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

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SPIKE IN COVID-19 CASES EXPECTED FROM NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATIONS People who poured onto the Las Vegas Strip or attended other gatherings on New Year’s Eve should act as if they contracted COVID-19, according to state officials. “It was a risk to go out and gather on New Year’s Eve—the governor made it clear,” state COVID-19 Response Director Caleb Cage said January 4. “Again, if you were out in crowds, you should assume you were exposed to COVID-19.” Cage referred to public health guidelines, suggesting testing between five and seven days of potential exposure. He said it was possible that Nevada could see an increase in testing after a slowdown around the holiday, as it has with other holiday and weekend stretches. As of January 4, Nevada had recorded 233,032 cumulative COVID-19 cases, with a two-week rolling average of 1,680 new cases per day and a current test positivity rate of 20%. Hospitals statewide had 1,879 COVID-19 patients as of January 3; 1,538 of those were in Clark County, where hospitals were at 89% capacity with patients of all kinds. Southern Nevada hospitalizations have been variable, but “Northern Nevada is experiencing a recent downward trajectory,” the Nevada Hospital Association said in its daily report. “It is still too early to refer to this as a trend. Emergency managers should be cautioned that this could be [an] artifact of holiday reporting and subject to curation, and/or this may be short-lived as resurgence is a possibility following significant social mixing during the holiday season.” –Hillary Davis

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

Supporters of President Donald Trump climb the west wall of the U.S. Capitol on January 6 in Washington, D.C. At press time, the Associated Press had reported 13 arrests and one death in the incident. (Jose Luis Magana/Associated Press)

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IN THIS ISSUE

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Cover story: Five reasons to feel optimistic about 2021 The Strip: What's new on the Boulevard? Scene: Talking shop with artist Krystal Ramirez Sports: Bold 2021 Vegas sports predictions Vegas Inc: The pandemic's plastic surgery boom

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

STORIES FROM THE PAST WEEK DEMOCRATS TAKE CONTROL OF SENATE Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock won both Georgia Senate seats—and with them, the U.S. Senate majority—as final votes were counted January 6, serving President Donald Trump a stunning defeat in his last days in office while dramatically improving the fate of President-elect Joe Biden’s progressive agenda.

Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby blocks a 70-yard field goal attempt by the Broncos' Brandon McManus during the teams' January 3 game in Denver. Crosby also blocked a 63-yard attempt to preserve Las Vegas' 32-31 win, as the Raiders finished their first season in Nevada with an 8-8 record. (Jack Dempsey/Associated Press)

PELOSI REELECTED Nancy Pelosi was narrowly reelected January 3 as speaker of the House, giving her the reins of the Democrats’ slim majority as President-elect Joe Biden sets a challenging course of producing legislation to tackle the pandemic, revive the economy and address other party priorities. Pelosi received 216 votes to 209 for Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

EMOTIONAL-SUPPORT ANIMALS GROUNDED American Airlines is banning emotional-support animals in a move that will force most owners to pay extra if they want their pets to travel with them. The airline said January 5 that it will allow animals in the cabin free of charge only if they are trained service dogs. The change takes effect January 11, although passengers who already bought tickets can fly with a companion animal until February 1.

RAIDERS STAR ARRESTED

HE SAID IT

“The scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect a true America, do not represent who we are. What we're seeing are a small number of extremists dedicated to lawlessness. This is not dissent. It's disorder. It's chaos. It borders on sedition. And it must end now.” –President-elect Joe Biden, addressing the nation January 6 during riots in Washington, D.C.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Joshua Jacobs was booked on a DUI count early January 4 after a single-vehicle crash near McCarran International Airport, according to Metro Police. Jacobs, 22, was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, police said. After being treated, Jacobs was transported to the Clark County Detention Center, according to police.

X BURLESQUE DEMONSTRATES DURABILITY OF FEMALE REVUES Sexy showgirls, topless revues and tantalizing burlesque-style shows have always been a prominent part of the Las Vegas entertainment landscape, and certainly an even bigger piece of the city’s iconography and “Sin City” reputation. And during the COVID-19 era, when Vegas shows have struggled to survive and are facing greater challenges than ever before, this genre has proven to be among the most enduring and resilient. “I guess the bottom line is, sexy revues and showgirls are a staple in Las Vegas. They have been since the 1950s, and when people come to Las Vegas, that’s one experience they usually want to have,” Angela Stabile says. “That’s one of the things you need to do here that you can’t do anywhere else.” Stabile performed as a dancer and showgirl in Lido de Paris, Crazy Girls and other shows before becoming the producer of some of the most popular revues on the Strip. Stabile Productions reopened X Country at Harrah’s on October 22—the first Strip casino production show to return after the March shutdown—and it has continued performances despite tighter restrictions installed in November limiting audiences to just 50 people. This week, Stabile Productions found a way to bring back its original revue, X Burlesque. The “private edition” of X Burlesque opens January 7 with performances planned for 7 and 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday nights at the Flamingo. The show returns to the same venue, the X Burlesque Theatre at Bugsy’s Cabaret at the Flamingo, despite the normally 160-seat theater’s intimate space. The room is only about 35 feet deep, and the audience will be capped at 30 people. Another staple Strip revue, Fantasy returned to Luxor on November 6 in a different theater, but MGM Resorts re-shuttered most of its live entertainment around Thanksgiving, when the 50-person rule fell into place. In addition, at least one new burlesque show popped up during the pandemic. BurlesQ made its debut December 18 in the Athena Showroom at the Alexis Park Resort. –Brock Radke

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

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VISION QUEST Become the best version of yourself in 2021 BY LESLIE VENTURA

o 2020 is over, but just because a new year is here, doesn’t mean things will magically be different. Sometimes change requires effort—but don’t worry, it’s worth it in the end. If 2020 felt stifling, make 2021 your year to grow into the best version of yourself yet. But how do you do that, you ask? We talked to Pamela Dylag , certified reiki master and co-owner of Downtown Las Vegas bar Velveteen Rabbit, about how to improve one's mindset in the new year. “I’ve compared this year with walking through mud or riding the brakes in heavy traffic,” Dylag says. “Sometimes there’s forward movement but it’s really slow, and sometimes we have to just stop.” As someone who deals with energy healing and meditation, Dylag has studied ways to manifest optimism, starting in our minds, or “being conscious of the things we can control versus the things we cannot control,” as Dylag puts it. So get ready to leave 2020 in the dust and approach the new year with humility and happiness. After all that you’ve been through, you deserve it.

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

Reflect on your top five 2020 accomplishments “It’s really important to celebrate those victories in your life and things you’ve overcome,” Dylag says. It’s vital to acknowledge the power and role you had in making each of those things happen. When ruminating on these accomplishments, Dylag recommends thinking about what energy you were embodying in those moments. “How were you behaving? How was your mindset then?” she asks. “Reflecting on our highest points is the key to our success and can really help us shape and create more success.”

Get rid of what no longer serves you

If things are bogging you down emotionally or physically, the new year is the perfect time to let them go. Whether it’s a habit you realize no longer helps you, a relationship that has run dry or unhealthy coping mechanisms, Dylag says she always asks her highest self, “Is this something you’d be doing?” “We have to let go to allow new energy to flow in,” she says. Whether it’s purging your closet or throwing away expired condiments in the fridge, decluttering things from your real life helps boost our mental and emotional states, too. “Purge things you no longer need and donate them,” Dylag says, and allow the new energy to flow freely.

Set goals

Meditate

“Meditation can take forms in so many different ways,” Dylag says. One of these ways is to embark on what some call a vision quest. “Vision meditation is using your imagination to delve into your inner world. At the end of the day, you’re your own guru,” Dylag says. “Using the clients’ imagination, I’ll take them through a meditative vision quest and have the client imagine a scenario, like, they go on a walk and find something and open a chest and see what’s inside the chest.” There, Dylag says, it’s common to see imagery with symbolism attached, and different feelings can pop up. “A lot of the work I do is about going toward your highest self, or the most ideal version of yourself,” she says. Dylag suggests envisioning that ideal version of yourself and meeting that person. “What would that person tell you?” she asks. Sometimes, imagining a conversation with the person we want to be can help us uncover the ways to get there.

(Shutterstock/Photo Illustrations)

Practice gratitude “Another thing I find really important is focusing on gratitude,” Dylag says. “I’ll list 10 things I’m grateful for, starting with the fact that I’m alive.”

Dylag says it’s important to focus on small goals, or things that are realistic and can be done every day. “Don’t set yourself up for failure,” she says. “Keep it simple. Look six months ahead” at the furthest, because that’s attainable. “What can you realistically accomplish? And even if you don’t get there, think of five action steps you can take going toward that goal.” An action step, Dylag says, should be part of your daily practice, like getting enough sleep or eating breakfast every day.

Create a ritual “I find it most powerful to begin your day with a practice or a little ritual,” Dylag says. If you find yourself thinking you don’t have the time, Dylag says it takes just 10 minutes to start your day with a more optimistic attitude—and that means not reaching for your phone right when you wake. “I advise clients, the first thing you should do isn’t to be on Instagram. Focus on yourself first.” Most mornings, Dylag says, she gets up with deep breathing exercises while seated. “I check in. How am I feeling today? Then I’ll set an intention for my day. How do I want to go throughout my day?” Asking yourself these types of questions and checking in with your mental state and needs will help you be better prepared to take on whatever comes your way. “It will make a huge difference in your day,” Dylag says.

5-MINUTE EXPERT

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Resolutions have a long, storied history—and a mixed success rate BY GEOFF CARTER

ose weight. Travel more. Less Facebook. Learn to dance; learn another language; learn to play an instrument. At the beginning of every year, many of us make promises to ourselves that we’ll do something big and life-changing in the 12 months to come, and a few of us—very, very few—actually pull it off. But we keep making New Year’s resolutions anyway, perhaps because the rest of New Year’s Eve is pure, boozy abandon, and New Year’s Day essentially one big hangover. How better to give these days meaning than to sit down with drink or aspirin in hand and make a to-do list full of intended hard work? It probably won’t surprise you to learn that we’ve been making these promises to—and demands of—ourselves for a very long time. And you’ll surely be even less surprised to learn that New Year’s resolutions usually don’t stick. Nevertheless, let’s explore their history and efficacy together. I promised myself we would. PRAYERS AND PROMISES New Year’s resolutions began in the ancient world, with promises made to the gods. Some 4,000 years ago, the Babylonians observed the new year with a festival called Akitu, held in late March/early April (when they planted the year’s crops). Part of the celebration was making a promise to the gods to repay all the money and return all the items you’d borrowed the year before. (Another part of the celebration: The head priest would slap the king hard in the face; if he didn’t tear up, he could rule for another year.) Later—just over 2,000 years ago—the Romans began making annual promises of good conduct to their two-faced god Janus, believing that one of his faces looked into your past and the other to the year ahead. Julius Caesar helped to keep the date fresh in everyone’s mind: His revamped solar calendar, created with the help of Greek scholars in 45 B.C., began with the all-new, Janus-friendly month of January. And in the early 18th century, Christians began the practice of devoting the last night of the year to praying and making promises to improve in the year ahead. Some faiths call it Covenant Renewal Service, others Watchnight Mass. And others—many, many nonreligious others—call it “This time, for sure.”

IN THE NEW

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MY, UM, NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS This past year has given me lots and lots of time to think about changes to my thinking and routines, and once 2021 gives me that literal shot in the arm, there are a few things I’d like to do differently. But I’m taking the experts’ advice and doing things I’m ready to do, with an open-ended timeline that might stretch over months. Feel free to pinch these. Perform more mitzvahs. The common definition of this Hebrew word is “selfless good deeds.” We could all stand to do good things for friends—or complete strangers!—without an expectation of getting anything in return. (Though it can be argued that if enough people get on this bandwagon, eventually someone will perform a mitzvah for you, too.) Get moving again. I didn’t say “lose weight” or “gain definition,” though I’d take either of those. Like many of you, I’ve spent much of the past year stuck in place, and I’m looking forward to getting back to a regular workout routine and to doing the things that don’t seem like exercise, even though they are: long walks through museums and theme parks, pub crawl bike rides with friends, awkward dancing at the final stop of those bike rides. Little by little, I’ll reclaim this static year. Give myself a break. I’m tired of giving myself a hard time over all the stuff I haven’t done. 2020 has demonstrated, time and again, that simple day-to-day living can be hard to pull off sometimes. We demand hundreds of things of ourselves daily, and they don’t always look like climbing mountains or writing autobiographies. Getting through a day unscathed is enough; getting through a day with even the smallest of accomplishments—cleaning out a drawer, getting the oil changed—is a plus. Simply living with intention can be plenty.

(Shutterstock/Photo Illustrations)

YEAR

WHY RESOLUTIONS FAIL (AND HOW THEY CAN SUCCEED) In a 2018 article in Psychology Today, mental health clinician, educator and advocate Dr. Shainna Ali spelled out four succinct reasons why you didn’t learn a second language or take up yoga even though, between New Year’s Eve drinks, you clearly told yourself that you would. (Exact figures vary across studies, but the consensus figure of failed resolutions seems to be in the 80% range). To paraphrase: 1. Your goals are too vague, and need clarification; 2. Change can be overwhelming, and it can be difficult to know even where to begin; 3. It’s too easy to become discouraged when that change doesn’t happen immediately; 4. You’re simply not ready to change, at least not in the ways you’ve set forth. “It may simply mean that they are not the goals that matter the most to you at this present time,” Ali wrote. In a 2019 Psychology Today article, psychotherapist and instructor Amy Morin offered further insight: “When people launch their resolution on January 1st, they are making a change based on a calendar date when they think they are prepared to change their lives. … What are the chances that you’re going to be ready for the action stage at exactly the same time the calendar rolls over to a new year?” She suggested that radical changes to your habits should wait until you’ve made the necessary preparations, weighed all the pros and cons, and moved forward only when you’re ready. “Whether that means you wait a few days or you put off launching your goal for a few months, delaying your goal is better than abandoning it altogether,” she wrote.

5-MINUTE EXPERT

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LV W C OV E R S T O R Y

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You don’t need us to tell you that 2020 was rough. And no one’s foolish enough to believe that simply because the calendar has turned past December 31, things will instantly get better. The next couple of months, in particular, could feel like an extension of what most consider the worst year of our lifetime. But there’s light on the horizon, for humanity in general and for Las Vegans in particular. You just have to know where to look …

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n a calendar year marked with so many significant events, one date in 2020 will resonate most for Americans in the new year. December 14: the day the first Pfizer-BioNTech shot was administered, to a nurse in New York City. Even as the virus raged across the country, with record-breaking daily infections and near-capacity medical facilities, the FDA’s granting of Emergency Use Authorization of the Pfizer vaccine, which scientists say is 95% effective, offered a glimmer of hope in a year that saw so much bad news. For all the chaos and confusion in the federal response since the start of the pandemic, Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. government’s coronavirus-response program, has helped to accomplish a seemingly impossible task: developing, approving and distributing a working vaccine in record time. It can normally take 10 to 15 years to develop a vaccine—the shortest timeline was the mumps vaccine in 1967, which took four years—and having one for COVID-19 already marks an astonishing feat of modern science. The rapid development is also causing some people to distrust it, however, and there’s no shortage of misinformation and conspiracy theories floating around the internet. But Dr. Manas Mandal, an immunology physician and professor at Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy, wants people to understand that this vaccine is

THE VACCINE ROLLOUT BY GENEVIE DURANO

actually the product of years of research. “This is a groundbreaking moment for science,” Mandal says. “Scientists have been working on an mRNA technology platform to bring therapeutics and vaccines to the market for the last decade. It did not just happen overnight. … Everybody jumped in with their expertise, their technology. Previously, we have not seen such cooperation in terms of scientific expertise, freely exchanging scientific ideas from every corner of the world. It may appear that it is an eight-month process. In reality, perhaps the process began 10 to 12 years back with other diseases, with other infections in mind. But what cemented this effort is this current infection worldwide and its sheer urgency.” Pfizer and Moderna are the first biotechnology companies to get their vaccines to market, with others close behind. Both the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines are mRNA vaccines, meaning they contain material from the virus that causes COVID-19, giving our cells instruction for how to make a harmless protein unique to the virus. Our

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(Photo Illustration)

bodies then recognize that the protein should not be there and build T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes that will remember how to fight the virus should it infect us in the future. Southern Nevada received an initial 12,675 doses of the Pfizer vaccine on December 14 and 15,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine a week later. (Both vaccines require two doses, administered 21-28 days apart.) The Southern Nevada Health District has released a four-tiered distribution plan using the CDC’s recommendations of vaccinating critical populations first. Front-line health care workers and long-term care facilities are in Tier 1, while healthy people aged 16-64 are in Tier 4. Health officials seem optimistic that most Nevadans will get vaccine access by April (though it’s not recommended for children under 16 and pregnant women until there are further trials). There are three reasons the public should get the vaccine, according to SNHD: It’s safe, effective and free. Still, while the vaccines are a big step toward controlling the pandemic, they likely won’t a signal a quick return to life as we knew it pre-2020. Moving forward, we’ll probably retain, to an extent, our newfound habits, including mask wearing, better hand-washing hygiene and social distancing. But a vaccine gets us closer to a safer new normal, and that’s certainly a cause for optimism as 2021 begins.

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f all the positive signs that Las Vegas will emerge from the economic crisis of the pandemic, none is more powerful than the real estate market. Consider this: For six straight months, June through November, the median price of an existing single-family home sold in Southern Nevada set a new record—despite historic jobless rates—and the number held steady in December. According to data from Las Vegas Realtors, the average price in November and December was $345,000, an increase from $307,000 in November 2019 and $312,990 in December 2019. The interest in buying is overwhelming the supply, and most important, has not been negatively impacted by the pandemic. “The supply of available homes is very low, and demand is high,” says Tom Blanchard, the 2020 president of the real estate association. “We can easily absorb three or four times the current available inventory without tilting the scales of meeting our current demand for housing here in Southern Nevada.” By comparison, during the Great Recession of the late 2000s, Las Vegas was the hardest-hit market in the U.S., bottoming out with a median home price of $118,000 in 2012. But during the pandemic, Blanchard says, the local market aligns more with what’s happening nationally—a tight supply and record prices—because of low interest rates. “Like other places around the country, we’re seeing multi-

A RESILIENT ECONOMY BY BRYAN HORWATH

ple offers on properties listed for sale,” he says. Real estate stability hasn’t been the only economic silver lining during a health crisis that continues into 2021. The local construction industry hasn’t missed a beat during the pandemic, highlighted by the completion of Allegiant Stadium, the expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center and the arrival of Circa Las Vegas Downtown. The new year will see even more construction, including in Henderson, where machine tool builder Haas Automation will build on 279 acres and Universal Health Services—operators of Henderson Hospital—begin constructing a new campus on 40 acres. Also, Amazon has plans for eight new facilities in Southern Nevada, including a fulfillment center in North Las Vegas that will bring 2,000 jobs. Plus there’s Resorts World, which continues to go up on the north Strip with a planned opening this summer. Speaking of summer, tourism officials have repeatedly expressed confidence that the resort corridor will roar back by then, as COVID-19 vaccines continue to roll out. Las Vegas should help

provide a safe escape where visitors can finally let loose after months of being quarantined. “I’m hanging my hat on the vaccines,” says Wells Fargo senior analyst Mark Vitner, who tracks the Las Vegas economy for the bank. “It seems like we’re going to have several good vaccines being widely distributed by March or April. After that starts to happen, I think we’ll see leisure travel come back.” And that travel will positively impact many aspects of the local economy, especially the job market. The unemployment rate soared to 30% in early spring but dropped to 10.1% in November. That’s 1.8% better than in October, but still significant higher than the 6.7% of November 2019. IHS Markit, which specializes in economic risk research and analysis, reports the world will enter “2021 at a subdued growth rate and accelerate to a brisk pace in the second half.” The global world GDP, after a 4.2% decline in 2020, will increase by about 4.6%, it projects. So while the despair of 2020 won’t magically disappear with the new calendar, there’s renewed hope the end is near. “When January 1 is here, it just won’t turn on. We’ll have to be patient,” says Scott Muelrath, the president and CEO of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce. “[But] I suspect the recovery will happen at a quick pace once we get the vaccine out to the community. By the March-April window, we’ll see some significant economic activity.”

(Photo Illustration)

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Zumanity (Pierre Manning/Courtesy)

ENTERTAINMENT INNOVATIONS BY BROCK RADKE

n November, Cirque du Soleil announced that Zumanity would not return to its Las Vegas Strip stage, a sad end to a remarkable run for one of the city’s staple production shows. But the most dominant live entertainment company of the past two decades in Las Vegas also recommitted to the city that has greatly boosted its profile, extending contracts and solidifying venue partnerships for its other resident shows on the Strip. And one week later, Cirque confirmed its sale had closed and it would now emerge from bankruptcy protection with new funding and a new board of directors. “It is the same company, the same bunch of artists and creators that are still very passionate about doing new shows,” President and CEO Daniel Lamarre said in early December. “What the new [ownership] really means for our people is that now I can say the future of the company is guaranteed. They have invested new money— we’re talking over $300 million—and they are there to support us. When the market is back to normalcy, it means we can bring back our shows,

bring the company back to profitability and it also means we have the financial strength that it takes to go through the process we’re in right now.” That process would be the great and tiresome waiting game, the one being played by all parts of the Vegas travel, tourism, hospitality and entertainment industries. It will take more time for many people to be vaccinated, though some restrictions could begin to be eased before that to allow larger gatherings in Las Vegas for events like Cirque’s five other shows. But the endgame is not just reactivation. Cirque launched five original Vegas productions between 1998 and 2008, a prolific period that also saw the Montreal-based company create multiple international touring shows and emerge as a global player. Las Vegas is the only place in the world where the foundations of such an expansion could occur, and that hasn’t changed. It’s not enough to get back onstage. It’s time to grow again. That’s why Cirque’s new board includes former MGM Resorts Chairman and CEO Jim Murren and current MGM President of Entertain-

ment and Sports George Kliavkoff. It strengthens the Cirque-Vegas union but also puts Cirque in a great position to expand in Japan when MGM Resorts can refocus on its massive Osaka project. And back on the Strip, there are two empty theaters where Cirque’s shows recently closed—Zumanity at New York-New York and R.U.N at Luxor. “We are in conversations with MGM to see if there is other artistic content we can bring … because we think any time we come up with content that is distinctive from other shows we already have, there is room to continue to grow in the capital of entertainment, which is Las Vegas,” Lamarre says, adding the company is hopeful it can make announcements about those two venues in the coming months. It might be the most prominent name, but Cirque du Soleil isn’t the only producer of entertainment that sees extreme opportunity on the post-pandemic Las Vegas Strip. The other big production show closure of 2020, Wynn’s Le Rêve, was created in 2005 by Franco Dragone, the visionary who also co-created Mystére and O with Cirque, along with Celine Dion’s original residency, A New Day. In mid-November, Dragone’s company showcased a new production concept born out of the pandemic, Rise, a big Vegas-style show with acrobatics and live music that would be performed outdoors at an adjustable, potentially mobile, venue. Already rumored to be developing something for the slated summer opening of Resorts World, Dragone has his eyes on the north Strip festival grounds site that once hosted Rock in Rio as an ideal target for his latest innovation. “We are exploring every avenue possible to bring the Dragone brand back to Las Vegas, tapping into every possible resource we can to bring that level of entertainment back in a way that can be sustainable,” Rise Director of Creation Damien Long says. “For Franco, Vegas is his second home, it’s the place where he got his start … and was able to start branching off with his own brand.”

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POLITICAL STABILITY BY RIC ANDERSON

Philadelphian marches in the street with a sign proudly proclaiming that his city has been “defeating tyrants since 1776.” On the other side of the country, a man leads an impromptu parade in Venice Beach playing a saxophone with a rubber chicken poking up out of the bell. In Las Vegas, a woman waves from an open-air limousine driving down the Strip, a Biden/Harris flag flapping beside her. Remember the outpourings of relief, joy and hope that broke out across the U.S. on the day Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 election? Well, two months later, there’s still reason for optimism on the political front, including for Southern Nevadans. From the White House to the state level, the election brought about the possibility of healing from four scarring years and the chance to make meaningful progress on the pandemic recovery, social justice, the environment and other key issues. Of course, this comes with a major qualifier: What President Donald Trump will do between now and 9 a.m. Pacific time on January 20, when Biden’s inauguration is scheduled to take place. But assuming Trump leaves the White House that day, even if he’s clawing the walls with his fingernails, the prospects of better days ahead will immediately improve. It’s not as if the world will change and darkness will become light immediately, but new leadership opens the door to improvements in areas, such as … ■ Pandemic response. The Biden administration has pledged to base its COVID-19 decision-making on advice from scientists and public health experts. No more muzzling of skilled and experienced researchers, no more disdain of mask

wearing, no more recommendations to inject bleach to kill the coronavirus. ■ Global warming. The results of the Senate runoff in Georgia will determine how aggressively Biden can tackle climate change, but regardless of the outcome, he can use executive orders to undo many of Trump’s rollbacks of environmental regulations. Look for him to do just that. ■ Immigration reform. No Trump means no Stephen Miller, the dark architect of some of Trump’s most atrocious immigration policies. The relentless attacks on Dreamers and recipients of Temporary Protected Status will come to an end, as will iron-fist restrictions on asylum seekers, refugees and more.

■ Social justice. Biden comes to the White House with a comprehensive plan to address racial disparities, including measures on health care, policing, education, affordable housing and support for minority-owned businesses, to name a few areas. In Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, he has a passionate and capable partner in fighting for reforms. Professional, public-service-oriented leadership will return to the White House. A revolving cast of reality show characters in the inner circle will give way to people who understand policy. The U.S. will go back to having a president who denounces dictatorial leaders and supports our nation’s allies, not the opposite. As Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson aptly put it

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CHAMPIONSHIP DREAMS BY JUSTIN EMERSON

(Photo Illustration)

about the changeover, “At that point, the insanity level of our nation’s public life will settle back to within its usual range.” Meanwhile, closer to home, Nevadans voted to keep congressional and legislative leadership mostly stable, with all four incumbent U.S. House candidates winning re-election and Democrats retaining majorities in both the Nevada Assembly and state Senate. The voters were wise: 2020 brought on plenty of disruptions, thank you, without a sea change in leadership. Another encouraging sign was Nevadans’ strong support for ballot questions protecting voters’ rights, setting high standards for development of renewable energy and doing away

with a constitutional provision against samesex marriage. In short, Nevadans once again rejected the toxic policies of Trump and other extremists—same as they did in 2016. That’s reason for optimism heading into 2021, too. Challenges remain, of course. Political tribalism, misinformation, Trump’s ongoing incitement of white nationalists and other problems won’t vanish with the turn of a calendar page, as evidenced by the violence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6. But in the votes of Nevadans and the 81 million Americans who supported Biden, there’s high demand for a return to a more unified, constructive, compassionate and responsible nation. And that’s worth celebrating.

The 2020 season was good for Las Vegas’ two best sports teams. The Las Vegas Aces reached the WNBA Finals, and the Golden Knights made it to the Western Conference Final. The good news for 2021: Neither of those teams is going anywhere. The Aces could be even better than last year’s team that entered the playoffs as the top overall seed. Las Vegas returns WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, and will also get back former MVP runner-up Liz Cambage, who opted not to play in 2020, and former No. 1 overall pick Kelsey Plum, who was injured all season. The Aces are only trending upward. They reached the conference finals two years ago and reached the Finals in just their third season in Las Vegas in 2020. This year, they’re considered one of the favorites to make another run at the franchise’s first championship trophy. The Golden Knights are in a similar situation. After making the conference final for the second time in three years, Vegas bolstered its blue line with the signing of star defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. His arrival, coupled with the emergence of Shea Theodore, gives the Golden Knights two players who finished in the top six of last season’s voting for the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman. Throw in a full season of the goalie tandem of Robin Lehner and Marc-André Fleury, and it will be hard to score on the Golden Knights. Their offense is always electric, as almost all of their forwards return to a team that ranked as one of the best offense-driving teams in the NHL last season. Mark Stone, William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and the rest will surely have T-Mobile Arena playing “Vegas Lights,” the team’s goal song, plenty of times this season. At press time, the Aces had plus-350 odds (bet $100 to win $350) to win the WNBA Finals at William Hill Sportsbook, tied for the second-best odds of any team. The Golden Knights meanwhile stood at plus-550, tops of any NHL team. If either team goes all the way, it could be a boon for the whole area. Winning teams not only bring out a sense of civic pride, but draw fans—pandemic progress willing—to the arenas, bars and restaurants to watch, to the gift shops for merchandise and possibly even to the Las Vegas Strip for a championship parade.

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GET ON THE GOOD FOOT

Make a good first impression Even during a pandemic, “first impressions are everything,” Bellinger says. To start, focus on places like the front entryway, the kitchen, the hall bathroom and living/family rooms. Even if you won’t be having guests over for the foreseeable future, high-traffic areas should be your top priority. If you’ve been spending lots of time in the bedroom during the pandemic, consider that common areas may have been neglected throughout 2020. If a living/family room has accumulated a lot of clutter, cleaning it first can alleviate stress, revive the energy of the room and even bring new life to an old home. “In a lot of modern homes, the kitchen is open to some sort of family area,” Bellinger says. Remember, your plan doesn’t have to tackle everything all at once. As you tidy the kitchen, look at the family area, determine what really needs decluttering or cleaning, and create small plans each day to tackle harder tasks.

How to clean and organize your home for the new year BY LESLIE VENTURA

It’s time for 2020 to pack its bags and get going, and as we enter a new year, it’s a time to focus on making 2021 better. And one of the best ways to start out on the right foot is by having a clean and organized home. We talked to Sean Bellinger, owner of Maid Right cleaning services in Henderson, to get some tips on the best and easiest ways to get your place in shape.

Make a plan Don’t think about cleaning the entire house, Bellinger says. “It goes back to the old adage, ‘How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.’” Write out a list, so tasks feel less overwhelming and more approachable. “You need to break it down into small things and prioritize,” he says. “If you’re trying to rush to clean your house because you have family coming over, think about the areas they’re going to be in versus cleaning the whole house. If they’re not going to be in all the bedrooms, think about the areas they’re going to actually see, and make an impression with those areas.”

Look for overlooked areas Fans, light fixtures, toilet lids and baseboards gather dust and gunk. “Take a moment to step back, sit down, look around the room and ask yourself, ‘What am I missing?’” Bellinger says. “We get oblivious to our own surroundings. Sit where you don’t normally sit to spot these problem areas.”

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Use the Marie Kondo method If it doesn’t spark joy, toss it or donate it. That goes for clothing, knickknacks and other miscellaneous items around the house.

Clean as you go This is a general rule to employ all the time but especially when you’re trying to create better habits for the new year. If you’re cooking a large meal, rinse pots and pans and wipe the counters down when you finish using them. “There’s no secret to that; some people are just messy cookers,” Bellinger says with a laugh. But keeping your space clean as you work will create less of a hassle down the road. Consider a service “If you think, ‘I just can’t tackle this,’ plan ahead to have someone come out and help,” Bellinger recommends—emphasizing “plan ahead.” “All the different services are very busy,” Bellinger says, and a deep house cleaning typically can’t be done in a few hours or on the same day. If hiring someone to clean the entire house doesn’t fit into your budget, consider hiring help for one or two rooms. “Maybe you won’t have them do the whole house,” Bellinger says. Many cleaners will customize their services to fit the client’s needs.

Declutter “If you have stuff on the counter you aren’t using, can you find a cupboard to put it away in?” Often things aren’t really as dirty or messy as they seem. Find a home for mail and other miscellaneous items. Throw away or donate things that haven’t been used in a while or are simply piling up.

Marie Kondo (Andy Kropa/AP); others (Shutterstock)

Clean throughout the week Bellinger suggests cleaning or tidying a room each day and concentrating on the most important areas first, so that you don’t have to clean the entire house at once.

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BINGE THIS WEEK TV

` LETTERKENNY The ninth season of this raucous Canadian comedy dropped on Hulu last month, and it’s got everything we’ve come to love about the stealth hit: booze, brawls and witty, gleefully profane dialogue that’ll find its way into your own speech. Allegedly. All seasons on Hulu.

FILM

VIDEOS

THE WILDS

SOUL

MARK ROBER’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Nine teenage girls are on a private plane to attend a women’s empowerment retreat when the unthinkable happens: The plane crashes and they’re stranded on an island. A clichéd premise—Lost and Survivor have trawled these shores before—is turned on its head, as we learn more about the girls’ backgrounds and the sinister forces that brought them together. (Spoiler alert: There are no accidents here.) Gather some supplies, because you’ll be planted on that couch until the end of the 10th episode. Good thing it has already been renewed for a second season. Prime Video. –Genevie Durano

The latest animated Pixar film isn’t so much for kids as for adults who’ve grown jaded to life’s wonders. Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) is a jazz musician and middle-school band teacher who lands his dream gig after years of struggling to make it. But when Gardner suddenly “dies” on the day of his big break, he ends up in the Great Before, a whimsical land where souls are given their human form. Paired up with lost soul No. 22 (Tina Fey), Gardner attempts to show the amorphous blob the joys of life and learns some valuable lessons along the way. Disney+. –Leslie Ventura

Former NASA and Apple engineer Mark Rober has a Carl Sagan-like gift for putting complex science into layman’s terms, and a Jimmy Kimmel-like gift for goofing around. This rare combination results in some terrifically watchable maker videos, like his snowball machine gun, smart glitterbomb to confound package thieves and world’s largest horn. (He also offers fascinating looks at world-saving stuff like water purification techniques for poor communities, and how to plant trees using drones.) Prepare to lose at least an hour being science’d. Youtube. com/c/markrober. –Geoff Carter

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NEW ORDER’S “CEREMONY” In the wake of singer Ian Curtis’ death, Joy Division’s remaining members renamed themselves New Order and released this January 1981 debut single—40 years ago this month. It began a spectacular run of post-punk dance music that continues today.

OUR PICKS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

MUSIC TV

DEATH TO 2020 You might not be interested in watching something new from the folks behind Black Mirror, considering how accurately and disturbingly they predicted the dumpster fire Western civilization has become in recent years. But these 70 minutes recapping the year of peak flaming trash are worth the investment. Hilariously onpoint performances by Samuel L. Jackson, Hugh Grant, Lisa Kudrow, Kumail Nanjiani and Leslie Jones will help you bid a final good riddance to 2020’s unfortunate characters and developments in pitch-perfect mockumentary style. Netflix. –Brock Radke

BORIS REISSUES Can music make one physically ill? A co-worker once spoke of a fellow photographer bursting into tears the instant a heavy band launched into its incredibly loud set. On a related note, Absolutego, the 1996 debut album from Japanese experimental-metal act Boris, actually makes me nauseous when I do battle with its single, hourlong track—a droning beast tuned to a deep frequency that rattles the listener from brain to bowels. The smart move would certainly be to set it aside for 1998 follow-up Amplifier Worship—the other recent (and perhaps better) installment in Boris’ ongoing reissue campaign— but there’s a strange draw to something as singular as Absolutego, no matter how much it hurts. Boris.bandcamp.com. –Spencer Patterson

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Las Vegas Boulevard Gateway Arches The unmissable 80-foot-tall neon archway in front of the Strat is more than a landmark telling you you’re crossing into or out of the City of Las Vegas. It’s a bookend to match the iconic Welcome sign at the south end of the Strip—and a brilliant new must-have Vegas photo for your Instagram feed.

(Steve Marcus/Staff)

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Some attractions and venues did pop up in 2020, and they’re ready and waiting BY BROCK RADKE

he biggest new development to hit the Strip in 2020 isn’t exactly on the Strip, but its impact will be felt along Las Vegas Boulevard for years to come, in a much greater way than its odd debut year allowed. I have yet to set foot inside Allegiant Stadium, and that’s unfortunate, because covering everything that goes down and comes up on the Las Vegas Strip is basically what I do here. A few football fans made it to Allegiant for some UNLV games, but the Raiders finished their first season in Vegas without any of their new neighbors and supporters in the seats. The venue’s arrival was bittersweet across the board, but it remains the most significant entertainment event in Las Vegas in THE years, and while the INCIDENTAL pandemic prevented TOURIST our new football team BY BROCK RADKE from truly connecting with the community, there have been many glimmers of the excitement that eventually will be generated by the stadium’s presence. I felt it in September. It was my first real visit to the Strip in three months, not counting a drive-thru COVID-19 test at the Thomas & Mack Center in late July. I went to meet some visitors from New York at the New York-New York, specifically at Tom’s Urban, to have some drinks and food and watch the Raiders’ first-ever home game in Las Vegas against New Orleans. It was surreal to sit in a limited-capacity restaurant and bar about a mile from the empty stadium, and equally odd to be out and about after staying at home for so long. But the energy was palpable. Other than the Tom’s Urban staff, I was surely one of very few locals there that night, yet the room was dominated by silver and black gear and fans cheering passionately for their team, the Las Vegas Raiders. If they couldn’t get into Allegiant, this was the next best thing, and the experience taught me a powerful lesson.

When people begin to return to the Strip in large groups once again—I’m talking about many more visitors than what we’ve experienced since casino resorts reopened over the summer— they’ll be more excited than ever to experience Las Vegas once again. And Allegiant Stadium isn’t the only new item on the agenda. Here are a few more destinations that debuted in 2020 and will still feel new for a long time, ready and waiting to entertain Vegas visitors in this strange interim phase we’re about to enter … Lake of Dreams. The whimsical waterfront show at Wynn—viewed from patios at SW Steakhouse, the Lakeside seafood restaurant or the Parasol Down bar—always had a certain charm, but an epic upgrade unleashed in the fall re-created it as a singular Vegas attraction. With big music from Madonna, Frank Sinatra, The Chainsmokers, Sting, Lady Gaga and more—along with thoughtful, artistic use of technology and staging—the new Lake of Dreams feels exclusive and enchanting. Mosaic on the Strip. The well-known freestanding building near the Showcase Mall that previously operated as Krave Nightclub, Empire Ballroom and Club Utopia opened as a versatile new theater in February, fought

(Courtesy)

The Lake of Dreams “Space Oddity” show at Wynn (Eric Jamison/Courtesy Wynn Las Vegas)

through ever-changing COVID-19 restrictions and has kept its shows going, including musical tributes Queens of Rock and Piano Man and popular male revue Aussie Heat. Future plans include a reboot of the unique A Mob Story production that originally opened Downtown at the Plaza. NebulaZ. The Adventuredome at Circus Circus opened a new thrill ride

toward the end of the year, a chaotic, clockwork-like contraption called NebulaZ that spins riders around in eight different pods and looks like its four arms might crash into each other at any moment. The three-minute ride is the ’dome’s first new arrival in seven years, and it’s open to anyone more than 42 inches tall. PizzaCake. The Strip can always use more tasty, affordable eats with street access. Celebrity chef Buddy Valastro’s New Jersey-style pizzeria and cake shop at Harrah’s is fast and fun, and at $6, the cheese slice might be the best “cheap” bite in the area. Resorts World. I’m cheating a bit. This magnificent megaresort won’t open until the summer, but if you haven’t driven or walked past the Resorts World site in months (or years), it’s pretty exciting to see the different structures coming along and maybe catch something crazy on a huge hotel tower video screen facing the Strip. Nothing builds anticipation like a brand-new Las Vegas casino, and it’s hard not to feel the vibrations when you get close to this one.

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E (Andrea Mejia/Courtesy)

THE CLOSER YOU ARE Music scene fixture Matthew Shaw debuts new project Dream Martyr

MATTHEW SHAW Dreammartyr.bandcamp.com

BY LESLIE VENTURA

icture life before COVID-19, at a packed indie rock show inside Downtown’s Bunkhouse Saloon. Now make your way to the tightest space—dead center, right in front of the stage—and say hello to Matthew Shaw. He and twin brother, Jeremy, have been fixtures on the local music scene for years, supporting local and traveling bands with their enthusiastic attendance. “We had an older brother who introduced us to music—Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Guided By Voices … right away I just got into it,” Shaw, 30, explains. “And I always loved the experience of seeing music live. It was incredible to me that you could plug in a guitar, play it loud and fill up a room and have hundreds of people there who love what you’re doing.” Shaw picked up his own guitar in middle school and hasn’t put it down since. In recent years, he has served as guitarist and vocalist for the Vegas band Orange Eats Creeps, and now, he’s debuting his first solo project, Dream Martyr. First album Remember

the Haunted Palms just dropped on Bandcamp and Spotify, and Shaw has plans to bring the recordings to life whenever the pandemic finally abates. “I was working a lot of weird shifts and making good money, and that’s when I started to visualize Dream Martyr,” says Shaw, who worked as a bartender pre-coronavirus, pouring gin and tonics and vodka sodas for drunken tourists. When the city entered lockdown, Shaw immersed himself in music. “I like solitude,” Shaw says. “I was able to write and work on songs and listen to records and get inspired by stuff.” Also factoring into the vibe was the end of Shaw’s relationship with his girlfriend. Remember the Haunted Palms is a collection of love songs, written in what he calls “a sad, lonely but calm state.” “The entire thing was basically done in one very long day during quarantine,” he says. “One long drunk and high day.”

Inspired by songwriting heroes like Guided By Voices’ Robert Pollard, Shaw says he looks for influences in everything, even the seemingly mundane and monotonous. “People try really hard to write cool stuff and things that are meaningful, [but I] think of [music] as a time capsule for that moment,” he says. “Ultimately, I wanted a record that was a rejection of the current pop stuff that we see. I wanted something darker and stranger, like a weird nighttime kind of record.” Remember the Haunted Palms is definitely that. Lo-fi and dark, moody and atmospheric, it’s the kind of album best listened to in a slightly inebriated state, after the sun has set and with headphones on. As a quarantine record and a snapshot of a specific moment in Shaw’s life, Dream Martyr’s debut is both quiet and intimate. “If someone like me can just write music and try to find a way to get it recorded, I think that anybody can,” Shaw says. “Creativity is everywhere; you just have to look for it.”

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JUMP AHEAD, LOOK BACK

An epic group art show creates ‘New Monuments for a Future Las Vegas’

BY C. MOON REED

ast spring, Wendy Kveck taught an art class at UNLV called Finding America in Las Vegas. “I considered how the landscape and cultures of Southern Nevada have influenced artists’ work over the decades,” she wrote in a blog post for Nevada Humanities. Teaching the course, which included field trips to the Neon Museum and Fremont Street, led her to ponder the meaning of a monument: “Is it an object, an artwork, a painting, a sculpture, a landscape, a billboard, a gesture, a poem, a podcast, an arts center, a community?” she wrote. That spring class was also impacted by the global pandemic, the Black Lives Matter protests and the looming presidential election. As Kveck was considering how advocacy work by artists led to the designation of National Monuments in Nevada, old Confederate monuments to white supremacy were being removed across the South. Kveck says it’s the role of artists to respond to this moment, “to be inspired by the art and activism of other artists.” So, Kveck brought together 42 artists to participate in an online exhibition for Nevada Humanities titled New Monuments for a Future Las Vegas. Most participants worked in pairs or groups—often teaming with writers—to create works spanning a variety of media. Kveck says

she chose a collaborative format “in rejection of the autonomous voice or author—to be more symbolically about building futures together.” The pieces are wildly different but equally exciting, created by an allstar team of collaborators including

Fawn Douglas, Denise Duarte, Ali Fathollahi, Karla Lagunas, Holly Lay, Chase R. McCurdy, JK Russ, Nanda Sharif-pour, D.K. Sole, Erica Vital-Lazare and many more. Barrick Museum Executive Director Alisha Kerlin teamed up with architecture student/Barrick staffer Emmanuel Muñoz and the (unwtting) U.S. Postal Service for “P.S. I Hope You Are Well.” The two artists engaged in a written correspondence and then mailed their pieces directly to Nevada Humanities. Kerlin says their correspondence was all handwritten and punctuated with drawings and collage. “It’s a great excuse to have a new pen pal,” says Kerlin, who already corresponds with a variety of local creatives. As with many of the other artists, this submission is part of a larger project, which can be found at instagram.com/p.s.lasvegas.

An excerpt from John McVay and Aaron Cowan’s “Re: Monuments A Crucible for Recasting Monuments” zine (Courtesy)

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NEW MONUMENTS FOR A FUTURE LAS VEGAS View show at nevadahumanities. org. Virtual curator & artist talk January 7, 7 p.m.; register at bit.ly/3ohT0OP.

Adriana Chavez and Heidi Rider’s “So, You Want to Buy a Monument” (Courtesy)

Erin K. Drew and Kristin Hough’s “Nine Commemorative Plaques, 114 Degrees” (Courtesy)

Sapira Cheuk and JK Russ’ “Alien View” (Courtesy)

The GULCH Collective— Justin Favela, Jennifer Kleven, Quindo Miller, Krystal Ramirez, Lance L. Smith and Mikayla Whitmore—“self-documented” a unique sacrificial ceremony for “Sundown at Matchpoint: A Monument to Structured Leisure.” “We took a collection of old sporting equipment and presented the objects as offerings at the base of statues [in Green Valley] in order to satirically direct attention to the privilege of having the means to participate in exclusive recreational activities,” Whitmore says. Absinthe clown Heidi Rider and artist Adriana Chavez paired up for the delightfully cringey faux-infomercial, “So, You Want to Buy a Monument.” Donning wigs and fake red nails, the two hawk weird sculptures that pretend to be Vegas souvenirs: a salvaged El Cortez carpet square; “the commemorative corpse of Cirque du Soleil”; a “certified cornerstone” of the imploded Riviera; and a “genuine baby alien hand.” Rider says she and Chavez were playing around with the “mythologies” of place and satirizing the idea of how often the things that become monuments don’t have intrinsic value. Artist Brent Holmes and author Claire Vaye Watkins put up a billboard on Desert Inn Road with the words “Make a List of Everything You Have Lost” and a phone number. Watkins writes in the accompanying essay, “We did this because we love you, Las Vegas, and wonder what would happen if this city could be what it pretends to be—open, free, deeply accepting of every imperfect being with a body? Couldn’t that heal us?”

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WORD UP

What inspires Las Vegas photographer and text artist Krystal Ramirez?

BY GEOFF CARTER

rystal Ramirez and I are having a somewhat awkward conversation. Not uncomfortable; just … weird. A photographer and, for want of a better term, text artist—her pieces manipulate language in ways similar to Jenny Holzer and Christopher Wool, though she has her own distinct style—Ramirez is one of Las Vegas’ more audacious visual talents, certainly worthy of a feature piece. But at the same time, we’ve known each other for nearly seven years, worked together for part of it—and our conversations have always been a little bit like interviews, as we’re inclined toward heavy discussions about art and identity. It makes sense that our first proper interview would feel a bit like hangin’ out. But I want to know what makes that art happen. Language is how I make a living—and Ramirez does things with words that change the way I look at them. (You can see it in one of her permanent installations at Downtown’s Eat; the wall-size piece repeats the haunting mantra “I’ll see you in the flowers,” taking it from joy to despair and back.) Krystal’s only in town for a brief time— soon she’ll return to Stanford University, where she’s a candidate in the Fine Arts program in Art Practice—so we took a distanced stroll through the Arts District, talking about art and identity, like always.

Is your work intended to be cautionary? I’m not cautioning, but I do like the alertness that the color causes. I’m trying to create spaces where you’re hyperaware of your body or your thinking process. I want you to feel like you’re in between worlds. You’re a Mexican American artist. In this polarized and racially charged time, do those two worlds feel separate to you? Subconsciously, I’ve always been aware of my brownness, but when I first started making art, I wasn’t thinking, like, “Let me make work about my Mexican American identity.” But one thing that I’ve kind of come to realize is that it’s so much better to make work from your direct experience than to try to make work about a larger social or cultural experience. When I make personal work, all those larger conversations are inherently in the work, because I’m a brown woman. I’m making work about my very direct experience, which is like, duh, I can’t believe it took me 10 years of applying to grad schools to figure that one out.

We’ll start off easy. Favorite color? Yellow. Why? I know yellow can be really off-putting, because we’re accustomed to seeing it as a color alerting us to construction, or to caution in general. But it makes me think of the sun, and of The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It’s about a woman whose house is wallpapered with a yellow pattern all over, and she goes mad. I mean, it can be a high anxiety-inducing color … but I do like the alertness that the color inspires. It has a brightness that’s overwhelming. It stops you in your tracks. It also reminds me of my dad, who worked in construction and wore that safety fluorescent yellow. That was his uniform. My work leans toward obstruction and minimalism, you know, so I started adding color. Naturally, the first color that made the most sense to add was yellow, because of my relationship to it.

Krystal Ramirez (Mikayla Whitmore/Courtesy)

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Ramirez’s 2019 Battery Diamond exhibit at UNLV’s Grant Hall (Krystal Ramirez/Courtesy)

What’s your first love—language or photography? Photography is definitely my first love. The first photography class I took in school as an art requirement is what made me want to switch to an art major. I loved the idea of freezing the world around me, always documenting. I really fell in love with visual language. I’ve been asking myself why I’m specifically obsessed with words and language and text—and I think one of the reasons is because Nevada is one of the lowest states in the union for education. There’s always this … I don’t know if it’s a fear or awareness of the quality of education I received. I had great teachers; I had people who cared for me a lot. But my parents really were not in a position to get me tutors or to sit with me with my homework. So, there’s this obsession in me to try to conquer language. I’m trying to get people to question the language they’re using and to understand that language is just as subjective as anything else. And language has a shape, an architecture that’s pleasing to the eye. That’s intuitively what I felt attracted to. And it probably has to do with growing up in Vegas and its signs, its visual language. There’s language and typography everywhere you look. That’s one of the realizations I had in speaking with my adviser: “Oh, I bet all this marketing and advertising and the topography of the visual landscape here in Vegas totally “I’m Not Here to Make Friends” (2018) influenced so much of my work.” It took me (Krystal Ramirez/Courtesy) leaving Las Vegas to realize that. Were you also influenced by Vegas artists? Wendy Kveck is a mentor and friend. She’s so inspiring. I love her work, and I love her commitment to her community. I probably wouldn’t be an artist today if it wasn’t for her. I had my first solo show in 2013, and she was in charge of putting

it up; she was a coordinator at the Winchester and the [Clark County] Government Center. She was committed to diversifying the artist pool, and she called me and said, “You need to submit [your work] to this. I’m going to walk you through the application.” She held my hand through it, because you don’t really learn a lot of that real-life stuff in art school, which is a fault. And my show was chosen. It was a hot mess, but I did it, and I’m proud of it. And after that, I kind of just kept making work, because I was like, “Oh, this is fun. This is what I wanted to do.” You count a bunch of prominent Las Vegas artists—Justin Favela, Jen Kleven, Lance Smith and Mikayla Whitmore—among your close friends. Do you guys have a friendly competition going or what? Oh, yeah. For sure. I wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for Favi, Mikayla, Jen and Lance, but I’m also a competitive person. I don’t like to be left behind. If my friends get something, I’m like, “Well, I want to do that, too.” But we’re always 150% there for each other, supporting each other. You can be competitive with somebody in a friendly way, but if you’re not careful, it could turn unhealthy or toxic. So, you get to a point where you just have to accept each other’s paths. There’s room for all of us. If you could gift your hometown art community something big, what would it be? Better arts funding for K-12 schools. Speaking as a child of blue-collar workers, that kind of teaching is what makes kids aware that there are other opportunities in life. That’s why I love the Barrick [Museum]. Alisha Kerlin is a hero; her Bus to the Barrick program brings K-12 kids to see art exhibits. It’s so, so important for kids to have that at an early age.

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BIGGER SLICE Good Pie owner Vincent Rotolo at his new Arts District location (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

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Vincent Rotolo expand his pizza dream with the new Good Pie BY BROCK RADKE

hen acclaimed local pizzaiolo Vincent Rotolo was finally able to open the bigger, better version of Good Pie in the first week of December, he was trying to fly a bit under the radar “as much as we could” in order to get things moving as smoothly as possible. The challenging circumstances of opening and operating a new restaurant during the pandemic had already delayed the eatery’s arrival for months and Rotolo waited until November to permanently shutter his original, smaller Good Pie location at Downtown’s Pawn Plaza. But the pie is good, and the community came running as soon as the slice window slid open, adding additional excitement to the burgeoning Arts District food scene. “My family came in to visit the day before we opened, and that was the best part,” Rotolo says. “They all know how long it took for me to get here. Part of why I moved to Las Vegas was to have an opportunity to build something like this. This place is a dream, and the way it has come together feels really special.” The Brooklyn-style restaurant is open for takeout and delivery and has been selling a massive number of slices through that window—Rotolo estimates 4,000 over the first three weeks—on a street that hasn’t always had heavy pedestrian traffic. But Good Pie has yet to open for dine-in customers, and that’s frustrating, he says. He also decided to scale back the opening menu. “I’m holding back, because I don’t want to introduce my non-pizza food to the public in a to-go box. I want to plate it,” he says. “We’re still going to do spaghetti and meatballs and linguine and clams and chicken cacciatore and all those neighborhood red sauce pizzeria classics, but I want to serve it in the room.” The full-on Good Pie experience—

including a cocktail program crafted ma with sausage, fresh garlic, roasted by former Esther’s Kitchen bar manmushrooms and caramelized onions. ager Sonia Stelea—sounds even more Good Pie also serves one of the exciting if you’ve already sampled the Valley’s best Detroit-style pizzas existing menu. Rotolo’s unique ($14-$20) with a crunchy, cheesy Grandma Pie remains the crust-edge that makes for top seller, in slice form one of the best reheated ($4.50-$5) or by whole leftover bites anywhere. GOOD PIE 1212 S. Main St., pie ($24-$34). The adRotolo says he has 702-844-2700. dictive Good Hot ($32) regulars who grab an Sunday, Tuesday-Thursday, features cup-and-char assortment of Detroit 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, pepperoni, red chili pies to bring camping 11 a.m.-10 p.m. flakes, sausage, jalaevery weekend: “They peños, Mike’s Hot Honey come every Friday night and a finishing dusting of with all their gear packed, grated Parm, while the Johnny Be and they don’t want me to cut [the Good ($34), a tribute to Rotolo’s Vegas pizzas], so they can just heat them mentor John Arena of Metro Pizza, up whole.” tops the crispy, rectangular GrandSicilians, traditional round

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Brooklyn pizzas—like the White Pie ($16) with garlic, mozzarella, Pecorino, ricotta, garlic oil and parsley— and vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options round out the menu, along with a few salads and appetizers like beef and pork meatballs ($9) and fried ravioli ($10). While the opening of his dream restaurant hasn’t gone to plan thanks to COVID-19, Rotolo says he’s been overwhelmed by the support from his customers, fellow Downtowners, industry workers and the community in general. “We’ve learned a lot this past month. It’s been an unforgettable experience,” he says. “I’m lucky because I have a great team, but I’m also feeling like there’s a lot to improve on. We’re cooking from a place of nostalgia and preserving tradition and honoring family and heritage, and that can’t be copied.”

Good Pie’s Brooklyn Johnny Be Good pizza, Grandma Quality Meat pizza, meatballs, kale Caesar salad and cannoli (Wade Vandevort/Staff)

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Underground Burger’s BBQ Underground (left) and Double Underground (Courtesy)

SECRET SAUCE Underground Burger’s plant-based delivery sprouts up around town

BY BROCK RADKE

reative culinary minds have imagined and executed all kinds of crazy ways to get you good food fast during this stupid pandemic, and it’s not surprising considering the level of talent in the local scene. No matter what you’re craving, you can probably have it at your door in no time. Now that goes for plant-based eaters, too. Underground Burger, launched in early December, is a delivery-only “secret” restaurant serving up delicious fast food-style burgers minus the meat. The currently anonymous owners noticed Las Vegas was missing “good messy burgers, like the kind you eat when you’re starving, drunk or hungover,” and began their meat-free mission from a centrally located ghost kitchen,

delivering the goods to an expanding radius feast of disheveled deliciousness. that stretches north to Cheyenne Avenue, west Underground Burger also serves a Carl’s Jr.to parts of Summerlin, south to Flamingo Road style barbecue burger ($14) with an onion ring, and just east of Interstate 15. cheese and a tangy ’cue sauce, and the Fire Hot Las Vegas Weekly can confirm that Chicken ($14), a crispy-fried Gardein Underground Burger is indeed a reputable patty saturated with Buffalo hot sauce. UNDERGROUND operation free of sketch, but does it live up Coconut-based shakes complete the BURGER 702-861-3404, to its claim as the vegan In-N-Out? You get vibe, giving you a potential late-night eatunderground the final word, but we’ll give two thumbsdriveburger.com. up to the super-stacked Double Underthru experience without having to Daily, 11 a.m.9 p.m. ground ($16), a tough-to-finish monster leave your fortress of solitude. with two Impossible patties, two slices of Expect this new concept to expand cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, letits menu and availability soon; the tuce, tomatoes, pickles and secret sauce. Paired owners are looking into other neighborhood with crispy loaded fries or tots ($5) and topped kitchens to take over and give even more people with nacho cheese, onions and secret sauce, it’s a the fun food they’re craving.

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FRENCH FLAIR Burgundy Bakery brings sweet and savory delicacies to the west Valley BY C. MOON REED

B BURGUNDY FRENCH BAKERY CAFE & BISTRO 9440 W. Sahara Ave. #105, 725-204-6557. Monday-Tuesday & Thursday-Saturday, 8 a.m.5 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

An assortment of pastries and desserts from Burgundy French Bakery Cafe & Bistro (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

urgundy French Bakery Cafe & Bistro isn’t your typical American bakery. It’s not even your typical French bakery. “It’s hard to find in France a real authentic place,” chef/owner Florent Cheveau says. “To find one in the U.S. is almost impossible.” And yet that’s what Cheveau has done with his two-month-old bakery just east of Summerlin. Burgundy marks the culmination of a childhood dream and a lifetime of practice. “It took me 13 years to do what I had to do, to grow as a professional and become comfortable,” Cheveau says. Now a U.S. citizen, Cheveau immigrated from France more than a decade ago to make desserts at an elite level. He worked at Jean-Philippe Patisserie (Bellagio and Aria) and ascended to executive pastry chef at MGM Grand. Cheveau also won the U.S. category at the 2018 World Chocolate Masters and placed in the top three worldwide. At Burgundy, Cheveau strives to give guests a “true taste to what it is to go [to a high-quality bakery] in France.” He arrives at the crack of dawn to prepare with the help of two dedicated sous chefs. “The products we use are high quality, and then we transform that product with knowledge,” Cheveau says, adding that everything is made in-house and fresh daily. Burgundy’s treats range from sweet (croissants, Danishes, beignets) to savory (an $8.50 croque monsieur) treats, and there are even handmade macarons. Crêpes, tarts, cakes, quiche and coffee round out the menu.

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’21

Predicting the year’s biggest moments in local sports

BY RAY BREWER, JUSTIN EMERSON, MIKE GRIMALA AND CASE KEEFER

as Vegas gets a stronger hold on the sports world every year as our number of teams and events constantly seems to grow. The momentum should continue in 2021, and many of the reasons why are listed below—our 21 predictions for 2021 across a wide spectrum of Las Vegas sports, presented roughly in the order we project them to occur.

The Raiders’ archrival Kansas City Chiefs are denied in their quest to become the first backto-back Super Bowl champions in 15 years with a shocking loss in the AFC playoffs. The Chiefs have been the favorites to win another championship all year, but their penchant for getting into close games and the diminished capacity at Arrowhead Stadium prove to be their undoing.

The Henderson Silver Knights start strong in their first season in the American Hockey League, giving fans a chance to follow future Golden Knights more closely. Forwards Lucas Elvenes and Jack Dugan are the two prospects presumably ticketed to Orleans Arena this year as construction continues on the club’s new Henderson Event Center.

Canceled fall prep sports take place in a condensed format from March 5 to April 10, and spring sports follow from April 22 to May 22. Winter sports and state playoffs remain a coronavirus casualty. That’s all according to a Clark County School District proposal to return to in-person learning, one that hopefully sticks for the sake of the athletes.

Defending NASCAR Cup champion—and future of the sport—Chase Elliott wins the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 7. The 25-year-old Chevrolet driver has three top 10s in his first seven races locally and will soon be an annual fixture near the top of the leaderboard on the 1.5-mile track.

Nevada sportsbooks break the state record for betting handle in the month of March, as action on the first NCAA Tournament in two years eclipses the $596.8 million wagered in March 2019. Watch parties will be less full because of social distancing, but sports betting volume has only gone up during football season, and basketball’s biggest event will follow the same blueprint.

The Raiders will trade their top pick in April’s 2021 NFL Draft. Las Vegas’ defense was a disaster in 2020, and the best way to avoid a similar fate is to load up on draft picks by trading down and amassing more chances to hit on long-term difference makers. Minor League Baseball finds a way to resume, so the Las Vegas Aviators can finally defend the division title they won in their maiden season at Las Vegas Ballpark in 2019. The pandemic will limit crowd sizes, but interest will remain high for the Oakland A’s Triple-A affiliate.

Former Golden Knights first-round pick Peyton Krebs will make his NHL debut as a 20-year-old. The uncertainty around the WHL, Krebs’ junior league, and the NHL’s creation of a new taxi squad allows the organization to play their top prospect up to six games without burning a year on his contract.

The Las Vegas Lights return to Cashman Field, despite a short delay, for a full United Soccer League season in May. The team currently has no coach and only one player—local forward Blake Frischknecht—but ownership rallies to build a team that can compete for the first playoff appearance in the four-year history of the franchise.

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Led by returning running back Charles Williams, UNLV’s football team will win at least one game in 2021 after going 0-6—and looking mostly uncompetitive—in 2020. The school has a winnable game against Eastern Washington scheduled for September 2 to open the season at Allegiant Stadium.

Patrick Cantlay, currently the No. 9-ranked golfer in the world, will win the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open for the second time on October 10. The former UCLA star has TPC Summerlin figured out, with a victory and two second-place finishes on the course in the past four years.

A’ja Wilson will earn her second straight WNBA Most Valuable Player award by increasing the averages of 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds she put up in this season’s bubble in Bradenton, Florida. She might even become the first player in league history to win three in a row in 2022. Wilson is that good.

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Golden Knights fourth-year winger Alex Tuch will have a breakout year, scoring 20 goals in the shortened 56-game season. Tuch was a monster in the playoffs last season and will feast on favorable defensive matchups this year while playing down the lineup.

The Golden Knights will get back to the Stanley Cup Final, as this year’s team is built to play for hockey’s ultimate prize. They’ll face stiff competition—and perhaps some resulting speed bumps—during division play, but Vegas is too stacked not to figure it out in time for the playoffs.

Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby will out-sack Khalil Mack in the 2021 season, closing the door on the latter’s controversial trade to the Chicago Bears once and for all. Since the Raiders drafted Crosby in 2019, he has recorded 16 sacks, while Mack—the team’s former star—has totaled 16.5 with the Bears.

Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield will renew their rivalry by completing a trilogy fight 23 years after their last meeting on the Las Vegas Strip. For better or worse, the 54-year-old Tyson seems likely to continue his exhibition boxing career after a fight with Roy Jones Jr. last November in LA did big business.

The Raiders will again come up just short of missing the playoffs in their second season in Las Vegas, finishing 8-8. It’s going to take more than one offseason to build the defense into a postseason-caliber unit.

Chase Elliott, Peyton Kerbs, Las Vegas Golden Knights, Maxx Crosby, A’ja Wilson, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield (AP); Spruce Mascot (Las Vegas News Bureau) Charles Williams (Steve Marcus/Staff)(Photo Illustration)

Bryce Hamilton will return to the UNLV basketball team for his senior season, despite some advising him to declare for the 2021 NBA Draft after a hot start to this season. Hamilton will ultimately delay his professional career in favor of trying to make an NCAA Tournament run.

Bishop Gorman will regain its claim to being Nevada’s best high school football team. The fall season will go off as planned, and Gorman, with its roster of blue-chip college prospects, will beat Liberty in the state championship to avenge a 2019 loss that snapped a streak of 10 straight titles.

Led by dogged efforts from Dana White, the UFC will stage the first fight at Allegiant Stadium near the end of the year. White will either load up millions to coax lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov out of retirement or find another opponent for reinvigorated top contender Conor McGregor.

The revamped Las Vegas Bowl will live up to the hype, with its first game at Allegiant Stadium falling right before New Year’s Eve and featuring big-time programs USC and Nebraska. With capacity restrictions lifted, a crowd of nearly 70,000 will fill the venue and make for a sea of two different shades of red.

VEGAS INC BUSINESS

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Plastic surgery gets a lift during COVID-19 crisis

BY BRYAN HORWATH

hen the economy began to falter last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, one Las Vegas plastic surgeon braced for the worst. During the financial crisis a little over a decade ago, business at Lane Smith’s plastic surgery clinic dropped by nearly 50%. Smith, who heads the Smith Plastic Surgery Institute on West Sahara Avenue, said he expected the same last year, but that hasn’t been the case. “I was worried we might have to lay off some staff members,” said Smith, whose clinic has about 40 employees. “It’s been the exact opposite. There’s been a boom in plastic surgery.” The institute has experienced several record months, including November and October, which are typically a slow time, Smith said. Other plastic surgeons in Smith’s circle have noticed similar trends, he said. Andrew Silver, a doctor at Plastic Surgery Vegas, said a likely reason for the steady stream of business in 2020 is that people are looking at themselves more—literally. With more people working from home, Zoom calls and other sorts of video conferencing meetings have skyrocketed in popularity. “People are mentioning that directly,” Silver said. “People are looking at themselves from a camera positioned below them, often with poor lighting. You can see a lot of things you don’t like.” Last year, nearly $17 billion was spent on cosmetic procedures in the U.S., according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Nearly a third of all procedures performed in 2019 occurred west of the Mississippi River. Las Vegas—an entertainment-heavy city where a certain look can be important for employment—is in the plastic surgery hot zone. Many people also have time now to get surgery, including some entertainers who have been sidelined because of the pandemic.

“I did a bunch of Cirque du Soleil performers recently,” Smith said. “They’re not performing now, so they have a lot of time to recover. You can’t have a breast augmentation and swing from a rope any sooner than six to eight weeks.” Smith said breast augmentations are the most popular procedures at his practice, but they only make up about 25% of his business. Face-lifts and nose reshapings are also common. What he calls a “mommy makeover”—which often includes tummy tucks to remove excess midsection fat for women who have gone through childbirth—is also popular. In addition, the Brazilian butt lift is gaining in popularity, Smith said.

“There’s been a quadrupling in demand for those in the past two years,” he said. “Every woman wants their bum bigger now. There’s been a huge push in that direction.” At the Smith Institute, a breast augmentation typically costs between $5,000 and $8,000. A butt lift also runs several thousand dollars. The price tag on a mommy makeover starts at more than $20,000. Smith said he suspects advancements in the safety of plastic surgery procedures in recent years have also likely led to more interest in getting work done. Ashley Adams, a local schoolteacher, took advantage of her winter break to get a thigh lift and a reverse tummy tuck at the institute. Adams, 30, had her first plastic surgery procedure in 2017, partly because she had lost weight and wanted to have something done with some of the excess skin, but she also had breast implants. “It’s unreal all the options that are available,” Adams said. “There are people who can be judgmental about plastic surgery, especially in a place like Tennessee, which is where I’m originally from. It’s absolutely becoming more accepted, though.” Because of the pandemic, people are wearing masks in public, which can help a patient hide facial work during recovery periods. But that can also work the other way, Silver said. “I’ve heard people who are upset that they have to wear the face mask,” he said. “After they’re done healing, people want to show off what they had done when they’re out and about.”

Surgical technologist Bryan Bernard (left) assists Dr. Lane Smith of Smith Plastic Surgery during a breast augmentation. (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

VEGAS INC BUSINESS

1 . 7. 2 1 ly served as the Southern Nevada outreach coordinator for Gov. Steve Sisolak, forming part of the governor’s constituent services team. She has also worked in the nonprofit sector on policy issues on children’s health, immigration and education.

VegasInc Notes Workforce Connections announced Bank of Nevada’s Jerrie Merritt as the new board chair and Keolis’ Cecil Fielder as the new vice chair. Merritt joined Bank of Nevada in 2004 and has Merritt 40 years of banking industry experience. Fielder has an extensive transportation and logistics background, and currently leads a team of more than 700 employees with a discipline in safety management systems. Fielder Founding partners James Pisanelli and Todd Bice, of the litigation firm Pisanelli Bice, announced that the firm earned seven Tier 1 rankings by U.S. News — Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” for 2021. The firm’s top-level designations are in the areas of bet-the-company litigation, appellate practice, commercial litigation, con-

struction law, litigation–construction, litigation–mergers and acquisitions, and litigation–real estate. Lexicon Bank appointed Ray Lucero to vice president, relationship manager, and Riley Hammonds as IT infrastructure operations officer. Lucero brings more than 28 years of banking exLucero perience and 18 years of sales experience to Lexicon, with a focus on customer service and consultative sales. Hammonds, an experienced banking IT systems professional of five years, specializes in IT troubleshooting, Hammonds audits and project management. The Governor’s Office for New Americans announced that Margarita Salas Crespo joined the office to serve as the new senior adviser. She previous-

Goodwill of Southern Nevada announced the addition of Bonita Fahy as director of career services and Liza Golikova as director of development. Fahy will provide leadership and guidance to the staff that comprises Goodwill’s two career centers, while Golikova will be responsible for fundraising strategies and donor relations.

Fahy

Jill Rowland-Lagan, CEO of the Boulder City Chamber of ComGolikova merce, was appointed to the Nevada Commission on Tourism by Gov. Steve Sisolak. Before accepting both positions supporting business owners, the Boulder City native was a business owner and worked in the Clark County Detention Center. Haas Automation Inc. broke ground on a manufacturing plant in Henderson. The project, which will bring thousands

of manufacturing, engineering and technology jobs to the community over the next 10 years, will consist of a 2.5 million-square-foot plant producing high-tech machine tools for a variety of industries worldwide. The Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance welcomed its incoming chairwoman of the board, Betsy Fretwell, senior vice president of Switch Cities with Switch, the Las Vegas-based technology infrastructure corporation. Fretwell, who drives strategic development, implementation and national expansion at Switch, has been serving as vice chair of the LVGEA50 board the past two years. In addition, LVGEA welcomed three new members to serve on the board: Keith Whitfield, UNLV president; Jorge Cervantes, Las Vegas city manager; and Cora Case, chief financial officer, Intermountain Healthcare of Nevada. Nathan Adelson Hospice announced an expanded collaboration with Nevada Donor Network. Members of the hospice’s interdisciplinary team now work directly with patients and families to educate them about organ and Craig tissue donation and can now make direct referrals that will benefit local Nevadans. In addition, Dr. William Craig joined the hospice at its Pahrump location.

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The Library is Here for

Clark County high school students graduating in 2021 are invited to apply for a Cox Diversity Scholarship! • Ten $3,500 scholarships will be awarded • Visit www.thepef.org for information • Application deadline is February 14, 2021

Sponsored by Cox Communications in partnership with The Public Education Foundation and the following Southern Nevada-based diverse organizations: 100 Black Men Asian Community Development Council Chicanos Por La Causa Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada Historic Westside Chamber Junior League of Las Vegas Nevada Hispanic Business Group The Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce of Nevada The LGBTQ Center of Southern Nevada OCA Las Vegas

Bringing us closer

Beginning January 4, 2021

Visit

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

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

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

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PREMIER CROSSWORD

HOROSCOPES

“UNTHEMED #3: STACKED CENTER” BY FRANK LONGO

WEEK OF JANUARY 7 BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The pandemic has made it challenging to nurture our communities. To make new connections and keep our existing ones vibrant, we’ve had to be extra resourceful. Make this work one of your holy quests in 2021. Be ingenious and tireless as you nurture your web of allies. Show us all how to ply the art of high-minded networking. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): George Clooney is worth $500 million. Yet his dazzling opulence is puny compared with that of Mark Zuckerberg, whose fortune exceeds $100 billion. You will probably never achieve either man’s level of wealth, but in the next 12 months, you will launch plans that ultimately enable you to have all the money you need. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Leonardo da Vinci wrote, “To develop a complete mind: Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.” Use da Vinci’s instructions and stir up further inspirations about how to make 2021 a history-making epoch in the evolution of your education. CANCER (June 21-July 22): This year you will have more power than ever to heal at least some of the wounds from your old traumas. You will also attract extra luck and help to accomplish these subtle miracles. To get the process started, make a list of three practical actions you can take to instigate your vigorous healing. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Author Isabel Allende says, “We are in the world to search for love, find it and lose it, again and again. With each love, we are born anew, and with each love that ends, we collect a new wound. I am covered with proud scars.” 2021 could be your time for a personal rebirth that will be made possible by deep, interesting versions of love. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Occultist Israel Regardie (1907–85) was an accomplished author and influencer. “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence,” he said. “Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” Tape this quote to your bathroom mirror. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The Kabbalistic Tree of Life is a mystical symbol of the hidden structure of creation. At its heart is the principle of beauty. This suggests that the wise teachers who gave us the Tree regarded beauty as essential for our health and intelligence. This year, give special attention to people, things, experiences and thoughts that are beautiful to you.

2020 KING FEATURES SYNDICATE ACROSS 1 Like photons and gluons 9 Exercise machine with steps 21 Part of Turkey in Asia 22 Money from work 23 Getting wider 24 Three-under-par scores 25 Actors Epps and Sharif 26 Scrape (out) 28 Prefix with monthly or annual 29 Refrain bit 30 Distant 31 Gives voice to 34 Study of visual imagery 39 Angler using artificial bait 42 Suffix of sugar names 44 Feels fretfully discontented 45 Looking for 47 Dog pest 48 Geezer 51 Rival of Gmail 52 Gridiron player recruitment event 56 Pit- — (heartbeat sound) 57 “Etc.” for “et cetera,” e.g. 60 Kerfuffle 62 Vetoing vote 63 Start of a question in a Snow White story 71 Influence of a country in other countries 72 Explanation of a text based on its exact wording

73 74 75 76

Mauna — After taxes Letters after pis Apple debut of 2005 77 Charming 82 “... boy — girl?” 84 Truck fuel 86 Prefix with monthly or annual 87 Some hairless felines 91 Mafia initiate 94 China’s Mao — -tung 95 Maestro’s group 99 Area with a pond and fountains, perhaps 101 Attack 103 Partakes of 104 Trot quickly 105 Conger, e.g. 107 “Listen up!” 108 Rises quickly 110 Vehicle tag 116 War prisoner 119 Not merely figuratively 120 Quality of being close 121 Like a certain branch of geometry 122 Schmoozing sessions DOWN 1 Financial scammer Bernard 2 Zoo resident 3 Wage 4 Polaris or Sirius 5 Oodles 6 Gin inventor Whitney 7 Evil deed 8 Certain steeped herbal drink

9 Passover meal 10 Chinese “way” 11 In — (stuck) 12 For short 13 Saintly artifact 14 B-F link 15 Recline 16 Pig — poke 17 Director of 2000’s Charlie’s Angels 18 Ballad singer Michael 19 Materialize 20 States again 27 Deborah of The King and I 31 Pre-’91 empire 32 With 66-Down, Mr. or Mrs. Right 33 Arty NYC district 35 German composer Carl 36 Little Dickens girl 37 Pundit’s paper piece 38 Fibster 40 Source of Adam and Eve’s leaves 41 Suffix with Carol 43 Linked collection of photovoltaic panels 46 Redheads 48 Composer SaintSaëns 49 Personal view 50 Once-popular Nerf game with blasters 52 Amateur player 53 38-Down in the Bible 54 Enough Said actor Ben 55 Aleve rival 57 Human rights lawyer Clooney 58 Chomping down on 59 Ocean water

61 Actor Lundgren 64 Hockey legend Bobby 65 Stranded cell stuff 66 See 32-Down 67 Very, to Yves 68 In a tizzy, with “up” 69 That, in Chile 70 Liquid quality 78 On the ocean 79 Pricey stones 80 Apple debut of 1998 81 Ship of 1492 83 Ostrich kin 84 Writer Roald 85 Ending for Bronx 87 Strengthened 88 Sniffing organ 89 Getting an inside look at? 90 Roman 201 91 Florida major-leaguer 92 Mother-or-son president of the Philippines 93 Big name in yo-yos 96 Macbeth and Macduff 97 Most scarce 98 Take stock of 100 Coke rival 102 Glossy look 106 Alleyway 108 Feudal peon 109 Writer Sarah — Jewett 111 Poetic “prior to” 112 Modern, in Germany 113 Plant pouch 114 Building addition 115 Airport screening org. 117 Org. for teachers 118 Indenting key

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): According to motivational speaker Les Brown, the problem for many people is not that “they aim too high and miss,” but that “they aim too low and hit.” I’m conveying this to you just in time for the Reach Higher Phase of your long-term astrological cycle. According to my analysis, you’ll generate good fortune for yourself if you refine and expand your personal goals. Here’s a key detail: Don’t borrow anyone else’s standards of success. Home in on your own unique soul’s code, and give it fuller, deeper, wilder expression. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): It can be hard to force yourself to keep plowing through an author’s prose if it’s full of stuff you already know about. Where do you go to be exposed to thrilling new ways of looking at the world? This quest will be especially fun and crucial for you in the coming months. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “I only want people around me who can do the impossible,” businesswoman Elizabeth Arden said. In that spirit, you are authorized to pursue two “impossible” goals in 2021. The first comes courtesy of fashion writer Diana Vreeland: “There’s only one thing in life, and that’s the continual renewal of inspiration.” The second is from actor Juliette Binoche, who said, “My only ambition is to be true every moment I am living.” AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Your past is becoming increasingly irrelevant, while your future is still a bit amorphous. To help clarify the possibilities that you could harvest in 2021, suspend your theories of what your life is about. Pledge to reevaluate everything you think you know about your purpose. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Author Günter Grass wrote, “Writers know that sometimes things are there in the drawer for decades before they finally come out and we are capable of writing about them.” Most of us know that possibly useful ideas and dreams are in the drawer for years before they finally come out and we know how to use them. This will be an ongoing experience for you in 2021.

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