2023-03-16-Las-Vegas-Weekly

PUBLISHER MARK DE POOTER mark.depooter@gmgvegas.com

EDITOR

SPENCER PATTERSON spencer.patterson@gmgvegas.com

EDITORIAL

Senior Editor GEOFF CARTER (geo .carter@gmgvegas.com)

Editor at Large BROCK RADKE (brock.radke@gmgvegas.com)

Deputy Editor EVELYN MATEOS (evelyn.mateos@gmgvegas.com)

Sta Writer SHANNON MILLER (shannon.miller@gmgvegas.com)

Sta Writer AMBER SAMPSON (amber.sampson@gmgvegas.com)

Contributing Writers GRACE DA ROCHA,HILLARY DAVIS, MIKE GRIMALA, CASEY HARRISON, KATIE ANN MCCARVER, DANNY WEBSTER

Contributing Editors RAY BREWER, JUSTIN HAGER, CASE KEEFER, DAVE MONDT

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CREATIVE

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World

Tattoo

SUPERGUIDE

Your daily events planner, starring Stevie Nicks, Flogging Molly, Ween, Mean Girls, Therapy Gecko and more.

34 18

COVER STORY

UNLV’s women’s basketball team is headed back to the Big Dance, plus betting tips, locals to watch and more March Madness.

30

NEWS

Cannabis consumption lounges are on the horizon, but they still have some key obstacles to overcome.

NOISE

NIGHTS

DJ/producer Whethan hits We the Beat’s party at Fergusons Downtown.

COVER

THE STRIP Tony Awardwinning musical Six opens at the Palazzo.

FOOD & DRINK

Photo Illustration ON

MADNESS

42

Didi Romero as Katherine Howard in Six (Courtesy/Joan Marcus)

SUPERGUIDE

THURSDAY

16 MAR.

ARTS

FOOD + DRINK COMEDY

WEEN

It’s a real occasion when Dean and Gene Ween play Brooklyn Bowl. The band takes over the stage for multiple nights, and even the kitchen gets in on the action: In past years, Brooklyn Bowl has actually changed its menu for the duration of Ween’s visit, replacing the names of all its plates with band-related puns. (My favorite: “Help Me Scrape the Hummus O My Brain.”) But what matters most to the hardcore fans are the songs, and judging by past Brooklyn Bowl visits, they’ll need to attend all three nights to get the full brown experience—an option Brooklyn Bowl o ers for $179. That’s not to say you couldn’t drop in for one night of “Pork Roll Egg and Cheese” and “Bananas and Blow.” By the way: Those are Ween songs, not menu items. And if you’ve got a taste for them, Ween’s serving up a proper feast. March 16-18, 7 p.m., $60-$65 (3-day pass $179), Brooklyn Bowl, ticketweb.com. –Geo Carter

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. CALGARY FLAMES 7 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.

SHAMROCK BASH

Thru 3/19, times vary, Fremont Street Experience, vegasexperience. com.

RITA RUDNER 6:30 p.m., South Point Showroom, ticketmaster.com.

FLOGGING MOLLY

With Anti-Flag, Skinny Lister, 7 p.m., the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com. (Courtesy/Katie Hovland)

LIL JON 10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

INNER WAVE

With Jordana, Junior Mesa, 7 p.m., 24 Oxford, etix.com.

JUMP: THE ULTIMATE DOG SHOW Thru 3/19, 11 a.m. & 1 p.m., Springs Preserve Amphitheater, springs preserve.org.

O.T. GENASIS 10:30 p.m., Tao Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK 10 p.m., Beverly Theater, thebeverly theater.com.

JOHN CAPARULO 7:30 p.m., Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster.com.

MARK MAYNARD 6 p.m., Coop’s Cabaret, coops cabaret.com

CARLY PRESHER: QUASI-VEGAS SHOWGIRL 8 p.m., the Space, thespacelv.com.

DUNCAN TRUSSELL Thru 3/18, 7:30 p.m. (& 3/17-3/18, 10 p.m.), Wiseguys, vegas.wiseguys comedy.com.

GOOD TIMES AHEAD 10 p.m., We All Scream, seetickets.us.

FRIDAY

TWO FRIENDS

Picking a name for your DJ duo can be a treacherous task, but Matt Halper and Eli Sones decided to keep it simple. They’re lifelong friends and musical collaborators, having met in seventh grade while growing up in LA, then cutting their teeth making hip-hop beats and visiting Coachella’s EDM tent. Flash forward to 2023, and they’ve announced the Planet Two Friends tour, along with Disco Lines, Matoma and others. Their annual Big Bootie Land event touches down in Chicago in June, and they’ve secured plenty of spring dates at XS and Encore Beach Club at Wynn. Vegas is a fitting destination for an act that broke through on the strength of a viral remix of The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside,” and new single “No Saving Us” has that light, feel-good vibe that tends to show up during sets like Friday’s at the sunny EBC on the Strip. 11 a.m., $30-$55+, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com. –Brock Radke

THE GUESS WHO 8 p.m., Golden Nugget Showroom, ticketmaster.com.

WHETHAN

With Dos Lonely Boys, Fama, Keo, Edwin Kugler, Evan Durant, 7 p.m., Fergusons Downtown, wethebeat.com.

SECOS

With The Red Seduction, Silent Movie Cinema, 8 p.m., the Gri n, eventbrite.com.

KEN MODE

With Frail Body, Life’s Torment, Lords of Death, 8 p.m., Artifice, eventbrite.com

RICK ROSS 10 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, drais group.com.

CALIBASH

With Wisin & Yandel, Zion & Lennox, Fuerza Regida & more, 8 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.

BONNIE RAITT 8 p.m., & 3/18, 3/21, 3/22, Venetian Theatre, ticketmaster.com.

KEVIN HART 9 p.m., & 3/18, Resorts World Theatre, axs.com.

TESLA 7:30 p.m., & 3/18, 3/22, House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com.

KEITH URBAN 8 p.m., & 3/18, Zappos Theater, ticketmaster.com.

TIËSTO 10 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zouk grouplv.com.

ADELE 8 p.m., & 3/18, the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com.

USHER 9 p.m., & 3/18, Dolby Live, ticketmaster.com.

ILLENIUM 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

RILEY GREEN 8 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com.

TOM SEGURA 8 p.m., & 3/18, the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com.

OV SULFUR With SpiritWorld, Imperial Tide, Scrutiny, Mourning Anguish, KOS, 6 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, seetickets.us.

RUNA 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com.

GILBY CLARKE

With Velvet Chains, 9 p.m., Vegas Stand Up & Rock, vegasstand upandrock.com.

PSYCLON NINE

With Clockwork Echo, Our Frankenstein, Corvin’s Breed, System Six, Luna 13, 7 p.m., the Dive Bar, eventbrite.com.

OV7 8 p.m., Pearl Concert Theater, ticketmaster. com.

(Courtesy)

SATURDAY SUPERGUIDE

BIG LEAGUE WEEKEND: COLORADO ROCKIES VS. KANSAS CITY ROYALS

1 p.m., & 3/19, Las Vegas Ballpark, ticketmaster.com.

STRONG MUSIC FESTIVAL

With Kodak Black, Chief Keef & more, Cox Pavilion, unlvtickets.com.

BREW’S BEST CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL

2 p.m., the Lawn at Downtown Summerlin, eventbrite.com.

LUDACRIS 10 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

READINGS: ANDREW COLLARD & CHARLENE STEGMAN MOSKAL 7 p.m., the Writer’s Block, thewritersblock. org.

MARSHMELLO 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

VEGAS VIPERS VS. ORLANDO GUARDIANS 7 p.m., Cashman Field, ticket master.com.

WIZ KHALIFA 10 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, drais group.com.

CAM’RON 10 p.m., Drai’s Beachclub, draisgroup.com.

WAKA FLOCKA FLAME

With Matisse & Sadko, Brooks, JackEl, 9 p.m., Area15, eventbrite. com.

PATRICK WARBURTON

Thru 3/21, 2 p.m., Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster.com.

STEVE AOKI 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

OPERA

LAS VEGAS: APPROACHING ALI 7:30 p.m., (& 3/19, 3 p.m.), Horn Theatre, opera lasvegas.com.

THE CHAINSMOKERS 10:30 p.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.

QUEENSRŸCHE 8 p.m., the Club at Cannery, ticket master.com.

BOB MARLEY 10 p.m., Mirage Theatre, ticket master.com.

BODYSNATCHER

With Angelmaker, Paleface, Distant, 6 p.m., American Legion Vegas Post 8, seetickets.com.

DEATHCHANT

With Sonolith, Hands of Oblivion, 8 p.m., the Dive Bar, eventbrite. com.

LOUIS THE CHILD 11 a.m., Ayu Dayclub, zouk grouplv.com.

STEVIE NICKS

Black chi on, grace, grit and the high school cheerleader/book club president who told me I had to listen to Bella Donna in the ninth grade: That’s what comes to mind when I think of Stevie Nicks. That album will turn 42 later this year, yet it remains as timeless as ever, as does its creator, who made a name for herself with hits like “Dreams” and “Rhiannon” during her days with Fleetwood Mac. Nicks has been an inspiration to multiple generations, and hearing her husky voice work through such iconic pop melodies feels like the perfect way to celebrate women’s history month. 7 p.m., $70-$550, T-Moblie Arena, axs.com –Evelyn Mateos

(Courtesy/Randee St. Nicholas)

SUNDAY 20

7

MONDAY

QUEENS OF ROCK

After starring in more than 200 performances of her female-driven, classic-rock whirlwind Queens of Rock at the now-shuttered Mosaic Theater from 2020 through 2022, Canadian singer Elyzabeth Diaga received a hero’s welcome upon her return to Montreal. “It was crazy, sold-out venues, people screaming,” she says. “There was definitely more excitement back home for our series of shows after Las Vegas. People were impressed.” Diaga and her veteran Vegas-based backing band enjoyed that initial run, and now the gang returns for a new residency at the 850-seat Orleans Showroom, kicking o this week. Expect the same show stacked with Diaga’s powerful renditions of hits from Heart, Blondie, Joan Jett, Pat Benatar and more, just on a bigger stage. “And what I like about being in this beautiful casino is that the Strip was mostly tourists only … I don’t think locals go on the Strip to see shows much. This is so cool, because the Orleans has both locals and tourists.” 9 p.m., March 20, 23, 24 (& 7 p.m. March 25), $55, Orleans Showroom, ticketmaster.com.

–Brock Radke

TIËSTO

11 a.m., Ayu Dayclub, zouk grouplv.com.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS 1 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.

TOO SHORT Noon, Daylight Beach Club, daylightvegas.com.

SATAN With Night Demon, Haunt, 8 p.m., the Dive Bar, eventbrite.com.

KAROLINA MIKOŁAJCZYK & IWO JEDYNECKI 6 p.m., West Charleston Library, thelibrarydistrict. org.

TYGA 11 a.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.

ACRAZE 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com.

TEEN MORTGAGE

With Pure Sport, Hunter’s Briefcase, 8 p.m., the Gri n, eventbrite.com.

RYAN BAKER QUARTET

1 p.m., Bootlegger, bootlegger lasvegas.com.

LAS VEGAS SINFONIETTA: BRANDENBURG CONCERTOS BY JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH

3 p.m., Clark County Library, thelibrarydistrict. org.

MONDAYS DARK 8 p.m., the Space, mondaysdark. com.

LYSSA PARK: LITTLE AMERICA Thru 3/31, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., UNLV Donna Beam Gallery, unlv.edu.

LIL JON 10:30 p.m., Jewel Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

MARCUS MONROE

With Marsha Warfield, Colum Tyrrell, Michael Yo, thru 3/25, 7 & 9:30 p.m., Comedy Cellar, ticket master.com.

THERAPY GECKO

p.m., Wiseguys, vegas.wiseguyscomedy.com. (Photo Courtesy)

COMEDY

FOOD + DRINK

SUPERGUIDE

MEAN GIRLS

Thru 3/26, times vary, Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter,com.

SIX: OPENING NIGHT 8:30 p.m., Palazzo Theatre, ticketmaster. com.

TROPA MAGICA With The Mauskovic Dance Band, 8 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, eventbrite. com.

THEORY OF A DEADMAN With Saint Asonia, 7 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticket web.com.

VOMIT FORTH & UPON STONE

With Khasm, Cerebral Incubation, Dissociate, 6 p.m., American Legion Post 8, seetickets.us.

THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS

6:30 p.m., thru 3/23, South Point Showroom, ticketmaster. com.

FRANKIE MORENO

7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmith center.com.

READING: NGUYEN PHAN QUE MAI

“Only through honesty can we learn about the truth,” grandma Dieu Lan tells her 12-year-old granddaughter Huong. It’s one of many proverbs sprinkled throughout the 2020 novel The Mountains Sing, which tells of one North Vietnamese family’s experience with war. Black Mountain Institute hosts a reading with author Nguyen Phan Que Mai, whose dynamic narrative touches on the historic legacies of French colonization during the 19th century, Japanese invasion during World War II and the United States’ Vietnam War. It has been 48 years since the end of the American military’s involvement after the Fall of Saigon, yet nearly five decades later, “the wounds that divided our country and families, both at home and in the diaspora, remain profound and painful,” Que Mai wrote in a 2020 essay in Women Writers, Women’s Books. With her internationally acclaimed novel—her first written in English—the author paints a vivid portrait of Vietnamese culture, people and resilience. The reading will also feature performances by the Vietnamese American actress and audiobook narrator Quyên Ngô. 7 p.m., free, Rogers Literature & Law Building at UNLV, blackmountaininstitute.org. –Shannon Miller

LUKE BRYAN

8 p.m., Resorts World Theatre, ticketmaster. com.

RUCKUS 10:30 p.m., EBC at Night, wynnsocial. com.

MAXIMUM DOOM: FEVER DOG

With Tigers on Opium, 9 p.m., Sand Dollar Downtown, thesand dollarlv.com/ downtown.

RIOT

With Skrilla, MGMA, 10 p.m., We All Scream, weallscream. com.

SKELETAL REMAINS

With Excerebration, Eyes of Perdition, Foul Deformity, Volterrum, 7 p.m., Dive Bar, eventbrite. com.

FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS, VISIT LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM.

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JUSTICE FOR ALL

ACLU of Nevada’s Athar Haseebullah speaks up for the voiceless

BY SHANNON MILLER

Athar Haseebullah recalls when his drive for justice was first set in motion. He was a student at Bishop Gorman High School.

“I was the only Muslim person in my class. … I was 14 years old when 9/11 happened. My first visceral memories related to bigotry [were] the voicemails at our mosque … threats [to] burn down our building,” he says.

“I think a lot of my early experiences dealing with bigotry kind of made me more protective of those who don’t have a voice for themselves. It’s why I ended up here at the ACLU [American Civil Liberties Union].”

Haseebullah, the executive director of the ACLU of Nevada and the affiliate’s first person of color in that position, says bigotry became “pervasive” during his teen years. Along with it, “being more vocal and standing up for myself … really just kind of grew,” he says.

The son of Pakistani immigrants, Haseebullah graduated from Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C., and spent some time working for the City of New York before returning to Las Vegas. Having worked as an attorney for Legal Aid of Southern Nevada, in government affairs for the Regional Transportation Commission and as director of strategic initiatives and general counsel for a local education nonprofit, he joined the ACLU in January 2021.

Since he took over, he has grown a team of attorneys and staff he says are “fiercely devoted” to advocating for justice. In 2022 alone, they successfully argued in District Court for the removal of cannabis from Nevada’s list of Schedule

1 controlled substances, further decriminalizing it; stood up for the free speech rights of street performers on Fremont Street; and defended voting rights when they filed a lawsuit against Nye County for its “unprecedented” hand counting of ballots and election proceedings.

Most recently, the ACLU of Nevada has stepped up to represent Durango High School students alleging excessive use of force by school police during a February 9 incident that was filmed and sparked outrage and public demonstration.

The Weekly sat down with Haseebullah to talk about what motivates him, his views on community advocacy and more.

You started becoming more aware of bigotry after increased anti-Muslim rhetoric and violence toward Muslims in the U.S. after 9/11. How did that progress when you were an adolescent? The first time I was detained by police was just a couple years later, when I was 16 years old. Someone had called me a sand N-word at a gas station. He was drunk and pushed me. When I pushed him back, he fell. Cops then arrived. And I ended up getting labeled as an aggressor; despite the fact there was an adult who was intoxicated, who in my opinion [now, in retrospect] assaulted me.

But, I was experiencing so much else in my life. … There wasn’t really the opportunity to kind of vent or have an outlet there. Through the years, it kind of carried forward in terms of how I ended up proceeding [with] things like xenophobia [and] figuring out ways to address that … whether it’s the

Muslim community, Jewish community, racial minorities or our friends who are LGBTQ+.

What kind of impact can civil rights advocates make? Whenever I think about people who are impacted by harms—whether that’s government policy, dealing with other individuals or businesses that are depriving them of their rights, or it’s a scared child just looking for some level of support—I think of my own experiences. And I remember when I was younger and I felt voiceless and like I had nobody there to advocate for me. We don’t take on every case where someone’s been harmed. What we try to do is use the law to help or use the courts to help potentially modify interpretations of the law to advance civil rights and civil liberties. We’ll normally do that when the government is on the opposite ends of our cases … to make sure that there’s an impact in the work that we do.

Since you took over, ACLU of Nevada has added diverse staff and really ramped up its community outreach and communications through fun and informative social media. Before I got to the ACLU, I only ever had [female] bosses, [and] I’ve learned a lot from each of these women over the years, in terms of how to effectively lead organizations. Before my hire, there were only a couple of people of color, ever, that worked here full-time since the start of this affiliate [in 1966]. That has turned around. We’re a majority person-of-color team. We’ve had a majority of women in positions of leadership here.

THE WEEKLY Q&A

THE BASKETBALL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

BY CASE KEEFER

Nowhere in the country hosts more games or fans for March Madness than Las Vegas, and the city will increase its lead in both counts to record levels this month.

Las Vegas was already far and away the busiest locale for conference tournaments as the home of ve separate events for the last several years—the Pac-12, Mountain West, West Coast Conference, Big West and Western Athletic Conference tournament—but the uno cial festival of basketball will be extended for two additional weeks in 2023.

The NCAA Tournament comes

to town for the rst time in the event’s history for the West Regional with a pair of Sweet 16 games on March 23, followed by an Elite Eight showdown on March 25, all at T-Mobile Arena. The National Invitational Tournament then hits town with its Final Four, leaving its usual Madison Square Garden home for Orleans Arena on March 28 and March 30.

The only week of the month in which there won’t be physical basketball being played in Las Vegas— March 12 to March 18—will be out of sheer necessity. When o cials began the bidding process to land the NCAA Tournament, they keyed in on the second week of the event, because hotel occupancy rates are already traditionally over 95% for the rst.

The third weekend of March is one of the most popular stretches of the year for Las Vegas tourism, largely because of the wall-to-wall o erings of college basketball for the tournament’s rounds of 64 and 32 teams.

The Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority reported 3.33 million visitors last March, and the gaming control board announced a statewide sports betting handle of $863.3 million for the month.

Expect both gures to go up this year with the expanded schedule, and don’t think for a second that the basketball growth has plateaued. Five years from now, an even bigger

moment will arrive when Allegiant Stadium hosts the 2028 Final Four.

The NCAA holding its agship event of the year in Las Vegas was unfathomable only a decade ago, as the organization shied from embracing the city due to its association with gambling. The WAC began shifting that perception in 1997, when it brought its tournament to the Thomas & Mack Center, with the Mountain West following three years later.

A major breakthrough occurred in 2013 when a power conference—the Pac-12—committed to Las Vegas for the rst time. The Pac-12’s now decade-long tenure in Las Vegas, along with the nationwide expansion of sports betting, has helped wash away any lingering stigma.

March Madness is synonymous with Las Vegas in a number of areas, and that’s not going to change. March 2023 will go down as a milestone month as part of this town’s new sports-crazed era.

Las Vegas has become the unquestioned place to be for all of March Madness

Homegrown Heroes

Las Vegas products suiting up for the men’s and women’s NCAA Basketball Tournaments

BY CASE KEEFER

Las Vegas’ March Madness reputation goes beyond hosting so many games.

Southern Nevada has been a prep-basketball hotbed for more than a decade now, with a large number of both local men’s and women’s players competing at the next level. Here are some of the stars from Las Vegas, outside of the big three on the UNLV women’s roster, set to compete in this year’s NCAA Tournaments.

TAYLOR BIGBY

Freshman guard, No. 8 women’s seed USC, opens March 17, 5 p.m. vs. South Dakota State.

The two-time Nevada Gatorade State Player of the Year out of Centennial High spent one injury-plagued year in Oregon before turning into a highly-coveted player in the transfer portal and ultimately returning closer to home. She has started seven games and has otherwise been the first player o the bench to help guide the Women of Troy to their first tournament berth since 2014.

FRANKIE COLLINS

Sophomore guard, No. 11 men’s seed Arizona State, opens March 15, 6:10 p.m. vs. UNR (outcome undetermined at press time).

The former Coronado and Clark High standout transferred from Michigan before the season and has the seen the decision pay o as the Sun Devils’ starting point guard. Collins averages 10 points, four rebounds and four assists per game, becoming known as one of the Pac-12 Conference’s top playmakers.

JACKSON FRANCOIS

AALIYAH GAYLES

Freshman guard, No. 8 women’s seed USC, opens March 17, 5 p.m. vs. South Dakota State.

The McDonald’s All-American out of Spring Valley High hasn’t yet stepped on the court in college but her mere presence is an inspiration to her teammates. Gayles was tragically shot multiple times in the arms and legs last April, but her determination to play basketball again has never wavered and her chance could come as early as the start of next season.

JOSHUA JEFFERSON

Freshman forward, No. 5 men’s seed St. Mary’s, opens March 17, 11 a.m. vs. VCU.

A year after leading Liberty High to its first state championship, Jefferson is back to his winning ways as a depth piece on a Gaels’ team that won a share of the West Coast Conference regular-season title for the first time since 2016. Je erson provides energy o the bench, especially on the defensive end.

WILL MCCLENDON

Freshman guard, No. 2 men’s seed UCLA, opens March 16, 7 p.m. vs. UNC Asheville.

The former Bishop Gorman High star missed all of last season and the beginning of this year as he recovered from a torn ACL, but he could play an increased role in this year’s tournament. Injuries have cut into UCLA’s depth, potentially opening up an opportunity for McClendon to showcase his versatile game for a national championship contender.

CHUCK O’BANNON JR.

Senior forward, No. 6 men’s seed TCU, opens March 17, 7 p.m. vs. either Arizona State or UNR. The son of NCAA champion Charles O’Bannon Sr. and nephew of fellow UCLA legend Ed O’Bannon, the Bishop Gorman High graduate has established his own legacy after transferring from USC for his final two seasons of college basketball. He has been a two-year starter at TCU, helping lead the school to a pair of the best seasons in program history.

DAEJAH PHILLIPS

Sophomore guard, No. 14 women’s seed Hawaii, opens March 17, 2:30 p.m. vs. LSU.

The Centennial High graduate was featured on SportsCenter for a game-winning shot she made with three seconds left to lift the Rainbow Wahine to the Big West Conference Tournament title over UC Santa Barbara at Dollar Loan Center in Henderson. Teammates call her “Big Dog” because of her knack for coming through in the biggest moments.

JULIAN STRAWTHER

Junior guard, No. 3 men’s seed Gonzaga, opens March 17, 4:35 p.m. vs. Grand Canyon.

The star swingman initially declared for the NBA Draft after last season before deciding to return to Gonzaga, where he’s raised his game to another level. Strawther, who became one of the most decorated high school players in Nevada history at Liberty High, has averaged 15 points and six rebounds per game for the Bulldogs this season.

EBONI WALKER

Senior forward, No. 3 women’s seed Ohio State, opens March 18, 10:30 p.m. vs. James Madison. The former Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year out of Centennial High says she has finally found a collegiate place to call home after previous stops at Arizona State and Syracuse and a role as an energizer o the bench. The Buckeyes reached as high as No. 2 in the national rankings this season, with Walker contributing in everything from scoring flurries to lockdown defense.

DARRION WILLIAMS

seed UNR, opens March 15, 6:10 p.m. vs. Arizona State (outcome undetermined at press time).

Williams played only one season at Bishop Gorman but made a

10:40 a.m. vs. Utah State.

Freshman guard, No. 7 men’s seed Missouri, opens March 16, 10:40 a.m. vs. Utah State

The Bishop Gorman graduate and son of former UNLV athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois walked onto the Tigers’ roster to become a complementary part of a surprising first season under new coach Dennis Gates. Francois has received six minutes of playing time with one steal.

Freshman forward, No. 11 men’s seed UNR, opens March 15, 6:10 p.m. vs. Arizona State (outcome undetermined at press time). Williams played only one season at Bishop Gorman but made a major impact in winning last year’s Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year award. The accolades have continued rolling in collegiately; he was named the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year this season.

Fans watch NCAA Tournament games at Circa’s Stadium Swimin 2022. (Wade Vandervort/Sta )

(Left) Eboni Walker (Courtesy/Ohio (right) Chuck O’Bannon Jr.

(AP Photo/Photo Illustration)

State),

and son of former UNLV athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois

new coach Dennis Gates. Francois

that won a share of the West Coast Conference regular-season title for the first time since 2016. Je erson provides energy o the bench, especially on the defensive end.

The UNLV women’s basketball team features one of the most high-powered scoring attacks in the nation, ranking 20th in points per game, 16th in eld-goal percentage and ninth in o ensive rating.

The squad has an elite point guard in senior Essence Booker, sharpshooters on the wings in senior Justice Ethridge and sophomore Alyssa Durazo-Frescas, and a fearsome post scorer in junior Desi-Rae Young.

When the o ense is in sync, it’s clockwork. Between continuous motion sets, pick-and-rolls, inside-out action and everything else in coach Lindy La Rocque’s playbook, it seems like the Scarlet and Gray has a million ways to put points on the board.

And yet, sometimes UNLV’s best o ense is a missed shot. That’s because it often feels like every time a ball hits the rim, it belongs to Young.

Young, a 6-foot-1 center, has become UNLV’s last line of o ense this season, using her preternatural rebounding skill to track down misses and turn them into points at the most crucial moments.

It might not be pretty, but Young’s ferocious e ort on the glass is a big reason why the Scarlet and Gray has won 22 straight games and reached its second straight NCAA Tournament. UNLV, a No. 11 seed, faces No. 6 seed Michigan in the rst round March 17 at noon in Baton Rogue, Louisiana.

“She’s just so relentless,” La Rocque says of Young. “She has that knack for going and getting it.”

In UNLV’s win over Wyoming in the Mountain West Conference Tournament Final, Young hauled in ve o ensive rebounds in the fourth quarter alone—including a stretch in which she got an o ensive board on three straight possessions. She converted two of those into immediate putbacks and nished the game with 28 points and 17 rebounds—seven of them o ensive.

In an 11-point victory, UNLV outscored Wyoming in second-chance points by a margin of 17-5. Ten of those points followed Young o ensive rebounds.

It was a similar story in the MWC Tournament semi nals, where Young posted 20 points and 13 rebounds— ve o ensive—in a 71-68 triumph over San Diego State. For the season, Young ranks 18th in the nation in rebounding, averaging 10.2 per contest.

“We take pride in that,” Young says of her o ensive rebounding. “It helps us get those extra points. And it shows we just want to out-work and out-hustle everybody. We practice that all the time. We have drills for

YOUNG AND HUNGRY

like getting an assist once you get the o ensive rebound.”

When Young gets inside position, La Rocque wants her guards shooting the ball. She sees it as a win-win.

“With Desi in a pick-and-roll and Essence shooting the ball, it’s either going in or Desi’s getting the rebound,” La Rocque says. “That’s sometimes even better than an assist.”

It’s also a key element of the team’s defense, according to La Rocque. While some coaches de-emphasize o ensive rebounding in favor of getting back on defense to sti e opponents’ transition opportunities, La Rocque wants Young to apply continual pressure until the possession is over.

Even if Young doesn’t come up with the board, she is keeping opponents honest.

“She has the green light to go rebound wherever she is on the court,” La Rocque says. “I’m mad when she doesn’t go. Sometimes our best defense is our o ense. Our o ensive rebounding and scoring the ball is a big reason we can get our defense set.”

Young is ninth in the country in double-doubles, recording 18 in 33 games.

BY MIKE GRIMALA

that. It’s our identity.”

With Young patrolling the paint, UNLV isn’t just another team with a fast pace and a pretty o ense. The Scarlet and Gray win the physical battle more often than not, ranking 22nd nationally in rebounding margin at +7.8.

When La Rocque was named head coach prior to the 2020-21 season, Young had already committed to UNLV as a prized local recruit out of Desert Oasis High School. La Rocque had a pair of Las Vegas natives to build the program around in Young and Ethridge, out of Centennial High, before also bringing home Spring Valley High’s Booker after stints at Ball State and UNR.

The coach quickly recognized that Young’s scrappiness under the basket was something special.

Two years later, Young is a perfect t for La Rocque’s system—and vice versa. After earning Mountain West Player of the Year honors as a sophomore, Young put up even better numbers this year, and La Rocque continues to ne-tune her scheme to take advantage of Young’s unique talents.

That even includes set plays in which a missed shot is almost by design. “Coach Lindy says it’s better to get the ball on the rim to allow me to go in there and get it,” Young says. “Throwing it o the rim is just

With a buoyant personality and a penchant for making teammates laugh, Young has also taken on a leadership role for the Scarlet and Gray. She remembers the disappointment in the locker room following the team’s defeat in the NCAA Tournament last year, when UNLV watched a fourth-quarter lead slip away in a 72-67 loss to Arizona, and she has used that as motivation during her team’s win streak.

If Michigan makes the mistake of underestimating UNLV, Young will be rst in line to take advantage with easy putbacks. It’s a formula that has worked all season.

“We were undefeated [in the Mountain West],” Young says. “No one could stop us when we played our best game. When we come out strong, we’re really an unstoppable team. We’re going to see how this game goes.”

UNLV’s women return to the NCAA Tournament behind a dominant year from Desi-Rae Young

‘THEY’VE GOT TO PLAY US’

Breaking down UNLV’s first-round matchup with Michigan

The UNLV women head into the first round of the NCAA Tournament on a 22-game winning streak, and if they want to make it 23, there’s one thing they’ll have to do. Score.

Friday’s opening-round matchup with No. 6 seed Michigan figures to turn into a shootout. Michigan is just as potent as UNLV offensively, sitting 36th in the nation in points and 14th in field-goal percentage.

The last time UNLV played an offense as strong as Michigan’s was three months ago—and that was also UNLV’s last loss, as it couldn’t keep up and fell at Oklahoma State, 87-62, on December 18. Michigan and Oklahoma State share a similar offensive profile (No. 37 and No. 34 in offensive rating, respectively), and the Wolverines present matchup problems inside and out. Michigan senior guard Leigha Brown averages 18.0 points and 5.9 assists, while senior post Emily Kiser puts up 16.2 points.

Can UNLV crank its offense up to high gear on the biggest stage? One thing is for sure, after coming so close last year, the Scarlet and Gray isn’t going into this game with an underdog mentality.

At the team’s watch party on selection Sunday, head coach Lindy La Rocque said she expects her squad to set the tone. “They’ve got to play us,” La Rocque said.

–Mike Grimala

UNLV (31-2) VS. MICHIGAN (22-9)

When: Friday, March 17, noon

Where: Pete Maravich Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

TV & Radio: ESPNU & ESPN 1100-AM

Seeding: UNLV 11, Michigan 6

Betting Line: Michigan -3, over/under 133.5

UNLV’s Desi-Rae Young (Steve Marcus/Staff)

CHEAT SHEET

look at the NCAA Tournament’s

BY CASE KEEFER

The most memorable March Madness moments often involve upsets, but that’s largely because there aren’t all that many of them.

A few Goliaths will fall during the NCAA Tournament’s rst weekend, but the majority of them will almost surely still be standing when the Sweet 16 begins on March 23. That’s why, from a betting perspective, it’s most useful to start your handicapping from the top of the bracket.

Zeroing in on which of the best teams to back, and which ones to fade, might be the best approach for the those planning to gamble on the tournament who haven’t followed college basketball closely for the last ve months. We’ll run through the top 16 teams below, with a quick scouting report followed by a decision on whether they generally look like a team to bet on or against throughout the tournament.

Keep in mind that a team could easily make the Final Four while being an unpro table wager against the point spread. This exercise is an attempt to gure out whether teams are currently undervalued or overvalued by the betting market.

SOUTH REGION

No. 1 seed Alabama: The Crimson Tide ran roughshod over the SEC Tournament to claim the overall No. 1 seed, but they were trending downwards before that with four straight losses against the spread. They’re also embroiled in controversy; their best player, top NBA prospect Brandon Miller, has been allowed to play through an investigation in which former teammate Darius Miles was charged with capital murder. Miller is regarded as “a cooperative witness” in the case despite allegedly transporting the gun used to kill 23 -year-old Jamae Harris. Conclusion: Bet Against.

No. 2 seed Arizona: The rest of the Pac-12 Conference might be somewhat used to the Wildcats’ unique blend of size, speed and spacing, best exemplified by big man Azuolas Tubelis. But it’s a challenge for the rest of the country, as evidenced by a 12-0 nonconference record that included wins over No. 4 seed Tennessee and No. 6 seed Creighton. Conclusion: Bet On.

No. 3 seed Baylor: The Bears’ backcourt of Adam Flagler, LJ Cryer and Keyonte George tantalizes on o ense but disappoints on defense. Teams with statistical profiles as middling on the defensive end as Baylor’s typically bow out of the tournament early. Conclusion: Bet Against.

No. 4 seed Virginia: Coach Tony Bennett always has his teams well-prepared and methodical, but that only goes so far. Talent-wise, Virginia could be the weakest of the top-seeded teams in the tournament. Conclusion: Bet Against.

EAST REGION

No. 1 seed Purdue: Big man Zach Edey is the runaway favorite for National Player of the Year honors, but the pieces around him are mostly underwhelming. Perception is down on the Boilermakers after repeated tournament flameouts in the past, but that shouldn’t be held against this year’s new-look group.

Conclusion: Bet On.

No. 2 seed Marquette: Picked ninth place in the preseason Big East poll, the Golden Eagles came out of nowhere to win both the conference’s regular-season and tournament titles. They play well together but might be outmanned against teams that recruit on a higher level.

Conclusion: Bet Against.

No. 3 seed Kansas State: Kansas State was picked to finish last in the Big 12 before firstyear coach Jerome Tang sparked a dream season for the Wildcats. But they lack depth, with few top-level players behind stars Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell.

Conclusion: Bet Against.

No. 4 seed Tennessee: The Volunteers had the top-rated defense in the country for the majority of the season but aren’t as smooth on the o ensive end. They recently lost star point guard Zakai Zeigler to injury, and while it’s a big loss, their defensive infrastructure should remain a major hurdle for opponents to clear. Conclusion: Bet On.

A closer

top 16 seeded men’s teams—and whether you should bet on or against them

MIDWEST REGION

No. 1 seed Houston: The Cougars looked like the best team in the nation for most of the season but were beaten soundly by No. 8 seed Memphis in the American Athletic Conference Tournament championship game. They were playing without star guard Marcus Sasser, however, and he should recover enough from a groin injury to be e ective in the tournament. Conclusion: Bet On.

No. 2 seed Texas: There might be no team more well-rounded on both ends of the floor with a better complementary roster than the Longhorns. The concern is the bench, where interim coach Rodney Terry has never led a team to a tournament victory. Conclusion: Bet On.

No. 3 seed Xavier: The Musketeers are explosive o ensively but lost star big man Zach Freemantle to injury midway through the conference season and remain banged-up elsewhere. Few teams seeded this highly have such little depth. Conclusion: Bet Against.

No. 4 seed Indiana: Center Trayce Jackson-Davis has been one of the best players in the nation, but the Hoosiers are arguably too reliant on him and play the type of throwback style that has contributed to the Big Ten conference’s struggles in recent tournaments. Indiana also doesn’t have a lockdown defense to fall back on if opponents figure out how to slow Jackson-Davis. Conclusion: Bet Against.

WEST REGION

No. 1 seed Kansas: In stark contrast to last year, when it won the national championship, Kansas received an extremely tough draw this season. That’s problematic for a team as matchup-dependent as the Jayhawks, who lack the reliable big man they have almost always leaned on in the past. Conclusion: Bet Against.

No. 2 seed UCLA: Swingman Jaime Jaquez is an All-American who helped lead the Bruins to the Final Four in 2021, but his top sidekick, Jaylen Clark, was recently lost to an injury. Defense is UCLA’s calling card, and it’s hard to envision it being as devastating without Clark, the Pac-12’s Defensive Player of the Year. Conclusion: Bet Against.

No. 3 seed Gonzaga: Most have tired of the Bulldogs because of the way they’ve perennially disappointed in March, but three-time All-American Drew Timme and local native Julian Strawther shouldn’t be overlooked. Gonzaga rates first in the nation in o ensive efficiency by a large margin. Conclusion: Bet On.

No. 4 seed Connecticut: The Huskies looked like one of the best teams in the nation to start and finish the regular season, but the trouble came in the middle, when they went 2-6 during one particularly troublesome stretch. Still, few point guard/center combinations are more lethal than UConn’s Tristen Newton and Adama Sanogo. Conclusion: Bet On.

PARTY DOWN

A few top Vegas watch spots

CIRCA The sportsbook was sold out at press time, so head poolside for Mania Under the Sun at the resort’s majestic Stadium Swim. A full-day GA pass runs $40 Sunday, $60 Thursday and $80 Friday and Saturday, with lots of upgraded reserved options available, too.

GOLDEN NUGGET This Downtown resort’s viewing parties are free to attend, but to guarantee a seat, spring for a pair of VIP tickets ($460 Thursday, $480 Friday, $380 Saturday or $320 Sunday), or go all-out for two fourday passes ($1,500). All VIP packages include food and drink tickets.

MARCH MADNESS

SAHARA The swank Azilo Ultra Pool has you covered for Thursday and Friday’s action, with eight games running on a 240-by-40-foot video wall. Enjoy beer pong and cornhole, a select open bar and heated pools and hot tubs from $130 to $200 per day.

SOUTH POINT Save your money for the betting window by taking in the action at this free Thursday-throughSaturday party in the South Point’s 80,000-square-foot exhibit hall, featuring 12 20-foot screens and $20 Budweiser buckets. Doors open at 8 a.m., and the early birds get the best seats.

WESTGATE If you’ve experienced the tournament at the Westgate before, you know how intense it can get. And if you haven’t, what are you waiting for?

At press time, $45-$65 reserved seats in the International Theater remained available for Thursday, Friday and Saturday’s action, or you can watch for free in the SuperBook, with seats o ered on a first come, first served basis.

RAIDERS LAND NEW QB

CASE MADE TO ALLOW CULTURAL REGALIA AT GRADUATIONS

Assembly Bill 73, which cleared its first hearing in the Assembly Education Committee on Tuesday, would fix into state law guarantees on “traditional tribal regalia or recognized objects of religious or cultural significance” at any public school graduation, including but not limited to high school.

The proposal is not strictly for Indigenous cultures, although the majority of the roughly 30 people who spoke in support of the bill identified as Native American, mostly from Nevada tribes. Nobody spoke in opposition.

Adrian Tom, an education specialist for the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe, said many young people who live on the reservation don’t graduate. Those who do have earned a feather. Beadwork is also an honor and can be expensive and time-consuming.

“We are ceremonial people,” he said.

Evan Robinson, a Black and openly gay UNR student who graduated from Las Vegas’ Rancho High School last year, helped lead a campaign to allow students to wear cultural items at graduation at his school.

The students circulated a petition, talked to their administrators and the CCSD School Board, and staged a demonstration. They won when Superintendent Jesus Jara delegated the decision on graduation dress to principals.

Robinson said he wanted that standardized around the state.

“Although this bill cannot make up for the years of mistreatment my people have suffered in America, it is one of the many necessary protections that are needed to begin healing racial problems within our community,” he said.

–Hillary Davis

LAWMAKERS CRACK DOWN ON ANIMAL ABUSE

Assemblyman P.K. O’Neill said the case of Jason Brown of Reno was the genesis of Assembly Bill 159, which would reclassify certain animal abuse charges as violent crimes and make those offenders in Nevada ineligible for credits accrued for earning a reduced sentence or early parole.

Brown in 2015 pleaded no contest to seven felony counts of maiming, poisoning or killing another person’s animal. Brown had been sentenced to up to 28 years in prison for what O’Neill called

the “most disturbing” instance of animal abuse the state has ever encountered.

But media reports surfaced last March that Brown, who was not supposed to be parole-eligible until 2025, was up for early release. Because his crimes involved dogs—and not people—Brown was classified as a nonviolent offender. That meant he was eligible to earn credits, such as for good behavior in prison, which allowed him to become eligible for early parole.

–Casey Harrison

THE

SHOW MUST GO ON

Illusionist David Blaine was injured while performing a stunt March 11 at Resorts World Theatre but was able to continue his show. He dislocated his right shoulder when he jumped 80 feet into a stack of boxes. His show, David Blaine: In Spades, returns April 28.

Jimmy Garoppolo, who led San Francisco to a Super Bowl and NFC Championship Game in back-to-back seasons and started his career in New England, will be reunited with his former offensive coordinator, Las Vegas coach Josh McDaniels, after agreeing to a three-year contract.

REPORTS OF U.S. HATE CRIMES ROSE 12% IN 2021, ACCORDING TO FBI DATA RELEASED MARCH 13.

VEGAS LOOP TO UNLV?

The Vegas Loop is one station closer to completion after the sale of UNLV-owned land to Elon Musk’s the Boring Company received approval March 10. The university can now be connected to Allegiant Stadium, the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Strip via a new station.

SIEGFRIED & ROY MANSION HITS MARKET AT $3 MILLION

The real estate market in Las Vegas got a bit wilder with the mansion of internationally known late magicians Siegfried & Roy up for sale, touting homeowner essentials like central air conditioning … and tiger cages.

It entered the Las Vegas housing market this month with a $3 million listing and almost immediately had a pending offer, according to the property’s Zillow listing.

Built in 1954, the “Jungle Palace” located at 1639 Valley Drive includes four parcels on a 8,750 squarefoot lot, including the main house with two bedrooms and four bathrooms. Three additional guest houses, three pools, a casita and cabana occupy the remaining parcels.

It’s also decorated with six wrought-iron gates branded “S” & “R,” custom stained glass, ornate chandeliers, water features across the property, animal enclosures and a bird sanc-

tuary containing enough greenery to rival that of the Mirage.

The Moroccan-themed residence was home to German-born duo Siegfried Fischbacher and Uwe Ludwig Horn—known in the industry as Roy—who lived in separate homes on the estate.

They referred to it as “Little Bavaria,” an homage to their home country.

In May 2020, Horn died at 75 from complications he developed after a bout with COVID-19. He lived on the compound until his death. Fischbacher followed eight months later, dying of pancreatic cancer at 81.

The “Jungle Palace” was put up for auction along with the entertainers’ personal collections last June.

LEGALIZATION OF PSYCHEDELIC MUSHROOMS INTRODUCED

A bill introduced in the Nevada Senate would decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms and MDMA for the purpose of studying their effects on an array of behavioral health disorders.

Democratic state Sens. Rochelle Nguyen and Fabian Donate, both of Las Vegas, introduced Senate Bill 242, which would allow the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services to begin accepting applications from research institutions to use the drugs to treat conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and addiction.

Both MDMA, a stimulant also known as ecstasy, and psilocybin, the intoxicating compound found in psychedelic mushrooms, were granted “breakthrough” status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration between 2017 and 2018, allowing researchers to study the substances without fear of breaking the law. –Casey Harrison

–Grace Da Rocha

More than 450 items were auctioned off in a two-day sale that raised $1,446,327 for the Sarmoti Foundation, their personal charity dedicated to protecting endangered species.

Elizabeth Banks and an actor dressed in a costume from her movie Cocaine Bear present the Academy Award for best visual effects March 12 in LA. The Oscar went to Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett for Avatar: The Way of Water. The night’s big winner was Everything Everywhere All at Once, which took home seven trophies. (Chris Pizzello/Associated Press)

(Wade Vandervort/Staff)

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A FAIR SHAKE?

BY SHANNON MILLER

Leonda Addison-Reed founded cannabis company Royal Tree TLC last October. She applied for a business license and, after Nevada regulators conducted a random number selection, received a provisional license for an independent consumption lounge at the end of November.

Addison-Reed says she’s “nervous and excited” to finally get things in motion.

“It has taken a lot to get to this point. … My dad previously was convicted of marijuana charges, which affected me adversely, not having him in the home. … He got caught in a cycle, and that affected us a lot,” she says.

“My father passed away, [so] for me, this is his legacy. … I’m trying to turn something that was adverse for our family into a business that my kids can take over sometime.”

The 39-year-old mother of three says she hopes to open a consumption lounge that’s welcoming to both locals and tourists, “with a Cheers vibe, where we kind of know you and know a little bit about you.” Poetry and spoken word nights, DJ sets and brunch events are possibilities—depending what kind of space and financing she’s able to secure.

Since 2021, cannabis lounge entrepreneurs have been clearing regulatory checkpoints,

inching closer to the finish line. At the same time, the community at large has been awaiting public options for consuming cannabis, which Nevadans in 2016 voted to legalize.

Dispensaries have been open since July 2017, and tourists have certainly been enjoying adult-use cannabis. But it has been illegal to consume cannabis in Strip hotel rooms or any public place.

Of the 40 provisional consumption lounge licenses Nevada regulators issued in November 2022, 37 retail and independent licensees opted to open dispensaries in unincorporated Clark County or the City of Las Vegas. Henderson, North Las Vegas, Boulder City and Mesquite, meanwhile, opted out of consumption lounges entirely.

As required by a 2021 law, half of the state’s independent licenses went to “social equity applicants,” meaning they or a close family member have been convicted of and adversely affected by a cannabis-related offense.

It’s been a long road for consumption lounges, and there could still be roadblocks ahead.

Independent licensees—that is, lounge businesses not attached to a cannabis dispensary—must secure real estate, submit a business and security plan and pass an initial “suitability investigation.” Once all that

checks out, lounges have one year to open their doors, per state regulations.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

The Las Vegas City Council approved its regulations on March 1, with an additional requirement for 1,000 feet of separation between lounges. That drew pushback from licensees who say it makes finding prospective locations for their businesses difficult.

“When the city was researching the consumption lounge ordinance, staff looked at best practices in other cities and saw that most had a 1,000- to 5,000-foot distance separation for dispensaries,” Jace Radke, a spokesman for the City of Las Vegas, said via email. “A 1,000-foot separation was adopted in the City of Las Vegas ordinance for consumption lounges, but … there is a waiver process. Those wanting to have lounges closer together can take their request to the City Council.”

Addison-Reed is one of 10 independent licensees looking to open a consumption lounge in the city. Five retail licensees are also looking to open in the jurisdiction.

The challenge, she points out, is that investors seem more interested in the tourist corridors around the Strip and Downtown. “A lot of investors may not be Nevada residents … so they don’t know much about the outskirts

Businesses seek equitable solutions to Nevada’s cannabis consumption lounge issues

in our community. They’re geared toward being very central, or close to the Strip.

“If waivers aren’t granted allowing multiple venues to be near the Arts District or the Strip, we’re going to have concerns,” she adds.

The city’s regulations additionally prohibit waivers within the Symphony Park district, the Las Vegas Medical District and the “resort casino district.”

Nevada and Clark County consumption lounge regulations don’t include a 1,000-foot separation between lounges. State law, however, requires lounges to be at least 1,500 feet away from establishments that hold nonrestricted gaming licenses.

VENTILATION REQUIREMENTS

Retail licensees—lounge businesses attached to existing dispensaries—might have had a head start toward securing real estate. But that doesn’t mean their path is completely clear, explains Brandon Wiegand, chief operating officer for Thrive Cannabis Marketplace.

Wiegand says Thrive hopes to open a consumption lounge at one of its four Las Vegas dispensaries this year. It has set aside about 2,500 square feet for the project, and has plans for outdoor consumption under Clark County regulations, which require an odor mitigation plan.

“We’ve got a little bit of a leg up, because we

already built out our lounge, allocated a space and finished that at our Sammy Davis Jr. [Drive] location,” he says. “We really just need to finish off fixtures, furnishing and equipment.”

But, he adds, that includes complying with ventilation requirements. “And that’s probably the most concerning part,” he says.

State regulations, which were approved by the Cannabis Compliance Board last summer, require “a separate ventilation system within any designated smoking room, capable of 30 complete air changes per hour at a minimum that must be directly exhausted to the outdoors; [along with] a separate system within the rest of the cannabis consumption lounge capable of 20 complete air changes per hour at a minimum.”

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) sets rates for “air changes,” or how much outdoor air is brought into a room per hour. The recommended rates, which vary depending on occupancy and the type and size of facility, are lower for homes, offices and shopping malls than for schools, gyms and restaurants. In indoor smoking settings like cigar lounges and casinos, the requirement typically lands around 25 air changes per hour, according to one industry expert.

Smoking lounges typically require higher

ventilation rates, but Wiegand says Nevada’s cannabis standards seem “excessive” and could total more than $150,000 in installation costs to meet. He suggests that cigar lounges might provide a practical model for sufficient ventilation and odor control, without breaking entrepreneurs’ budgets.

“The bid we got back was extreme—well into six figures in order to provide HVAC for the space, [with] the way regulations are written,” Wiegand says. “I think, frankly, [Nevada] got it wrong. The air exchanges that are required [for cannabis] are far beyond even those for cigar lounges.”

Wiegand, who also serves as president of the Nevada Cannabis Association, which represents several dispensaries and cannabis establishments, adds that the Cannabis Compliance Board has demonstrated “a willingness and openness” to adjusting regulations, so long as they are “science-backed.”

In the past, some licensees have successfully petitioned for exceptions or adjustments to certain regulations—a process that requires public meetings and can take months, according to the compliance board, which sent the Weekly this statement: “The board acknowledges the need for continued review of the regulations and flexibility as the state rolls out this first of its kind program.”

(Photo Illustration)

$5 JACK DANIEL'S SHOTS AND COCKTAILS

MERCY MUSIC linktr.ee/mercymusic • NOT instagram.com/thebandnot/

(From left) Martin, Scholz and Cooper (Courtesy)

PUNK PRINCIPLES

Las Vegas’ Mercy Music stays grounded in a click-obsessed world

BY AMBER SAMPSON

In their 17 years jamming together, Brendan Scholz and Jarred Cooper have seen plenty of Las Vegas bands come and go. There’s no romanticizing the grind that comes with staying afloat, and though Mercy Music has experienced considerable success in its nine-year span, it too has felt the squeeze of an industry that has changed its tune.

As the pop-punk trio—Scholz on guitar and lead vocals, Cooper on bass and drummer Rye Martin—shopped its upcoming fourth studio album to different record labels, the group got an eye-opening reminder. “We’d send it to some of the bigger labels, and maybe three minutes would go by and they would say back to us, ‘What are your Spotify numbers? How many Instagram followers do you have?’” Cooper says over coffee at Sambalatte in Boca Park. “It’s like they didn’t even listen to it. It’s not all about the music anymore.”

That led Mercy Music to Double Helix Records, a family-run indie label out of Arizona. “They’re small, and they care,” Scholz says. “I wasn’t in a position where I was having to convince them on why it was a good move for them to do it. The longer you’re in this, the more you hate that. I trust these people.”

Scholz says both he and Cooper, who are both

fathers, have had chances to bend for convenience and a steadier paycheck, but they’re committed to playing the music they love—for the people who love it—for as long as possible.

“It’s insanity, but I can’t quit and I can’t kill it,” Scholz says. “There are days where I wake up like, ‘Man, I wish I could be the person that was happy with the normal day-to-day.’ But it’s something in me that never goes away. I’ve never wanted to do anything else.”

Cooper agrees. “One of the best feelings in the world is being onstage and seeing all those people and them reacting to what you’re doing in a positive way. That right there is a huge driving factor for me, and just playing music. If this band were to break up tomorrow, I’d still play music every day.”

Mercy Music’s next album, set for a summer release, was recorded in 10 days, built upon demos worked up in a studio Cooper built during the pandemic. “It’s the cleanest record we’ve ever done,” Scholz says. “It’s still pretty aggressive, but it’s more produced.”

Scholz adds that it might be Mercy Music’s darkest record, too, drilling down into some of the singer’s painful recent life changes.

“There’s things on the record that touch on being abandoned and accepting what comes with it,” he explains.

Additionally, Scholz and Cooper are preparing for the release of April album Stop the World with Not, a band they launched with British singer Davey Warsop, whom they met at the funeral of Mercy Music’s late manager, Stewart Teggart. Cooper says a shared love of bands like the Descendents and All forged a lasting bond with Warsop that ultimately led to the new band.

“Davey had this idea to do an All and Descendants tribute record—all original music but in the style of All,” Cooper says. “The pandemic had just started, and we started sending song ideas back and forth over email. We wrote the whole record over email.”

Before either record drops, Scholz and Cooper will hit the road with Mercy Music for a 20-date tour supporting California punk band Unwritten Law, starting on March 18. And though the itinerary includes such reliable rooms like the Bluebird in Denver, the Earl in Atlanta and 24 Oxford here in Las Vegas (April 14), Cooper stresses that touring “is not glamorous at all. First off, you’re in a van.”

“You’re probably irritated,” Scholz interjects.

“There is zero privacy,” Cooper continues. “You almost never get a room to yourself.”

“Worst bathrooms imaginable, no matter what,” Scholz chimes in, shaking his head. “But the 20 to 45 minutes that we play? It’s worth it.”

NIGHTS

EARLY EDGE

GET LUCKY WITH WHETHAN With Dos Lonely Boys, Fama & Keo, Edwin Kugler & Evan Durant. March 17, 7 p.m., $25-$50. Fergusons Downtown, tickets.wethebeat. com.

Up-and-coming DJ Whethan brings fresh energy to the EDM scene

BY EVELYN MATEOS

Music wasn’t Ethan Snoreck’s forte. Violin lessons in the fourth grade didn’t impress him, nor did most other instruments. But the once-unenthusiastic student eventually became a DJ and producer better known by his stage name Whethan.

The 23-year-old went from remixing the Wheat Thins jingle to spinning at some of the biggest music festivals in the nation, including Electric Daisy Carnival. He’ll return to Las Vegas this week to headline We the Beat’s first St. Patrick’s Day party, Get Lucky, at Fergusons Downtown.

“I love Vegas; it’s an amazing place,” Snoreck says, pointing to the vibrant dance music scene on the Strip. “But I think my music can tap into a little bit more of the indie kind of crowd sometimes. … I think you’re going to get a little taste of some fresh energy with some new stuff that you might not typically get at a Vegas club.”

The Chicago-born DJ discovered his love of music around age 12, when he found that he could play every instrument on a single computer. That’s when he began believing he would make music in the future.

“It was the internet, too. It was a mixture of Skrillex and Daft Punk. It was just the perfect storm and combination for me. I just wanted to try it,” Snoreck says. “But most of the stuff I made was terrible, unlistenable stuff.”

He stuck with it, making beats with Ableton and GarageBand, and, in 2016, released “Can’t Hide,” his first original song. At the time, Snoreck was just 17 years old. Since then, his achievements have piled up, including collaborations with top stars like Dua Lipa. And his ambitions have risen in a similar fashion. Whethan’s most recent album, Midnight, released last spring, is a nine-track collection that trades his now-familiar dance-pop melodies for hyperpop and rap verses backed by his glistening production.

“I’m very quick to want to try something new and always trying to find that new next sound,” Snoreck says. “A lot of music I was listening to on SoundCloud was really speaking to me, and I was lucky enough to get to work with a lot of the kids that I was listening to—[like] Glaive, Ericdoa, Midwxst—just as a pure fan.

“And then luckily enough, [they] got in the studio and I found that our sounds were just mixing and crossing over so well that the Midnight project kind of just happened on its own.”

Snoreck says he’s looking forward to bringing those and other sounds to his Get Lucky set, and that he loves to play new edits and songs. Plus, there’s always room for the unknown.

“I sometimes don’t even know what fully to expect in a set,” he says “Even if I think I know what songs I’m playing, sometimes the energy might make me go, you know what, we need to go a little bit more this route.”

(Courtesy)

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Olivia Donalson as Anna of Cleves in Six

(Courtesy/Joan Marcus)

THE STRIP

SIX, TAKE TWO

The amped-up historical musical lands at Palazzo Theatre

Las Vegas gets another go-round with a wildly popular Broadway show this month, but this time, Six: The Musical is taking up a seven-week residency at Venetian’s Palazzo Theatre after a fall 2022 run at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts.

That’s about as different as Vegas venues can get, but it’s not just a move from Downtown to the Strip. The regal Reynolds Hall—which hosted performances in September and October as part of the current season’s Broadway Las Vegas Series—seats 2,050, while the comfy Palazzo Theatre—largely unused since the summer 2018 closure of another pop musical, Baz—accommodates approximately 1,700.

Also, Palazzo’s version won’t feature the touring cast that came to town a few months ago. “It’s a different cast but the same company, the same show,” says Olivia Donalson, who plays Anna of Cleves, one of the six wives of Henry VIII who take turns on the mic to tell their stories using familiar contemporary music. “This venue is going to be the most perfect location, because the show is formatted like a concert. It’s just going to fit right in with the Vegas scene.”

Like the Wild West-themed Spiegelworld production Atomic Saloon Show running upstairs in the Grand Canal Shoppes, Six made its debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, back in 2017. It made its way to London’s West End in 2019, toured the U.K. and played Australia’s Sydney Opera House, and eventually landed on Broadway in the infamous month of March 2020. A proper Broadway opening at the Lena Horne Theatre came in October 2021.

“Six has been playing to sold out audiences every night since Broadway reopened,” Venetian president and chief executive officer Patrick Nichols

BY BROCK RADKE

said in a statement. “Six is a great addition to the resort’s storied history of being home to beloved and long-running Broadway shows and furthers our commitment to transforming the entertainment landscape in Las Vegas.”

The Venetian has hosted two of the most successful Broadway productions ever to set up on the Strip, Phantom and Jersey Boys.

The Tony Award-winning Six, created by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, plays off much more modern music and pop iconography than those two shows. Donalson’s queen is partially inspired by Rihanna and Nicki Minaj, and the original cast recording album Six: Live on Opening Night surpassed 6 million streams in its first month and has now been streamed more than 23 million times.

“I studied musical theater in college, so I trained with more traditional musicals, but as a performer on my own, this is the kind of music I love to sing to and dance to and listen to,” Donalson says. “You have pop favorites and the style of Beyoncé, Lizzo, Rihanna, Avril Lavigne, music a lot of people are used to hearing and excited to hear. And I’m glad more traditional theater audiences are getting to experience it in that setting.”

Add some flashy pyrotechnics and special effects to the mix and slap it all into one of the biggest casinos on the Strip, and it’s easy to see why Six looks like something different in today’s Vegas entertainment landscape.

“Those concert elements almost make it feel like you’re not at a theater show. Maybe when some [older people] come, they’re a little blown away by the energy of it all,” Donalson says. “But the show is for all ages, and kids love it, even if some of the jokes go over their heads. We just have a great time.”

SIX: THE MUSICAL March 21-May 7, Tuesday-Sunday, times vary, $54-$137. Palazzo Theatre, ticketmaster.com.

CARRYING THE TORCH

Spiedini Fiamma’s meatballs, seafood frutti di mare and chicken Parmesan (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

Spiedini Fiamma continues an Italian tradition in Summerlin

BY GENEVIE DURANO

If the name Spiedini jogs a memory, it’s because Spiedini Italian Ristorante—helmed by chef Gustav Mauler for 20 years before he retired in 2019— was a beloved xture in Summerlin. Spiedini stayed open for a few years after Mauler’s retirement but closed permanently during the pandemic.

Now it’s back as the reimagined Spiedini Fiamma, located in the main promenade connecting Rampart Casino with the JW Marriott hotel.

The vibe is coastal Italian, and the new menu items are big on comfort, which room chef Paula Smagacz likens to a “big hug.”

Start your visit with a sparkling Aperol spritz ($14) of prosecco rosé and club soda as you take in the bright blue dining room that evokes the Mediterranean sea, with a mural above the open kitchen by local artist Anne Marie Vadala. If the weather is cooperating, take it outside to the wraparound outdoor patio and be surrounded by lush greenery, waterfalls and koi ponds.

FOOD & DRINK

The vibe might be casual, but Spiedini Fiamma is all business when it comes to classics. The baked rigatoni ($26) and lasagna ($28) are rib-sticking vehicles for Bolognese sauce, bubbling over with ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. The Seafood Frutti di Mare ($25)—a brothy concoction of shrimp, clams, calamari and mussels nestling a bed of squid ink pasta—bolsters the coastal theme. The risotto ($19) takes a vegetarian turn, showcasing spinach, portabella, squash, zucchini, tomato and peppers; shaved Parmesan and microgreens top o the creamy goodness.

If you arrive extra hungry, consider the braised short rib ($34), served with carrot and broccolini and nished o with rib jus.

SPIEDINI

FIAMMA

Rampart Casino, 702869-7790, theresort atsummerlin. com. Sunday-Thursday, 5-9 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 5-10 p.m.

There are small plates for every appetite, from the fragrant sa ron mussels ($14) in lemon zest and fresh oregano, to the signature meatballs ($12) in red sauce and ricotta, paired with grilled crostini. If you’re in the red-sauce camp when it comes to Italian food, this will whet your appetite for more, and there are plenty of choices to come.

Spiedini Fiamma is more casual than its ne-dining predecessor, Smagacz says, and to her point, there’s a selection of pizzas that are as easy-breezy as a Margherita ($21) or as complex as the prosciutto and g ($24), with its Parmesan cream sauce base topped with fresh arugula and drizzled with a balsamic reduction.

“Being in a hotel, some people just come in, grab an appetizer, maybe the sa ron mussels or shrimp scampi, or share a pizza at the bar while watching the game,” the chef says.

Braised for at least eight hours, the meat is rich and tender at the bone, complemented beautifully by the accompanying cheese polenta.

Come on Sundays and Mondays and partake in one of Smagacz’s favorite o erings, the Italian-style family pot ($50, serves 2-3 people).

“It’s based on a traditional Italian kitchen, where they make sauce or gravy at the end of the week for a big sit-down family supper for the weekend,” she says. “We sear our meatballs and Italian sausage and cook that in the sauce with lots of carrots, onions, bell peppers, garlic and fresh herbs, and just let that simmer. We put our short ribs in there with the stock, too. We serve the sauce in these little blue pots family-style, and each guest gets a bowl of pasta of their choice.”

Of course, you can’t eat an Italian meal without a sweet nish. Tradition lives on here with tiramisu, cannoli and a salted caramel budino ($12 each) on the menu. If you prefer to drink your dessert, opt for the tiramisu or espresso martini ($14 each) and go home with a perfect ca eine/ vodka buzz.

ADA’S ADDS T0 ITS NAME AND ITS MENU

■ Wine lovers from all over the Vegas Valley already know about Ada’s at Tivoli Village, and regulars recognized long ago that the charming wine bar is also a great place to eat. Now, chef partner James Trees and chef de cuisine Jackson Stamper are making it known that there’s more than amazing wine available here—o cially changing the name to Ada’s Food & Wine.

It’s the first of several recent updates. Ada’s has also extended its hours, opening at noon on the weekends for maximum brunchage and staying open until 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays so that last call is a bit more reasonable. (If you’ve tried to find a high-quality spot for a nightcap in this sleepy Summerlin-adjacent neighborhood, you know that makes a di erence.)

Perhaps most importantly, Stamper has added new,

seasonal dishes to the menu, like a grilled kale salad ($15) with crispy fingerling potatoes and pickled green beans, and scallop ceviche ($18) laden with creamy coconut milk, kaffir lime, lemongrass and Thai chile. Charred heirloom carrots ($16), a swordfish skewer with salsa verde ($18) and braised pork belly ($17) with calamansi au jus, crispy garlic and crispier chicharrones are also designed to share with friends while you sample new and di erent varietals from sommelier Kat Thomas.

For a more substantial plate, try the pan-roasted chicken ($28) over farro and roasted parsnips, or the classy Bavette steak ($35) served au poivre with charred broccolini. These satisfying dishes will definitely hold you over until the next edition of Jackson’s Fried Chicken, set for March 19 from 2 to 5 p.m. If you don’t know, now you know. –Brock

Radke

ADA’S FOOD & WINE Tivoli Village, 410 S. Rampart Blvd. #120, 702-462-2795, adaslv.com. Monday-Thursday, 2-9 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, noon-10 p.m.; Sunday, noon-9 p.m.

Ada’s scallop ceviche (Courtesy)

FORMER GAMING CONTROL BOARD CHAIR TALKS COVID, VIRTUAL REALITY AND LIFE OFF THE BOARD

BY KATIE ANN M C CARVER VEGAS INC STAFF

Since stepping down as chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board last year, Brin Gibson has stayed busy in Las Vegas as a shareholder at Brownstein law firm.

Vegas Inc sat down with Gibson, who reflected on his time in public service, what he’s been up to since his return to the private sector and his take on the evolution of Nevada gaming.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Talk about the challenges of making decisions regarding health safety during the pandemic and how you responded to that criticism, or whether you would do anything differently.

The governor delegated to the Gaming Control Board everything related to COVID enforcement, and also, he delegated more softly—but delegated sort of indirectly—the vaccination effort. Now, it wasn’t a mandate; it wasn’t a requirement that people need to be vaccinated. Individual properties did various things to incentivize vaccination and so on. But it was never a mandate by the board, and we never took any disciplinary actions as a result of people not being vaccinated.

There was some criticism. There was a lot of sorts of anti-vaccination ethos out there, and some of it showed up in my meetings. There were people who, during the public comment period, would come up. And what we saw during the gubernatorial campaign, as far as vaccinations and so on, some of that played itself out at the beginning of our meetings.

My only problem with all of that is that the board is an apolitical group.

We have to be apolitical. We were enforcing the law, as it was decided by the governor, in consultation with the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], with his physician and medical experts, and we did the very best that we could.

In hindsight, would I do anything differently? I’m proud of our efforts. I mean, there were certainly things that I could have done differently—better.

Technology is constantly evolving. How have Nevada casinos and other gaming stakeholders begun implementing newer emerging technologies like virtual reality and augmented reality games into the industry?

Virtual reality and augmented reality—for purposes of our conversation— let’s draw a distinction. So augmented reality might be like Pokemon Go. So,

the reality is the individual’s actual, physical reality, and there might be a computer-generated emerald, or token or something that occurs within that environment.

Virtual reality is different, in the sense that it’s an entire virtual experience. Everything is computer-generated. You may have a hand and you can see your hand, but it would be a simulation or computer generation as opposed to an actual hand in an augmented reality sense.

There are certain games that are being played right now in different parts of the world in casinos that we don’t regulate here, that are virtual reality-based games. Where I think we’ll see the first adoption of gambling in the context of virtual reality is probably in the context of esports.

Take World of Warcraft. It’s is an entire world in and of itself. And you

now have the option of buying the Oculus goggles, and Apple is going to come out with its own set. And you can use those and have a virtual experience that’s 360 degrees. And everything in it is computer generated. In that context, insofar as esports teams are playing against one another, and there’s allowable wagering on that activity—that would be an example of wagering on or in the context of virtual reality.

In your new role at Brownstein, are you still involved or influential in the gaming industry?

I’m subject to a year cooling-off period. It’s statutory … and it disallows me from appearing in front of the Gaming Commission or Control Board. And that includes reaching into, having conversations with, writing letters to [and] doing work with the agency that I ran and helped develop. So, my influence on Nevada-specific gaming will probably be minimal over the next year.

Is there anything you want to add, or you think people should know?

That was seven and a half years that I spent either as the governor’s general counsel or inside the Attorney General’s office or on the board. And my wife and family sacrificed a great deal for me to do it. And sacrifice is relative, right? I mean, some people might say, ‘Oh, well, the salary, it’s sufficient.’ And it was sufficient. But it’s not what I could have made.

So, there’s opportunity costs associated with it. I gained a lot of experience, but I felt like with my third child entering college, and the demands associated with that, it was time for me to step out and try to take better financial care of my family.

If I had a trust, and I could just do whatever I wanted to do, I would have loved to be a member of the board for as long as I could possibly be. It was a wonderful experience—stimulating, very bright people. You’re on the right side of everything. At least you feel like you are. I enjoyed it.

Brin Gibson (Courtesy)

Nely Galán

Becoming Self Made

Monday, April 10, 2023 7:30 p.m.

Ar temus W. Ham Concert Hall

The public is invited to this FREE annual series. Admission is by ticket only on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are limited to two (2) per customer.

Tickets ONLY available at the UNLV Performing Arts Center Box Office: Tuesday–Saturday, 12 p.m.–6 p.m. For information, call (702) 895-ARTS, but tickets cannot be reserved by phone.

UNLV faculty, staff and students may obtain tickets beginning at 12 p.m., Wednesday, March 8, 2023. The general public may obtain tickets beginning at 12 p.m., Saturday, March 11, 2023.

UNLV’s annual series featuring nationally and internationally known guest lecturers

FOR FANS AND TOURNAMENT ORGANIZERS, LAS VEGAS AND MARCH MADNESS ARE A PERFECT MATCH

BY DEREK STEVENS

y first March Madness memory was when I was a high school senior on spring break in 1985, and I got to watch the games in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The excitement levels while we were on spring break were unbelievable, and I have been a March Madness fan ever since. That was the year Villanova upset defending national champion Georgetown 66-64 in the championship game, and it was the first NCAA Tournament with a 64-team bracket—increased from the 53-team bracket that was used before. This was also before all the games were even on television, but the massive amount of excitement was beyond belief.

That was when I fell in love with March Madness. The championship games really changed after 1985, and that was my first time really digging into it. In the early days of the tournament, it was impossible to catch all of the games. Some weren’t on TV, some were on different networks and some teams were too small to even get broadcast coverage.

I believe March Madness really took off because the games themselves are incredible. There’s an element where it’s just pure sport, and you get to see these student-athletes compete for pride. It’s a pride for their university, their teammates and the passion that goes into it.

MMarch Madness is a perfect, made-for-television type of event. And I think no one really understood—even 25 years ago—how big March Madness could become. And now, we’ve seen it take over and effectively become the No. 1 sporting event of the calendar year.

As March Madness has grown, so

has its presence and relevance in Las Vegas. One of my favorite memories of March Madness here was the first year we did a free watch party at the D Las Vegas. We did a little bit of marketing, and then we opened the doors, and honestly, we weren’t sure if anyone would show up. That first year, we had maybe 50 to 100 people come, but it was still

such a blast.

Fast forward to now, where it has morphed into a huge event that will span the course of multiple weekends. We’ll most likely see tens of thousands of people at our parties and events across all of our Downtown Las Vegas properties, including Circa, the D and Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. Just being part of something that has grown—for us, at least—from effectively nothing, to now planning multiple events over multiple weekends for tens of thousands of people, is incredible. It’s great to be a part of that growth, and it’s fun for our team to plan, because we are all so excited about it.

March Madness is important to Las Vegas, because you get to appeal to a variety of demographics. You’ve got people who are fans or alumni of various schools, and each year you are going to have representation from at least 68 universities, no matter what.

Las Vegas also is one of the greatest cities in the country where people and old friends can get together. For example, when Princeton made it to the big stage one year, we had a couple of tables of guys who were best friends come together. They lived all over the country and decided to come to Vegas and watch Princeton play and be part of the March Madness action. It was awesome, because some of these buddies were in their 70s now and hadn’t seen each other in 20 to 30 years. To see the camaraderie of people watching their university play is a feeling I never get tired of.

And now, the culmination is we get to have Sweet 16 games right here in Vegas, and it’ll be the first time we get a Regional Final here. Vegas is the ultimate American destination—which is why March Madness and Las Vegas are the perfect combination.

March Madness is important to Las Vegas because you get to appeal to a variety of demographics. You’ve got people who are fans or alumni of various schools, and each year you’re going to have representation from at least 68 universities, no matter what.

Derek Stevens is the CEO of Circa Resort & Casino, Circa Sports, the D Las Vegas, Golden Gate Hotel & Casino and Downtown Las Vegas Events Center.

Fans watch NCAA Tournament games in March 2022, at Circa Resort & Casino in Downtown Las Vegas. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

VegasInc Notes

Cristo Rey St. Viator College Preparatory High School announced that former Lt. Gov. Lisa Cano Burkhead has been appointed president of the school. She will be responsible for leading and upholding academic and ethical standards while supporting the school’s mission to educate young people of limited economic means to become men and women of faith, purpose and service. Additionally, Cano Burkhead will help build partnerships and engage with Southern Nevada businesses and organizations that can offer entry-level paying jobs to Cristo Rey St. Viator’s students. Prior to officially joining Cristo Rey St. Viator, as a consultant Cano Burkhead helped develop the academic leadership team at the school through coaching and mentoring, worked to establish longterm goals with administration at the school, and consulted and advised on systems and structures for academic success.

MountainView Hospital has named Mitch Geiger as its new chief operations officer. He is the current vice president of operations at Sunrise Hospital, a position he has held since November 2020. He will begin his new role April 10. Geiger brings many years of progressive health care leadership in hospital operations and performance improvement. He has been with HCA Healthcare throughout his career.

Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada added Shana Rafalski to its board of directors. She brings broad experience in education to the nonprofit organization dedicated to financial literacy education for K-12 students, holding previous positions as elementary school teacher, curriculum specialist, assistant principal, elementary school principal, curriculum director, executive director for elementary education, and assistant superintendent for educational choices and innovation. Rafalski is chief of staff for the Clark County School District, where she is responsible for the Engagement Unit, Internal Audit Department, and Diversity and Affirmative Action Department. She previously held management and teaching positions at five school districts across Central Florida in the Orlando and Tampa Bay area, where she worked with a variety of JA pro-

gramming.

The Penta Building Group and its strategic partner

All 5’s Construction commenced a multicity safety tour, hosting three major events bringing together more than a thousand construction professionals. The 16th annual Safety Kick-Off events featured activities including expos and educational seminars, all aimed at ensuring safety remains topof-mind for those in the construction industry. Penta and All 5’s made stops at sports stadiums and convention centers in Phoenix; Anaheim, California; and Las Vegas, delivering the message of prioritizing job-site safety in the markets where they operate.

Nevada Donor Network announced the appointment of Dr. Zahra Kashi as its associate laboratory director.

Kashi has over 32 years of experience in the field of clinical laboratories, biologics, and pharmaceuticals. In her new role, Kashi will be responsible for supporting Dr. Phillip Ruiz, Nevada Donor Network’s laboratory medical director, with managing the direction of the clinical laboratories, collaborating with physicians, nurses, and transplant personnel, and building and maintaining relationships with other laboratories and state/federal government agencies.

NV Capital Corp., a Las Vegas-based hard money lender, has funded several projects for the luxury residential construction firm Gold Rose Group. The total current amount loaned is $20 million for various custom and semi-custom home developments throughout the Las Vegas Valley, according to NV Capital Corp. Chief Investment Officer Troy Freeman. CEO and President of Gold Rose Construction Gary Briggs said the homebuilding firm has notable projects completed and underway. Among them are: Kensington Manor on Solar Avenue in the northwest area of Las Vegas, starting $2.3 million; Maverick Estates on Maverick Street in Las Vegas, starting at $2.3 million; Balmoral Estates on Deer Springs Way in northwest Las Vegas, stating at $2.3 million; Pancho Via Villas in Henderson by MacDonald Highlands, starting at $5.5 million; and Sandringham Manor on Mello Avenue in northwest Las Vegas, which will start at 2.3 million.

MGM Resorts International Operations, Inc. seeks a Sr. Software Engineer I in Las Vegas, NV to develop and execute production grade software code: through vision, definition, planning, execution, deployment and sustainment. Work from home benefit available within a reasonable commuting distance from Las Vegas, Nevada Office.

APPLY ONLINE AT HTTPS://CAREERS.MGMRESORTS.COM/GLOBAL/EN JOB NUMBER: 225209 OR E-MAIL RESUME TO RESUME@MGMRESORTS.COM AND REFERENCE JOB NUMBER: 225209.

JOB LISTING

Speech-Language Pathologist (Las Vegas, NV). Multiple Openings. Perform patient assessments, develop treatment plans, administer therapy, monitor progress, inform patients of any new treatments/therapies. Master’s Speech Therapy or Speech-Language Pathology; one year experience as speech pathologist, speech therapist, or intern; sound understanding of speech-related disorders and treatments; familiarity with EMR system; excellent relationshipbuilding, problem solving, spoken and written communication skills.

MUST FOLLOW THESE SPECIFIC APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED: SEND COVER LETTER AND CV TO KELLEY@ SPEAKEASYTHERAPYLV.ORG OR KELLEY R. CARTER, SPEAKEASY THERAPY SERVICES, LLC, 7425 W AZURE DR, STE 140, LAS VEGAS, NV 89130.

MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS, INC. SR. SOFTWARE ENGINEER I — LAS VEGAS, NV —

Cano Burkhead Geiger

Rafalski

Kashi

PREMIER CROSSWORD HOROSCOPES “EXPANSION TEAM”

BY FRANK LONGO

WEEK OF MARCH 16

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Ruminate about what you learned in a relationship that ended—and how those lessons might be useful now. Ruminate about a beloved place you once regarded as home—and how the lessons you learned while there might be inspiring now. Ruminate about a riddle that has long mystified you—and how clarifying insights you receive in the coming weeks could help you finally understand it.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): For “those who escape hell,” wrote Charles Bukowski, “nothing much bothers them after that.” In the coming weeks, you can permanently escape your own personal version of hell—and never have to return. One strategy that will be useful in your escape is this idea from Bukowski: “Stop insisting on clearing your head—clear your f*cking heart instead.”

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Paleontologist Louis Agassiz (1807–1883) was meticulously logical but once called on his nightly dreams to solve a problem he faced. A potentially crucial specimen was largely concealed inside a stone. He wanted to chisel away the stone to get at the fossil, but was hesitant to proceed for fear of damaging it. His dreams revealed to him how he should approach the work. You, too, need to carve away an obstruction that is hiding something valuable. Can you get help from your dreams? Yes, or else in deep reverie or meditation.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Will you flicker and sputter in the coming weeks, or will you spout and surge? That is, will you be enfeebled by barren doubts, or will you embolden yourself with hearty oaths? Which fork you take will depend on your intention and your willpower, not on the caprices of fate. So which will it be: Will you mope and fritter or untangle and illuminate?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): David Bowie said, “If you feel safe in the area you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a bit out of your depth, and when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re in the right place to do something exciting.” This is a wise strategy for most, even those who don’t identify as artists. Almost everyone benefits from being imaginative and inventive and even a bit daring in their own particular sphere.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You are in the sweet, deep phase of the Receiving Season. And so you have a right and a duty to show the world you are ready and available to be blessed with what you need and want. Do everything necessary to become a welcoming beacon that attracts a wealth of invigorating and healing influences.

2020 KING FEATURES SYNDICATE

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Poet E.E. Cummings wrote that daffodils “know the goal of living is to grow.” Is his sweet sentiment true? If we want to shape our destinies with courage and creativity, we need to periodically go through phases of decay and decline. They make periods of growth possible. But sometimes, withering is educational and necessary.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Every person on the planet possesses at least one special talent or knack that is a gift to others. It could be unostentatious, like a skill for communicating with animals or for seeing what’s best in people. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to identify your unique genius in great detail—and then nurture it and celebrate it in every way you can imagine.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Your symbolic quiver is now full of arrows. But what about your bow? Is it in tip-top condition? Do some maintenance. Is the bow string in perfect shape? Is it as steady and stable as it needs to be? Here is one further suggestion as you prepare for the target-shooting season. Choose one or at most two targets to aim at rather than four or five.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): It’s prime time to feel liberated from the urge to prove yourself to anyone. It’s a phase when your self-approval should be the only kind of approval you need, a period when you have the right to remove yourself from any situation that is weighed down with gloomy confusion or apathetic passivity.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You can accomplish healthy corrections without getting tangled up in messy karma. As you strive to improve situations that are awry or askew, act primarily out of love rather than guilt or pity.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In describing her process, sculptor Anne Truitt wrote, “The most demanding part of living a lifetime as an artist is the strict discipline of forcing oneself to work steadfastly along the nerve of one’s own most intimate sensitivity.” Many Pisceans, both artists and non-artists, can thrive from living like that. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to give yourself to such an approach with eagerness and devotion.

–Corlene Byrd

PINKBOX DOUGHNUTS RIBBON CUTTING | 1210 W. CRAIG ROAD | MARCH 9, 2023 | Jamie Lee Curtis invented the concept of matinee concerts this week, and immediately it was Everything Everywhere All at Once. The Mariachi Nuestras Raices? Check.

A dancing doughnut named Pinky? Check. But there’s a twist … and you can find it next to the Ding Dong. Now do you wish you’d glazed over all this?

(Wade Vandervort/Staff)

THE ULTIMATE COLLEGE HOOPS EXPERIENCE

4 WATCH PARTIES. 4 GREAT VENUES.

MARCH 15 – 19 & 23 – 26

MARCH HOOPS

12TH FLOOR AT THE D LAS VEGAS

This is not your ordinary free viewing party! Place your bets at our Circa Sports Satellite Book without having to take your eyes off the screen. Quench your thirst at the on-site bar while enjoying delicious stadium-style bites. Private man caves are also available for purchase.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT THED.COM

BIG BRACKET

GALAXY BALLROOM ON LEVEL 3 AT CIRCA RESORT & CASINO

Catch all the games at our free watch party in our newest venue. Our ballrooms are equipped with state-of-the-art audio, high-definition screens, a Circa Sports Satellite Book and on-site bars. Private viewing areas for large parties are also available for purchase.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT CIRCALASVEGAS.COM

MEGA MARCH

CIRCA SPORTSBOOK AT CIRCA RESORT & CASINO

Watch all the action in the largest sportsbook in the world. Choose from a variety of seating options whether it’s enjoying the games from the elite Circa Club to our comfortable recliners.

BOOK YOUR SPOT AT CIRCALASVEGAS.COM

MANIA UNDER THE SUN

STADIUM SWIM AT CIRCA RESORT & CASINO

Plan your Mania Under the Sun experience at Stadium Swim. Watch the game from the comfort of a reserved cabana, chaise lounge, or a day bed. Or opt to relax in our 104-degree temperature-controlled pools.

BOOK YOUR SPOT AT CIRCALASVEGAS.COM