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L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
10.28.21
‘THE BELIEVER’ MAGAZINE TO CEASE PUBLICATION The Believer magazine, the acclaimed literary and cultural criticism bi-monthly published by the Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute in UNLV’s College of Liberal Arts, will end publication after its spring 2022 issue. Founded in 2003, the five-time National Magazine Award finalist was published by Dave Eggers’ independent press imprint McSweeney’s for the first part of its existence, before it was acquired by BMI in 2017. Over the years the magazine published an impressive array of acclaimed and up-and-coming writers and illustrators, including Amy Sedaris, Hilton Als, Sarah Marshall, Nick Hornby and Michael Kupperman. It also inspired the creation of the annual Believer Fest, which drew writers, cultural commentators and musicians like Aimee Mann, Jonathan Lethem and Anita Sarkeesian to speak and perform around Las Vegas. The Believer flourished for a time under BMI, but the one-two punch of the coronavirus slowdown and the tough sledding all magazines face in a largely digital world has left “no path forward to continue publishing the magazine,” Jennifer Keene, dean of UNLV’s College of Liberal Arts, said in a statement. Though the statement doesn’t say as much, it’s also easy to infer that the April resignation of The Believer’s former editor-in-chief Joshua Wolf Shenk—who stepped down in ignominy after exposing himself during a Zoom call— didn’t help the magazine’s long-term prospects. Keene adds that the dissolution of The Believer frees up resources that can be redirected “to the initiatives most central to BMI’s mission”—including literary fellowships and the “City of Asylum” safe haven program for writers who face persecution in their home countries. And the 2022 Believer Festival is still scheduled to go on April 28-30, after The Believer’s final issue is published. –Geoff Carter
INMATES’ HEALTH SPURS CALL FOR PROBE
ONE WEEKEND GETS METALLICA, BILLY JOEL AT ALLEGIANT Raiders defenders Denzel Perryman (52), Johnathan Abram (24) and Dallin Leavitt (32) converge on Eagles receiver Jalen Reagor, who manages to catch the ball and run in for a touchdown October 24 at Allegiant Stadium. It was too little, too late for Philadelphia, though, as Las Vegas—which led by 23 points in the fourth quarter—held on to win, 33-22. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
NEVADA TO STRENGTHEN VEHICLE EMISSIONS STANDARDS Nevada became the country’s 16th “Clean Cars” state October 22 after the State Legislative Commission passed the regulation on an 8-4 vote. Clean Cars Nevada will provide Nevadans with more choices for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles beginning 2024 and will strengthen vehicle emissions standards to curb transportation pollution, Gov. Steve Sisolak’s office announced. The regulation will help advance Nevada’s climate action and sustainability goals and reduce harmful air pollution from cars and trucks on Nevada roads, the statement from the governor’s office said. While the regulation will increase the availability of low and zero-emission vehicles, it will not require anyone to give up their current vehicle or choose one that does not work for their lifestyle or business needs, the statement reads. The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) led Clean Cars Nevada, which incorporated input from auto manufacturers and dealers, conservation groups and residents, the statement reads. Other states to adopt Clean Cars standards include California, New Jersey, Connecticut, Washington, Vermont, New York, Maine, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and Colorado. –Jessica Hill
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THINGS THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK
Allegiant Stadium will see its biggest concert weekend yet in early 2022 when Metallica and Billy Joel land in Las Vegas in February. One of the most influential metal bands in history, Metallica will perform at Allegiant Stadium on February 25 with support from Greta Van Fleet. The next night, Grammy Legend Award-winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Joel will take the stadium stage. Tickets for both Live Nation concerts go on sale to the general public October 29 at 10 a.m. at ticketmaster.com. Metallica last played Las Vegas in 2018 at T-Mobile Arena. Joel has long been a regular performer at MGM Grand Garden Arena and last headlined the Strip in 2016, also at T-Mobile Arena. –Brock Radke
A group that advocates for Nevada inmates is seeking answers from the state prison system on what they say has been an ineffective and damaging pandemic response. A wide-ranging report released by Return Strong: Families United for Justice for the Incarcerated alleges conditions inside Nevada Department of Corrections facilities over the past year and a half have ranged from frustrating to deadly. Heidi McCafferty, a graduate student in criminology at the University of London, combed through more than 1,000 letters from NDOC inmates. The analysis is for her dissertation, and Return Strong founder Jodi Hocking said it is “legitimizing” the accounts from inmates and their families. Based on the inmates’ letters, Return Strong said the pandemic has led to extended “quarantine” lockdowns that have affected physical and mental health; restricted access to phones, showers, programming and visits; a lack of medical care for COVID and non-coronavirus conditions; and less food. –Hillary Davis
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NEW KIDS ATTRACTION AT ADVENTUREDOME
RUNWAY CLEAR FOR AIRPORT NAME CHANGE
Circus Circus will introduce the Twistin Tea Cups ride at AdventureDome on October 31, across NebulaZ near the kiddie rides section. Guests wearing Halloween costumes will receive a 20% discount on admission from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Clark County has gathered enough donations—$4.2 million—to begin replacing signage at McCarran International Airport to show its new name, Harry Reid International Airport. It’s not yet known when the signs will be installed.
10.28.21
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
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IN THIS ISSUE
10 20 28 34 40 42 44
News: Looking back— and forward—after 80 years at the El Cortez Cover story: Costume advice, party planning and more for Halloween The Weekly Q&A: Talking wine with Delilah sommelier Cristie Norman The Strip: Dropping in on Derek Hough’s new dance show Food & Drink: This sandwich could change your life
WEEK IN REVIEW WEEK AHEAD News you should know about
Sports: Top universities are lining up for this Las Vegas prep star
Fire lights up the night at Electric Daisy Carnival on October 23. For our coverage of the event, visit lasvegasweekly. com. (Wade Vandervort/ Staff)
Vegas Inc: Pets and CBD, plus a cannabis compliance expert
HE SAID IT “What it’s done is prevented me from getting deeply up to my ears—which I’m going to do once this is done—in dealing with police brutality, dealing with the whole notion of: What are we going to do about voting rights. It’s the greatest assault on voting rights in the history of the United States—for real—since the Civil War.” –President Joe Biden, referring to how the negotiating process on the twin infrastructure and social benefits bills were keeping him from other legislation.
3 MODERNA SAYS VACCINE SAFE FOR KIDS Moderna said October 25 that a low dose of its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and appears to work in 6- to 11-year-olds. Pfizer’s kid-size vaccine doses are undergoing evaluation by the Food and Drug Administration. It’s already approved for those 12 and older.
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SISOLAK CITED IN CRASH
WILDFIRE LAKE MEAD TEMPORARILY CLOSING
Gov. Steve Sisolak and another driver were issued citations for their involvement in a two-car collision that sent them to the hospital for precautionary reasons. A police report said Sisolak failed to yield to oncoming traffic, while the other driver was speeding.
Wildfire Lake Mead, a Henderson favorite tavern operated by Station Casinos, will temporarily close beginning November 1 to begin an expansion and property renovations. The locale is expected to reopen before the end of the year.
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LV W N E W S
10.28.21
(Sun File)
1976
VINTAGE VEGAS Downtown mainstay El Cortez showcases its 80-year past as it builds for the future BY HILLARY DAVIS
10.28.21
K
enny Epstein is in the executive boardroom of the El Cortez Hotel & Casino, putting 80 years of history and energy into one word—and it fits. “There’s a Jewish expression, it sort of describes a feeling,” says Epstein, the Downtown institution’s owner. “It’s called hamish. This place is a hamish place.” The Yiddish term stitches together several concepts: of being warm, cozy, homey, unpretentious. Here, at the corner of Fremont and Sixth, it’s found in the clang clang clang of the payout hitting the trays on the coin slots, some of the only ones left in Las Vegas. It’s in the 24-hour prime rib special, the tropical-print carpet, the distinct Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, Frank Sinatra’s croon (“You Make Me Feel So Young,” natch) wafting through the speakers. “It just makes you feel good to be here,” Epstein says. “That’s what we want to make the El Cortez.” The more times change, the more things more or less stay the same at the El Cortez. The plumbing and electrical have been upgraded, sure. Expansions have upped the room count sixfold, and those rooms have been refurbished, more than once, to modern tastes. But on the greater scale, the gambling house has changed hands only four times, never into a corporate grip. And Epstein—himself 80 years old—has no plans to change the local character. It’s for locals, by locals. He praises his colleagues in Vegas’ current era of sleek and classy megaresorts. He knows his predecessor and mentor, the Vegas hospitality icon Jackie Gaughan, would be impressed with Fremont Street’s resort renaissance, led by the likes of the Stevens brothers. But the El Cortez, heading into its 80th anniversary, holds something extraordinary, a feeling that could be ephemeral, especially in raze-and-reinvent Las Vegas, but that Epstein is determined to keep as a feature. “We wouldn’t be special if all of Las Vegas remained the same,” says Alex Epstein, Kenny’s daughter and the El Cortez’s executive vice president. Alex says consistently local ownership shows in employee loyalty. For example, the building engineer, who
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Kenny Epstein
knows the complex down to its nuts and bolts and its bricks and pipes, has been there since 1979. And that translates to an emotional attachment Epstein says wouldn’t develop under corporate ownership. Gaughan’s penthouse apartment, where he lived until his death in 2014, could have been gutted and transformed into an exclusive restaurant, or hollowed out to become an on-trend rooftop bar. Instead, the owners kept it in its original 1980s state, awash in Mrs. Bertie Gaughan’s favored blush and gold tones. It can be booked on special request. “When you have the sentimentality and the appreciation for the history, it’s almost more special to leave it as it was,” Alex says. THE VE T E RA N Alex Epstein has been working at the El Cortez her whole adult life. At 36 years old, that’s still well short of the tenure of Liz Butler. Butler remembers her first day at the El Cortez—December 8, 1970. She was a change girl, carrying rolls of coins in pouches around her waist. She later became a cashier, and then, in 1974, a cocktail waitress. She still serves drinks—eight hours a day, five days a week—at age 77. At the end of one recent shift, her tray, rubbed smooth and pale in spots by countless tumblers and bottles, was scattered with margarita salt, a tip in the form of a $1 slot machine token, and a security guard’s badge. Security has deputized Butler, who has a sharp eye for who should be bounced—like the freeloader who was sitting at a machine but not playing, just sipping complementary Southern Comfort. Butler says she adores Gaughan. She’s happy to explain the man with the friendly smile seen in so many black-and-white photos mounted in the halls. He was generous and kind, she says, and she asked him directly if she could become a server. Though she’s the casino’s longest-tenured employee, Butler isn’t a supervisor—by choice. “I’m just a cocktail waitress like everybody else, only I’m more knowledgeable than most,” she says.
Liz Butler
Lana Goedert
THE R EG UL A R Butler loved Gaughan. Lana Goedert loves Butler. She’s been around almost as long. Goedert, 67, pulled her first slot arm here around 1977. She was a fresh college graduate who followed her mother, who worked for the Pinkerton detective agency, to Las Vegas for a temporary assignment, and stayed. The women would try to hit up two casinos every Friday night. They started on the Strip before drifting Downtown. “And I liked this place,” Goedert says of the El Cortez. “I liked it then, and I like it now.” Gaughan would stroll the casino floor with galvanized buckets of silver dollars to give customers a few bets on the house, she recalls during a break from playing a U1 multi-game console in what, according to the stained glass ceiling panel above her, was once a poker room. A former classroom aide who now works graveyards at pawn shop windows, Goedert brings visitors here. She visits other locals joints, too, and enjoys the perks of loyalty clubs— lots of free small appliances, she notes—but the El Cortez is her favorite. She enjoys the company of the casino’s inhabitants. Goedert and general manager Adam Wiesberg talk about life. Kenny calls her “doll.” The bellman greets her with, “Welcome home, Lana.” Once, many summers ago, her air conditioning went out and she learned it would take days to fix. The El Cortez comped her a room. When the citywide pandemic lockdown lifted in June, she was there when it reopened its doors. Goedert is here two or three days a week, gambling money she knows she can afford to lose, enjoying what she wins as a bonus. “I just come to chill,” she explains. (Continued on Page 12)
“When you have the sentimentality and the appreciation for the history, it’s almost more special to leave it as it was.” –Alex Epstein
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(Continued from Page 11)
TH E LO NG H AU L The El Cortez was pretty swank from the start. The $245,000 the founding partners spent on its construction equates to almost $5 million today. It opened with 59 rooms; today there are 364. Pioneering gaming investor John Kell Houssels, with Californians John Grayson and Marion Hicks, built the El Cortez and debuted it on November 7, 1941 as the first major resort Downtown. After about four years, they sold to a collective of mobsters for a tidy profit. Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel wasn’t the sole owner, but as the Siegel’s 1941 restaurant just off the gaming floor shows, he was the most photogenic. After the El Cortez provided proof of concept for making a lot of money in the desert, the gangsters moved to the Strip and sold the El Cortez back to Houssels. In 1963 Houssels sold to Jackie Gaughan. Epstein met Gaughan when Epstein was just 15 during a 1956 family road trip from Chicago to
Lake Tahoe’s north shore. Gaughan took him on a behind-the-scenestour of one of his properties, the Tahoe Biltmore. Teenage Kenny Epstein was impressed. His dad, Ike, was sage. The elder Epstein told his son that Gaughan was “a go-getter, he’s smart and he’s on the square,” Kenny recalls, a straight-shooter. He says Gaughan became like a second father to him. In 1975, Gaughan sold Epstein— then a baccarat dealer at Caesars Palace—a 5% interest in the El Cortez. Epstein also partnered with Gaughan and others in the Coast casinos, and when Boyd Gaming acquired the Coasts in
2004, Gaughan suggested Epstein use his share to buy the El Cortez. The Ike Gaming era—that’s Epstein’s company, named for his father —started in 2008. The Jackie Gaughan era might never truly end, though. Epstein says Gaughan provided the lasting influence upon which the Epsteins continue building today. Next up: a refresh of the original rooms—accessible only by stairs, the same creaky one Bugsy once climbed. The Dunes, the Stardust, the Riviera, the Sands, the Desert Inn. All rose after the El Cortez. All are long gone. “Thankfully,” Kenny Epsteins says, “not the El Cortez.”
1947 JACKIE GAUGHAN
$600,000
$4 million
D SOL
1941
The El Cortez opens John Kell Houssels, John Grayson and Marion Hicks build the El Cortez Hotel-Casino for $245,000 ($4.8 million in today’s dollars). With 59 rooms, the El Cortez becomes Downtown Las Vegas’ first major resort.
1945
Bought by Bugsy Houssels and his partners sell the El Cortez to a group of mob heavy-hitters including Gus Greenbaum, Moe Sedway, David Berman and Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel on behalf of Meyer Lansky, for $600,000.
D SOL
1946
Bought back by Houssels Houssels reacquires the El Cortez and announces an expansion, including a barber shop, nightclub, swimming pool and a four-story wing. Siegel and his crew move on to the Flamingo. Siegel is assassinated in 1947, likely over mismanagement and skimming at the Flamingo.
1952
The “new” El Cortez The “new” Hotel El Cortez opens with a pirate theme … which lasts only until 1957. The signature turquoise and pink neon signs —the “gambling” arrow, marquee and large rooftop signs —that still illuminate the vintage building are installed.
(Helldorado 1947 courtesy Las Vegas News Bureau; all other photos Sun File)
1963
Bought by Gaughan Jackie Gaughan purchases the El Cortez from Houssels for $4 million. That’s roughly $36 million in 2021 dollars.
1980
Tower built Guest Tower II is constructed, bringing the El Cortez’s room count to 297.
that’s roughly
$36 million
IN 2021 DOLLARS
2008
Bought by Epstein Jackie Gaughan sells the property to his protegee and longtime friend Kenny Epstein while continuing to live on-site in a penthouse suite until his death in 2014 at age 93. Epstein and his family and partners still own and manage the resort.
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L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
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2015
CABANA SUITES, 2013
November 6
2009
Cabana suites debut The El Cortez Cabana Suites open in the former Ogden Hotel just north of the original property, bringing the room count to its current 364.
2013
Officially historic The El Cortez is added to the National Register of Historic Places.
2013
Beautiful music The Life Is Beautiful music and art festival debuts on Fremont Street, enveloping the El Cortez within its firstyear footprint (subsequent editions work around the hotel).
2015
Siegel’s 1941 opens Siegel’s 1941 replaces the El Cortez’s classic steakhouse and begins serving up prime rib, stone crab, matzo ball soup and other fine meals in a dining room chock full of images of the hotel’s most notorious owner. Ike’s Bar, named for Epstein’s father, also opens.
2015
Ellie rides British pop star Ellie Goulding films the video for her song “On My Mind” in and around the El Cortez. It features a horse strolling past the valet stand, onto the casino floor and hanging out in the beauty parlor.
2021
Renovations and high rollin’ The El Cortez continues a two-year, $25 million refresh that includes modernized guest rooms and a brighter lobby, fresh carpet on the gaming floor and a new high limit room. Remnants of the old, roseprint carpet are offered for sale in the gift shop and sell out almost immediately.
2021
Turning 80 El Cortez’ 80th anniversary celebration will include a speech by Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, a fireworks show and free champagne. The party starts at 9 p.m.
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LV W N AT I V E C O N T E N T
10.28.21
STAY SAFE. TAKE A RIDESHARE INSTEAD
According to Nevada Per Se law, you can be arrested and convicted of a DUI even when you’re under the THC limit or under the legal BAC. If you’re showing signs of observable impairment, you will get a DUI. Further, Nevada law does not differentiate penalties between marijuana and alcohol-related DUI arrests—all DUIs have the same consequences.
+
For most Las Vegans, driving is the most dangerous activity we’ll do all day. In addition to the usual risks associated with driving, impairment is the No. 1 cause of fatal crashes in the state, comprising more than 50% of Nevada’s total fatalities. Any level of impairment affects judgment and reaction time, making safe driving impossible. ¶ “Lives are on the line each and every time we get behind the wheel,” said Andrew Bennett, Zero Fatalities Program Manager. “Choosing to not drive sober puts lives at risk over something that could be covered by a $20 rideshare. We must do better.” ¶ In a city as busy as Las Vegas, there is simply no excuse for driving under the influence. Here is what you need to know about impaired driving and tips for getting home safely.
THE FINANCIAL COST OF A DUI The true cost of driving under the influence can’t be quantified because lives are at stake. But if you were to ignore the safety risks and examine just the financial burden of being caught while driving under the influence, the Nevada Highway Traffic Association estimates a DUI costs about $10,000. The cost of multiple DUIs multiplies from there. Meanwhile, the typical, non-surge rideshare won’t run you more than $20-$25. Example rates from a rideshare price estimate calculator: Las Vegas Strip to Henderson: $23.52 Las Vegas Strip to Summerlin: $20.04 Las Vegas Strip to North Las Vegas: $13.30
If you spend $50 on rideshares every single weekend, it would still take almost 4 years to rack up a bill equaling the cost of one DUI.
TYPES OF IMPAIRMENT THAT AFFECT DRIVING Anything that affects your perception will affect your ability to drive. This isn’t limited to alcohol—impairment as a result of drug use, such as marijuana, is another major issue on Nevada’s roadways. In fact, poly-impaired driving (alcohol combined with marijuana, prescription and/or recreational drug usage) is more common than single-substance impaired driving. Nevada law dictates that two nanograms of active THC in your system qualifies as impaired and .08% BAC (blood alcohol concentration) is considered over the limit.
10.28.21
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C R E AT E D A N D P R E S E N T E D B Y
N E VA DA D E PA R T M E N T O F P U B L I C S A F E T Y
DESIGNATE A SOBER DRIVERI Utilize a friend you can count on to take the guesswork out of transportation.
TAKE A RIDESHAREI Uber and Lyft are convenient options for getting around safely when you’re partying. On major consumption holidays, you can take advantage of the Las Vegas Coalition of Zero Fatalities partnership with Lyft—this groundbreaking coalition offers discounted rides on many key holidays.
Plan a sober ride, or catch one with us.
MAKE A PLAN BEFORE PARTAKING IN SUBSTANCE USE
Alcohol and marijuana alter perceptions and can create a false sense of confidence. Make a plan to get from point A to point B before you partake, to ensure your best judgment is being used.
zerofatalitiesnv.com
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L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
10.28.21
Las Vegan Zak Bagans fires up new horror anthology series The Haunted Museum
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BY C. MOON REED
ometimes, a creepy museum of cursed artifacts is not merely a creepy museum of cursed artifacts. Sometimes it’s a real-life table of contents for terrifying, true stories. At least, that’s the case for the new horror anthology on Discovery+, The Haunted Museum, which debuted earlier this month, just in time for Spooky Season. The nine-part scripted series is the brainchild of filmmaker Eli Roth and Las Vegas’ favorite paranormal investigator—and Ghost Adventures star—Zak Bagans. “We just wanted to make this as scary as possible, to have viewers feel what the real people [who] were affected by these items went through,” Bagans says. Each episode fleshes out the sinister backstory behind one of the many eerie items on display at Bagans’ popular Downtown tourist attraction of the same name, the Haunted Museum (600 E. Charleston Boulevard, 702-444-0744). Of course when it came to filming, safety came first: “We had all of my real-life items made into exact replicas that they used [on set],” Bagans says. “I didn’t want to curse all the actors.” The first episode, “Dollhouse of the Damned,” is inspired by the Westerfeld Dollhouse, itself a model of an infamous San Francisco landmark. According to Bagans, a psychic says the dollhouse contains a demonic portal. In the show, a grieving widower gives his teenage daughter the dollhouse. In addition to the awkwardness of an age-inappropriate gift, the father ends up being possessed by the toy. What happens next … well, you’ll just have to watch to find out. In the universe of The Haunted Museum (both the show and the place), dolls, statuettes, mirrors and even rocking chairs have the power to alter the lives of mere mortals. It’s enough to steer fearful viewers away from estate sales and antique shops. Then again, brave fans have the option to see all the source material in real life at the show’s namesake museum. And if you want more Halloween-time streaming, Bagans has you covered. As the featured star in the new season of the Food Network’s Halloween Wars (also streaming Sundays on Discovery+), Bagans creates the chilling challenges for teams of cake and sugar artists. He also has a two-hour special in which he and his Ghost Adventures team explore the supernatural elements of Nevada’s own Goldfield Hotel. That show, titled Ghost Adventures: Goldfield Hotel, is also available on Discovery+.
A scene from The Haunted Museum; (below) Zak Bagans (Courtesy Discovery+)
DELVING INTO DARKNESS
Zak Bagans talks seances, ghosts and … Cheetos? BY C. MOON REED
What do you think about the Halloween season? It’s my favorite holiday of the entire year. We can embrace all things scary and just love to be scared. There’s no other holiday like it. How do you personally celebrate Halloween? I always like checking out some of the haunted houses in town. I do like going down to the Museum with some select people and doing some seances. I love conducting seances; it’s one of my favorite things. Then I have the house I bought right next door to the Museum, which is called the Black House, and I do some of that stuff in there as well. Possibly some summoning of spirits for Halloween, but all private.
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SPOOKY SCREENINGS Hidden Cinema Rooftop Garden Catch American Psycho at this cinema rooftop garden, offering a sweeping view of the city. Beer, wine, candy and popcorn anchor the dining menu, and you can upgrade to a lounge chair or love seat for ultimate comfort. October 31, 9:45 p.m., $11, 321 S. Casino Center Blvd., hidden-cinema.com.
You’re always on the lookout for dark memorabilia. What do you still hope to find? I recently acquired a piece from James Dean’s [car] Little Bastard. We just unveiled that exhibit at the Museum a few days ago. That’s a piece that I always wanted but never knew existed. I never know what’s going to pop up, so I’m always keeping my eyes on auctions [and] headlines. In your experience, what are ghosts? Our world and the spirit world are like two pieces of Swiss cheese. As you put those on top of each other and you slide them around, sometimes those holes will match up. It’s like a lightning bolt in Las Vegas—it doesn’t happen a whole lot. … That’s why we don’t have ghost experiences everywhere we go all the time, why [deceased family members] are not constantly there hanging out with you, flicking Cheetos at your head or something like that. … My belief is [when] they have understood and accepted their death, they can then move on. There are other things in that doorway that are darker, just like in our life. … I believe there are some inhuman entities, as well. Do you ever get tired of being scared and just want to go sit on a sunny beach somewhere? I won’t lie, I’ve definitely gotta have balance. I can’t absorb myself into all things scary, all things dark. … I’m very hypersensitive to energies, so I absorb a lot like a sponge. When I have too much ... I do have to go outside, I have to go into the sun, I have to go see pretty Mother Nature things. I don’t care if it’s a beautiful patch of green grass, or a nice walk near Red Rock [Canyon] with my dog. I have to cleanse that out. … But sometimes when I’m in that [light] for too long, I crave going back to the museum or being in a dark investigation.
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TeenTober Movie Night at Windmill Library Geared toward kids in grades 6 and up, this event explores the “strange and unusual” with a collection of four Tim Burton classics. Teens can choose from 9, Frankenweenie, The Nightmare Before Christmas or Edward Scissorhands, and paint a pumpkin or two. October 28, 5:45-7:45 p.m., free, 7060 W. Windmill Lane, lvccld.com. Halloween Carpool Cinema at Galleria at Sunset Those looking for a fun, outdoor experience should consider this complimentary screening of 2019 Disney sequel Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. Goody bags will be provided to kids, so bring the family. October 29, 8:3011 p.m., free, reserve at bit.ly/ 3vEjAGI. –Amber Sampson
CREATIVE COSTUMES (FOR ADULTS) Checking in with Kayla Keka, manager at Déjà Vu’s Adult Emporium (4335 W. Tropicana Ave., 702-367-8009, loveboutique.com), for some last-minute ideas and tips. ■ What’s Popular: Halloween favorites like cats, cops and nurses still reign supreme, but there are a few surprises. “We have quite a few nun costumes. Nuns are really good right now,” Keka says, adding that Greek goddesses and plushy animal costumes are also popular picks. “There’s this bat costume that does well every year. It’s like a jacket—it zips up, and it’s really warm.” Many have also been opting for school-girl warrior princess Sailor Moon and digs from Austin Powers and Ghostbusters. ■ Last-minute looks: “I recommend body suits … because you can accessorize those,” Keka says. “All you really need is a witch hat or some ears, and that’s pretty much an automatic costume with little accessories [like] chokers. … We have devil accessories, those are some of the easiest ones usually towards the last week.” Some women, Keka says, just style and accessorize around lingerie. “The lingerie ones are my favorite, just because they’re really sexy. A lot of times those people who are putting those together are usually going to the Fetish and Fantasy Ball.” ■ Pro tip: Always keep a few fashion fixes on hand. “Definitely some double sided tape. Maybe some safety pins. I’ve had to use those just in case a button came off,” Keka says. “When people are out there and they’re partying, something’s gonna happen. … Some of the costumes are ‘teddies’ [or] one pieces. … If you ever get one of those, you want to be extra careful when you go to the bathroom.” –Amber Sampson
(Shutterstock)
Are there any special Halloween offerings at the Haunted Museum this year? We’ve added these late-night flashlight ghost tours to the Museum, which enables everybody to come here with all the lights out. They can roam around the Museum by themselves with no guide. If you want to lock yourself in a room, you can lock yourself in the room with a Dybbuk Box. You can go down in the basement alone by yourself. That experience is newish, but outside of that, we’re open as usual on a reservation-only system through our website [thehauntedmuseum.com].
The Front Yard at Ellis Island Hocus Pocus Brunch will feature a screening of the 1993 cult classic, which we’ve heard goes perfectly with mimosas and bloody marys. October 30, 10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m., reserve at bit.ly/3FMfUXO.
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Paradise Crest Manor’s owners help carry forth the Hammargren House’s Halloween celebration
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BY C. MOON REED
ong before Area15 began drawing visitors with its eclectic mix of sights and attractions, the quirky estate of former Nevada Lt. Governor and retired neurosurgeon Lonnie Hammargren long delighted visitors with its endless artifacts and exploratory weirdness. Neon signs, giant tiki statues, Evel Knievel’s American flag uniform—those and more fill the house and surrounding property off Sandhill Road south of Flamingo. For decades, Hammargren collected casino castoffs and historical memorabilia, turning an otherwise nondescript home in a central Las Vegas neighborhood into an unofficial museum that stretched into three neighboring houses. Hammargren’s collection was mind-blowing in its scope, creativity and sheer randomness: a full-size Venetian gondola floating in an indoor pool, an original MGM aquarium, a segment of a Stratosphere roller coaster, a stairway from Liberace’s stage show …
Over the years, Hammargren was featured on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, the Travel Channel’s Vegas VIP Homes and on A&E’s Hoarders. In-theknow locals would flock to the Hammargren House each Nevada Day, when Hammargren would open up his home to the public for tours. Eventually, Hammargren’s collection got the best of his budget. Deeply in debt, he lost one of his three homes and had to auction off a portion of his collection. Gone is the gondola, but the airplane above the swimming pool remains. Thus ended a delightfully quirky chapter in Las Vegas history … or did it? In much the same way a casino gets imploded to make way for new growth, the Hammargren House now lives again, albeit in a slightly different form. In 2017, Amber Softing and her husband Mike bought the main HammarChildren’s costumes (Courtesy Party City)
CREATIVE COSTUMES (FOR KIDS) Checking in with Julie Roehm, chief marketing and experience officer for the Party City chain (partycity.com), for some last-minute ideas and tips. ■ What’s popular: “Costumes with a pop-culture tie are always popular,” Roehm says. “This year, older kids are gravitating towards the Michael Myers costume from the new Halloween Kills movie, Spider-Man, characters from the Ghostbusters movies and Wonder Woman.” ■ Last-minute looks: “Our variety of accessories can even be combined with clothing kids already have in their closets for a super-customized look,” Roehm says. “For example, you could pair cheetah tattoos with a leopard tail and tiger ears for a ‘pawsome’ jungle cat look.” Other accessories include glow in the dark face paint, light-up masks, face jewels and hats. ■ Pro tip: As the seasons change, parents should remember that Halloween night might be chilly—and not just because of the scares. “We recommend encouraging [kids] to pick a warmer costume option or simply sporting a long-sleeved shirt under costumes.” Batman and doctor costumes are good choices, she says. “Parents should also anticipate that kids will be doing a lot of walking or running while trick-or-treating, so comfortable shoes are crucial. Your child’s favorite shoes should work with just about any costume, but you can also add shoe covers to some costumes.” –Amber Sampson
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MONSTERS AT THE MANOR October 31, 5:30-9 p.m., $1. 4318 Ridgecrest Drive, paradisecrestmanor.com, bit.ly/3jq2Uhe.
Paradise Crest Manor will host a one-night backyard event on Halloween night. (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)
gren house and renamed it Paradise Crest Manor. Having grown up nearby, Softing had always fantasized about living in the home. And when she had the chance to realize her dream, she also wanted to continue Hammargren’s legacy. “Lonnie built everything in the house himself,” Softing says. Then she adds, with equal parts humor and veneration, “All of this is basically me living in a crazy man’s mind.” The couple are renovating the home and slowly re-collecting some of the objects sold to auction. Since Mike works in construction, they’re doing most of the work themselves, and they’re documenting the process on a YouTube channel called My Crazy House. “We’re giving ourselves 10 years to get the house done,” Softing says. “We’re only on year three, so please forgive that it is still crazy in here.” Softing says she initially feared the Hammargrens would resent them for taking over their home. Instead, the two couples have become close, even spending some holidays together. The Hammargrens have gifted several objects to the Softings, including an architectural model of the Desert Inn. “I couldn’t ask for better neighbors,” says Sandy Hammargren. (Her husband, Lonnie, no longer does interviews at age 83.) “The ironic thing is that she’s just as crazy as my husband is as far as collecting things, but on a different scale. And that I don’t mean crazy—I just mean,
FEAR n s t e r s) Mo
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unlimited trips through all haunts for one night, along with a visit with the resident fortune teller. Through October 31, doors 7 p.m., $50+, 6555 S. Riley St., freaklingbros.com.
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interesting.” While Hammargren would open his home to any curious passerby, Softing is more private. She won’t give interior tours, but she’s planning to use a portion of her home into a small event space. “It just feels crazy having that many people walk through my house,” says Softing, who says she’s slowly coming to terms with the fact that her home will always be something of a tourist attraction. “So we’ve kept the tradition of Halloween alive instead.” For now, your best chance to relive a bit of the old Hammargren magic comes on Halloween. The Softings and the Hammargrens will open their respective backyards to the public for a one-night event called Monsters at the Manor. In addition to the remaining artifacts—such as the old Showboat Casino sign—there will be a “haunted walk-thru” with animatronics, inflatables and “light scares.” Food and drink will be for sale at the family-friendly event. “It’s the only chance that we give people to look at all the crazy stuff in the backyard,” Softing says. “And Lonnie’s usually out there introducing himself to every single person, too, so that’s always fun.” Last year, the event was canceled due to the pandemic. Softing estimates that about 5,000 people visited in 2019. Ticket proceeds benefit the charity organization Critical Care Comics, which brings comics and toys to hospitalized children.
Museum of Monsters. Creatures and monsters from your favorite films and television shows have gathered here— and they want a picture with you! The museum offers more than two dozen photo-ops, and there are even “live” characters walking through the experience, so keep your eyes peeled. This new, haunted experience is designed to be enjoyed by all ages. Through October 31, times vary, $20, 410 S. Rampart Blvd. #130, museumofmonsters.com.
THESE PLACES
Freakling Bros. The Freakling Bros. Horror Shows returns for year 29—after closing their doors in 2020 due to the pandemic—with three attractions: Coven of 13, Gates of Hell and Castle Vampyre. The R-rated haunt, Gates of Hell, includes a new experience dubbed the Men’s Room. Plus, this might be your last chance to check out Castle Vampyre: There were plans to retire the attraction in 2019 to make way for something new, but the pandemic caused a delay. Take advantage of the postponement and enjoy it again. A Freak Pass ($50) includes
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Escape Blair Witch. Lionsgate’s blockbuster horror film comes to life in a new immersive, multiroom escape experience. Players begin their journeys at the Burkittsville Ranger’s Station in the Black Hills Forest, with the goal of gathering information about the disappearance of local college students. Those who can’t solve the mystery in the given time will face the fury of the Blair Witch. Times vary, $46+, reservations required, 2121 Industrial Road, escapeblairwitch.com. Asylum & Hotel Fear. These longtime local haunted house attractions are back to make our skin crawl once again. Experience the creepy storyline
of two families whose lives intertwined in an abysmal way. Through October 31, 6:30 p.m.-midnight; $37, Meadows Mall, lasvegashaunts.com. Vegas Fright Nights. This year’s haunts include Clown Invasion in 3D, Nightmare Manor and the brand new Blood Barn, a rickety barn plagued by death and desolation—with chainsaw-wielding fiends making sure it stays that way. Through October 31, times vary, $30, 600 W. Oakey Blvd., vegasfrightnights.com. HallOVeen at the Magical Forest. Opportunity Village’s Magical Forest has once again transformed into haunted jungle ruins, and eerie creatures have taken over. You’ll meet many of them as you walk through a cemetery with spooktacularly decorated trees and jack-o-lanterns. Forest-goers can also enjoy rides, mini-escape rooms, trickor-treat stations and midway carnival games. HallOVeen is an all-ages and family-friendly experience, and tickets grant unlimited access to all rides and attractions. Through November 1, 5:30 p.m., $22, 6300 W. Oakey Blvd., opportunityvillage.org. –Evelyn Mateos
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ong before suspense, terror and dread became pillars of cinematic storytelling, actors had to elicit those emotions from a stage without the help of visual effects or trick editing. What you see in a stage production is what you get, which is why the scariest and most suspenseful plays are the ones that convince you that you’re not seeing what you think you’re seeing—or direct you to look into the most fearful and superstitious parts of yourself, where real terror lies. If that sounds like fun—and it should!—here are three local productions you need to catch.
GHOST(S) Table 8 Immersive and Majestic Repertory Theatre, which previously scared the bejeezus out of Vegas with the one-two punch of Horrorwood Video and Krampus, now invites you to join the “Pyewacket Society for Occultural Affairs” for an evening of communing with the dead. This 21-and-over immersive theater experience begins with cocktails and ends somewhere beyond this mortal coil. The production includes loud sounds, bright lights and theatrical fog, and isn’t for those “who are not comfortable … being alone.” Bartender, set us up. October 28 & 30, times vary, $35. The Usual Place, 100 S. Maryland Parkway, majesticrepertory.com.
WITCH BY JEN SILVERMAN New York-based author Silverman crafted Witch as “a darkly comedic retelling” of The Witch of Edmonton, a 400-year-old English drama. Silverman’s version peels away the old-world trappings and keeps the good stuff: the village that literally takes the Devil’s bargain, and the character of Elizabeth Sawyer, who the village has scapegoated as a witch—and might be the best hope anyone’s got of saving themselves. Vegas Theatre Company, star Katrina Currow and director Andrew Paul are hosting tours through Edmonton’s dark mischief. October 29-November 7; Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2 & 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m.; $25-$33. Art Square Theatre, 725-222-9661.
THE SANDMAN: A LITTLE NIGHTMARE MUSICAL Prussian author E.T.A. Hoffmann kinda owns Christmas; he wrote the 1816 story on which The Nutcracker is based. He also penned Der Sandmann, a fable as creepy and unnerving as The Nutcracker is warm and fuzzy. The endlessly inventive Troy Heard directs this Richard Oberacker and Robert Taylor-penned musical adaptation of Hoffman’s tale of inscrutable nannies, unexplained fires and eyeball-stealing nightmare creatures that live in the moon, and two of our favorite local actors—Annette Houlihan Verdolino and Darren Weller—feature in the top-shelf cast. Thru November 11; Thursday-Saturday, 8 & 10 p.m.; Sunday 5 & 7 p.m.; $35-$25. Majestic Repertory Theatre, 1217 S. Main S., majesticrepertory.com. –Geoff Carter
THE BALL IS BACK
Fetish & Fantasy picks up again at Area15 BY BROCK RADKE
Plenty of the city’s favorite annual events have already made grand post-pandemic comebacks this fall, but there’s nothing else quite like Fetish & Fantasy. The naughty and nice, dance music-charged Halloween bash makes its delayed debut at Area15 on October 30—marking its 25th event in Las Vegas. “We’re definitely excited to see some of those same faces we’ve been seeing through the years, and there’s a lot of people who’ve been showing up on a regular basis for 10 to 15 years now,” says event coordinator Jeff Davis, who’s been with F&F for a dozen years. “We have cultivated a unique clientele, and they tend to make the trip [every year]. People definitely missed it last year.” Set to take over the A-Lot and Portal spaces at Area15, the party will feel quite a bit different this time as it moves out of familiar casino resort surroundings. The 2019 edition was held at the former Hard Rock Hotel and took over the theater formerly known as the Joint. Area15 doesn’t offer similar facilities, but Davis says its innovative display capabilities and unique feel will be a “nice switch-up” from venues of the past. As always, costumes are mandatory; A $60 party-pooper fine will be in place for ticketholders who show up without one. Expect a supercharged version of the Human Petting Zoo and extra strolling, atmospheric performers that contribute heavily to the Fetish & Fantasy vibe. Grammy winner Dave Aude tops a DJ roster that includes Andy Moor, Ron Reeser and Scooter & Lavelle, and the afterhours party starts at 2 a.m. at the Artisan. “We just want people to show up, have a good time and strut their stuff,” Davis says.
IN THE CLUBS
Katrina Currow in Witch (Yasmina Chavez/Staff/Photo illustration)
October 30, 9 p.m., $95-$285. Area15, fetishand fantasyhalloween ball.com.
(Courtesy)
FETISH & FANTASY HALLOWEEN BALL
G-Eazy at Zouk The rapper and producer launched new album These Things Happen Too last month with big bashes in Vegas and Miami, and now he’s ready to showcase his latest tracks at the freshly minted Resorts World nightclub. October 29, 10:30 p.m., $30-$50, zouk grouplv.com.
Chromeo at Discopussy The Canadian electro-funk duo launches a weekend of music and themed costume parties at the Fremont Street hot spot that also features Taiki Nulight, Vnssa and Honeyluv. October 29, 10 p.m., $20, disco pussydtlv.com.
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TRICK, TREAT AND TIPPLE
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Ada’s wine goddess Kat Thomas suggests Halloween candy pairings
BY BROCK RADKE If you’ve spent time tasting wine and trying new things with sommelier Kat Thomas at Ada’s Wine Bar in Tivoli Village, you know the main objective is always to have fun. The same thing goes for Halloween. Since we know she’s game, and we know we’ll be picking through the kids’ trick-or-treat take to steal a few of our favorite classic candy bars, we tasked Thomas with conceptualizing the ideal glass of wine to go with the sweet stuff. “Generally I’d say to separate everything, just have fun, and Champagne is going to be the answer to everything anyway,” she says. “But get adventurous. Most of the time, the things you have in the fridge don’t pair with the things you’re trying to put in your mouth hole. But you can buy these things in advance or just come down here to Ada’s and bring the candy and we’ll have some fun.” M&Ms + Three by Wade Red Blend Many people assume chocolate and red wine is a natural combo, but it’s actually quite a challenge, Thomas says. Basketball star Dwyane Wade’s Three by Wade series blends Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot for a smooth balance that rocks with the candy-coated, dark chocolate gems. “If you’re doing milk chocolate, you might go with a Grenache or Zinfandel or Merlot because you find milk chocolate in some of the tasting notes of those things. But I’d go for dark chocolate M&Ms with the Three by Wade for its sweet smokiness and dark red fruits.” Skittles + Smith & Sheth Sauvignon Blanc We figured we’d stump Thomas with these super-sweet fruity favorites. No chance. “Sauvignon Blanc does this wonderfully bright, zesty, crisp kind of thing that makes your mouth zing, and that’s what Skittles do. They kind of make your eyes pucker. The concentration of bright fruits [in the wine] actually mimics the sugar concentration you can find in Skittles.” Snickers + Gonzalas-Byass Alfonso Oloroso Sherry Snickers is Thomas’ favorite Halloween candy. “A lot of people have tried a fino sherry or something that was really salty or something they were not ready for, and sherry is one of those things you gotta get nurtured into. This Oloroso is really nutty with dried fruit notes, just everything a Snickers bar is to me, nutty, caramel-y, very complementary.”
ADA’S WINE BAR Tivoli Village, 702-462-2795. Sunday-Thursday, 2-9 p.m.; Friday &Saturday, 2-10 p.m.
Ada’s Wine Bar sommelier Kat Thomas (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups + Broadbent 10-year Malmsey Madeira “Again, Madeira is not something a lot of people have at home, not commonplace unless you’re a super nerd or you somehow fell in love with it at some point in your life. I love giving people a splash of these things at Ada’s and when you have it with a little bit of food, it all starts making sense. But this is really fun with Reese’s because it gives you that feeling of peanut butter and jelly.” For more wine talk with Kat Thomas, visit lasvegasweekly.com.
Lil Wayne (AP Photo/Photo Illustration)
Afrojack at Marquee The towering Dutch DJ makes his Las Vegas club comeback— he spun at EDC with R3HAB—during Marquee’s FreaqShow weekend at Cosmo. October 30, 10 p.m., $20-$30, taogroup.com.
Lil Wayne at Drai’s You’re probably not even ready for HalloWeezy. The sorta-always-in-costume Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. arrives for a Saturday-night rooftop party to remember at the Cromwell. October 30, 10 p.m., $200-$250, draisgroup.com.
Fisher at Omnia The Australian party starter continues to bounce between Tao and Hakkasan venues with a set under the Omnia space-chandelier at Caesars Palace. October 31, 10:30 p.m., $40-$60, hakkasangroup.com.
Black Coffee at Hakkasan The South African house music icon’s current international tour continues to involve Las Vegas after he played Wet Republic during EDC Week. He’s at MGM Grand’s nightclub on Halloween night, and he’ll back for New Year’s Eve, too. October 31, 10:30 p.m., $20-$30, hakkasangroup.com.
Diplo at XS The Chainsmokers and Kygo warm up the weekend at Wynn’s megaclub before the one-and-only Diplo takes control for one of the biggest Sunday nights of the year. October 31, 10 p.m., $55-$85, wynnnightlife. com. –Brock Radke
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SOMM KIND OF WONDERFUL
Cristie Norman (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
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Delilah lead sommelier Cristie Norman reflects on her wine journey BY AMBER SAMPSON
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ristie Norman might be new to Las Vegas, but she’s no stranger to the wine community. After becoming a certified sommelier at 21, Norman spent four years at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in Beverly Hills, California, managing more than 15,000 bottles of wine. As lead sommelier of Delilah at the Wynn, the 27-year-old now serves in one of the most extravagant rooms on the Strip. But that’s not all for which she’s known. Norman is the creator of the Online Wine Course, a consumer-friendly “driver’s ed course” to wine. She has hosted master classes for hundreds of sommeliers. And she co-founded the United Sommeliers Foundation, a nonprofit that financially supports sommeliers in need. We caught up with the young expert to talk Delilah, her wine journey and how tea helped her find her way.
Describe your role at Delilah, and tell us what you’ve you learned there so far. I’m the lead sommelier, so I’m in charge of the list and what goes on, what goes off and really curating the selections for the room. … It’s incredibly fun and challenging. Supply issues that have impacted every single industry have definitely impacted the wine industry as well. We realized right at the beginning that we needed more high-end wine. We have the greatest wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy in great vintages, because that’s what people want to drink. Distributors have told me that we’re a very unique room, because we are selling so much large-format. … [But] no one was prepared for how much people were going to love drinking great wine in this room. You have an idea of what the room is going to be, but you don’t know until you’re open. It’s beyond my wildest dreams. Which wines are you currently enjoying exposing to guests? There’s something that’s been really popular in Vegas that I was very pleasantly surprised [about]: Amarone
from northern Italy, from the Veneto. Amarone della Valpolicella. Amarone producers use a process known as appassimento. The winemakers dry out the grapes for three to four months, turning them into raisins, essentially, press them slowly and then ferment them until dry. Often there’s still a touch of sweetness on the palate and a figgy quality from drying out the grapes. It’s delicious, and I often introduce Napa Cabernet drinkers to Amarone when they want to start exploring Italian wines. Dal Forno Romano and Giuseppe Quintarelli are two of my favorite producers of Amarone. People really enjoy it. How does one become a certified wine sommelier by the time they can legally drink? And where did that passion come from so early on? My first job was at a tea house. I was obsessed with this tea house; I would go almost every day when I was 14-15 years old. Tea has so much similarity to wine in [that] there’s different varieties from different countries, they have different levels of caffeine, they have different aromas. It’s very similar, if you think about it, except for the lack of alcohol. So my first job was recommending teas; we had like 400 different teas on the list. [Later], when I was working at a steakhouse, I was paying my way through college, and I wanted to become a server. I was actually a barback. And when I was 19, I told them that I wanted to be the best server they ever had. They kind of laughed at me, but within a year, I was the captain of the restaurant, because I was learning about wine. When I took the first-level somm exam a couple days after my 21st birthday, I actually had to email the organization to let me sign up, because I wasn’t old enough [yet]. … Through that process of taking the certified somm exam, I attracted a lot of people who were interested in not only learning about me, but also wanting to support [me]. … They gave me the tools and the knowledge to be able to pass the exam at such a young age. You gave a lot back with the United Sommeliers Foundation. How did that begin? We had a master class that was scheduled for March 16, 2020. Restaurants were shut down in Los Angeles on the 15th. We canceled that master class, and the master sommelier, Chris Blanchard, who was going to fly down, was really distraught. On St. Patrick’s Day, he texted me and was like, “What can we do to help the somm community?” The bartenders have the [United States
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WEEKLY Q&A
Bartenders’ Guild], and they were giving out financial grants and stuff like that. But there was really nothing we saw that was wine-industry focused. I said, OK, let’s start a GoFundMe, and I started calling all the people I knew around the country that I felt were really influential, to support. We’ve raised over a million dollars in a year, and we’ve distributed about 1,500 financial grants to over 1,000 candidates. … And we supported more than just COVID. We supported those that were affected by the wildfires in wine country, and then also Hurricane Ida—those who are displaced could apply for funding and receive it without a physical address. … We assembled pretty quickly for that, and we hope to be around for a long time. Mentors are clearly a big part of being a successful somm. What does one look for in a mentee? If you nurture and grow people who have a good attitude, they can be the best sommeliers. It’s really just about identifying those young leaders who want to make a difference and want to do good. I have so much respect for people who have passed these very high-level wine exams, [but] I believe it’s about what you’re doing for others. We should be measured not by the pins that are on our lapel, but by the value that you bring to the world and how [we are] increasing the consumption of wine. How are we supporting wine professionals? How are we addressing some of the bigger issues in the wine world? There’s a lot of other things to tackle. And the first step is really bolstering the community on the ground. Somebody has to do it … and I think I’ll be doing it forever.
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STEREOGUM: THE NUMBER ONES In this series, writer Tom Breitling unpacks the history of every single that’s hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 since 1958. (At press time, he’d reached December 1990.) Even if you loathe pop music and pop charts, it’s a great read. bit.ly/3CdNjIM
BIG THIS WEEK MOVIES
SILVER STATE FILM FESTIVAL AT CENTURY ORLEANS It’s been a minute since we’ve enjoyed the non-streaming film festival experience, but if you’re vaxed up and ready to mask up, Silver State has you covered with a weekend of local and international independent film, including a screening of Pj Perez’s UNLV-district documentary Parkway of Broken Dreams and Justin McAffee’s doc about the imminent dangers to our Mojave, Desert Apocalypse. Thru October 31, $15-$250. Orleans, silverstatefilmfestival.com. –Geoff Carter
READINGS
AXIE OH & VEEDA BYBEE AT THE WRITER’S BLOCK Downtown’s literary hub hosts two young adult authors, and we’re all ears. Las Vegas resident Axie Oh will share passages from her July K-drama, XOXO, which follows an ambitious cello prodigy who first meets a mysterious, handsome man in a karaoke bar, only to discover he’s a K-Pop sensation who doesn’t date (bummer!). Meanwhile, ex-journalist Veeda Bybee arrives with Lily and the Great Quake: A San Francisco Earthquake Survival Story, a harrowing tale centered around a 12-year-old Chinese-American girl and her fight against the elements—and the odds. October 29, 7 p.m., free, thewritersblock.org. –Amber Sampson
PARTY
CHROMEO AT DISCOPUSSY Canada is the gift that keeps on giving—Justin Trudeau, Drake, Shawn Mendes, Justin Bieber. And now at Discopussy, Chromeo. The north-of-the-border electro-funk duo kicks Halloween weekend into high gear with a DJ set of synth-pop, soul and, most appropriately, disco. The costume theme of the night is “creature feature,” so put on your hairiest or slimiest outfit and get on the dancefloor. October 29, 10 p.m., $10-$20, discopussydtlv. com. –Amber Sampson
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FOUNDATION So: You’ve seen Dune and it’s filled you with a thirst for more epic sci-fi drama based on novels as fat as a brick. Try Foundation, inspired by Isaac Asimov’s book series, now streaming on Apple TV+. Desolate planets! Galactic politics! It’s got what you need.
CONCERTS
PHISH AT MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA
Phish (Rene Huemer/Courtesy)
OUR PICKS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
CELEBRATION
LIFE IN DEATH FESTIVAL AT WINCHESTER DONDERO CULTURAL CENTER In honor of Día de los Muertos—a Mexican holiday paying tribute to family members and friends who have died—Winchester Dondero hosts a two-day event featuring an art exhibit, ofrenda contest, performances by Mexican dance troupes and readings of calaveras (humorous poems poking fun at the living). Craft and food vendors will also on-site. November 1-2, 5-9 p.m., free, bit.ly/2XCdeuN. –Evelyn Mateos
After months of speculation, we’ll soon know: What Halloween trick does Phish have hidden in this year’s candy pillowcase? Past full-album Vegas “costume” sets have included The Velvet Underground’s Loaded, David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars and an obscurity by Scandinavian prog-rock outfit Kasvot Växt (actually a set of wild new tunes by Phish itself). Will October 31 deliver a familiar favorite by Neil Young, Radiohead or Frank Zappa, or some out-of-nowhere surprise? Prepare with three full nights of Phish, then behold the main event on night four. October 28-31, 7:30 p.m., $85+, COVID vaccination or negative test required. –Spencer Patterson
SHOW
AN EVENING WITH WHITNEY AT HARRAH’S It’s easy to imagine a world in which Whitney Houston performs her own amazing residency show—one of the greatest vocalists of all time taking her rightful place on the Las Vegas Strip. Although that’s not our reality, her music will be celebrated with this intriguing new hologram concert production launching at Harrah’s Showroom from Base Entertainment, GFour Productions and Houston’s estate. Backed by a live band, singers and dancers guiding the audience through her many hits, that legendary voice will be celebrated in a new way. October 28-31, 8 p.m., $47-$92, Harrah’s, 702-777-2782. –Brock Radke
KEEP O UT O F R E AC H OF C H IL D R E N . FOR U SE ON LY BY A D U LTS 2 1 YE AR S OF AGE AN D OL D ER.
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Derek Hough (left) in No Limit (Photos by Patrick Gray/Courtesy)
DANCING WITH A STAR Derek Hough does it all in his fast-paced new Venetian show
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THE STRIP BY AMBER SAMPSON
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hough he’s an Emmy Award-winning choreograand more Derek, the entertainer pher, author and dancer, Derek bantering onstage with girlfriend and Hough leads as a showman, not former So You Think You Can Dance a showoff, in his Venetian residency contestant Hayley Erbert, sweating as show No Limit. much as anyone onstage and jesting Standing at the center of the Sumabout “why they call it ballroom. mit Showroom stage, the six-time These pants are tight!” Dancing With the Stars champion No Limit offers a Strip residency and judge, recognizes the night’s unwe don’t see very often. It’s a show sung heroes. “I want to introduce my geared toward everyone, whethdancers at the beginning of the show,” er you’ve watched all 30 he says on this particular seasons of Dancing With night, “because I believe the Stars or only know the they’re that good.” “washing machine” dance This statement sets from Selena. Hough and his the tone for the evening. crew can swing through a Hough’s name shines boisterous big band number, brightly on the marquee, slink into an intimate tango but the true star is dance duet and pivot to a graceful itself. And the theater ballroom waltz in a matter DEREK HOUGH: formerly known as the of moments. The choreograNO LIMIT Sands Showroom makes for phy is fast, meticulous and November 3-7, the perfect venue, offering a 10-14 & 17-21, 7:30 outright fun. panoramic view of the stage p.m., $63+. Sometimes the overall and a setting both intimate Venetian’s Summit performance is so synchroShowroom, and open enough for Hough nized, so fluid, you forget 702-414-9000. and his elite troupe to hop Hough’s been doing this into the audience, which since age 11. His experience they do often. speaks for itself on “Moses Hough flows through most every Supposes” from Singing in the Rain, style of dance imaginable, from many where he and a fellow entertainer musical eras, without missing a beat. perform a complicated and devilishly Songs ranging from “I Can’t Get Next fast tap dancing extravaganza. The to You” by The Temptations to “Fireshowman later joins his band on ball” by Pitbull orchestrate rapid-fire guitar for a solo and sings while other moves, shimmies and slides. At one dancers take center stage. point, Hough pauses to acknowledge It’s refreshing to watch someone the music. as high-profile as Hough show such “For me that’s where it all starts, respect for his crew and his craft. that’s where it all begins,” he says. And though he’s no stranger to the “I have to choreograph to it; I have stage, this Vegas residency clearly to dance to it. When I hear a song, I means a lot. actually see color. It’s like this tone or “My mom lived here for 20 years. this energy ...” I used to come here a lot as a kid and “The energy shifts,” an enthused always dreamed of having a show woman from the audience calls out. Evhere,” Hough says. “I’m so thankful eryone chuckles.“Yes, darling,” Hough for dancing. It’s given me so much.” coolly replies, “the energy shifts.” It’s these unscripted moments that make Hough feel real. He’s flexible in his delivery, on and off the dancefloor. Less idolized dance virtuoso
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BY AMBER SAMPSON
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CONFIDENT COMEBACK TANNA MARIE
How local R&B singer Tanna Marie refound her voice
n 2020, local R&B singer Tanna Marie released “Gumbo,” a catchy, bad bitch anthem with all the confidence of a premier Lizzo track. It gained traction around the city, earning plays at Vegas Golden Knights games and during a friend’s Life Is Beautiful set. And none of that would have happened were it not for Marie’s son. “I had my son in the car and was dropping him off at daycare,” she explains. “I had this hip-hop YouTube instrumental playing and thought, this is sick, I should write to it. Right then, my son asked for his snacks. I thought about how people would call themselves snacks, and how I was a plus-size girl so that would make me a three-course meal. I literally dropped my son off at daycare and sat in that parking lot and wrote the song.” The lyrics reframed the narrative around sexy. Thick, skinny or in between, anyone could be spicy. You just needed a little swag and a lot of nerve, two things Marie has plenty of. But it wasn’t always that way. Growing up in Las Vegas, Marie sang at school and performed in talent shows, “but I was still very much insecure about singing in front of other people then,” she says. “I didn’t really know my own voice.” Marie’s parents brought music into the household early. Her mom, a Louisiana native who used to sing and open for big acts in Aruba, played classics from Earth, Wind and Fire, El DeBarge and Whitney Houston, while
her dad introduced her to everything from the Wu-Tang Clan to AC/DC. After attending college, Marie moved to Virginia, where she ventured out musically. She collaborated with rapper Cane on an album. She covered Amy Winehouse and Mary J. Blige. And she won $1,000 and a recording contract from 2014’s Fredericksburg Idol, a Virginia-based singing contest. She returned to Las Vegas in 2015, but put music on the backburner as she dealt with a relationship she calls “toxic.” Then in 2018, a friend invited Marie to a talent showcase, where she performed her own music for the first time, putting her on track to finding herself once again. She began singing at local spots like Ninja Karaoke, Classic Jewel and Cork and Thorn. With Sad Art Collective’s support, Marie recorded “Gumbo” and more personal music that has opened “the door to my vulnerability,” she says. “It’s a self-love journey.” In her day-to-day life, Marie juggles working full-time and caring for her son. But she’s scrappy about making her music, whether that means writing at 3 a.m. or pulling over on the side of the road when she thinks of a verse. This month, she debuted two new songs at the Space’s Jam showcase. And there’s more to come. “My sound has changed a little, my voice has gotten stronger and I have learned to be more comfortable and give myself more grace,” Marie says. “I have really learned to love myself and, the new music I’m working on will really showcase that.”
open.spotify.com/artist/092JE6h8UNwIARWmiV3bOS | music.apple.com/us/artist/tanna-marie/1504439045
(Connie Ann Santos/Courtesy)
NOISE
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ONE WEEKEND
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W MISKO’S
NUGGET
North Las Vegas is now home to a longtime local artist’s largest work
BY GEOFF CARTER hen Amazon built a 147,000 square-foot “delivery station” in North Las Vegas—located at Las Vegas Boulevard and Owens Avenue, a few blocks north of the Neon Museum and just a couple of blocks south of Jerry’s Nugget—all parties concerned knew there would be a lot of street-facing cinder-block wall in need of beautification. City of North Las Vegas officials turned to Jerry Misko, the neon-inspired Las Vegas artist who’s been painting larger works of late—and is actively deconstructing his established style to create increasingly beautiful pieces. His 5,000-square-foot mural, his biggest work to date, has a lot of story to tell, both about the community and the artist himself. Here, in his own words, are some of the influences present in his new mural, titled Aurora.
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ART
DESERT BLOOMS LIGHTS, SKULLS AND GROOVES “[North Las Vegas’] Ice Age fossils are important to them, [so] I took their initial thoughts and played with them within what I do. I couldn’t get striations out of my head. … The north-facing part of the mural is abstracted neon lights that reference geological striation and auroras in the sky. … And there are skulls from three of the bigger animals that lived here during the Pleistocene.”
“I reached out to the Paiute tribe, and they sent over some information and recommended a couple books. I did some research on [North Las Vegas’] indigenous peoples, the people who lived here for thousands of years, and learned what kind of plants and things made it possible for people live in this harsh-assed environment. All the plants in the mural are important to survival in the desert. … The geometric patterns in the background reference the decorations of Paiute baskets. And the mural’s color spectrum represents the diversity of the city.”
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Jerry Misko’s Aurora (Courtesy Amazon)
TURTLE POWER
“I’ve got little nods to Jerry’s Nugget and Silver Nugget, because they’re both a big part of the business community in North Las Vegas and have been for decades. There’s an homage to Jerry’s Nugget on the southwest wall and an homage to the Silver Nugget on the southeast. And in-between them, there are a couple of neon tortoises, because you can’t have public art in Nevada without tortoises (laughs).”
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THE ART OF SANDWICH
Ismaele Romano’s new Via Focaccia is a must-eat situation
BY BROCK RADKE
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as Vegas residents or visitors might have sampled Ismaele Romano’s food at Eataly at Park MGM, the short-lived but exceptional Contento Pizzeria & Bar at Jerry’s Nugget or at the recent Vegas Unstripped event in the Arts District. But the Sicilian-born chef and winner of the World Sandwich Championship at the 2021 International Pizza Expo is more accessible than ever at a brand-new venue offering simple-yet-irresistible cuisine very close to his heart. Romano teamed with the Ellis Island Casino just east of the Strip to create Via Focaccia, a casual counter
specializing in incredible sandwiches and also offering “basically all the things you need for an incredible Italian picnic,” says general manager Christina Ellis. Ellis Island discovered Romano through Metro Pizza founder John Arena, who has operated the other fast-casual kiosk at the casino for years. “We knew we wanted to put something into that space that was homemade with an emphasis on ingredients, and once Ismaele started making the focaccia, it was a done deal,” Ellis says. Romano grew up eating similar sandwiches for breakfast and lunch, stopping at the neighborhood bak-
VIA FOCACCIA Via Focaccia’s Genovese sandwich (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
Ellis Island Casino, 702-733-8901. Daily, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
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FOOD & DRINK ery or deli in the morning to choose one from those countertops, or buying prosciutto, mozzarella and more and building his own sandwiches at home. “It’s one of the most simple foods with a lot of flavor, if you make it right,” he says. “But the sandwiches we’re making here are very different.” Via Focaccia’s sandwiches are similar to those from legendary Florence restaurant Osteria All’Antico Vinaio, which has expanded across Italy and held a pop-up shop in New York two years ago. The difference is the bread— All’Antico Vinaio uses its own twist on focaccia called schiacciata; Romano’s is his own time-tested recipe. “I make focaccia at home, but this recipe is for the store because we don’t have a lot of space or a lot of time,” he says. “We had to develop a recipe that can be produced in a smaller amount of time without destroying the fundamentals of a good focaccia, light and crispy.” An 18-hour fermentation
keeps the bread incredibly light and tasty. It also makes it difficult to stop eating the focaccia. Signature sandwiches include cotto ham and fontina cheese with bechamel ($9); the San Giovanni ($10) with soppressata, arugula and sweet pepper spread; the Genovese ($10) with roasted eggplant, fresh burrata and pesto aioli; and a heartier option with fried chicken cutlet, eggplant, fontina, arugula and lemon garlic aioli ($10). Via Focaccia also offers doughnuts and pastries from Henderson’s Carl’s Donuts, salads, beer and cocktails, coffee and a few fried treats like pasta arancini with salumi ragu ($4). Feasting on this artisanal fare right off the casino floor is a rare experience anywhere in Las Vegas. “When you make good bread and a good sandwich in Sicily, it doesn’t matter if you’re poor or rich, you need to have good food in your life,” Romano says. “That’s one of the most important things. And this is good, very simple, easy and affordable.”
Chef Ismaele Romano (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
(Wade Vandervort/Staff)
A SMOKED MEAT REBIRTH that route. n The neighborhood barbecue I’m more than satisfied after a joint on Warm Springs near three-meat dinner platter ($25) Eastern was once the standard with a cornbread muffin, baked bearer for the Valley, one of the beans and collard greens on the busiest and most popular locaside. My favorite L2 meats are tions of Memphis Championship the thick-sliced, medium-fatty Barbecue. Whether or not it was beef brisket (also available at your favorite, we can all agree $20/pound) and the super sait had a significant impact, and vory pork hot links ($18/ that barbecue in Las pound). At this point Vegas has come a long L2 TEXAS BBQ in my Vegas barbecue way since this restau2250 E. Warm quest, brisket matters rant shuttered. Springs Road, most, and I’m not sure Since December, the 702-260-6903. there’s a better bite spot has been home Sunday-Thursthan this. to L2 Texas BBQ, a day, 11 a.m.In addition to the big-portion, bold-fla8 p.m.; Friday obvious ribs, chicken vor spot from the & Saturday, and pulled pork, L2 same folks behind the 11 a.m.-9 p.m. serves fried catfish, Texas Meltz sandwich smoked ham, other spot on West Sahasausages, Texas toast, ra. This space was tater tots, fried okra, dirty rice, built for family feasts, and L2 bread pudding, peach cobbler, acknowledges that legacy with burgers, sliders, salads and all all-you-can-eat barbecue for those toasty sandwiches from $34 (with a one-hour time limit) the other eatery. They’re really offering access to all the meats, doing all the things, and the sides and desserts you could neighborhood is taking notice. ever hope to consume. You’d –Brock Radke better be serious if you’re going
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BARNES STORM
The nation’s top college programs are lining up for a chance to sign Desert Pines running back Jovantae Barnes BY RAY BREWER
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t’s 1 p.m. on a weekday at Desert Pines High School, and Jovantae Barnes has already heard from 10 college football coaches today. The senior star running back thumbs through his text messages before practice in what has become a daily routine. He notices one from DeMarco Murray, the Las Vegas legend who now works as the running backs coach at Oklahoma. There’s another message from the University of Miami running backs coach. “Here’s one from Nebraska,” Barnes says, showing his iPhone. “I haven’t heard from them in a while.” The 6-foot, 190-pound senior, ranked the nation’s 10th-best running back recruit by 247Sports, has received more than 35 scholarship offers. He has pared that list down to a who’s who of dynastic college football programs: Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and USC.
In addition to the nonstop communication from coaches, his typical day also includes a frequent question from friends: Which school will you pick? Barnes insists, even to his parents, that there’s no favorite. He plans to visit each of those final six schools before making a decision ahead of the early-signing period, which begins December 15. He’ll then announce his decision during the ESPN-televised Under Armour All-American Game on January 2, 2022, in Orlando, Florida. Even Barnes’ school attire doesn’t provide significant clues. On this day, he’s got an Alabama backpack and wrist bracelet, an Oklahoma lanyard and a Washington pullover—even though the Huskies aren’t among his final six. Earlier in the school year, he wore gear from both Alabama and Auburn simultaneously. Another day, it was Miami and Florida State, prompting Desert Pines coach Tico Rodriguez—a Miami native—to jokingly warn
his running back not to let anyone take his photo, because of the dislike between the fan bases. For his part, Barnes isn’t bothered by the attention or stressed about the decision, explaining that there are many other high school players throughout the nation who would love to be in his position. “You only get to be a recruit one time, so you definitely have to enjoy yourself,” he says. The recruiting trail has featured plenty of fun. Take the official visit he made in September to Alabama for the Ole Miss game. Activities included a Sunday breakfast at famed coach Nick Saban’s house. Barnes ate biscuits, eggs and waffles and then got to peek into Saban’s garage full of high-end Mercedes-Benz cars. Barnes says Saban told him his favorite is a Mercedes-Maybach SUV. “Nick Saban is the best coach to ever be,” Barnes says, “and he is also a real humble guy.”
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SPORTS
(Steve Marcus/Staff/Photo Illustration)
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Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) throws a pass during an October 24 win over the Eagles. (Dennis Poroy/AP/Photo Illustration)
n Last Week: Raiders 33, Eagles 22 Raiders quarterback Derek Carr had one of the most efficient passing days in NFL history, completing 31 of 34 attempts for 323 yards and two touchdowns— with just one interception—as part of an easy victory against the Philadelphia Eagles. And he did it without his top target, tight end Darren Waller, who missed the game after rolling his ankle in practice. Foster Moreau filled in admirably, emerging as the Raiders’ top receiver in the game and scoring their first touchdown. Las Vegas heads into its bye week 5-2, good for first place in the AFC West.
RAIDERS
Report
Cars were also part of the recruiting pitch this summer at Oklahoma’s annual ChampU BBQ, where prospects like Barnes paraded in front of a green Ferrari and other exotic cars. Even more impressive for Barnes was meeting former Oklahoma greats who returned to campus for the event, including former NFL MVP Adrian Peterson, Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray (Cardinals), Marquise Brown (Ravens), Jalen Hurts (Eagles) and CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys). “I was blown away by the people who came to that event,” Barnes says. On the field, Barnes has proven to be worth all the attention, scoring 11 touchdowns in six games this season while averaging nearly nine yards per carry. Against Las Vegas High, he carried the ball 10 times for 190 yards and three touchdowns. Barnes has been making
up for lost time after his junior season was canceled due to the pandemic. “When he wants to go somewhere, he goes there and it’s hard to bring him down,” Rodriguez says. “[He’s] powerful, fast, explosive. Watching [the Tennessee Titans’] Derrick Henry, he is a little version of that. He’s not there yet, but he has the traits. Rodriguez says he cherishes his duty helping Barnes, or any of his players, make life decisions such as which college to attend. The coach never changes his primary message to anyone, including Barnes: The choice is yours. “He has to go where his heart is happy,” Rodriguez says. “I want my kids to be happy. You guide them, give them information. But at the end of the day, the kid 100% has to pick where his heart wants him to go.”
AFC West Watch: The Raiders are technically a half-game ahead of the LA Chargers in the standings, but only because the latter had a bye in Week 7. If the Chargers beat the New England Patriots in a Week 8 home game, they’ll hold a first-place tiebreaker over the Raiders by way of a Week 4 head-to-head victory. The second matchup of the year between the Chargers and Raiders won’t come until the final game of the regular season, January 9 at Allegiant Stadium. The other two teams in the division, the Chiefs and Broncos, are each struggling at 3-4 but could get back on track with Week 8 home games. Kansas City hosts the New York Giants, while Denver takes on Washington at Empower Field at Mile High. The Raiders return from their bye with a trip to the Giants on November 7, and then play their next division game November 14 at home against the Chiefs. Raider to Monitor: Running back Josh Jacobs Jacobs scored a touchdown right before halftime against the Eagles but didn’t return to the game after suffering a chest injury. Interim coach Rich Bisaccia had no update on his status afterwards. Las Vegas has been fine without Jacobs, who has already missed two games this season with ankle and toe injuries, but the team seemed optimistic he could stay healthier for the second half of the season. That’s now in question. Waller’s injury, on the other hand, isn’t considered serious; he even tested out his ankle in a pregame workout routine before the team decided to sit him. Jacobs is the big question now, even though the Raiders have another starting-caliber running back in Kenyan Drake. –Case Keefer
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As CBD products become more mainstream, pet owners explore benefits for their animals
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BY BRYAN HORWATH ven though his small specialty pet food store sold CBD, or cannabidiol, products, Frank Shaw wasn’t convinced of their effectiveness. He changed his tune when his dog, a young Shar Pei named Gracie, became sick and stopped eating a couple of years ago. Out of desperation, Shaw, co-owner of Three Dog Bakery franchise in northwest Las Vegas, started smearing a ginger honey CBD product in Gracie’s mouth. Almost immediately, she started to eat again. Shaw even tried some of the honey himself one night when he had an upset stomach. It also worked for him, he said. “Once people put their pets on this stuff, they tend to stay on it,” Shaw said. “In that sense, demand for these products has definitely been increasing.” According to Forbes, the pet CBD market is expected to generate close to $630 million in sales this year, which would be nearly $200 million more than last year. Research firm Packaged Facts, in a survey from 2019, reported that 11% of dog owners and 8% of cat owners had used cannabis supplements or treats for their pets. Just like the overall cannabis market, however, the pet CBD market is still maturing, said Meghan Joachin, owner of the House of Paws pet store in Las Vegas. “There are a lot of CBD products out there that I’m just not sure about; there’s a lot of malarkey in the market,” Joachin said. “But CBD works. CBD gave my dog an extra five years before she passed away.” Joachin said she’s selective about which CBD products she carries, but she is a believer in a local hemp company, This Stuff Is Good for You. The company got its start through local farmers markets. It now has its own hemp grow operation in Pahrump. Other than CBD oils, which are used orally, the company markets organic dog treats featuring flavors such as pumpkin and peanut butter. Business
is going so well, the company plans to open a new headquarters soon near the intersection of Buffalo Drive and Sahara Avenue. Its products are sold in several Western states. “The pet industry is a big part of our business,” said Michael Cabarus of This Stuff Is Good for You. “We’re in over 30 pet stores, a lot of them mom-andpop stores in the Las Vegas Valley. The science behind CBD is simple: Pets have CBD receptors, just like we do. CBD is good for the nervous system and helps a lot with inflammation and sleep.” Pet CBD products are mostly used for dogs or cats, but Cabarus said some of his customers own horses. “People are becoming more aware of these products and what they can do,” Cabarus said. “This is a very
large, disruptive industry. It’s not going to stop.” Jeff Dunn, a pharmacist co-founder of the Utahbased Farmer & Chemist, said CBD works well to alleviate anxiety in dogs. He said June and July are typically popular months for pet CBD product sales, because dog owners worry that Fourth of July fireworks will trigger stress and anxiety. “We’re big on education about CBD, which basically just offers the benefits that the plant offers, but without the hallucinogenic properties of THC,” Dunn said. “To some degree, it is still the Wild West in this industry. I would say the pet product portion of our business is still a small part of it, but it’s definitely growing.” Guidelines and laws regarding CBD use—as with the broader cannabis market as a whole—can vary from state to state. Federal law still recognizes cannabis as a Schedule I drug, on par with drugs like heroin and cocaine. In Nevada, a law took effect October 1 that allows veterinarians to recommend and administer hemp and CBD products that contain no more than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) without any sanctions from the state’s Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. The bill was introduced in part because it was unclear whether veterinarians were permitted to recommend—or even talk about—CBD products and treatments. A representative of the Nevada Veterinary Medical Association—a trade group for the profession—said veterinarians are still wary of talking publicly about the new law. Many didn’t return phone calls seeking comment for this story. “There’s plenty of research out there; this stuff works,” Joachin said. “I’ve been helping people with CBD for about six years now. It’s a natural supplement, and it’s only going to become more popular.”
Pet Releaf’s Edibites at Healthy Tails, 8457 W. Lake Mead Blvd. (Steve Marcus/Staff)
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VEGAS INC BUSINESS
10.28.21
Q+A: TYLER KLIMAS
For Cannabis Compliance Board, downtime is always a month away
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BY VEGAS INC STAFF he Cannabis Compliance Board celebrated its first anniversary on July 1. It began with 44 employees and will grow to 93 by the middle of next year. “This investment is a recognition that the state sees great benefit and importance in a well-regulated cannabis industry,” says Tyler Klimas, who was appointed executive director of the board in September 2019. Vegas Inc caught up with Klimas to ask about cannabis consumption lounges, federal legalization, diversity and more. Have there been any challenges you haven’t quite been able to pin down yet? Every few months I tell my wife that this is the month. This is the time things will start to settle down and work will become a little more predictable. Every few months I am completely wrong. It is exhausting in the best way, and it is what makes this job both challenging and rewarding. What goals are on your to-do list? Outside of the day-to-day operations, I am really trying to focus on the future needs of this agency and what is required to keep us at the forefront of successful regulation. It often comes back to data. Prioritizing data collection and having access to good data will allow us to better drive decisions on things like combating the illicit market, increasing social equity and diversity within the industry, preventing minors from accessing cannabis, and maintaining an overall healthy balance to the marketplace. In many cases we lack even a solid baseline of data, and so working to establish that foundation is something I would like to prioritize over the next couple years.
“
Is federal legalization coming? Is that even something you think about? Momentum is clearly gaining for federal action on cannabis, whether that results in the decriminalizadsdfgsdfg tion of cannabis or passage of a larger, more comprehensive legalization package. Obviously, predicting the timeline for congressional action is impossible, but eventual federal action is something we have been discussing from day one. Nevada is in a unique position given our world-class gaming sector, which is currently prohibited from engaging with cannabis and cannabis-related businesses. We expect robust interaction between the gaming and cannabis industries if the federal government acts, and understanding what that means for the state and how we can continue to capitalize on the revenue it generates is an important conversation to continue. What’s the latest on lounges? What kind of timeline are we looking at? We just wrapped up several public meetings on consumption lounges where issues around public safety, public health, and social equity, diversity and inclusion were discussed. Nevada is a trailblazer in this realm. Making sure the process remains open and transparent as we develop the guidelines around how these lounges should operate is very important to us. The goal is to launch the lounge program in a responsible and safe way, not the quickest way. We will continue to develop rules around lounges over the next few months, keep the process open to the public, and if all goes well, we could see the first lounges open mid-year next year.
Do you play a role at all in the diversity of the industry? When the CCB was created in 2019, ensuring equity, diversity and inclusion in the cannabis industry was a mandate given to the agency by the Legislature and Gov. Steve Sisolak. Historically, diversity and equity weren’t discussed in many of the first states that legalized cannabis, including Nevada. Our challenge now is how do we open up an already established market to further increase its diversity. Certainly, consumption lounges being a new license type allows for an opportunity to bring in new diverse ownership, but lounges themselves are not going to solve the problem. My role and the role of the CCB is to use our power as the regulatory body to make sure pathways to greater diversity remain clear and at times, force new pathways. What in your background leading up to your appointment made you a good fit for this position? I believe Gov. Sisolak was looking for a fresh perspective, someone from the outside who could take an unbiased approach at rebuilding the oversight body and regaining the public’s trust and confidence. I understand what it takes to operate in a highly scrutinized environment. I know the state well given my experience working for Govs. Sandoval and Sisolak, and living 2,500 miles away in Washington, D.C., at the time provided a natural buffer to the pitfalls and players around cannabis. What have you learned from other jurisdictions with regards to compliance? And what landmines were you able to sidestep? It is much more difficult to strengthen regulations once they have already been relaxed. Nevada’s cannabis regulations, especially as they pertain to public health and safety, were always strict. That initial approach has served our state extremely well, not only by allowing for greater protection of the health and safety of our residents, but by also ensuring the CCB can control the pace we review and refine our current regulations. If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be and why? I won’t tell you exactly where it is, but when I go missing there is a certain 19th century hunting lodge in the mountains of Austria where you will find me. Twitter and Instagram don’t work there.
It’s much more difficult to strengthen regulations once they have already been relaxed. Nevada’s cannabis regulations, especially as they pertain to public health and safety, were always strict. That initial approach has served our state extremely well, not only by allowing for greater protection of the health and safety of our residents, but by also ensuring the CCB can control the pace we review and refine our current regulations.”
10.28.21
VEGAS INC BUSINESS
47 I
VegasInc Notes The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers announced that Sebastian Salat was selected as the recipient of the 2021 Jens Halle Memorial Award honoring excellence in commercial gaming Salat professionalism, and Alan Feldman was selected as the recipient of the 2021 Peter Mead Memorial Award honoring excellence in gaming media and communications. AGEM also appointed gaming industry veter- Feldman an Daron Dorsey as its new executive director, effective March 1, 2022. Dorsey will begin his new position after previously serving as senior vice president, general counsel and group compliance officer at Ainsworth Game Technology. Dorsey has also been an officer and general counsel of AGEM since 2016. Benchmark Litigation designated Bailey Kennedy as a “Highly Recommended Firm” in Nevada. The 2022 edition further acknowledged five Bailey Kennedy attorneys: Partners John Bailey, Dennis Kennedy, Joshua Dickey and Joseph Liebman were recognized as Local Litigation Stars while partner Joshua Gilmore was recognized as a Future Star. Dr. Domenic Martinello accepted the position of chief medical officer for MountainView Hospital. Martinello joins MountainView from Southern Hills Hospital, where he has been the Martinello CMO since April 2020. He is a board-certified emergency physician with experience in trauma life support and also a certified professional of health care quality. The Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced that Melany Aten will serve as the new program manager for the Nevada Conservation Districts Program. Aten has worked in all areas Aten of natural resource project management and planning for more than 15 years, and has been with NCDP since 2017. As its program manager, Aten will collaborate with Nevada’s 28 conservation districts and the State Conservation Commission to help advance natural resource conservation and management across the
state’s rural and urban landscapes. Adam Collins joined Sun Commercial Real Estate as an associate with a focus on investment sales in the multifamily and community retail sectors. Collins has been involved in the real estate industry since 2001, and has represented a wide variety of clients in the purchase and sales of multifamily properties, hotels and shopping centers.
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Marianna Hunnicutt, professional engineer, civil engineer and practice builder at Kimley-Horn, was named a recipient of the National NAIOP 2021 Developing Leaders Award, honoring Hunnicutt rising industry professionals throughout the nation. NAIOP selected five young professionals nationally to receive the award. The Neon Museum named long-time employee Jennifer Kleven to lead the museum’s development department as its senior development officer. Kleven has been with the museum for 12 years in a variety Kleven of roles ranging from a volunteer after finishing college to most recently, its grants manager. Golden Entertainment Inc. security team members, Robert Woodward, director of security, and Isaac Lagerfeld, manager of collections, were awarded Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s prestigious Citizen’s Award for their instrumental role in the investigation of a series of burglaries. The two were called “invaluable” by the department after helping to put a prompt end to the investigation by identifying those who were later charged with multiple felony crimes. Colliers Las Vegas promoted Angelina Scarcelli to managing director of Real Estate Management Services for Las Vegas and Reno. With over 20 years of real estate experience, Scarcelli has earned a variety of business and industry awards for her high-quality work and leadership in commercial real estate. Prior to her new role, Scarcelli served as director of operations for the Colliers Las Vegas office. Karma and Luck was recognized by Inc. Magazine on its annual Inc. 5000 list, a ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent small businesses.
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LV W P U Z Z L E & H O R O S C O P E S
PREMIER CROSSWORD
10.28.21
“SCARE TACTICS” BY FRANK LONGO
HOROSCOPES
WEEK OF OCTOBER 28 BY ROB BREZSNY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Philosopher Emil Cioran wrote, “When I meet friends or people I know who are going through a difficult period, I usually have this advice for them: ‘Spend 20 minutes in a cemetery, and you’ll see that, though your worry won’t disappear, you’ll almost forget about it and you’ll feel better.’” That advice would provide you with the proper stimulation to transform your doubts and perplexities into clarity, grace and aplomb. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): According to some spiritual teachers, desire interferes with our quest for illumination. It diverts us from what’s real and important. Some gurus even go so far as to say that our yearnings deprive us of freedom; they entrap us and diminish us. Hogwash. Deepen, refine and celebrate the yearning in your heart. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Author Jessamyn West confessed, “I am always jumping into the sausage grinder and deciding, even before I’m half ground, that I don’t want to be a sausage after all.” Such a fate can be easily avoided. All you must do is commit yourself to not jumping into the sausage grinder. Also: In every way you can imagine, don’t be like a sausage. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Author Franz Kafka told us, “It is often safer to be in chains than to be free.” But the fact is that you’re far more likely to be safe if you are free. That’s extra true for you now. If you can celebrate Halloween without risk from COVID-19, here are costume suggestions: runaway prisoner, escape artist, freedom fighter. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Some of us yearn for allies who can act like saviors: rescue us from our demons and free us from our burdensome pasts and transform us into the beauties we want to become. On the other hand, some of us do all this hard work by ourselves. The latter approach will suit you in the coming weeks. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “One of the reasons people are so unhappy is they don’t talk to themselves,” says author Elizabeth Gilbert. “You have to keep a conversation going with yourself throughout your life to see how you’re doing, to keep your focus, to remain your own friend.” Now is a favorable time to try such an experiment. Imagine having a conversation with the Future You.
2020 KING FEATURES SYNDICATE ACROSS 1 Mess up on 6 Dismiss, as an ill student 14 Pause-causing marks 20 Skunks’ defenses 21 Quick size-up 22 1998 Masters winner Mark 23 Giving an officer a leg up? 25 Defaced 26 Neighbors of Czechs 27 Composes 28 “Li’l” fellow 29 Previous to 30 Food favored by logicians? 35 Belgrade citizens 38 Impish kids 39 Extra NFL periods 40 Spill a secret 41 Lake fed by the Huron 42 Port-au-Prince’s place 43 2017-19 labor secretary Alexander 46 Poor grade 47 Monkey setting off big experimental blasts? 50 — ’n’ cheese 51 Airing of ads on the tube 52 Eyeliner flaw 53 Least plentiful 55 Archaic verb suffix 56 Warty hopper 59 Son of Cain 62 Busy insects 63 Two things a baby might be wearing in cold weather? 68 — -Cola 71 St. Teresa’s birthplace
72 Chili bit 73 Neighbor of Wash. 76 Leaves weaponless 79 Finger or toe 82 MRI alternative 84 Winnipeg’s province: Abbr. 85 “I pray our reservation doesn’t get canceled!”? 90 News agency founded in 1958 91 Fastener for paper sheets 92 Totally fills 93 Fabled snow humanoid 94 Actress Turner 96 Mined stuff 97 Female hip-hopper 98 Self-indulgent outing 99 Comment upon finally getting a chance to sit down? 103 The Raven writer 104 Typical 105 In perfect condition 106 Not mixing well with others 110 Thirty tripled 112 Ruling house enjoying great prosperity? 115 Comparable with 116 Get robots to do 117 Kate’s mate on 1980s TV 118 Part of BBB 119 Rubs the wrong way 120 Bed boards DOWN 1 Janitorial tools 2 Revered sort 3 Unassisted 4 Torque transmitter in a motor
5 Star Wars won seven of them 6 Weeps noisily 7 Musician Brian 8 S.Sgt. or M.Sgt. 9 Tyranny 10 Pay-to-stay places 11 Sheep-related 12 High-IQ club 13 Minuscule bit of work 14 Jet engine part that includes the igniter 15 Muscat-eer? 16 Most trifling 17 Guys wearing wedding rings 18 “My lips — sealed” 19 In a blue state 24 Barely get, with “out” 28 “Don’t — surprised!” 30 Londoner, e.g. 31 Author Joyce Carol — 32 Unskilled PC gamer, say 33 Marlins’ and Mets’ div. 34 Decides (to) 35 Pick up on 36 Blow up 37 Big name in photocopiers 38 Happy hour locale 42 Great devastation 43 “— of angels coming after me” (“Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” line) 44 Chocolate substitute 45 Santa —, California 48 Comics’ Kett 49 Like Mutant Ninja Turtles 54 Actress Issa 57 Alias letters
58 Actor Patel 60 Corn holder 61 Garden tool 63 Jelly holder 64 Like some waves 65 Full of energy 66 Tijuana treats 67 Wild about 68 Fluffy clouds 69 Comparable (with) 70 Team of dogs on the force 73 Less genial 74 Inferno poet 75 Dickinson of Rio Bravo 77 Sporty English autos 78 Supreme Court’s Sonia 80 “Let’s move!” 81 Natives of Bangkok 83 Many a video chat 86 Hannah of Roxanne 87 Design detail 88 Raison d’— 89 — Paese (cheese type) 95 Thumbs-up 97 Witticism 98 Part of ASAP 100 Mozart’s “Così fan —” 101 Love, to Gigi 102 Regional flora and fauna 103 — -Ops (CIA tactics) 106 Yemeni city 107 Dot in the sea, to Juanita 108 Toiling away 109 Strong alkalis 110 Collar 111 Singer Turner 112 Grocery holder 113 “Illmatic” rapper 114 ’60s Pontiac
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “In the absence of willpower, the most complete collection of virtues and talents is worthless,” occultist Aleister Crowley wrote. Cultivate your willpower, along with the assets that bolster it, like discipline, self-control and concentration. Your Halloween accessories: a wand, a symbolic lightning bolt, an ankh, an arrow, a Shiva lingam stone or crystal. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Mardi Gras is a boisterous festival that happens every February all over the planet. One hot spot is New Orleans. The streets there are filled with costumed revelers who enjoy acting in ways that diverge from their customary behavior. Engage in similar festivities for the next three weeks—even if you’re not doing much socializing or partying. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Jungian psychotherapist and storyteller Clarissa Pinkola Estés reminds us, “In fairy tales, tears change people, remind them of what is important, and save their very souls.” Be open to the possibility of crying epic, cathartic, catalytic tears in the coming weeks. You have a prime opportunity to benefit from therapeutic weeping. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Filmmaker Wim Wenders said, “Any film that supports the idea that things can be changed is a great film in my eyes.” Any experience, influence or person that supports the idea that things can be changed is great. This is a useful, inspiring theme for you to work with right now. Be a connoisseur and instigator of beneficial, beautiful transformations. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Fitness buff Jack LaLanne was still doing his daily workout when he was 95. At 65, he swam a mile through Japan’s Lake Ashinoko while towing 65 boats filled with 6,500 pounds of wood pulp. You’re capable of a metaphorically comparable effort. One way to do it is by mastering a psychological challenge that has previously seemed overwhelming. So meditate on where your extra strength would be best directed, and use it wisely. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): When birdwatchers describe a bird, they speak of its “jizz.” This term refers to the distinctive character of its habitual movements, flying style, posture, vocal mannerisms and coloring. One aficionado defines jizz as the bird’s “indefinable quality,” or the “vibe it gives off.” Right now you’re as bird-like as you’ve ever been. You seem lighter and freer than usual, less bound to gravity and solemnity and more likely to break into song. Your fears are subsiding because you have the confidence to leave any situation that’s weighing you down.
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