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L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
4.22.21
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS URGED TO SHED FEARS IN VACCINE PUSH The Cashman Center is big, and so is the sound of mariachi music. On a recent Saturday, a six-piece band filled the post-shot observation area of the COVID-19 vaccine megasite with bold brass and string sounds, brightening the mood and pulling heads up from phones. Clinic organizer Jon Klassen sought performers to give the space more life and put artists back to work, and his selection of a mariachi ensemble was no coincidence. It was an appeal to Latinos—the most overrepresented group in coronavirus infections but among the least vaccinated—and especially toward some of the most vulnerable among them, those living in the U.S. without authorization. Health officials want anyone who lives and works in the Valley vaccinated. Undocumented immigrants once unsure of their ability to get the COVID-19 vaccine are now replacing fears of exposure to the government with the same motivations that any resident or citizen has in getting protected from the coronavirus. They want to visit with family or go out and socialize. They want the vaccine, and, with assurances of their privacy and comfort, and assistance in getting over language and technology hurdles, they’re getting it. Undocumented immigrants represent about 7% of the Nevada population, according to the UNLV Immigration Law Clinic. That’s a large chunk of the 70% of the population that epidemiologists say need to be recovered from or inoculated against COVID-19 to achieve herd immunity against the virus. –Hillary Davis
WEEK IN REVIEW WEEK AHEAD N EWS YO U S H O U L D K N OW A B O U T
Las Vegas Weekly is mourning the death of photographer Bill Hughes, a longtime force in local journalism. A former CityLife staffer, he shot for virtually every publication in town, including this one, over the years. We'll miss witnessing his artistic new work, bumping into him at concerts—like the one above, Caravels' farewell show at the Bunkhouse in January 2015—and chatting with him about the local arts scene and so much more. R.I.P. (Bill Hughes/Special to Weekly)
4.22.21
IN THIS ISSUE
12 24 32 34 38
Cover story: You can help Southern Nevada go green Weekly Q&A: Pleasure talk from Michelle L’amour Scene: Cirque veterans produce a new desert fest Food & Drink: Local beer and Southern comfort faves Sports: Who might the Raiders draft first?
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Tourists watch a street performance April 17 at the Fremont Street Experience. (Steve Marcus/Staff)
VACCINATION PROGRESS Half of all adults in the U.S. have received at least one COVID-19 shot, the government announced April 18, marking another milestone in the nation’s largest-ever vaccination campaign but leaving more work to do to convince skeptical Americans to roll up their sleeves. The U.S. cleared the 50% mark just a day after the reported global death toll from the coronavirus topped a staggering 3 million, according to totals compiled by Johns Hopkins University, though the actual number is believed to be significantly higher.
LONG ROAD BACK
MARS FLIGHT NASA’s experimental helicopter Ingenuity rose into the thin air above the dusty red surface of Mars on April 19, achieving the first powered flight by an aircraft on another planet. It was a brief hop—just 39 seconds and 10 feet—but accomplished all the major milestones. “We’ve been talking so long about our Wright brothers moment, and here it is,” said project manager MiMi Aung.
CAPITOL RIOT GUILTY PLEA
HE SAID IT
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STORIES FROM LAST WEEK
While Sean Kazmar Jr. and the Atlanta Braves lost to the Chicago Cubs 13-4 on April 17, his pinchhit appearance in the fifth inning marked the 36-year-old’s first major league game since September 23, 2008—a span of 12 years, 6 months, 25 days. The Las Vegas High graduate had played 1,106 minor league games since a 19-game stint with the San Diego Padres.
“Use your common sense. Believe your eyes. What you saw, you saw.” –Prosecutor Steve Schleicher, in his April 19 closing arguments in the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
Jon Ryan Schaffer, a member of the far-right Oath Keepers militia group and heavy metal guitarist, became the first defendant to plead guilty to federal charges in connection with the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Schaffer was accused of storming the Capitol and spraying police officers with bear spray. He pleaded guilty April 16 to obstruction of an official proceeding, and entering and remaining in a restricted building with a dangerous or deadly weapon.
RESORTS WORLD SETS OPENING DATE Many have seen the progress in construction of the $4.3 billion Resorts World Las Vegas when driving throughout town. The property on the north Las Vegas Strip is more than 88 acres after all, and visible from various parts of the city. That resort now has an opening day: June 24. “We are filled with gratitude and excitement as we approach our opening this June and hope to play a role in Las Vegas’ rebound after what has been an incredibly challenging year for the destination and greater hospitality industry,” Scott Sibella, President of Resorts World Las Vegas, said in a news release. Resorts World features 3,500 rooms and suites through a partnership with Hilton, including the largest Conrad Hotels & Resorts property in the world, one of the first LXR Hotels & Resorts locations in the U.S. and a marquee Hilton Hotels & Resorts hotel. –Bryan Horwath
CBS SPORTS TO BEGIN TELEVISING WORLD SERIES OF POKER
CBS Sports has announced a deal to televise the World Series of Poker Main Event starting this year. The network reached a multiyear agreement with PokerGo that includes 15 hours of Main Event coverage and 36 hours of 18 additional gold bracelet events, according to a news release. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. While ESPN has televised the WSOP for nearly two decades, CBS Sports first broadcast poker in the U.S. and televised the WSOP Main Event throughout the mid-1970s on its CBS Sports Spectacular program. "CBS Sports has long been a pioneer in covering a broad range of championship sports," Ty Stewart, WSOP executive director, said in a statement. "We couldn't be more excited to see increased television coverage of the WSOP in the coming years and benefit from their growing media platforms. This year’s WSOP is scheduled for live play September 30 to November 23, with the $10,000 buy-in Main Event planned for November 4 through 17 at the Rio, according to parent company Caesars Entertainment. Last year’s event was contested online because of the pandemic. Additional coverage details will be announced in the coming months with the release of the full WSOP schedule, along with coverage across other ViacomCBS platforms, including Paramount+. –Staff
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LV W H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S
4.22.21
CLEAN PLATE Start reducing your carbon footprint by making changes in the kitchen BY GENEVIE DURANO
O
ur carbon footprint is the measure of the greenhouse gases—particularly carbon dioxide—that we individually and collectively generate and release into the atmosphere. This includes energy we use every day, including fossil fuels for transportation and electricity. According to the Nature Conservancy, “The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest Eat more plants and less meat. rates in the world. Globally, the average is closer to 4 tons.” One of the worst culThe cumulative effect of the world’s carbon footprint is the prits in emitting greendirect cause of global warming. In order to avoid the catastrophic house gas emissions? Cows, 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) increase in temwhich give off massive amounts of methane. According to the Food perature that’s predicted if we continue at our current levels of and Agriculture Organization of the consumption, we need to reduce our carbon footprint, at the United Nations, agriculture releases 18% of individual level, to 2 tons. greenhouse gases worldwide, surpassing even the transportation sector, with livestock using While it would be challenging to give up our cars in 30 percent of the Earth’s land surface. You don’t our vehicle-dependent city or to forgo electricity, one have to go vegan to make a difference; start area where we can reduce our carbon footprint is in our with a meatless meal once a week. kitchen. It will benefit the planet—and our health, in the process. Here are some ways to start.
0 Aim for a zero-waste kitchen. It’s estimated that Americans throw away 80 billion pounds of food a year—around 220 pounds per person. Food waste accounts for nearly a quarter of material in landfills, and that waste releases potent greenhouse gases as it decomposes. Save money and the planet and aim for a zero-waste kitchen by planning meals and eating leftovers.
Cut back on dairy, too. No one wants to give up cheese, but the reality is, it takes a lot of milk to produce it. As a result, cheese production emits more greenhouse emissions than producing pork, eggs and chicken. For your morning cereal, try various plant-based milk alternatives available at your local grocery store.
LV W H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S
Eat seasonally. One of the most magical things about fruits and vegetables is anticipating them coming into season—juicy blueberries and sweet corn in the summer, pumpkins in the fall, sweet potatoes in the winter. We were never meant to enjoy these seasonal treats year-round, and their off-season availability comes at a great cost to the environment, since they have to be transported from elsewhere. Make a habit of visiting farmers markets, and you’ll be rewarded with produce at its peak. Plus, you’ll be supporting local producers.
Learn to love ugly produce. Misshapen fruits and vegetables are thrown out because consumers think they’re subpar. But they’re just as nutritious as their photogenic counterparts. Give love to the ugly ones and save them from the landfill. You can even sign up for delivery services from online grocers like Imperfect Foods (imperfectfoods.com) and Misfits Market (misfitsmarket.com) at a steep discount.
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(Shutterstock/photo illustration)
4.22.21
The future is … more plastics. But it doesn’t have to be. We all know by now that our planet is clogged with plastic (300 millions tons are produced each year). Google the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to see exactly where that plastic bag from the grocery store or water bottle from the gas station could end up. This vortex of trash in the middle of the ocean spans an area twice the size of Texas, and it’s growing by the day. In less than 30 years, there will be more plastic (by weight) in our oceans than fish. But we can do our part by using our own bags at the grocery store, cutting back on single-use plastics and cooking our own food to reduce our reliance on plastic takeout containers.
Grow your own garden. If you’re a novice, start with common kitchen herbs. Then expand your repertoire to include seasonal produce, like tomatoes and peppers. If you don’t have garden space, rent a plot at a community garden like Vegas Roots (vegasroots.org), where you’ll get lots of support from expert gardeners.
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LV W C OV E R S T O R Y
4.22.21
On Earth Day—and every day—let’s strive for a more sustainable world
April 22 is
EARTH DAY
Dreaming in green PROPER RECYCLING BY GENEVIE DURANO On a recent tour of Southern Nevada Recycling Center, Community Relations Manager Jeremy Walters offered examples of the kinds of things people throw away that they think are recyclable but are, in fact, not. He pulled out items like dirty diapers, blownout tires, electrical wiring and a plastic Christmas tree. To say that Walters has seen trash in all its forms is an understatement. The 110,000-squarefoot North Las Vegas facility is the largest residential recycling
center in North America, with the capacity to process 2 million pounds of recyclable material a day (or roughly 70 tons per hour). For context, the bales of recyclables the facility processes in a single day can reach as high as two Stratosphere towers. It has sophisticated sorters of the magnetic, optical and human kind—separating trash into paper, plastic, aluminum, glass and landfill-bound. It’s a stunning display of the detritus of modern society, from plastic water bottles to food containers to a head-spin-
Even if you’re separating your trash, you might not be doing it correctly ning array of product packaging. In one corner sits a mountain of cardboard boxes, the majority stamped with the Amazon smiley face, a reminder of the price of convenience. Walters even has a name for this new class of trash: the Amazon effect. During the pandemic, it has increased in proportion to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ net worth. Overwhelming as the trash processed here on a daily basis might be, Walters says it’s actually a good thing. “As long as they’re here, it’s OK. Not everybody recycles. There’s
a decent amount of stuff that goes to the landfill because someone at the consumer level at the curb is making the decision to throw good recyclables in the trash. But definitely, if you see it right here, that should give you hope.” There are lots of tips for proper recycling at republicservices. com/residents/recycling/basics. Tours of the facility are available by appointment only (vegasrecycling.com). Meanwhile, here are the top three things Walters hopes customers will keep in mind when filling their blue bins …
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N A truck dumps recycling materials at the Republic Services of Southern Nevada Recycling Center in North Las Vegas. (Wade Vandervort/ Staff/Photo Illustration)
CLEANING UP
Friends of Nevada Wilderness restores nature on Earth Day and beyond BY LESLIE VENTURA
Flexible plastics are a no-no.
Be mindful of food contamination.
Any plastic you can poke your finger through, like grocery bags, Ziploc bags, single-use produce bags and those white Amazon satchels or envelopes, are not recyclable, as they gum up the recycling machines. “The best example I can give people to really visualize it is think about when you vacuum at home,” Walters says. “Over time, when you’re vacuuming, the roller on your vacuum gets wound up with hair. If you don’t cut it out, your vacuum will either become inefficient or jam all together. That same principle applies with flexible plastics, and how our machines are working.”
When you don’t rinse out and dry your recyclables, they can contaminate a big batch of other recyclables, which then needs to be tossed in the landfill. “That’s why it’s important not to throw pasta sauce jars that are dirty into [the] recycling,” Walters says, “Because if that gets soiled, that’s something that we have to take out and throw away.” Walters also says people often confuse composting with recycling, throwing out food waste with their recyclables. “No organic material should be in the recycling,” he says. “We call it ‘empty, clean, dry’—three words for people to easily remember.”
Don’t confuse reuse with recycling.
Walters says there’s a certain type of mentality called aspirational recycling, or “wishcycling,” that happens frequently. This is when people throw things in the recycling bin, hoping and wishing that they are indeed recyclable. “We get all these things, like bowling balls, clothes, shoes, toys. You have things that are still good and usable, maybe you’ve outgrown them and you no longer want them. Keeping things out of the waste stream is always going to be the most sustainable option. Take those things to a donation center or places like that,” he says.
Many of us have spent the past year indoors, and Earth Day marks a great opportunity to get outside. While you’re at it, why not lend a helping hand to Mother Nature herself? The statewide nonprofit organization Friends of Nevada Wilderness works to keep public lands and wilderness areas safe, clean and accessible, while educating Nevadans about the value of wildlife and wildlands. FONW’s wilderness stewardship program provides sign-up opportunities for restoring Nevada’s backcountry and natural landscapes, or advocating for the voiceless animals that call the desert home. FONW will celebrate Earth Day with an April 22 volunteer restoration event at the Wee Thump Wilderness Area in Searchlight. According to NevadaWilderness.org, the Wee Thump Wilderness Area—located on Southern Paiute, ’Aha Makhav and Chemehuevi lands—is home to one of the oldest Joshua tree forests in the entire world. It also provides shelter to animals including the Great Horned Owl. On Earth Day, FONW volunteers will reverse damage from vehicles traveling off designated driving trails, install signs to let recreationists know the area is not open to automobiles and create a better-maintained parking space for visitors. Volunteers should RSVP by emailing peter@nevadawilderness.org and dress for the occasion. Close toed shoes, long pants, sunglasses, a hat, sunscreen and work gloves are recommended—and, of course, water. Masks will also be required.
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Vegas vs. emissions
It’s one of the climate’s biggest foes, and here’s how you can help to beat it BY GEOFF CARTER
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ecently, the Environmental Protection Agency restored the climate change section of its website. Scott Pruitt, the Trump-appointed former administrator of the EPA, ordered the web pages removed nearly four years ago because he rejects the overwhelming scientific evidence that the steady burning of fossil fuels is releasing gases like carbon dioxide and methane—emissions that are trapping heat in the atmosphere and gradually warming the planet. (Unsurprisingly, he’s now registered as a coal lobbyist.) But the EPA’s climate change pages live again, and their data is easy to check against other scientific studies from around the world. The science on emissions is settled. The planet is warming up, and the causes are human: factory waste, outdated agricultural practices and, closer to home, vehicle emissions. And considering we live in a hot, arid climate—one whose mean average temperature, according to recent data from Nevada’s Desert Research Institute, has been steadily climbing since 1950—it might be healthy for us to actually look at those reinstated climate pages and freak out over them just the tiniest bit. Vehicle emissions are one of the biggest adversaries in the fight against climate disaster. And here in Southern Nevada, that fight is going … OK. Drivers are slowly warming to the idea of carpooling; in a May 2020 interview, Nevada Department of Transportation rep Tony Illia told me that local use of high-occupancy vehicle lanes “has steadily climbed” since additional HOV miles were added in recent expansions of I-15 and U.S. 95. (And once Raiders home games finally come to Allegiant Stadium and tailgating begins in earnest, those carpool lanes will handily prove their value.)
More people are riding Las Vegas’ city buses, removing huge numbers of emissions-spewing single-occupant vehicles from the streets. “Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, RTC’s public transit system provided 63.3 million passenger trips in 2017, 64.6 million passenger trips in 2018 and 65.3 million passenger trips in 2019,” Regional Transportation Commission Deputy CEO Francis Julien tells the Weekly by email. The RTC is considering bus rapid transit and light rail solutions that could lure even more riders, including Valley residents who’ve never seriously considered public transportation before—which, let’s be honest, is probably more than half of us. And even the much-maligned
Las Vegas Monorail is working. The nearly 4-mile line carried 4.6 million passengers in 2019, most of them conventioneers—and in so doing, the all-electric train removed an estimated 2.1 million vehicle miles from our streets and some 27 tons of emissions from our air. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority acquired the monorail in December 2020, in part to gain right-of-way permissions for a new underground tunnel system created by one of Elon Musk’s companies to run his no-emission electric vehicles; if it proves successful in moving visitors from one end of the Convention Center to the other, the Vegas Loop could be expanded to the Strip, the airport and beyond. These are all good things. But
A view of the LVCC Central Station during a tour of Elon Musk’s underground transportation system under the Las Vegas Convention Center. (Steve Marcus/Staff)
they’re not nearly enough to make even a small dent in the problem. You only need to look at the veritable parking lot of idling cars the southbound 15 becomes every Sunday to know that our vehicle emissions won’t be so easily reduced. But there are a few more steps we can take, personally and as a community, to save our city from slowly cooking to death. Share a cab/Lyft/Uber (when we start going out again). In addition to reducing the number of vehicles on the streets, it could save you and your friends a few bucks on gas and parking. Parking fees! They live! Support efforts to bring train service back to Las Vegas. Whether it’s the Brightline West high-speed rail line from Victor Valley or the restoration of Amtrak service to Las Vegas, we need rail—both to alleviate traffic snarls on I-15 and to reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicles coming to town every weekend. Support the creation of a light rail line (or more than one). It’s not some rarefied thing: Some 40 U.S. cites have heavily used light rail systems, including neighboring Phoenix and Salt Lake City. According to a 2010 report from the Department of Transportation, light rail systems produce 62% less emissions than private vehicles. (And bus transit produces 33% less.) Also, light rail lines encourage the building of walkable neighborhoods—like the ones already beginning to form in the Arts District, on Maryland Parkway and in Chinatown. We don’t have to give up being who we are. We can still have one or two gasoline cars in the driveway. We can still take road trips. NASCAR needn’t perish. But if we balance those things out with real mass transit, carpooling whenever possible and—why not?— an occasional walk or bicycle ride, we can fix this thing before it’s too late. It’s essential that we do. All of us need to get on the same climate (web)page.
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Average Initial Cost (post tax credit)
$8,992$10,991
Average payback period
7.4-9.1 YEARS Federal Solar Tax Credit
Average 25-year savings
SUN CITY
$25,523$31,195
Source: Solarreviews.com
26% THROUGH 2022.
Answering common rooftop solar questions
BY C. MOON REED
Cost & savings Sadly, rooftop solar is not yet cheap to install. The upfront investment can be “in the tens of thousands of dollars,” according to NVEnergy. And it can take five to 10 years to recoup the cost. Even if you don’t have a pot of gold, however, you can still make solar happen. One option is to lease the solar panels rather than directly purchasing them. Leasing allows you to get in the solar game without the upfront costs. The Federal Solar Tax Credit can also smooth your entry into solar, but it only applies to buyers, not leasers. Residential buyers only have a few years to benefit, as the credit will be eliminated in 2024. Until then, expect to receive a credit worth 22%26% of the installed cost of solar applied to the current tax year.
Sunny money Wondering what happened to NVEnergy’s incentive program for solar? It ended in 2019. But rooftop owners still benefit from net metering, which means NVEnergy will pay you for your excess energy produced. How much you’re credited depends on when you signed up, as NVEnergy has been decreasing credit rates over time. Tier 4 customers, for example, receive 75% of the retail volumetric electricity rate. As to exactly how much money you’ll earn over time, that depends. To calculate your specific costs and savings, use NVEnergy’s rooftop solar calculator at nvenergy.com/ cleanenergy/solar. Solar might also increase your home’s resale value. According to a 2019 study by real estate website Zillow, homes with solar go for about 4.1% more than homes without.
Access for all One downside of rooftop solar in its current form is that it’s really only available to landowners. But activists are working to make it accessible to all. “I’ve been fighting for rooftop solar access, especially in communities of color,” says Rudy Zamora, program director for Chispa Nevada. “A lot of [people in] our community don’t own their roof, so we can’t put rooftop solar on or make that decision ourselves, because we’re renting. So we’re looking at other ways to make solar more accessible to communities.” Created by NVEnergy and the Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy, the Lower Income Solar Energy Program (LISEP) offers incentives to business customers for solar systems that serve low-income populations. Additionally, NV Assembly Bill 465, passed in 2019, requires electric utilities to “offer an expanded solar access program to certain customers.” Zamora says more should be done. He mentions how his 6-year-old child, who has asthma, would benefit from the cleaner air provided by rooftop solar power. “In my ideal world, equitable solar would be something that everyone would have access to.”
(Shutterstock/Photo Illustration)
If you’re wondering whether you should add rooftop solar to your home or business, the answer is yes. According to NASA, climate change is both real and devastating, causing increased global temperatures, warming oceans, shrinking ice sheets, glacial retreat, decreased snow cover, sea level rise, extreme weather events and ocean acidification. ¶ By installing rooftop solar, you can become part of the solution. You’ll be helping to achieve Nevada’s commitment to reach 50% renewables by 2030, which Governor Steve Sisolak signed into law on Earth Day 2019. Additionally, rooftop solar is easier on the environment than building giant solar fields in the desert. ¶ If saving the planet isn’t motivation enough, perhaps saving money is more appealing? According to NVEnergy, rooftop solar can provide a 7 percent to 10 percent return on investment.
LV W C OV E R S T O R Y
4.22.21
121,856
LANDS BILL BY THE NUMBERS
acres for federally protected off-highway vehicle recreation areas
30,633
acres within expanded disposal boundaries (land can be developed)
353,716
acres for special management areas for species conservation
The Clark County Lands Bill would protect Nevada’s unspoiled acres (and more)
EMPTY SPACES BY C. MOON REED
1,639,422
acres to receive new wilderness designation
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Ever wonder why housing prices are so high when Las Vegas is surrounded by empty land just waiting to be developed? Like, why not break ground already? The answer is that developers can’t endlessly build because most of Nevada—48 million acres, according to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)—is owned by the federal government. As Southern Nevada’s population continues to grow, different groups and interests compete for access to that land. Should an area be dedicated to affordable housing, environmental conservation or outdoor recreation? After years of back and forth, the powers that be have reached a compromise with the Clark County Lands Bill. The County calls it a “coordinated, well-planned approach to our ever-increasing population, while not sacrificing the natural resources we hold so dear.” Officially known as the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act (SNEDCA), the bipartisan bill is sponsored by Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen in the Senate (S.567) and Rep. Mark Amodei in the House (H.R.253). The bill is now working its way through both chambers of the U.S. Congress.
Red Rock National Conservation Area (Shutterstock/Photo Illustration)
There’s a lot happening in this bill, but here are some of the highlights. Protecting the desert. With more than 1.6 million acres going to new wilderness designations, Nevada’s natural legacy is at the forefront of the bill. “It makes it so that these lands are protected for future generations,” says Annette Magnus, the executive director of Battle Born Progress.
Returning ancestral lands to the Moapa Band of Paiutes. The senators’ office worked directly with the tribal government in Moapa to expand the Moapa River Reservation by 41,028 acres. “This one is near and dear to my heart,” Magnus says. “It gives tribal governments the ability to self-govern and enable traditional and cultural uses [of] tribal land. This is something that the Paiutes have been asking for a very, very long time.”
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acres of Moapa River Reservation expansion for the Moapa Band of Paiutes.
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Source: Clarkcountynv.gov
DRIP TIPS
Simple ways to help conserve water BY GENEVIE DURANO
Here’s a mind-blowing figure: According to Albert Mack and Bill Jones from Tough Turtle Turf (toughturtleturf.com), the average household in Las Vegas uses 55,000 gallons of water a year. Given that we live in the desert and water is an ever-pressing issue, it’s up to each of us to be mindful of our water consumption. The biggest water hog? Those perfectly manicured lawns that bring so much joy when the weather calls for outdoor time. But you can still get the same results by designing your backyard to be drought-friendly, such as adopting xeriscaping or using artificial turf instead of grass. “The Water Authority offers rebates to customers— $3 per square foot for switching your lawn to turf,” Jones says. “That’s money that goes directly to the customer.” Beyond your backyard, here are some ways to decrease your water consumption.
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Expanding Red Rock. “We are thrilled,” Save Red Rock President Heather Fisher says of the bill’s planned 50,000-acre expansion of the national conservation area. “We took Catherine Cortez Masto on a tour of Red Rock [National Conservation Area], showed her all the issues and talked about everything.” Fisher says that an earlier incarnation of the lands bill had a piece of Red Rock taken out for development. “It would have been three times the size of Mountain’s Edge, so we just fought that tooth and nail,” Fisher says. “Instead of BLM land adjacent to Red Rock turning into disposal lands, it’s turning into protected land. We couldn’t be happier.”
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Increasing urban sprawl. A UNLV projection estimates that Clark County’s population will grow to 3.61 million by 2060. While the most environmentally friendly way to address growth is via infill, expanding outward allows for greater economic diversification and keeps prices low. Expect to see an additional 30,633 acres of land surrounding Clark County open to development, much of it south of town on Interstate 15. There’s also an affordable housing component to the bill, which might be necessary for all of us if housing prices continue to explode.
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n Install low-flow showerheads. A conventional showerhead uses up to 5 gallons of water every minute, while a low-flow one uses half as much. Even better: Set a timer for five minutes or limit your shower to one song on a playlist. Sorry, bath lovers. Baths use up to 50 gallons of water; make your soak an occasional treat. n While waiting for the water to heat up when taking a shower, catch that water in a bucket and use it to water plants. n Check regularly for leaks in faucets or the toilet. Need a reminder? Do it when the clocks change twice a year. n Only run the dishwasher or the washing machine when it’s full. n Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. Train your kids to do the same.
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RAISING ECO-WARRIORS Teaching kids to be stewards of the Earth
“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children,” goes a Native American proverb. At no point in our history as human beings has it ever been more crucial to raise our children with awareness about the state of our planet. And children themselves are leading the way: Climate activist Greta Thunberg began her crusade to hold policymakers accountable as a solitary 15-year-old holding a sign outside the Swedish parliament. Her Fridays For Future school strike movement has since galvanized millions of students across the world.
When it comes to climate change awareness, it’s never too early to start educating your kids. Here are some tips to get you started.
Spend time in nature
Garden and plant trees
Reduce carbon footprint
Become aware of waste
If your kids have a love for nature, they’ll feel vested in protecting it. Take them on hikes and camping trips, and engender a sense of responsibility early on by teaching them to “leave no trace.” Help younger kids identify different species of birds, trees and flowers, and give them a notebook to record their observations. Older kids can download the iNaturalist app, a social network for amateur and professional biologists sharing observations about biodiversity across the globe.
Teaching kids to grow things will also help them feel more connected to our planet. And seeing the literal fruits of their labor will help them understand where our food comes from. Don’t have a green thumb? Take your kids to farmers markets and have them chat up local producers. That should also encourage a more healthful way of eating.
Our means of transportation are some of the biggest culprits when it comes to climate change. Driving just two miles in a gas-fueled car can release two pounds of carbon dioxide into the air. Be a role model and extol the virtues of walking, biking, carpooling and taking public transportation. As for ways to reduce carbon footprint around the house, teach kids to turn off energy sources, like TVs, game consoles and computers, when not in use. Make it easy by plugging them into a power strip with an on/ off switch, so they don’t have to unplug each gadget.
It’s important to teach kids how to recycle properly, but it’s even more important to teach them to lessen their consumption of products with excessive packaging. It’s another area where parents can model behavior. Bring your kids to the grocery store and have them pick out products with less waste. Buy snacks in bulk using reusable bags, or choose foods that aren’t packaged at all, like fresh fruits and vegetables. For a fun weekend trip, hit up Minimal Market at Downtown Fergusons (minimalmarketlv.com), a refillable, zero-waste shop where you can buy household items like laundry detergent using your own containers.
(Shutterstock/Photo Illustration)
BY GENEVIE DURANO
Yep, we sure are spoiled here… The most mountains and darkest skies in the Lower 48? That's us. Pristine lakes and flowing streams? You bet. Millions of acres of backcountry, begging to be explored? Got it all. And plenty more where that came from, too. As you kickstart adventure season, let us help you dial in your Silver State bucket list, get out there, and start uncovering new Silver State surprises, one home-state excursion at a time. Because now is the perfect time to Discover Your Nevada. DiscoverYourNevada.com/LVWeekly
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CHARITY BEGINS IN YOUR CLOSET Put your spring cleaning to good use by helping others BY GENEVIE DURANO
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n her bestselling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, organization guru Marie Kondo writes, “The process of assessing how you feel about the things you own, identifying those that have fulfilled their purpose, expressing your gratitude and bidding them farewell, is really about examining your inner self, a rite of passage to a new life.” It’s probably been more than a year since many of you have truly looked into the contents of your closets. For those who’ve been able to work from home, sweatpants and pajamas became the new business casual, sending retailers like Ann Taylor and Loft into bankruptcy, and forcing others like Banana Republic and H&M to shut down hundreds of stores. Pandemic weight gain is also a reality for many. An October 2020 American Psychological Association report titled “Stress in America 2020: A National Mental Health Crisis” found that since the start of the pandemic, 42 percent of adults have reported gaining an average of 29 pounds. That means our closets need a major overhaul, and what better time to do that than during spring cleaning? The good news is, while you might have outgrown last year’s clothes, they can certainly be of use to someone else. And you don’t have to stop at clothing. Reassess what you own, and see if it can be of better service to others. Don’t discard toys and clothing in the trash or recycling; there’s always a way to reuse them. And in this time of economic insecurity for many, a little charity can go a long way. Once you’ve decided what to donate, here are some places to take them. (Note: Due to the pandemic, some charities aren’t doing residential pickups, but there are many drop-off points across the Valley.)
(Shutterstock/Photo Illustration)
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HOME Goodwill of Southern Nevada Goodwill is known for its thrift stores, and donating to the charity helps put people to work and fight poverty. In addition to clothing and household goods, you can donate furniture, used electronics, vehicles and cash. Goodwill.vegas. The Salvation Army of Southern Nevada Donations of clothing and household goods help fund rehabilitation programs that heal addictions and restore families. If you want to do more, the Salvation Army also has a robust volunteer program. Call 702-870-4430 for more information.
Opportunity Village The beloved local nonprofit benefits individuals with disabilities and puts them to work in jobs they love. Like Goodwill and the Salvation Army, Opportunity Village has a thrift store where used items get a second life. Drop off items Monday-Sunday, 7 a.m.8 p.m., at The Crossing Church (7950 W. Windmill Lane) and at Centennial Hills Hospital (6900 N. Durango Drive). Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Nevada BBBSN seeks to change the lives of children facing adversity in Southern Nevada through mentorship. Donations of gently used clothing, books, toys and small household items can change the life of a child in need. Schedule a pickup from your home at donatevegas.com. Project 150 This nonprofit was created to provide support and services to homeless, displaced and disadvantaged high school students. Hygiene items like shampoo, conditioner and toothbrushes are always in need, along with supplies like backpacks, notebooks, paper, pens and pencils. Drop-off location open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., 3600 N. Rancho Drive.
Dress for Success of Southern Nevada This organization helps women dress for job interviews. When they land a job, they receive up to a week’s worth of business-appropriate clothing and accessories. Donations of cleaned and laundered business attire and shoes are welcome. Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (by appointment only), 3400 W. Desert Inn Road #25, 702-684-6412. Soles4Souls Zappos has teamed up with Nashville nonprofit Soles4Souls to make it easy to donate new and lightly used shoes and clothing. Simply place items in a box, print out a prepaid shipping label from Zappos and drop off at UPS. Your donation will help those who have been affected by the pandemic. Zappos.com/e/ soles-4-souls.
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THE PLEASURE PRINCIPAL Burlesque star and Quarantine Cabaret creator Michelle L’amour wants you to feel better about feeling good BY GEOFF CARTER
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n interview with Michelle L’amour could go in any number of directions. We could talk about Bare Book Club (formerly Naked Girls Reading), the often-imitated, never duplicated “live nude literary show” that she founded in 2009. We could talk about “Butthoven’s 5th Symphony,” her viral video that got some 4 million views in 2013. We could even talk about her striptease appearances on America’s Got Talent. (David Hasselhoff was into it; Brandy, not so much.) Today, though, we’re all about Quarantine Cabaret (quarantine-cabaret.com), the donations-driven online variety series she began producing during the early days of the pandemic—and what convinced the celebrated burlesque performer, producer and instructor to relocate to Vegas from LA to continue making it.
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THE WEEKLY Q&A Right from the beginning, Quarantine Cabaret handily served two purposes: It brought Vegas-quality entertainment—dancers, musicians, comedians, contortionists, magicians and more—into our homes during the bleakest stretches of 2020, and provided a financial boost for the performers themselves, nearly all of whom were forced out of work. But even as live entertainment slowly reawakens, L’amour is sticking with webcasting, albeit with a different focus: education. She’s ardent about body-image issues—she spoke frankly about her alopecia in a 2018 HuffPost editorial—and about embracing pleasure without guilt. She hosts classes, seminars and even a podcast on sexual wellness and intentionality, and still finds the time to hosts a “burlesque-inspired fitness class,” Tease & Tone, through Vegas Dance Hub (vegasdancehub.com). You moved to Vegas from LA last year at the height of lockdown. Why? Well, LA is ridiculously expensive. When the shutdown happened, I lost all of my income, and my landlord was actually raising the rent during this pandemic. … It was a bit of a panicky situation. I’m really grateful that my lease ended so that we could come here and get some freedom financially, and also just actual space. We moved into a place where we could have a whole area of the house completely dedicated to production. Before that, everything was in the living room, and we had to put it up and tear it down every single time. And we were producing a lot of content. So, suddenly, we found ourselves living in a theater, which maybe sounds romantic, but it wasn’t—because it was the theater plus the place where we binge-watched Tiger King. We’re super happy to be in Vegas, and that’s really allowed us to really get creative.
Michelle L’amour (Left: Tigz Rice; right: Christopher Erk/Courtesy)
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in the empowerment space; I’ve been teaching this class called Pussy Confidence, which I developed during the quarantine as well. That’s something that was a nugget of an idea back in 2014, and I’ve always been wanting to flesh it out. This [lockdown] gave me opportunity to sit down, really study, put in the time, create the class and then begin to teach it. That’s been truly life-changing. What can you tell us about your podcast, Look Down There? That came to me during the pandemic, as well. I like to call myself a recovering vulva hater (laughs). Even though I’m known as “The Most Naked Woman,” I was very careful about what I showed to the audience. I carried with me a lot of shame about what was between my legs; I thought it was ugly and gross and didn’t look like the pretty little packages that you see in Playboy. I’ve done a lot of work over the years to heal this shame, [and] if I can talk about it, then maybe that will help to heal other people. I know it’s very strange to be disconnected from such an important part of your body—something that gives you so much pleasure, that creates a life. … You have to be really intentional about seeing it. You have to literally grab a mirror and look down there.
Quarantine Cabaret was kind of a godsend for both performers and viewers. Two days into the lockdown, I was like, “OK, all the jobs are gone,” and my brain just took off. … The original idea was to have people come over, just one at a time, so we could film their acts. And then it quickly became, “No, that’s a bad idea.” Then we asked people, “Hey, can you film yourself?” And this is not necessarily a skill that performers have. I mean, I don’t have that skill; I can barely take a selfie. I’m grateful that Franky, my husband, can do all this magic. Suddenly, the whole world became available to me; I could work with anybody anywhere. That got really exciting.
Does this feel like an inflection point for you, production-wise? Yeah. To be honest, even before the pandemic I was getting really burned out on the hustle and going from gig to gig. Granted, I’m grateful and fortunate to have the work that I have… but I’ve been doing it for over 18 years, which is mind-boggling to me. I was just looking for something different— not necessarily leaving the performance world, but to speak into a different space. I’m really working
Now that restrictions are lifting, do you think you might perform or teach on Vegas stages? I am really open to anything and everything at this point. I’ve learned during this time not to say “I’m never doing that,” because all the things that I’m doing are things I said I would never do. I’m pursuing everything that makes me happy, that I have a passion for—and if that means that I get to produce a show here, that would be amazing.
MICHELLE L’AMOUR michellelamour.com lookdownthere.com
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BIG THIS WEEK
NOSTALGIQUE With the help of guests, comics Ben Sosa Wright and Aba Amuquandoh engage in incisive and sometimes giggly conversation about “the pop stars of our youth”—Alanis Morrissette and Feist, among others—in this fun weekly podcast. bit.ly/3spIwyi
MUSIC
CHRIS CORSANO & BILL ORCUTT: MADE OUT OF SOUND Like last year’s glorious Soundkeeper, which reteamed Steve Gunn with John Truscinski, March’s Made Out of Sound features a guitarist (Orcutt) and drummer (Corsano) who’ve been semi-regular collaborators through the years. And once again, familiarity breeds great success. The record’s seven instrumental tracks play more like jams than “songs,” yet the veteran experimentalists’ real-time compositional chops make each piece memorable within the rhythmic, hypnotic whole. Billorcutt.bandcamp.com/album/made-outof-sound. –Spencer Patterson
BOOK TV
MADE FOR LOVE Based on a novel by former Las Vegan Alissa Nutting, the eight-episode Made for Love is the twisted, bleakly hilarious story of Hazel Green (played brilliantly by Cristin Milioti), a quick-thinking grifter on the run from a suffocating marriage to obtuse tech CEO Byron Gogol (Billy Magnussen), who implanted a chip in her head that constantly monitors what she sees, hears and feels. This Black Mirror-like satire of toxic masculinity, internet stalking and even quarantine-like isolation couldn’t speak more clearly to our present moment. HBO Max. –Geoff Carter
WHEREABOUTS BY JHUMPA LAHIRI The latest novel from author Jhumpa Lahiri —her first in 10 years, and her first written in Italian (and translated into English)—is a lovely meditation on an unsettled life. In a series of vignettes, we meet an unnamed woman whose seemingly tranquil life belies a deeper restlessness. As in Lahiri’s other novels (most notably the Pulitzer Prize-winning Interpreter of Maladies), her gorgeous lyricism grabs you from the first sentence and doesn’t let go till the last. This is a novel to be savored, from a writer whose talent transcends language. Knopf Doubleday. –Genevie Durano
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MIDWAY TO MAIN STREET Rob Plays uses his Disney theme park video series to explore many varied topics, such as why we throw coins into fountains and why several 19th-century belly dancers took the name “Little Egypt.” And his Disney deep dives are first-rate. bit.ly/3dpoK1K
Cristin Milioti in Made for Love (Warner Media/Courtesy)
SHOW
OUR PICKS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
TV
OUTDOOR NEVADA Venerable host John Burke brings the outdoors into your living room with 10 new episodes of Outdoor Nevada on Vegas PBS. In Season 4, Burke explores rock climbing and biking in Southern Nevada; he encounters bighorn sheep and meteor showers; he drinks at the Pioneer Saloon and hikes in Sloan Canyon; and he does it all (safely) amid a global pandemic. Become a Vegas PBS member to watch all the seasons online, or watch for free the old-fashioned way. Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m., Channel 10, vegaspbs. org/outdoor-nevada. –C. Moon Reed
AMANDA KING AT NEVADA ROOM The Vegas Room has emerged as an essential local live entertainment venue during the pandemic—one that allows artists complete creativity—and jazz singer Amanda King says she’s honored to soft-open the owners’ expansion at Commercial Center, a larger space dubbed the Nevada Room. “I love the Vegas Room and I’ve seen so many transformative performances there,” she says. “This is a little bigger, but you’ll still get to see those personal, intimate performances.” Her celebration of the life and music of Ella Fitzgerald takes place on the legend’s birthday, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Forgotten Song Foundation supporting local artists and musicians. April 25, 7 p.m., $35-$55, 725-206-7059, thenevadaroom.com. –Brock Radke
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THE STRIP
Zumanity’s Edie brings the drag Downtown BY BROCK RADKE
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he spirit of Zumanity lives on. Cast and crew members from the permanently shuttered Cirque du Soleil show have been busy creating other experiences in and around Las Vegas, including Apéro Show at the Baobab Stage at Town Square and the upcoming desert festival Ignite (see Page 32). The most prominent character from Zumanity has also found new life, bringing a boost to a burgeoning Downtown venue at the same time. Christopher Kenney, who emceed the show for more than a decade as Edie, the “Mistress of Sensuality,” has established a Friday-night residency for the drag spectacular Faaabulous! The Show at Notoriety Live at Neonopolis. Kenney created the show with partner Jamie Morris—one of the
hosts of Puppetry of the Penis at the Erotic Heritage Museum and a writer who contributed to Zumanity. FAAABULOUS! Faaabulous actually THE SHOW got its start before Fridays, 8 p.m. $40. the pandemic and the Notoriety Live, closure of Zumanipark,” he says. “We’re 702-472-7514, notorietylive.com. ty, when Kenney and just coming out of the Morris showcased it in train station—hopefully 2019 at another Downtown it will be successful and we venue, Ron Decar’s Event Cenget more people in seats. We’ve ter. “We did four shows to see if we had great audiences; we just need had something, and the response to get the word out more to tourwas amazing,” Kenney says. “We ists. Right now, it’s mostly locals felt excited and proud and thought who are coming, and the energy is we were ready to … try to get it into great.” a casino. But doing 10 shows a week Notoriety has been building in Zumanity [caused it] to fall to buzz in recent months, as other the back burner for the next few familiar entertainers and events months, and then COVID came.” have taken up residency there, When Cirque and MGM Resorts including singer Clint Holmes announced the end of Zumanity afand composer Keith Thompson, ter 17 years at New York-New York, whose showcase events have trait lit a fire. ditionally been presented at the “That show should have never, Smith Center. ever closed,” Kenney says. “But I Faaabulous is currently playing feel like my old self, my New York to audiences of 80 in the Robin self, the guy who was just really Leach Lounge, one of three operexcited to perform, like ‘What’s the ational showrooms at Notoriety. next gig?’ It’s been really fun. The The singing is all live, so it’s a bit creativity is really flowing, and it different from traditional drag feels really good.” cabarets, and the small cast is Kenney worked for years as a stocked with veteran Vegas, LA dancer and drag artist in New York and New York performers, inCity before landing in Las Vegas, cluding Christopher Lash, Brooks and Faaabulous has connected the Braselman, Justin Rodriguez and entertainer with those strong roots. Ashton Sawyer, plus dancers CurHe also created the Edie character tis Goodman and Taylor Bradley. long before performing on the “Christopher Lash wrote us an Strip. original opening song, and the enFaaabulous has been an expanergy of that song opens and closes sive learning experience, with his the show,” Kenney says. “There small team collaborating to proare just a lot of great vibes coming duce and market the show, as well from the audience. It’s nice to as educating the audience about the feel that again. We give it to the venue Notoriety Live, which had audience and hopefully they like it barely opened its doors before the and give it back to us, and it turns pandemic struck. into this spinning magical thing “We’re teaching people where it’s for an hour and 10 minutes. It’s a at and how to get there, where to great feeling.” Christopher Kenney, aka Edie, performs during Faaabulous! The Show at Notoriety Live in Downtown Las Vegas. (Yasmina Chavez/Staff)
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THE STRIP Celine Dion, Carrie Underwood, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan to headline Resorts World Las Vegas BY BROCK RADKE
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s expected, Celine Dion will return to the Strip with a headlining gig at Resorts World Las Vegas. But the singer who pioneered the modern Vegas residency show isn’t the only star set for the new $4.3 billion destination, which will open on June 24. Carrie Underwood, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan are also expected to establish headlining residencies at the 5,000seat Theatre at Resorts World after appearing with Dion and previously announced resident DJs Tiësto and Zedd in a promotional short film dubbed Stay Fabulous, released April 21. The video teases entertainment offerings at Resorts World and offers a glimpse at the 3,500-room resort, billed as the first commercial filmed on a virtual live set to merge virtual reality and CGI elements. “The concept of Stay Fabulous captures the essence of the Resorts World Las Vegas brand where guests are encouraged to embrace their individuality and create their own version of fabulous,” Resorts World President Scott Sibella said in a statement. “With stunning visuals and special appearances from A-list entertainers, the commercial gives a peek into the incredible experiences that await when our doors open this June.” Dion, who wrapped her game-changing, 1,141-show run at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in June of 2019, was a lock for a new gig at Resorts World. AEG partnered with Dion and Caesars to build the Colosseum and launch her original concert residency in 2003, and the same company (AEG Presents and its Concerts West division) signed on to develop and operate the Theatre at Resorts World. The pandemic forced Dion to reschedule the European leg of her Courage World Tour to 2022, and she’s set to perform next in Tel Aviv, Israel, on June 19. Resorts World has not yet announced concert dates for any of its headliners, but tickets are on sale now for performances from Tiësto and Zedd at Ayu Dayclub beginning on July 3. Underwood performed a medley of gospel hymns from latest album My Savior at the 2021 ACM Awards on April 18. She last performed in Las Vegas in 2019 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Bryan won the ACM Entertainer of the Year award at that same event and accepted virtually from the set of American Idol in LA. He recently returned to judging duties on the popular singing competition after missing the first live show due to a bout with COVID-19. And pop star Perry is also currently an Idol judge, last played the Strip at T-Mobile Arena in 2018 and welcomed her first child in August. Concerts West/AEG Presents and Resorts World are expected to announce details of upcoming live performances in the next few weeks.
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SPARK OF CREATIVITY World-class circus artists launch Ignite fest in the desert outside Las Vegas
Left and right: Ignite performers Philippe Belanger and Marie-Lee Guilbert rehearse at the Las Vegas Circus Center. (Steve Marcus/Staff)
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ager performers gather in a southwest Valley rehearsal space on a Thursday in early April. They remove their shoes to walk on floors padded for acrobats. They stretch and lounge, waiting their turn to dance or sing or make jokes. The scene feels strange in its familiarity. These seasoned professionals—who have graced some of the most prestigious Strip stages—must have spent countless afternoons like this. And yet, for the past year, the shows have been dark, the rehearsals disbanded. Finally, the first sparks of creativity are returning. These performers—many of whom have Cirque du Soleil on their résumés—are participating in the first in-person rehearsal for a new variety entertainment concept, the Ignite outdoor festival. It’s set to bring together live entertainment, food, music, drinks, camping, outdoor games and more May 7 and 8 at Sandy Valley Ranch, about an hour southwest of Las Vegas. Even through their branded Ignite masks, the participants’ excitement is obvious. “It’s freaking exciting, the best thing in the world,” says clown RJ Owens. “It’s so nice to be around creatives again, because we’ve been shut off from the world. It’s wonderful to just be artistic for art’s sake. I love it. I missed it.” The idea for Ignite came to Sandi Croft, its founder and co-director, over the summer as she was whiling away the pandemic isolation at Sandy Valley Ranch. The former artistic director for Mystère, O and Zumanity looked at the horse arena and saw the makings of a stage. She pitched the idea to longtime Zumanity colleague Brandon Pereyda, an aerial chain artist with a distinctive red mohawk and an alter ego known as Axle. “Can you see it?” Croft recalls asking Pereyda as they surveyed the Mojave desert ranch. “Right now, it’s just dirt and an arena.” Pereyda saw that, and more. “We just started collaborating off of each other’s ideas,” he says. Ignite’s tagline reads “Disconnect to reconnect.” It could refer to the show’s
IGNITE May 7-8, 7:30 p.m., $65-$125. Sandy Valley Ranch, 1411 Kingston Road, ignitenv.com.
rustic location. It could also refer to the narrative of pandemic-fueled distancing, which serves as the variety show’s loose theme. The free format will allow the two dozen-plus circus artists to follow their bliss and also co-create. “We wanted to get people inspired again, get them creating again,” says Pereyda, who will emcee as Axle. “The talent is just itching to be onstage again, to collaborate; not just the artists but also backstage—stage managers, marketing and social media, and technical,” Croft says. Drummer and body percussionist Steve C. Weiss says he’s thrilled to get back to making music for a live audience, already sensing the energy in the rehearsal space. It marks an emotional
Ignite co-directors Brandon Pereyda and Sandi Croft (Steve Marcus/Staff)
return for Weiss, a Zumanity cast member who lost his job when the pandemic hit and the show closed permanently. “There’s gonna be tears of joy and sadness,” Weiss says. “There’s no two ways about it, the past
year has been awful.” Pereyda says one of Ignite’s goals is to bring out those emotions. From the initial pain of the pandemic to a reborn sense of community, Pereyda says, “this show really takes us on that journey.” “[And] it’s not like Joe Schmoe is putting together a show out at the ranch,” Weiss says. “These are top-tier, worldclass talents. That’s gonna be exciting— pandemic or not—to get to work with [people] like that.”
Traveling and accommodations Located just on the other side of the California border in San Bernardino County, Sandy Valley Ranch is less than an hour’s drive from Las Vegas. Parking is available. Rideshare or taxis are not recommended due to the remote location. Round-trip shuttle service will be available from Town Square for $50 per person. Book at ignitenv.com by April 26. If you want to spend the night, RV dry camping spaces are available for $40.
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TAPPING IN
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CraftHaus’ Wyndee Forrest has big plans for the Nevada Craft Brewers Association
Nevada Craft Brewers Association president Wyndee Forrest at CraftHaus Brewery in Henderson (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
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FOOD & DRINK BY LESLIE VENTURA
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“With Northern and Southern Nevada being disconnected geographically, it’s really important we have one message going out, and that’s that Nevada makes award-winning, worldclass beers,” she says. “We don’t need to import everything.” She’s got plenty of favorites on tap. For Las Vegas visitors who want some of that novel Sin City flair, Forrest suggests Big Dog’s Las Vegas Craft Lager, especially since it features the Welcome to Las Vegas sign right on the can. And she recommends Lovelady Brewing for anything sour.
“They have a craft cocktail-inspired sour beer line, and those change seasonally,” she says. “Lovelady has been upping the sour game.” For something more crowd-pleasing, Forrest points to Excited State, a German pilsner from Able Baker. And, of course, she’d be remiss not to plug something from CraftHaus, in this case its Silver State blonde ale. “It’s our go-to,” Forrest says. “It’s the brewers’ beer. It’s what [we] drink during the daytime.” And the can, emblazoned with an illustration of Sunrise Mountain, pays homage to CraftHaus’
Southern Nevada home. Forrest is joined on the NCBA’s new board by vice president Tom Young (Great Basin), head of industry and development Linda Lovelady (Lovelady), head of marketing Paul Young (Shoe Tree), head of membership and events Christina Ellis (Ellis Island) and treasurer Rob Snyder (Big Dog’s). Forrest hints at beer festivals and other gatherings on the horizon, along with a membership program for Nevada craft beer enthusiasts fans, which would grant early access to beer releases, events and more. For more information, visit nvbeer.com.
(Wade Vandervort/Staff)
ou know Wyndee Forrest and her husband, Dave, as the brewmasters and owners behind CraftHaus Brewing, a regional favorite for local craft beer fans. But Wyndee’s work in the industry doesn’t end there. As the new president of the Nevada Craft Brewers Association executive board, Forrest says she hopes to “create one united voice” between the northern and southern regions in the state. “I’m really honored that my fellow craft brewers trust me to be the uniting voice to represent them all,” Forrest tells the Weekly. The Forrests first got the idea to open a brewery after they visited Europe a decade ago. “That’s what really opened our eyes that beer could be full-flavored and bring people together,” she says. After that trip, Dave started homebrewing, and the pair “went down the rabbit hole,” Wyndee says. The couple eventually opened CraftHaus, the name a nod to the Bavarian region of Germany that inspired it. The local brewery is celebrating its seventh year in Henderson, with a second location open in Downtown Las Vegas. Forrest’s experience opening a brewery in Henderson helped to open doors for others, too. “We were integral in changing the City of Henderson’s licensing to be more craft-beer friendly,” she says. Before Crafthaus opened, a brewpub license cost $60,000, she says. Undeterred, Forrest lobbied for a year to get the licensing fee down to $10,000, and succeeded—and also managed to get a gaming requirement removed from the permitting process. “The business model for independent brewers doesn’t typically involve gaming, and we were adamant about not having it at our brewery, because it detracts from people talking to their neighbors and building a community,” Forrest says. And while Forrest says the same business license costs just $1,000 in beer-friendly regions like San Diego County, these changes mark progress for Nevada.
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HITTING THE SPOT
A food truck favorite drops anchor with Family Soul
ABBBA MOVIE MOVE,OVE
BY BROCK RADKE
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edicated customers have been begging Dan Chatman and his family, operators of the 11-year-old Soul Food Cafe Express truck, to open up a brick-and-mortar restaurant. That time has come. Family Soul made its debut in the fall just across the street from the AMC Rainbow Promenade movie theaters in the northwest Valley, serving up truck favorites and expanding the menu with fried fish and other Southern-style dishes. The new restaurant has a cozy coffee-shop feel, a homey atmosphere that’s hard to find at other eateries in this franchise-heavy neighborhood. It recently expanded hours to include breakfast Wednesday through Sunday, building on the family-friendly experience with comfort fare like buttermilk pancakes ($5), shrimp and grits ($12) and chicken and waffles ($12). At lunch and dinner, addictive appetizers like Soul Rolls ($8)—crispy egg rolls filled with collard greens and candied yams—and mac and cheese crab balls ($8-$10) leap off the menu. But the simple and perfect lemon pepper chicken wings ($8) also deserve attention. Family Soul serves whole wings ($15) as an entrée, and you can make those an extra-crispy part of a combo plate along with seafood options like catfish, salmon or shrimp. Or keep it light with a plate of grilled chicken, tilapia, shrimp or salmon. The standard here is the fried catfish with greens and yams ($17), but feel free to mix and match your sides; from mac and cheese to red beans and rice, they’re all good. Family Soul serves special-occasion dishes like turkey wings ($15) and oxtails and rice ($20) every day, and $9 weekly specials bring Tuesday meatloaf, Thursday liver and onions and Wednesday smothered chicken into the mix. It’s a tall order, but try to save some room for homemade banana pudding or peach cobbler (both $7), the perfect sweet ending to a soul-satisfying meal.
FAMILY SOUL 2300 N. Rainbow Blvd, 725-205-5085. Tuesday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Wednesday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Fried salmon with yams, greens and cornbread (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)
4.22.21
LV W F O O D & D R I N K
FOOD & DRINK
DEEP DIVE
Explore the full menu at Mediterranean mainstay Khoury’s ($10)—mini bread dumplings—are stuffed with houry’s Mediterranean Restaurant will lamb and almonds. hit the 15-year mark in Las Vegas this Speaking of lamb, the gyro is naturally one of year, and its Lebanese cuisine is certainthe most popular items at Khoury’s, but the lessly deserving of local institution status. er known street-food standby lahm bi ajeen ($8) Everyone knows the Village Square spot is one is a must-try, perfect to slice up and share or as of the best places in the Valley for mezza, a a filling lunch all by itself. Finely ground lamb selection of small plates including is blended with tomatoes, parsley, KHOURY’S hummus, baba ghanoush, labni-maonions and other spices and folded 9340 W. Sahara Ave. toom yogurt dip with garlic and into an extra toasty pita to create a #106, 702-671-0005. mint, fried haloum cheese and other portable, craveable snack. Grab a Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday & side order of avocado jalapeño humsavory bites to mix and match with Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. warm, toasty pita bread. mus ($11.50) for dipping. But the less familiar parts of At dinner, gyros, shawarma, Khoury’s menu are just as satisfykabobs or Khoury’s signature baked ing, starting with some of the other appetizers. garlic chicken grab the spotlight. If you want Add interesting textures and fascinating flavors something with bolder flavors, try sujuk ($14to your spread with bamieh ($8), tender okra $18), a spicy beef sausage of Turkish origin rich with garlic, onions, tomato and cilantro, or the with garlic, sumac and red pepper. It packs legit sharp fava bean dish known as foohl ($8), served heat without overpowering the other seasonings, hot and seasoned with lemon, olive oil and and it’s wonderfully complementary to all those garlic. For a heartier opening bite, samboosak cool, creamy dips on your table.
BY BROCK RADKE
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Lahm bi ajeen and (below) sujuk sausage (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)
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FIRST ROUND FORECAST
Who might the Raiders snag first in the NFL Draft? BY MIKE GRIMALA
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ow important is the NFL Draft? Last year, the Raiders passed on Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr. in the first round, and Winfield went on to start from Day 1 and win a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while Las Vegas had the league’s worst safety unit and missed the playoffs entirely. On April 29, the Raiders will pick 17th overall in the first round, and coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock really need a hit. Fortunately for them, there are a bunch of first-round prospects who would look good in silver and black.
FIRST ROUND PROSPECTS OFFENSE
■ Teven Jenkins (OT, Oklahoma State) The general consensus says Jenkins is the biggest, baddest run blocker in the draft. If he’s available when the Raiders pick at No. 17, it’s hard to see Gruden and Mayock passing on a player who could lock down the right tackle position for the next 10 years. ■ Christian Darrisaw (OT, Virginia Tech) If Jenkins is already off the board, the Raiders could turn to Darrisaw to be their future right tackle. He’s not as nasty in the running game as Jenkins, but he’s a premium pass protector, having allowed just one sack last season. ■ Devonta Smith (WR, Alabama) Some mock drafts have the Heisman winner dropping to the middle of Round 1, and though the Raiders just used a first on an Alabama speedster, the early returns on Henry Ruggs III haven’t been great. Smith has the potential to super-charge the Las Vegas offense.
TIGERS TO TRACK
The Raiders have selected four players from national power Clemson in the past three drafts. Here’s who they could target:
■ Najee Harris (RB, Alabama) A running back in Round 1? Impossible, right? Maybe not, considering Gruden seems to value backfield depth more than most coaches in today’s game. ■ Creed Huphrey (C, Oklahoma) The Raiders have a hole in the middle of the O-line after releasing veteran Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson, and the long-term solution might not be on the roster yet. Humphrey would be a bit of a reach at No. 17 overall, but he would fill a big need.
Travis Etienne (RB) The Raiders have invested a lot in the running back position, with Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake set to make a combined $6.25 million this season. But Etienne ran a 4.40 40-yard dash at Clemson’s pro day and could be available when Las Vegas picks at No. 48. Can Gruden resist adding another playmaker to the backfield?
Jackson Carman (OT/OG) The Raiders are retooling their offensive line on the fly, and Carman (6foot-4, 317 pounds) is a beast of a blocker who could play inside or outside in the NFL. As a fourthround pick, this could be a fit.
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(NHLI via Getty Images)
4.22.21
FIRST ROUND PROSPECTS DEFENSE
■ Micah Parsons (MLB, Penn State) The Raiders could drop Parsons into the middle of their defense and let the tackling machine run sideline to sideline for the next five years. ■ Jaelan Phillips (DE, Miami) Phillips is one of the draft’s biggest mysteries, after injuries and position questions dampened his production in college. But if he figures it all out, some lucky team could get a monster pass-rusher in the middle of the first round. ■ Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (OLB, Notre Dame) Perhaps the most versatile defender in the draft, Owusu-Koramoah projects as a weakside linebacker who can rush the passer, tackle ball-carriers and run with tight ends and slot receivers down the field. The Raiders could use a guy like that. ■ Caleb Farley (CB, Virginia Tech) Farley has injury concerns, but if healthy he might end up being the best cover cornerback in the draft. And Las Vegas desperately needs more corners after possibly whiffing on last year’s first-round pick, Damon Arnette. ■ Trevon Moehrig (S, TCU) Current starter Johnathan Abram graded out as the worst safety in the NFL last season, so yeah, the Raiders have a need at the position. Moehrig can defend the deep part of the field, which will be key under new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
(AP/Pho
Amari Rodgers (WR) Hunter Renfrow has developed into a heck of a slot receiver for Las Vegas, so why not double-dip and grab the man who succeeded him at Clemson, too? Coming off a really good senior year (77 catches, 1,020 yards, seven TDs), Rodgers could be available in the third round, when the Raiders pick back to back at Nos. 79 and 80.
Cornell Powell (WR) Powell was almost as productive as Rodgers last season (53 catches, 882 yards, seven TDs) and actually ran a slightly faster threecone drill at his pro day. With both of the Raiders’ receiver picks from last year looking like question marks, it might make sense to add a prospect like Powell in the later rounds.
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J.C. Chalk (TE) Chalk caught just six passes last year, and he ran a glacial 5.20 40-yard dash at Clemson’s pro day, so you can pretty much forget about any team using a draft pick on him. But as an undrafted free agent, the Raiders might be interested.
PLAYER OF THE WEEKLY: ALEX TUCH Tuch continued his resurgent season with goals in three of four games. He finished the week with 16 goals in 43 games played this season, a 30goal pace in a typical 82-game season.
Report THIS WEEK’S VOTE 1. Alex Tuch 2. Mark Stone 3. Nicolas Roy 4. Max Pacioretty 5. Tomas Nosek As voted by Las Vegas Weekly’s panel, based on games played April 12-18. SEASON STANDINGS 1. Mark Stone (35 points) 2. Max Pacioretty (27) 3. Marc-André Fleury (22) 4. Jonathan Marchessault/Alex Tuch (tie, 20) 5 points for 1st place in a week, 4 for 2nd, 3 for 3rd, 2 for 4th, 1 for 5th. UPCOMING GAMES April 24 at Anaheim Ducks, 6 p.m. April 26 vs. Colorado Avalanche, 7 p.m. April 28 vs. Colorado Avalanche, 6:30 p.m.* Games air on AT&T SportsNet and 98.9-FM/ 1340-AM unless noted. *Game airs on NBC Sports Network STANLEY CUP ODDS: 6-TO-1 at Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook PROSPECT WATCH: GAGE QUINNEY The 25-year-old forward had a strong week for the Silver Knights, scoring three goals, including an overtime winner, against Tucson on April 15. Quinney, a Las Vegas native and the first Nevada-born player to appear in the NHL, entered the week with 15 points in 16 AHL games this season.
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Convention workforce gears up for first big test since start of pandemic
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BY BRYAN HORWATH he head of a local union that represents trade show industry laborers said his workers are ready as Las Vegas meetings and convention business begins to crawl back from the doldrums of the pandemic. Tommy Blitsch, principal officer of Teamsters Local 631 in Las Vegas, said it’s likely that about a third of the approximately 1,500 workers in the union will get called to do work for the World of Concrete show at the Las Vegas Convention Center in June. The workers will mostly handle loading and unloading, and the setup of exhibitions and other show areas. World of Concrete will be the first in-person, large-scale convention to return to Las Vegas since the onset of COVID-19 last year, and is considered a milestone event as the tourism industry restarts. “They’re eager to come back,” Blitsch said. “They’ve been really patient during this whole process. My biggest fear is that there won’t be enough work this year. I think all eyes will be on World of Concrete; it will let us know how the next show might go.” The show attracted more than 50,000 attendees to Las Vegas in early 2020—just before the coronavirus started to sweep across the country—though it will be smaller this year. As of early April, World of Concrete’s website listed 576 committed exhibitors for June. While that didn’t represent a final tally, it’s significantly down from the 1,300-plus companies that exhibited at the event in 2020. Organizers and Las Vegas tourism officials have said they can’t yet estimate how many people will attend the construction show. Despite Blitsch’s optimism, Kevin Carty, executive vice president of Oregon-based convention builder Classic Exhibits, which does business in Las Vegas, said there are concerns in the industry about a possible workforce shortage.
Along with manual laborers, Carty said, the industry also depends on a deep network of other specialists to bring shows to life—electricians, IT professionals, designers and many others. Along with other trade show business leaders from across the country, Carty helped launched an advocacy group called the National Trade Show Alliance. One of the main goals for the alliance, Carty said, is to raise awareness about a possible labor pool shortage. Once fully operational, the alliance’s website will feature a jobs board and “skills refresh and development” resources, he said. “In March of 2020, our industry was shut down,” Carty said. “We lost more than 90% of our employees.
The workforce has been depleted.” Because of the shifting economy during the pandemic, workers in many industries had to get creative to find work. Similar to what has been seen in the restaurant industry, some found entirely new lines of work, leaving massive holes to fill. Mark Yuska, president of Virginia-based Alliance Exposition Services and another founder of the National Trade Show Alliance, said he’s concerned. “It’s not a good situation right now,” Yuska said. “It takes a lot of people to put on a show the caliber of World of Concrete and some of the other large conventions. There’s a lot that goes into it, and our industry was taken to its knees. We’re having to basically start over.” Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, expects Las Vegas’ trade show worker ecosystem to be ready. “I know the small businesses that work with the industry are ready to get back in gear,” Hill said. “It’s been an exceptionally hard time for the suppliers of this industry. This is a lifeline for those small businesses.” Resort companies like Caesars Entertainment, Wynn Resorts, MGM Resorts International and Las Vegas Sands have put tens of millions of dollars, and in some cases much more, into convention and meetings spaces in recent years. During a normal year, officials estimate that World of Concrete alone has an economic impact of about $93 million. “For the next couple of months, it will be slow,” Hill said. “But when we get to around Memorial Day and into June, we’re going to start to see a real movement up in this industry.”
World of Concrete 2020 (Las Vegas News Bureau/Courtesy)
4.22.21
VegasInc Giving Notes AT&T invested $100,000 in four Las Vegas-based nonprofits through its Believe Las Vegas initiative, including Uplift Foundation of Nevada, Latino Youth Leadership Conference, Leaders in Training and Ty’s Place, supporting Gentlemen by Choice and Teaching and Uniting Ladies to Inspire Positive Success. Southern Highlands Preparatory School raised more than $53,000 for Kids Heart Challenge, setting records for all Nevada schools that are participating in the American Heart Association program that teaches kids how to live healthy for life. United Way of Southern Nevada’s Women United invites the community to join a virtual celebration of the accomplishments of local women leaders during the 13th annual Women United Signature Event on April 23 at 4 p.m., featuring Carl Ray, celebrity makeup artist to former first lady Michelle Obama and Diane Von Furstenberg. Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada received a donation of a maintenance vehicle by Southwest Gas. The panel van is being retired from the Southwest Gas fleet and comes complete with in-
dustrial-strength shelves for the club’s maintenance team. It will be used to help keep the 13 club locations safe and well-maintained. The Chef Jeff Project and Neighborhood Housing Services of Southern Nevada teamed up to provide food and snacks for the front-line workers staffing the COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas. Brought together by North Las Vegas Fire Chief Joseph Calhoun, the Chef Jeff Project and NHSSN collaborated to feed North Las Vegas Fire and Police departments, Clark County School District nurses, military personnel, FEMA and volunteers. The Engelstad Foundation awarded Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Las Vegas a $250,000 grant to provide a “home away from home” for families at the Ronald McDonald House, as well as dental services and education to children from low-income families throughout Nevada. Since 2012, the foundation has donated more than $1.7 million dollars to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Las Vegas, impacting the lives of more than 105,000 children and their families.
The Henderson Equality Center received a $20,000 sponsorship from Anthem to expand its large event center room that will be used for a multitude of events, with the primary goal of using it for a job readiness program. PandMedic Solutions donated 10,000 medical-grade face masks to nonprofit CORE and to two Opportunity 180 partner schools—Futuro Academy and Democracy Prep at the Agassi campus. The Source+, in partnership with Camp, a solventless cannabis cartridge brand, raised $8,450 for the Last Prisoner Project in February. Comprehensive Cancer Centers donated $2,500 during UNLV’s #RebelsGive 2021 fundraising initiative to help support the work of Dr. Ernesto AbelSantos in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. The donation will directly go to Abel-Santos’ research to develop anti-germinants to prevent C. diff infections. Skye Canyon’s Fit Fest 2021 raised more than $3,000 for Kline Veterans Fund, a charitable organization providing financial assistance and other support to homeless, at-risk and indigent veterans and their families in Southern Nevada. Bank of America has donated 250,000 masks and 400 cases of hand sanitizer to Southern Nevada nonprofits. The Public Education Foundation
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announced a partnership with Penn National Gaming to create the Diversity Scholarship Program. The $1 million donation from Penn—which operates Tropicana Las Vegas and the M Resort—is part of the company’s commitment to promoting equity in post-secondary education opportunities for dependents of its team members who have financial needs. The foundation also partnered with the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians to distribute $25,000 in supplies for teachers and students at Park and Paradise elementary schools. Nevada Gold Mines, operated by Barrick, donated $150,000 to Delivering With Dignity, an emergency response program to help vulnerable and isolated residents during the pandemic. This donation helped establish the program in Northern Nevada, delivering 25,000 meals for those in Las Vegas and Reno-Sparks and keeping 66 Nevadans gainfully employed. Nevada Donor Network Foundation announced it has received a five-year commitment of $50,000 per year from the VGK Foundation. The Vegas Golden Knights and Henderson Silver Knights partnered with NDNF to launch the “End the Wait” campaign, an effort to raise $35 million for a virtual transplant institute for Nevada that will recruit surgeons and transplant teams to bolster the state’s kidney transplant needs and save more lives.
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