating discoveries I had done through my mom’s record-keeping, realizing that just a few generations back my ancestors came to California and Oregon and Texas from Germany and Syria and Hawaii. My wife’s family uses other methods. There’s a big reunion in Iowa every year and a really big one every five years, and every time I’ve attended, the best-attended activity is the family tree draw-

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ing. Each family unit creates its own branch of parents and children, then sticks it to the wall with masking tape and tells the story of how they got here. It sounds corny, but I now know her cousins and uncles better than my own. The pandemic has taught us that to stay connected to your family, you just need to stay connected to your family, by any available means. Looking at pictures and telling stories is an easy start, and when you run out

of those, you can use your magical pocket computer to FaceTime your mom or sister or auntie and look at her pictures and listen to her stories. You might not be in the same room with them all for this year’s holiday celebration, but with a little planning and strategy, you can be surrounded by more family than ever before. And young people can become fascinated with building those branches. Now is the time. –Brock Radke

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Children love receiving gifts, but it’s never too early for them to begin learning about the importance of giving, especially to those who may be struggling. One excellent way to begin that process this year is by donating a Holiday Cheer Box to SafeNest—a local organization focused on helping victims of domestic abuse (safenest.org)—through a program launched by the Vegas Golden Knights and their significant others, led by Marc-André Fleury’s wife, Veronique, and Hayley Thompson, Mark Stone’s fiancée. The instructions: Decorate and fill a shoebox with $50 worth of items “that would make a woman going through difficult times feel special.” Suggested gifts include beauty products, socks, jewelry, perfume, toothbrushes and gift cards. Only new goods will be accepted. Boxes can be dropped off through December 16 at five locations: City National Arena in Downtown Summerlin, all three Valley Core Pilates locations (9775 W. Sunset Road #101; 2530 St. Rose Parkway #150; 6710 N. Hualapai Way) and Wildfl ower Collective salon (8975 W. Charleston Blvd. #190). Monetary donations to the program can also be made at gofundme.com/f/ the-holiday-cheer-box. Of course, there’s no shortage of other worthy nonprofits accepting donations during the holidays (and throughout the rest of the year), including but not limited to Boys & Girls Clubs (bgcsnv.org), Catholic Charities (catholiccharities.com), Goodwill (goodwill.vegas), Opportunity Village (opportunityvillage. org), Ronald McDonald House Charities (rmhlv.org), Salvation Army (salvationarmysouthern nevada.org), Shade Tree (the shadetree.org) and Three Square Food Bank (threesquare.org). –Spencer Patterson (Shutterstock/Photo Illustration)

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Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup granulated sugar 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 egg 1 cup butter, room temperature 3 tbsp. whipping cream 1 tsp. vanilla extract

These rich delights were a staple in my home growing up, and my mom never failed to make them around the holidays. These beautiful, snowy cookies are aptly named for the cracklelike formation they develop on top, and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll make your house smell equally delicious. Ingredients: 1/2 cup vegetable oil 4 oz. melted, unsweetened baking chocolate (cooled) 2 cups granulated sugar 2 tsp. vanilla 4 eggs 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Method: Mix the oil, melted (but cooled) chocolate, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix in one egg at a time. Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for three hours. Grease a cookie sheet and heat the oven to 350 degrees. With a teaspoon, drop pieces of the dough into a bowl of powdered sugar. Roll the dough into a ball and place on the cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, until the edges look firm. Enjoy! â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Leslie Ventura

Method (dough): In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. With a mixer, blend the room temperature butter, egg, whipping cream and vanilla with the dry ingredients. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for three hours. Method (cookies): In a separate bowl, combine 4 tbsp. flour and 2 tbsp. sugar. Cut a piece of dough the size of your fist, and pat it flat. Sprinkle with flour and sugar mixture. Flour a cutting board, and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to your preferred thickness, about 1/4 inch. Flour both sides of the dough. Using cookie cutters, cut the dough and lay them onto a baking sheet. Bake for 5-8 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove once the bottom of the cookies begin to turn a light golden brown. Let cookies cool. Decorate!

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It’s not a family holiday unless somebody—usually the youngest cousin—cries over a game of Monopoly. This year, let’s move beyond a glorification of crushing capitalism with these fun options.

■ Chess

■ Codenames

■ Dreidel

■ Pandemic

■ Puzzles

This ancient game is cool again, thanks to a boost by Netflix’s hit show The Queen’s Gambit. Accommodate younger players by buying a version called No Stress Chess.

More than 5 million copies of this wordassociation party game have been sold. Play involves two rival spymasters who give single-word clues to their secret agent. Fun ensues … unless you accidentally call up the assassin. Expansion packs and online versions are also available.

Traditionally played as part of Hanukkah celebrations, this four-sided spinning top game is fun for all ages. Play with pieces of chocolate, and win the whole pot if you’re lucky.

Too on the nose for 2020? Probably, but this cooperative board game allows you to do what humanity has yet to do: work together to save the world. Multiple expansion packs keep the viral fun raging.

The best way to have holiday fun—and possibly drive yourself crazy in the process—is to find a really difficult 1,000-piece holiday-themed puzzle and dump it all on the kitchen table. Leave it there until the dang thing is solved, you trash it in a fit of rage or the pandemic ends, whichever comes first. –C. Moon Reed

If you’ve had your fill of A Christmas Story, the assorted Grinches and, um, Die Hard, you’ll be happy to know that your streaming services are filled with (mostly) familyfriendly holiday classics you haven’t yet seen a thousand times—or at all. Netflix is all-in with holiday originals like the romantic comedy Holidate and the Kurt-Russell-as-Santa Christmas Chronicles movies, but we recommend the Dolly Parton-starring Christmas on the Square, because Parton is a heckin’ national treasure, that’s why. (As is her co-star, Christine Baranski, who plays a Scrooge-like character.) The stop-motion animated Christmas episode of Community is here—a gem. And if you want to get meta, watch The Holiday Movies That Made Us, a documentary series that goes behind the tinsel on The Nightmare Before Christmas and Elf.

Naturally, Disney+ has the holidays on lock, with its (surprisingly well-reviewed) Lego Star Wars Holiday Special; classics like Miracle on 34th Street and the aforementioned Nightmare Before Christmas; originals starring Jillian Bell (Godmothered) and Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader (Noelle); all the Tim Allen Santa Clauses; all the Home Alones; all the Simpsons holiday episodes (and all the others, too); The Muppet Christmas Carol; and—why not?—a three-hour yule log video inspired by Frozen. But we strongly recommend 2004’s Millions, directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later), in which a virtuous boy (a note-perfect Alex Etel) finds a bag of stolen money and tries to give it to the poor; the ensuing complications range from good-natured confusion to nail-biting suspense. Imagine Boyle’s Trainspotting, but for kids. It’s

an unsung classic. Other streaming services have their bright spots, as well. Prime Video offers the animated Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You; It’s a Wonderful Life, regular and (ugh) colorized; and dozens more holiday films of dubious quality. AppleTV+ has A Charlie Brown Christmas locked up (though it’s allowing PBS to show it once, on December 13). Hulu offers several Christmas Carols—FX’s dark retelling looks intriguing, though not kid-friendly—Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas and the hilarious 2015 comedy The Night Before, which definitely ain’t for kids. (It’s also one of too few movies—including Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights, only on Showtime—that nods to Hanukkah.) And HBO Max, bless it, has Die Hard. Yippee-ki-yay, Santa lovers! –Geoff Carter (Shutterstock/Photo Illustration)

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By now, many of you have surely heard of—if not been on the receiving end of—Halloween neighborhood boo’ing. Ever year in October, communities around the Valley participate in the cheery program, which directs residents to deliver goodies in secret to nearby homes, along with instructions on how each recipient can pay it forward. This year, more than ever, it only feels natural to do the same for the winter holidays, and it doesn’t take much to get it going: Simply put a few treats and/or toys in a gift bag, include a note explaining the concept and leave it on someone’s doorstep. If your neighbors also adopt the practice, great, but that’s a bonus. Mostly, it’s a way to begin teaching young children about the joy of anonymous giving, without expectations of anything in return. –Spencer Patterson

Mouse’s Tank at Valley of Fire (Corlene Byrd/Staff)

Feeling like getting away with the kids for the holidays? Travel isn’t recommended due to COVID-19, but there are plenty of nearby hikes available if you want to add some nature into your holiday plans. ■ Calico Tanks at Red Rock. The national conservation area now requires a reservation before you go, but that’s no reason to shy away from this beautiful canyon. The 2.2-mile (round trip) trek is rated moderate to difficult due to its undulating landscape, which requires a bit of bouldering and maneuvering. The payoff is the view of the city at the end, even more beautiful if you happen to go during snowfall. Dress warm and check the weather before you go, and as always, be sure to bring enough water, food and clothing for a two-hour trip or longer.

■ Mouse’s Tank at Valley of Fire. This relatively flat basin should be easy enough for the whole family, and you can see ancient petroglyphs along the gorgeous golden-red and orange route. The area gets its title from Southern Paiute native Little Mouse, who used the giant rock formations to hide after he was accused of shooting two prospectors. Bundle up and bring your camera.

■ Kyle Canyon Picnic Area at Mount Charleston. Other picnic areas, like Foxtail and Old Mill, will open once enough snow has fallen, but in the meantime, you can still enjoy family time in the Spring Mountains at this beautiful nature and picnic area, with views of the lush mountains and foliage. Check the weather report, and make sure to head back when there’s snow on the ground for a white Christmas with the kids. –Leslie Ventura

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Thanks to plot-driving appearances in three (!) memorable episodes of Dan Harmon’s cult favorite comedy series Community, this classic rainy-day activity has acquired modern cachet. It’s easy, and a perfect way to engage your kids on a quiet, pajama-clad holiday morning: Simply raid the linen closet, use chairs, sofas and broom handles for support beams, drape the sheets and blankets over them and build a structure that feels like “crawling through a hug.” (If you have an excess of pillows, you could try building a pure pillow fort, but that’s tougher to pull off; it’s the prog rock of soft enclosures. Best to go with a hybrid.) If you feel you’re too grown for this, just remember the words of Community’s Troy Barnes (played by Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino): “We could vault the ceiling; bump up the square footage. Make this a blanket fort for men.” –Geoff Carter

Penned by former Nevada Assemblywoman Patricia D. Cafferata, 2014’s Christmas in Nevada collects memories and traditional ways Nevadans have celebrated the holidays since 1858. Browse through the stories of notables, including Mark Twain, Robert Laxalt and more than one governor. With each of our state’s 17 counties represented, regular revelers are featured, too. Nearly 60 historic photos complete the collection. Proudly display this beauty on your coffee table during the holiday season to remember that home really does mean Nevada. –C. Moon Reed (Shutterstock/Photo Illustration)

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Meepleville (Steve Marcus/STaff)

YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS! Where to find gifts to blow— and expand—young minds BY GEOFF CARTER

Bike World Put your tykes on bikes. A Las Vegas fixture since 1969, Bike World maintains a sprawling inventory of bikes across its two Valley locations, from rugged BMX to hip Schwinn replicas. (If you’re the kind of parent who would get their kid a Schwinn Grey Ghost StingRay—with its glitter banana seat and ape-hanger handlebars, as seen on Stranger Things—our hats are off to you.) And if you’re not up to assembling that gift, the service techs will do it for a modest fee. 2320 E. Flamingo Road, 702-735-7551; 1901 S. Rainbow Blvd., 702-2541718; bikeworldlv.com.

Desert Art Supplies This past year has demonstrated two things with certainty: Kids in lockdown need to be kept busy, and there can never be enough art to keep our spirits lifted. Desert Art Supply offers gifts to solve both of those human equations. Give them Prismacolor markers and watercolor paints; give them modeling clay and Revell model kits; give them screen-printing supplies and calligraphy pens. Make more artists, in case we ever have to go through something like this again. 2003 E. Charleston Blvd., 702-3825404; 2750 N. Green Valley Parkway #D, 702-451-8040; desertartsupplies.com.

Kappa Toys It’s located in a mall (Fashion Show, upper level), but this locally owned toy shop bears little relation to the K-Bs and FAO Schwartzes of old. Kappa’s selection of toys, plushes, games, science toys, wind-ups, craft kits, Japanese items and the like skews to the unusual, the nostalgic; these are gifts that make you smile simply by picking them up. Here you’ll find everything from crystal-growing kits to Dragonball Z figures to Duncan Butterfly yo-yos, in sizes ranging from stocking-stuffer to showstopper. 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. S. #2470, 702-832-9504; kappatoys.com.

Meepleville This “board game café” stocks hundreds of thoughtful, offbeat and downright fun board games, of which the Catan, Dungeons & Dragons and Ticket to Ride series are just a small but significant part. How about the Exit series, escape room games you can play at home? New York Slice, a pizza-themed matching game? Or Confident?, a make-an-educated-guess party game that can played in person or over Zoom? Give something that will make these remaining lockdown days fly by. 4704 W. Sahara Ave., 702-444-4540; meepleville.com.

The Writer’s Block It goes without saying that this sharply curated Downtown bookstore has a vast selection of readers for all age groups—from picture books for toddlers to YA adventures for teens. But it also stocks other sorts of fuel for young, curious minds: games, picture blocks, jigsaw puzzles, blank books for aspiring artists and writers and fancy pens to fill them up. You can even give your kids an “adopted” bird from the shop’s artificial bird sanctuary. Every feathered friend has a rich backstory. 519 S. 6th St. #100, 702-5506399; thewritersblock.org.

SOCIAL DISTANCING. THE PAHRUMP WAY. Stay healthy and happy at one (or many) of Pahrump’s socially distant adventures, just 60 miles west of Las Vegas. Enjoy a private hot air balloon ride with panoramic views of the valley, embrace fresh air on a scenic hike, or explore local eats – courtesy of curb-side pickup options. Because following the rules doesn’t always have to be boring.

travelnevada.com

Explore the possibilities at VisitPahrump.com

60 Miles West of Las Vegas. 180 Degrees Different.

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BUYING AND SELLING

Thoughts from Very Vintage Vegas Realty’s Jack LeVine

HOW TO FLIP A HOUSE Local experts share their advice BY C. MOON REED

ike many of us, Las Vegan Jaymes Vaughan is inspired by TV shows about renovating houses. Unlike most of us, the host of Celebrity Page on ReelzChannel has direct access to home improvement celebrities. “I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that me hosting an entertainment news show and having people like Tarek El Moussa from HGTV on our show didn’t inspire me, because it 100% does,” Vaughan says. When the pandemic hit and the celebrity host (and former Chippendale and Amazing Race alum) found extra time on his hands, he decided to try house flipping. “Since I had the background in real estate, I was like, ‘Why not?’” And Vaughan already happened to own a flippable property. “I’ve learned how to do enough things along the way that I thought I could pull this off.” So Vaughan, also a licensed agent with Luxe Estates and Lifestyles, did his first flip and garnered multiple offers on the Las Vegas property within the first 12 hours. He expects to make “a pretty good profit on it.” “I feel like I did a good job, because I am an HGTV fanatic, and I’m also an Instagram interior fanatic as far as just looking at stuff and knowing what people like. So I kind of knew what the house needed.” He calls it a “light flip,” which might be considered the Holy Grail of house flipping. An inspection found no major structural, plumbing or electrical issues. So all he had to do was “give it all the stuff that makes somebody walk in and go, ‘Oh, this house looks really current and updated’ but isn’t going to break the bank.” Vaughan added new floors, light fixtures and molding as well as giving it fresh paint. “I was fortunate that once I got in there and started doing the work, there weren’t any big problems,” Vaughan says. “I was able to get it done and get it up, and now I’m hooked.”

SELLERS If you’re one of the lucky people who bought a home before prices skyrocketed, you’ve got options. Jack LeVine of Very Vintage Vegas Realty says that those lucky homeowners gained so much value, they’ll make a profit no matter how they sell. The fastest and easiest way to free yourself of the burden of ownership is by selling to a flipper or real estate investor. “It’s cash, it’s quick. There’s no appraisals, no inspections, no showings, no strangers in your house,” LeVine says. “But there’s a price to be paid for it. … They’re going to leave approximately 30 percent on the table to sell to somebody like that.” On the opposite end, LeVine says, sellers can make the highest return on their investment if they renovate a house themselves. Basically you’d be your own flipper and earn “top dollar.” Granted, professional flippers will be working with resources the traditional homeowner lacks. “Flippers have their own crews and their economies of scale, and they’re buying in bulk from multiple houses,” LeVine says. The middle ground, which will likely appeal to most homeowners, is to simply work with a real estate agent to sell your house the traditional way.

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BUYERS Whether you’re looking to buy a flipped house or looking to flip a house, prospective properties need to be inspected especially well, LeVine says. Make sure to watch out for electrical, plumbing, sewer, mechanical and foundation problems. LeVine warns buyers that some unscrupulous—or perhaps just unskilled—flippers improve the cosmetic aspects of the house without first fixing the basic infrastructure. LeVine found a nasty surprise in one flipped house that he recently inspected. “There was a $10,000 sewer job on the very nice-looking house that may even require cutting holes in the living room where all the new tile is down.”

Jaymes Vaughan’s home tips

■ Try to find those homes that only need “light flips.” ■ Don’t just research a house; also research the neighborhood. Try to find a place where demand is growing. ■ When budgeting for a flip, consider the price of the house and the price of the upgrades. Then review prices for comparable homes in the area. The difference is your potential profit. But remember, you could encounter hidden problems and lose big. Budget for the worst-case scenario and never plan to spend more than the house is worth. ■ Learn as much as you can about every step of the process. You can learn from hardware store workshops; by volunteering at Habitat for Humanity; observing (and even helping) your hired contractors; and through YouTube videos.

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

So you think you can flip?

Whatever you think about house flipping, one thing is certain: It looks easy on television. Even when things go wrong in TV land, it’s generally all solved by the next commercial break in an inspirational knock-down-a-wall montage. Perhaps it’s stating the obvious, but televised home renovations are not the same thing as real-life home renovations. We’re not saying “don’t try this at home,” but if you think you want to get into house flipping, ask yourself whether or not you have these resources: ■ Money to lose ■ Experience with remodeling or home improvement, like plumbing, painting, woodworking, HVAC, etc. ■ Understanding of design ■ Experience and/or connections in real estate Warning: If you encounter a home-flipping school that promises big profits or secret information if you just pay them lots of money, it’s probably a scam or, at best, a rip-off. Save that cash and put it toward your investing funds instead.

■ The more you can do yourself, the more profit you’ll make. ■ Don’t be afraid to try a new DIY project. Just keep a professional on standby in case you need help fixing what you broke. ■ Keep in mind that time is money. So if something takes you a very long time to do, it might be better to outsource that task. ■ Don’t personalize to your taste. Remember that this will be somebody else’s home. You want the house to appeal to as many people as possible. ■ If you’re daring, you can create one place in the house that’s a stylish focal point or “Instagram moment.” ■ Create relationships with folks in the business, from contractors to home inspectors to agents. “Make sure you vibe with them and enjoy their energy in this space that you’re creating that’s going to become someone’s home,” Vaughan says.

(Shutterstock/Photo Illustration)

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5-MINUTE EXPERT

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NOTABLE GAME CONSOLES

BY GEOFF CARTER

he Xbox Series X and Playstation 5 are now in stores, ready to bathe Christmas 2020 in pixels. Those systems, alongside the Nintendo Switch, represent the eighth generation of video game consoles—a legacy of technological innovation whose origins might be deeper than you know. People have been bringing gaming consoles home for the holidays since 1972, when the Magnavox Odyssey was released—a scant year after the introduction of the first coin-operated arcade game, Atari founder Nolan Bushnell’s Computer Space. Here’s a speed-run through the timeline of consoles, nearly leading up to the one you might be plugging in on Christmas morning. By necessity, it omits much, so if you want to learn more, read Van Burnham’s Supercade (MIT Press, 2003) or Jonathan Hennessey and Jack McGowan’s The Comic Book History of Video Games (Ten Speed Press, 2017).

(Shutterstock/Photo Illustration)

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G… CIN DU RO

Meet the ancestors of the video game consoles on your holiday gift list

Atari 2600 (1977) The Fairchild Channel F introduced cartridge-based gaming in November 1976, but this iconic console, released a year after, took the idea and sold 30 million units’ worth of it. An entire generation was introduced to home gaming via Space Invaders, Combat, Pitfall and more. Trivia: Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak helped create one of its games, Breakout.

“Easter eggs” Atari’s Adventure, 1978 (hidden text: “Created by Warren Robinett.” Also, the first game with multiple in-game usable items, the first with a “fog of war” effect and the first “open world” game)

INT

GAME TIME

Magnavox Odyssey (1972) Created by self-taught engineer Ralph Baer, the Odyssey had no internal processor or memory, relying largely on transistors to enable gameplay. The graphics were blackand-white; there was no sound. It was so unlike modern gaming consoles that an apples-to-apples comparison is impossible. However, the Odyssey 2, released in 1978, had an 8-bit processor and 64 bytes of internal RAM, while Sony’s recently released Playstation 5 possesses a whopping 10.28 teraflops of graphics-processing power and 16 gigabytes of internal RAM. Forget apples-to-apples; that’s gecko-to-Godzilla.

Color graphics Fairchild Channel F, 1976 Cartridge-based handheld gaming Milton Bradley’s Microvision, 1979 “Third-party” video game developers Activision, 1979 (comprising former Atari employees)

MEANWHILE, IN ARCADES America’s “Golden Age” of video arcades lasted from roughly 1978, when Taito’s Space Invaders debuted, through 1986, when the Nintendo Entertainment System went into wide release. In its heyday, it produced superstar titles like Atari’s Asteroids (1979), Namco’s Pac-Man (1980), Nintendo’s Donkey Kong (1981), Cinematronics’ Dragon’s Lair (1983), Sega’s OutRun (1986) and Capcom’s Street Fighter II (1991). Early on, most arcade titles were too graphics-heavy and complex to transfer to home consoles—the Atari 2600 versions of Pac-Man and Asteroids were tragic—and some later games, like Sega’s The House of the Dead (1996) and Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution (1998), are simply more fun to play in arcades, which is why local arcades like Player1 (2797 S. Maryland Parkway #24, 725-204-1399) and Game Nest (4525 W. Spring Mountain Road #112, 725-780-4426)—along with the Pinball Hall of Fame (1610 E. Tropicana Ave., 702-597-2627), which features an array of classic video games—still draw eager players by the truckload.

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Realistic sports gaming EA Sports’ John Madden Football, 1988 (PC version), 1990 (console version)

Internet connectivity Sega Dreamcast, 1998

PC GAMING Games designed for computer play preceded the era of dedicated gaming consoles attached to televisions—Stephen Russell and a group of MIT students created Spacewar! in 1962—and PC gaming was pretty much the home standard after the Atari 2600 crashed and burned in 1983, thanks to the popularity of the dirt-cheap Commodore 64 (which, by the way, made its debut at CES 1982 here in Las Vegas). There’s just too much PC gaming history to sum up in this limited space, but it can be said that its popularity has remained high even in an age of powerful gaming consoles, thanks to thoughtful puzzle games like Cyan’s Myst (1993), broad-appeal family games like Maxis’ The Sims (2000) and massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) like Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft (2004). Hardcore PC gamers invest heavily in their art, often building their machines from scratch.

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Nintendo Wii (2006) Aimed squarely at casual gamers, the Wii, with its family-friendly, party-ready titles and fun, gesture-based controllers, created a different market beyond the highstakes gaming war waged by Microsoft and Sony. It’s been Nintendo’s third-most commercially successful system to date, behind two handhelds, the Game Boy and the Nintendo DS (which, coincidentally, is the second-highest selling unit of all time, at 154 million units).

Online multiplayer gaming: Xbox Live, 2002

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Backward-compatibility (the ability to play old games on a new system) Atari 7800, 1986

0 9 Faux 3D background scrolling Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Mode 7), 1990

Player 1 (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

Arcade-quality graphics ColecoVision, 1982

Microsoft Xbox (2001) The first gaming console built nearly to PC specs—with a Pentium III processor, an integrated Ethernet port and a built in hard disk, which was used for game saves and downloaded titles— Microsoft’s chunky Xbox rose to prominence on the strength of the Halo series. (It’s also a favorite console of modders, who use it to run emulated games.) It announced Microsoft as a major player.

Vibrating controller feedback Nintendo 64 (RumblePak), 1997

Game discs TurboGrafx-CvD/ CD-ROM2, 1988

In-game tutorial levels Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. (World 1-1), 1985

Talking games Mattel Electronics’ Intellivision, 1980 (Intellivoice Voice Synthesis Module, introduced 1982)

Sony PlayStation (1994) Born from a failed collaboration with Nintendo, this CD-ROM-based Sony console—now known as the “PS1”—was a blockbuster, selling more than 102 million units worldwide thanks to its powerful specs and competitive pricing. The PS1 made Sony a gaming superpower overnight; its sequel, Playstation 2, would sell a mind-boggling 155 million units—making it, to date, the best-selling console of all time.

Sega Genesis (1988) Adapted from the circuit board Sega used in its arcade games, this fast, powerful console ratcheted up the intensity of home gaming with titles like Sonic the Hedgehog, Altered Beast and Mortal Kombat. The latter game, along with CD-ROM title Night Trap, motivated Sega to create the first rating system that would allow for the sale of games with material unsuitable for kids.

Nintendo Entertainment System (1985) Arriving a few years after the market for home gaming imploded—the result of market oversaturation and mediocre new games—the NES came on strong with titles like Super Mario Brothers, The Legend of Zelda, Tetris and others that still resonate today. Nearly 62 million consoles were sold worldwide; not even its successor, the 1990 Super Nintendo Entertainment System, sold quite as well, though it was a blockbuster, too.

5-MINUTE EXPERT

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BINGE THIS WEEK MUSIC

THE NAME’S TUBE. YOUTUBE. The 25th film in the James Bond franchise (and the last to feature Daniel Craig) drops in April. (Maybe.) But YouTube isn’t waiting on the British spy; the service is screening the first 19 Bond films in its “free to watch” section. Hurry, before Blofeld cuts the feed. bit.ly/33RKtdc

BOOK

MILEY CYRUS: PLASTIC HEARTS

GREENLIGHTS BY MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY

The best new song to have come from pop star Miley Cyrus isn’t on her new studio album, Plastic Hearts, but the singer’s cover of Hole’s “Doll Parts”—performed on The Howard Stern Show last week, is reason enough to give Cyrus’ seventh record a spin … or three. The 28-yearold’s raspy vocals and f*ck-you attitude are back on rock-tinged gems like “WTF Do I Know,” and the record features a handful of guest greats, including pop cohort Dua Lipa on “Prisoner” and ’80s icon Billy Idol on the synthy, disco-powered “Night Crawling.” Turn it up, and let a dance party ensue. –Leslie Ventura

Step into the cowboy boots of Academy Award-winning actor, bon vivant and native Texan Matthew McConaughey. With characteristic pluck, he tells his heroic life story, sprinkled with poems, bumper stickers, life advice and more. (The “greenlights” of the book’s title refers to McConaughey’s inspiring approach to living.) Spring for the audiobook, read by the author, with all the emotion, force and intonation you’d expect from an actor of his caliber. Texas Monthly says the narration “might just be the performance of his lifetime.” Greenlights.com. –C. Moon Reed

SONG EXPLODER Hrishikesh Hirway’s acclaimed podcast allowing— or sometimes, seemingly forcing—popular singers and musicians to take apart their songs and articulate their creative process became a spectacular Netflix series two months ago. The four emotional episodes feature Alicia Keys, R.E.M., Ty Dolla $ign and Lin-Manuel Miranda breaking down some of their most significant tracks, and you don’t have to be a writer or composer to get caught up in the artistic intimacy. Watching an embarrassed Michael Stipe listen to his original vocal demo for “Losing My Religion” might be a religious experience. Volume 2 arrives December 15 featuring Nine Inch Nails, Dua Lipa, Natalia Lafourcade and The Killers. Netflix. –Brock Radke

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THE CLASH, SANDINISTA Good news: Even though this epic triple album turns 40 this month, “The Magnificent Seven” and “Somebody Got Murdered” sound fresh as yesterday. Bad news: The injustices that the band hoped to illuminate with these songs still exist. Wish you were here, Joe Strummer.

Alicia Keys and host Hrishikesh Hirway in Song Exploder (Netflix/Courtesy)

OUR PICKS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

PODCAST

OPTIMAL LIVING DAILY The amount of content on the internet is overwhelming—vlogs, blogs and podcasts compete for our increasingly fractured attention. What if someone curated the best of the web and then read it to you in 10-minute segments, giving you a daily dose of inspiration and motivation? That’s exactly what Justin Malik of Optimal Living Daily does. He culls the best blogs on topics like personal development, minimalism, finance, health and business and reads them to you (with author permission). Consider the six topical podcasts under the Optimal Living umbrella the antidote to the infinite scroll—you might even walk away with a little more wisdom. Apple Podcasts. –Genevie Durano

MUSIC

GRANDADDY: THE SOPHTWARE SLUMP ..... ON A WOODEN PIANO Remember those haunting, old-timey Radiohead piano covers from the saloon scenes in Westworld Season 1? If you dug those, or better yet, if you sit in the shaded portion of the Venn diagram between that sonic treatment and classic indie rock, this one’s for you. Not that The Sophtware Slump ..... on a Wooden Piano is some covers project. It’s Grandaddy singer-songwriter Jason Lytle re-recording all of 2000’s beloved The Sophtware Slump in the most pandemic way possible: with most everything but the piano and his voice wiped away, as if he’s playing in an empty theater after the rest of humanity has vanished. The approach sounds entirely natural for the LP’s balladish songs (“He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s the Pilot,” “Jed’s Other Poem (Beautiful Ground)”) but it’s perhaps more interesting hearing rocked-out material like “Hewlett’s Daughter,” “Chartsengrafs” and especially “The Crystal Lake” in this fashion, with the spotlight on Lytle’s delicately powerful vocals and enduring melodies. –Spencer Patterson

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The Sahara has big plans for dining and entertainment BY BROCK RADKE

he new Las Vegas Boulevard Gateway Arches in front of the Strat have been building buzz and attracting Instagrammers and Vegas sightseers. And while one purpose of the 80-foottall illuminated structure—fabricated and installed by YESCO—might be to delineate between Clark County and the City of Las Vegas, the real winner is the North Strip. Because now, there’s another big, bright reason for tourists to cruise toward the intersection of Sahara Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard. Sahara Las Vegas will be installing something new out there next year. Continuing its $150 million transformation, the resort recently announced its plans for a restaurant row development that will stretch across the northwestern portion of the casino. The Beers & Bets eatery and sportsbook space—known as Umami Burger in the SLS days—and the Club 101 bar and lounge will be taken over by a variety of new restaurants, most notably the first West Coast location of Philadelphia-based sports bar Chickie’s & Pete’s. It will feature a climate-controlled outdoor space, designed so folks can watch and bet on sports while enjoying signature dishes like crab fries and lobster pie pizza. And while it hasn’t been decided exactly which new restaurant concepts might also

The Sahara (Steve Marcus/Staff/Photo Illustration); Magic Mike Live (Jerry Metellus/Courtesy)

have patio space, the Sahara will round out its restaurant row with original Chinese cuisine concept Noodle Den, an Italian spot and another eatery to be determined. “By bringing in popular, yet new-tomarket brands, as well as developing concepts that are unique to Sahara, we are creating a culinary experience unlike any other in Las Vegas that will hold wide appeal for culinary connoisseurs and casual foodies alike,” says Anthony Olheiser, vice president of food and beverage. The resort that first opened in 1952 returned to its original name in August 2019, after the Meruelo Group purchased the property in 2017 and began making significant changes to the casino and hotel. The new restaurants are expected to complement the acclaimed Bazaar Meat by José Andrés—the lone holdover from SLS era—but an even bigger step in establishing Sahara’s new identity is set to take place earlier in the spring, when Magic Mike Live opens on March 26. The male dance revue co-created by actor Channing Tatum and co-produced by Base Entertainment opened at the Hard Rock Hotel in 2017 and quickly became one of the most successful new Vegas shows of the past several years. Tickets went on sale last month for the updated version of the show in the brand-new, 450seat Magic Mike Theater at Sahara, which has a two-story bar that will become part of the performance and a separate lounge for pre- and post-show partying. The proven success of Magic Mike Live should give Sahara something it hasn’t had in at least a decade: a recognizable resident show with a reliable audience demographic. “That’s a big part of why we decided to go there,” says the show’s executive producer Vincent Marini. “One reason was the commitment and excitement and passion for the project that [the resort ownership] has for it and how they felt it would make sense with the Sahara brand. The fact that it will be the centerpiece of entertainment offerings there for years to come was important to us. And the Sahara is a bit more boutique, so they are willing to do a lot of exciting things that might be more challenging in larger casinos.”

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STRONG FEELINGS

NICK BATTON instagram.com/nickbatton linktr.ee/nickbatton

(Milena DiFiore/Courtesy)

Singer-songwriter Nick Batton takes on relationships—and his hometown—on Infatuation

BY LESLIE VENTURA

“H

ow many times have I gotten off work and gone out drinking at the bar and seen the sunrise?” 28-year-old Nick Batton asks rhetorically. “I’ve seen the sunrise so many times in this city.” There’s a starkness to Las Vegas that only those who’ve lived here can truly understand, and it’s an experience 28-year-old singer Nick Batton captures well on his debut EP, Infatuation. Batton grew up in Iowa but has lived in Las Vegas for nearly 16 years, and it’s the sobering essence of this desert town that resonates through each synth-laden track. Produced by Logan Lanning (GoldBoot), Batton harnesses the power of ’80s-soaked electronics to tell the story of a man searching for love in all the wrong places. “It’s just about all of my experiences in my relationships over the last three years,” Batton says, specifically the way initial feelings of love are often conflated with obsession. “This is what

infatuation feels like. That feeling of, ‘Oh, my God, who is this person? Why am I feeling like this? Why are these feelings so strong?’ And realizing when it doesn’t work out, one night turns into many nights of trying to feel this again with somebody else.” The pianist and vocalist received singing lessons at a young age and was a regular in both his high school’s theater troupe and choir. Even before his personal experiences jump-started his writing process, Batton wanted to be a pop singer. “I always knew that I wanted to write my own music, but I didn’t really have anything to write about at that time,” he says. “The more I started playing and learning chords, I just started doing covers and was like, ‘I can do this now.’” On one hand sweet and poppy, Infatuation is also dark and raw, a duality shared by Las Vegas itself. “I wanted those harsh beats and that moment of slowness, where it feels like you’re on the Strip coming

down and you see the lights and that ethereal moment of serenity,” Batton says. “There’s this weird thing in Vegas; everything is temporary for people. People get into these relationships because it’s what they’re feeling in the moment, but nobody follows through.” And while certain song titles may feel a bit on the nose, Batton helps them transcend, comparing late-night dalliances to the addictive qualities of street drugs like ketamine and ecstasy. “Maybe it’s all a lie/Maybe it’s just the high/Lovin’ you feels like cocaine,” on “Cocaine.” Batton likely won’t be able to perform these songs anytime soon, but he’s been working on visuals and additional music for when he can finally take the stage for the first time. “I was in nightlife for a long time—well, what happens when it all comes down?” Batton says. In his case, Infatuation is what happens. “I made this in a bedroom,” he says, “and I’m just putting it out there.”

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BRIGHT LIGHTS, QUIMM CITY Burlesque duo Darby Fox and Charlie Quinn Starling debut their own production company

Charlie Quinn Starling (left) and Darby Fox (Chey Salts of Dragon Dreams Photography at Photo Bang Bang/Courtesy)

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BY C. MOON REED

QUIMM CITY PRODUCTIONS Patreon.com/quimmcity, memberships $5-$20 per month.

ant to keep your search history pristine? Don’t Google the word “quimm.” We’ll save you the click-through: It’s old-timey slang for certain female anatomy. In Victorian England, it was a vulgar insult; in modern-day United States, it’s too obscure for notice. But Las Vegas burlesque artists Darby Fox and Charlie Quinn Starling are reclaiming the term. “Quimms for us, beyond the literal, are femmes by birth or identification who don’t follow the rules of the patriarchy,” Starling says. The idea for Quimm City Productions was born last December, when Starling was performing at the Savannah Burlesque Festival in Georgia. She bought two queenly Tudor-style gowns on clearance from a local costume shop with a plan to develop a historical act with Fox as the Boleyn Sisters. “We decided that we would rather build a company together,” Starling says. “We’re both pretty nerdy. We both really enjoy sci fi and fantasy — and history, in particular. There is definitely a gap in the market for that kind of cerebral sluttery here in town.” The two women offer a powerful combination of assets, both physical and mental. In addition to being a performer and stage manager, Fox works as a curator and archivist for the Burlesque Hall of Fame Museum. Equipped with a master’s in history from UNLV, Fox jokes that she’s a “ecdysiologist,” a fancy way to say a person who studies strippers. Starling sings and dances in Absinthe, runs an Only Fans page and, during non-COVID times, dances at Spearmint Rhino. Both make costumes. Together, they’ve equipped Quimm City with three main objectives. The first is live performance, with “shows curated to celebrate femmes of all shapes, sizes, colors and walks of life,” according to their Patreon website. “Las Vegas is pretty much the only major city in the U.S. that doesn’t have burlesque and other types of atmospheric entertainment in venues,” Starling says. “It’s just mind-boggling to me. That is something that we definitely want to

change … once the plague passes.” For the time being, the planned themed, immersive live shows have been limited, and digital content has predominated. They did manage to put on a socially distanced Halloween show at Baobab Stage. To give an example of their private events, Starling performed a fan dance as an owl for a Harry Potter-themed wedding party. Right now the women are recuperating from COVID-19, but as soon as it’s safe, they plan to create some digital-exclusive performances. The second aspect of Quimm City is the soonto-debut Quimm History Podcast. It will be available first for Quimm City Patreon members and then will open up to all the usual podcast venues. Each episode will spotlight a different “badly behaved femme” from history. Their goal, according to Fox, is to “lean into telling stories that have not been told, either because of whorephobia or misogyny or racism or all of these ‘isms’ that severely limit the narratives that exist today.” They hope to “reclaim” history and give voice to those who have been silenced or ignored. “I think femmes on the naughty side of the scale have done a lot more shaping of history than they’re given credit for,” Starling says. The third prong is a livestream/podcast called The Whorror Show, in which Fox and Starling watch and discuss horror films in their skivvies. Anyone can listen to the audio, but the visuals are limited to subscribers. One of the core values of Quimm City Productions is to make sure that performers and creatives get paid, hence the use of a paid Patreon. “Properly compensating people in this field is something that’s very important to us,” Fox says. “The overwhelming talent that is here deserves to be paid properly,” Starling adds, “because another trend in Las Vegas is that gig workers get paid less than most other cities in the U.S.” Even though the founders are two white women, Starling and Fox say they value diversity and plan to spotlight performers of all types. “It is incredibly important to us not only to showcase the talent that exists outside of that skinny white box, but also to cater to audience members who want that, because they exist, too,” Starling says.

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Egg rolls, matzoh ball soup, latkes, fried rice, orange chicken, chicken schnitzel and cashew chicken at Burnt Offerings (Chris DeVargas/Staff)

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LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE Valley restaurants celebrate Hanukkah with special menus BY GENEVIE DURANO This year, Hanukkah starts at sundown on December 10 and runs through December 18. The Jewish celebration centers on the lighting of the menorah, and food plays a big role, too. Check out these Valley restaurants offering special menus to commemorate the holiday. Honey Salt The farm-to-table favorite has a special menu for dine-in (with limited seating and reservations required) or takeout. Start with matzo ball soup and a crispy potato latke, and choose either a slowbraised brisket or roasted Red Bird organic chicken for a main. Then finish off on a sweet note with raspberry-filled doughnuts. Served a la carte, with a family package for four ($180-$195) also available. 1031 S. Rampart Blvd., 702-4456100, honeysalt.com. Rooster Boy Cafe Sonia El-Nawal’s Desert Shores café also has traditional latkes and matzo ball soup, along with homemade gravlax, a caviar dip with homemade potato chips and a cucumber dill salad. There’s brisket, chicken and salmon for main courses, and for dessert, it’s hard to pick between rugelach, chocolate babka, noodle kugel, challah bread and sufganiyot. Good thing you have eight days to try them all. 2620 Regatta Drive #113, 702-5602453, roosterboycafe.com

Siegel’s 1941 If you happen to be Downtown, stop by El Cortez for a three-course Hanukkah meal at Siegel’s 1941. For appetizers, choose chopped chicken liver, matzo ball soup or a tossed green salad. Entrees are straightforward enough: brisket/beef or a roasted apricot chicken, served with potato latkes, kasha and bowties, and steamed broccoli. Dessert is sweet and simple, either a sweet raising kugel or ice cream. With a player’s card, the meal’s a steal for $20. 600 Fremont St., 702-385-5200, elcortezhotelcasino.com

Burnt Offerings Last year, Hanukkah fell on Christmas, and since it’s common for Jewish people to go out for Chinese food on Christmas, Burnt Offerings offered an Asian-influenced menu. It proved to be so popular that the restaurant, which specializes in New Yiddish cuisine, is bringing back its “Chinakah” menu this year, featuring dishes like beef and broccoli and chow mein. 3909 W. Sahara Ave. #10, 702- 848-2876, burntofferingslv.com.

Freed’s Bakery Cut to the chase and go straight for the sweets. Freed’s Bakery has Hanukkah items to satisfy your sweet tooth all eight nights. If the chocolate babka speaks to you, order ahead of time, but otherwise, stop by several locations for little treats like coconut macaroons, rugelach, matzo brittle and cinnamon walnut delco. You’ll also find challah in four flavors—plain, raisin, sesame seed and poppy seed, and a sweet Hanukkah House sure to delight the kids. Multiple locations, freedsbakery.com.

The Stirling Club Those lucky enough to be members of the city club, which welcomed new executive chef Dan Rossi in May, can enjoy such Hanukkah specials as challah bread, matzo ball soup, latkes, citrus-glazed Skuna Bay salmon, roasted Jidori chicken breast and red wine-braised brisket. And if you haven’t been in a while, now’s a good time to revisit the Stirling Club, which unveiled a complete renovation in 2019. 2827 Paradise Road, 702-7329700, thestirlingclub.com. Matzo Brittle from Freed’s Bakery (Courtesy)

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NEW IN VEGAS

KOSHER CHINGLISH & CHINGLISH CANTONESE WINE BAR 8704 W. Charleston Blvd. #101, 702-935-2088. Sunday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.3 p.m. & 4-9 p.m.; Friday, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Chinglish brings kosher Chinese food to Boca Park

An array of delicacies at Kosher Chinglish (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

BY BROCK RADKE

osher Chinglish and Chinglish Cantonese Wine Bar are separate but connected entities bringing unique and authentic flavors to Boca Park and the Las Vegas Valley at large. Kosher Chinglish opened in time for Rosh Hashanah in September, with the wine bar restaurant and its spacious patio making its debut on October 10. The dual concepts are anchored in the cooking of Bay Area transplants Po Fai and Anna Lam, and were inspired by the ritual of sitting shiva, according to Po Fai and Anna’s daughter, Kitty Heck. “My husband, [Ken,] is Jewish, and when his mother passed away, he was observing the traditional sitting shiva mourning period of 10 days where friends and family come over to care for him,” she says. “It becomes sort of like an open house, where your loved ones send food or come

cook for you. Even though I was born in a household of great chefs, I don’t know how to cook at all, so my mom and dad flew down here and lived with us for a while and I showed them how to look for kosher food at the store.” At the time, the Lams were operating three restaurants around San Francisco; the family originated in Hong Kong, and Po Fai is an acclaimed chef who has worked in restaurants in Canada, Japan, the Philippines and China. “Word got around that there was true Chinese kosher food at the house and by the last night of the shiva, when usually the numbers are dropping, there were 93 people eating and praying together,” Kitty says. “That’s basically how the restaurant was born. Since then, every time we go to synagogue, everyone is asking when my parents are coming here

to open a restaurant, since we don’t have kosher Chinese food here.” So the Lams relocated to Las Vegas, just a few freeway exits away from the Hecks, and Kosher Chinglish became the only kosher Chinese restaurant in the state. The Kosher dining room has a normal indoor capacity of 30 and is designed as a fast-casual, graband-go eatery, while the wine bar restaurant normally seats 119 indoors and 111 outdoors. Both Chinglish menus feature food made fresh from scratch, with homemade sauces containing no added sugar, rare for neighborhood Chinese restaurants. At Kosher, the stir-fried beef with green beans ($20), deep-fried lemon chicken ($18) and Poh Poh’s chicken dumplings ($12) are top sellers, while the inhouse dry-aged Peking duck ($32-$55) has emerged as the early star at the wine bar.

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CULTURE TRIP Downtown’s Hamsa Brand adds spicy flavors to your kitchen BY C. MOON REED

cross Middle Eastern cultures, the hamsa—a stylized hand amulet—represents protection, blessings and good luck. So when Las Vegas married couple Michael Vakneen and Joanna Bensimon decided to start a food company representing their North African heritage, the happy symbol was a natural choice for the name. Thus the Hamsa Brand was born with dual citizenship: a Downtown Las Vegas home base and a global soul. Its stated mission: to “share an exotic pantry of kitchen staples embodying centuries of culture sweeping North Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean regions.” No small task. Their first step on such a grand culinary journey is the debut of a squeezable harissa hot sauce

and marinade ($12). The small-batch sauce is made by fermenting a blend of dried chili peppers, red jalapeño, garlic and spices to create a “smoky heat.” The fermentation process also means it contains healthy probiotics. Vakneen, who also created Pop Up Pizza at the Plaza, says preparing harissa sauce is generally a labor-intensive process that involves mixing a paste from a metal tube with cold water, olive oil and spices. The innovation of selling it ready-to-eat was Bensimon’s idea. “We wanted to take really all of that labor out of it,” Vakneen says, “and [provide] a product that is much more versatile.” He says the sauce can be used for braising meat, in soup, when grilling fish or even as a condiment. Next up, the two plan to make a spicier version of the harissa, followed by a green sauce called a chermoula. They also look forward to curating handcrafted spice blends. For their olive oils, they plan to source from a fourth-generation olive grower near Marrakech. “[It] will give us the opportunity to show [Americans] that the North African olive oils are actually as good as any European olive oil,” Vakneen says. The company is now looking for a building Downtown, where it will manufacture its products. Vakneen says he loves the Downtown culinary community and would product-test his sauces with all of his local chef friends. The feeling’s mutual, with Chef Sheridan Su of Every Grain calling the harissa “complex with a great flavor profile—balanced with smoke and spice.” Thehamsabrand.com.

(Wade Vandervort/Staff/ Photo Illustration)

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PLAYOFF PATH

A five-step plan for the Raiders to punch a postseason ticket in their final four regular-season games BY CASE KEEFER

oing into Week 13 against the winless New York Jets, Raiders coach Jon Gruden bristled at the notion that his team would overlook a matchup against anyone in the NFL. “The Raiders are starving for wins,” Gruden said. “We haven’t been in the postseason in, I don’t know when—a long time.” Gruden has a way of exaggerating and must actually know the organization last reached the playoffs in 2016, two years before he arrived for his second stint on the sidelines. He’s also almost surely aware that the Raiders’ last playoff win came in 2002, the year he beat them in the Super Bowl after the coach was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But there’s one thing he’s not fooling about: The franchise is desperate to get into the playoffs in its first year in Las Vegas. The Raiders have been building toward this moment for three seasons, and anything less than a postseason berth would be considered a failure internally. With a 7-5 record after a miracle win on a completed Hail Mary to Henry Ruggs III in the final seconds at New York, Las Vegas sits in position to make it with four games to go. The Raiders are technically outside the playoff picture at the moment, but two of their next three games are at home against a pair of teams one win in front of them—Indianapolis in Week 14 and Miami in Week 16. Win these last four games, or likely even take three out of four, and Las Vegas will get in. Here are five things the Raiders must do to make sure that happens.

Get Josh Jacobs healthy. Gruden said the Raiders’ go-to running back was on track to return from a sprained ankle all week going into the Jets game. Then, in a surprise announcement Friday, he said Jacobs wouldn’t make the trip to New York. Maybe Jacobs really was too hobbled to play, or maybe the Raiders decided it would be better to nurse him back to 100% for the stretch run. Fans have to be hoping it’s the latter. Las Vegas hasn’t run the ball particularly well all year, but it has looked lost without Jacobs. Devontae Booker, Jalen Richard and Theo Riddick are all nice complementary backs, but they seem unable to carry the load on their own. Without Jacobs, Las Vegas gained just 79 yards on 21 carries against New York. That’s not good enough for an offense built around getting a big contribution from the running game.

Focus on Darren Waller, Nelson Agholor and Hunter Renfrow as receiving options. That might sound counterintuitive after Ruggs made the game-winning catch—and possibly the team’s top season-long highlight—to beat the Jets. But that reception was the anomaly, not the norm; he caused two giveaways earlier in the game and has largely struggled throughout the year. The rookie Ruggs remains a tantalizing long-term prospect, but at the moment, there’s no reason why he should be getting more snaps than Agholor, who offers similar speed and big-play ability, and has been more reliable all season. Renfrow has also earned a bigger share of the workload. By Pro Football Focus’ grading, he’s been the Raiders’ best offensive player, and it often seems like they could make more frequent use of his textbook route running. There’s at least been no underutilizing Waller, who had a historic day with 13 receptions for 200 yards and two touchdowns against the Jets. Las Vegas prides itself on balance in the passing game, but with the season on the line, it might be best to hone in on getting its best players the ball.

Pick up the pass rush. With three sacks of Jets quarterback Sam Darnold, the Raiders had their best pass-rushing game of the year in Week 13. That’s an encouraging sign, but there’s still work to be done. This was the Jets, after all, and even after the big day, the Raiders still rank last in the NFL with a 2.77% sack rate. The good news? The coaching staff knows it’s a problem and is doing everything possible to address it. The Raiders signed two reclamation edge-rushing projects, former Falcons Vic Beasley and Takkarist McKinley, to the practice squad two weeks ago. Beasley was already elevated to the active roster and debuted against the Jets with promising results. He didn’t have any tackles, but he helped draw attention from Clelin Ferrell, who broke out with two strip-sacks. Ferrell said Beasley was directly responsible for one of the two turnovers after he suggested a pass-rushing stunt that worked to perfection.

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Left to right: Josh Jacobs, Cory Littleton, Coach Jon Gruden (AP/Photo Illustration)

Raider Henry Ruggs catches the game-winning touchdown against the Jets, December 6 in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP/Photo Illustration)

RAIDERS’ REMAINING SCHEDULE Week 14: vs. Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, December 13, 1 p.m. Week 15: vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Thursday, December 17, 5:20 p.m. Week 16: vs. Miami Dolphins, Saturday, December 26, 5:15 p.m. Week 17: at Denver Broncos, Sunday, January 3, 1:25 p.m.

Get Cory Littleton on track.

Be aggressive.

The Raiders’ linebacker has looked a little better in the past two games since returning from a bout with COVID-19, but the team still needs more out of him. Las Vegas signed Littleton to a massive three-year, $35 million free agency deal with sights on him becoming the team’s defensive star. It hasn’t worked out that way. Littleton leads the league with 15 missed tackles, while the Raiders have continued to struggle against running backs both from a rushing and passing perspective. Given personnel shortcomings, it’s unavoidable that the Raiders will take their lumps up front and on the back end of their defense. The middle is where they should be strong, and the quickest way to shore that up would be getting Littleton back to the form that saw him rate as Pro Football Focus’ top-graded tackler in the NFL a year ago with the Los Angeles Rams.

Facing a fourth-and-7 from the Jets’ 40yard line in Week 13, Gruden made the curious choice to punt. The Surrender Index, a statistical model that calculates every NFL punt’s effect on win probability, rated the decision in the 98th percentile of poorest punting decisions dating back to 2009. The worst part: It wasn’t that out of the ordinary for the Raiders. Gruden has skewed heavily conservative from a strategic standpoint all season. Las Vegas has one of the best offenses in the league, and the coaching staff must learn to trust it more. In fairness, Gruden has made up for those blunders in other areas. It’s harder to quantify, but he’s been one of the best play callers in the NFL— seemingly always dialing up the right attack at the right time. He talks about his players getting better in every area, though, so it’s only fair that his players should expect the same out of him.

■ LAST WEEK: RAIDERS 31, JETS 28 The Raiders escaped the disgrace of becoming the first team to lose to the Jets, when Derek Carr completed a 46-yard touchdown pass with five seconds remaining. A loss would have all but killed Las Vegas’ playoff chances. The game was still one of the Raiders’ lesser performances of the year, but good teams find a way to win when they aren’t playing well, and it should be easier to turn things around going into a three-game homestand.

RAIDERS

Report

THIS WEEK: COLTS (8-4) AT RAIDERS (7-5) When: Sunday, December 13, 1 p.m. Where: Allegiant Stadium TV: CBS (channel 8) Radio: 920-AM, KOMP-92.3 Betting line: Colts -3, over/under: 51.5 Opponent: The Colts will be fighting for a chance to win the AFC South, where they’re tied with the Tennessee Titans. Indy’s offense, led by 17-year veteran quarterback Philip Rivers, has been steady, but the defense has often been spectacular. The Colts are seventh in the league in defense, per Football Outsiders’ DVOA, and that includes a regrettable performance in a 4526 loss to the Titans two weeks ago. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who missed that game, has since returned from the COVID-19 list. The Colts held the Texans scoreless in the second half of a 26-20 victory last week. Injuries: Las Vegas could get a big boost if running back Josh Jacobs (ankle) and right tackle Trent Brown (COVID-19) return, as hoped. Defensive tackle Maliek Collins is on short-term injured reserve with an unspecific injury. The secondary is where the Raiders are really hurting. Safety Johnathan Abram missed the Jets game with a knee injury, and cornerback Damon Arnette left early and entered the league’s concussion protocol for a second straight week. –Case Keefer

VEGAS INC BUSINESS

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Coronavirus sharpens group’s mission to get air-purifying device into market

BY BRYAN HORWATH

ell before COVID-19 became a household term, Xavier Morgan-Lange, Devon Scheg and Daniel Werth started formulating plans for an air-purification device. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit, sending the idea into overdrive. “We knew we wanted to do this in January of 2019,” said Morgan-Lange, a UNLV graduate. “When the coronavirus came around, that lit a fire under our butts to get it going and get it to market as soon as possible.” Using a process discovered decades ago—photocatalysis, which converts solar energy into chemical energy—their product is designed to destroy airborne pathogens. Similar portable products that employ photocatalysis are already on the market, but Morgan-Lange, Scheg and Werth believe they can make a better, more permanent product for large commercial venues. Their company, Promethium Limited, was awarded $250,000 as part of a nearly $1 million UNLV Lee Business School contest intended to help entrepreneurs find ways to help hospitality and entertainment businesses recover from the economic crisis brought on by the pandemic. The contest attracted 250 applicants from 30 states and nine countries, with eight winners combining to collect $975,000 to help get their ideas to market. “We’re first and foremost looking at helping businesses open and helping our economy get back on track,” Morgan-Lange said. “In Las Vegas, we’d be looking at furnishing our product for large venues like casinos, stadiums, hotels, live entertainment venues, you name it.” And it’s not only airborne viruses like COVID-19 that lurk in the air we breathe, Morgan-Lange said. “Capturing and destroying something like the coronavirus is part of this, clearly a big part right now,” he said.

“But it definitely goes beyond that. Right now, indoor air is anywhere from three to five times more polluted than outdoor air. If you take a place where smoking is permitted, like a casino, that adds to the pollution.” Other types of filters on the market— including high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and activated carbon filters—combat COVID-19 and other pathogens, but one of the issues with those is that they need to be changed periodically. When a person changes the filter, it can disturb pathogens, potentially allowing them to get into the air supply. “Those types of filters are very effective at capturing COVID,” Morgan-Lange said. “With our product, we’re using the energy provided by light, as opposed to

a powered chemical reaction. We’re destroying, we’re not capturing.” Promethium Limited is working with researchers at Purdue University to design a final prototype that would be applicable for resorts or even Allegiant Stadium. Esther’s Kitchen owner James Trees knows how important it will be to make customers feel at ease going forward. He recently purchased an ultraviolet light-enhanced air purification system for his restaurant. “We want to do everything we can to make sure our guests and employees are as safe as possible,” Trees said. “You can drink water out of the tap, but if you have a purifier, it might taste a little better and might be a little healthier. We’ve taken the same approach for the air in the restaurant.” The brainchild of Greg and Ernest Lee—trustees of the Ted and Doris Lee Family Foundation—and officials at the Lee Business School’s Troesh Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the Lee Prize contest targeted ideas that can come to market in 2021. Winners of the contest were chosen by a committee that included Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis, Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley and MGM Resorts International CEO Bill Hornbuckle. That trio controls or helps operate some of Las Vegas’ most recognizable buildings, including Allegiant Stadium, T-Mobile Arena, MGM Grand and the Bellagio. Those are the types of venues that—Morgan-Lange, Scheg and Werth hope—could eventually house a Promethium system.

The Promethium Limited team: (from left) Chief Operating Officer Daniel Werth, Chief Technology Officer Devon Scheg and CEO Xavier Morgan-Lange (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

VEGAS INC BUSINESS

VegasInc Notes The Commercial Alliance Las Vegas announced its newly elected officers and directors for Latch 2021, with Petra Latch becoming president of the commercial real estate organization starting January 1. Scarcelli Latch, a member of the Appraisal Institute, is executive director of valuation and advisory at Cushman & Atterbom Wakefield. Other newly elected board members include: president-elect Angelina ScarcelDrown li, CCIM, CPM, senior portfolio manager of Colliers International in Las Vegas; treasurer BridLevy get Atterbom, CNE, a commercial broker at Keller Williams Commercial; director Wes Drown, CCIM, of Re/Max Advantage in Henderson; and director Andrew Levy, CCIM, ARM, of ERA Brokers Consolidated. HealtHIE Nevada announced 2020 board of directors additions, with Chris Bosse reelected as board chair and serving on the financial committee; Bill War elected as vice chair; Larry Preston as treasurer; Geoffrey Duke and Peter Russo serving on the financial committee; and Jim Willis serving on the board.

CBRE welcomed three new brokers to its Las Vegas office. Roy Fritz, Michael Hsu and Dylan Heroy come Fritz as a team focused on commercial property investment sales, specifically within the retail sector. Fritz and Hsu Hsu join CBRE as first vice presidents and Heroy joins as an associate. All three were previously with Sun Commercial Heroy Real Estate Inc. Overton Power District #5 board trustee Jack Nelson fulfilled the requirements to earn the National Ru- Nelson ral Electric Association Director Gold Certificate and lapel pin. This certification demonstrates to customers and other stakeholders a director’s commitment to advancing their knowledge and performing their fiduciary duty to the best of their ability. McCarthy Building Companies Inc. promoted Travis Nestor to southwest regional safety director. Nestor Nestor will oversee regional and companywide safety initiatives as he continues to provide service in training, communication, case management, policy and procedure improvements, and promotes McCarthy’s safety culture at operations

in Arizona, Colorado and Nevada. Kelly McGough joined JWMarriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa and Rampart Casino as the vice McGough president of revenue strategy. Most recently, McGough worked as the director of revenue management at JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa, and brings extensive experience as a leader with Marriott International and franchise resorts in Revenue Management, Sales and Operations. Jennifer Carleton is sharing her experience in gaming and Native American/Indian Gaming Law as an adjunct pro- Carleton fessor at UNLV Boyd School of Law. Carleton is teaching the online course “Special Topics: Indian Gaming Law.” She has spent her entire legal career in gaming, first as inhouse counsel for an Indian tribe and now as an adviser to gaming companies around the world. Prior to joining Howard & Howard, she was senior staff attorney for the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin. Michael Stuart joined Newmark’s Las Vegas office as executive managing director. With nearly 30 years of Stuart experience, Stuart specializes in all aspects of land assemblage and sales throughout the Southern Nevada region with a focus on industrial, hospitality, retail and residential land. Gayle Novak, CEO, and her company, Enhance Your Home, received several industry awards from the International Association of

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Home Staging Professionals, including The Trifecta Award: Excellence in Home Staging, Customer Care and Leadership awarded to Novak and the Rising Star Award: Second Place (Best New Stager) awarded to Raquel Lopez. Enhance Your Home also received the Best Occupied Property Staging Award for a Luxury Priced Property. Tony Humphrey is the new vice president of mortgage lending at One Nevada Credit Union. He will oversee Humphrey the credit union’s mortgage lending activities, direct all facets of the mortgage life cycle and implement new technology solutions. Humphrey has been an executive in the banking industry for nearly 25 years. The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers announced that the late Bob McMoMcMonigle nigle was selected as the recipient of the 2020 Jens Halle Memorial Award honoring excellence in commer- Orrick cial gaming professionalism, and David Orrick was selected as the recipient of the 2020 Peter Mead Memorial Award honoring excellence in gaming media and communications. Hearts Alive Village animal rescue hired Dr. Shadi Ireifej as the chief medical officer. Ireifej will be responsible for overseeing all veterinary decisions at the rescue’s new full-service veterinary clinic. Desert Radiology was named the official imaging partner for the Henderson Silver Knights and Las Vegas Raiders. It will provide diagnostic imaging services to the teams’ players and will work directly with the teams’ physicians. Desert Radiology’s team will provide onsite imaging services during home games and support the teams with outpatient diagnostics.

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