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ADVERTISING DEADLINE
EVERY THURSDAY AT 5 P.M.
BOOTS ON, DRINKS UP
December 7th | Before and After the Stadium Concert
1:30pm - 2:30pm | Line Dancing Lessons
2:30pm - 5:30pm | Live Music
10pm - 2am | DJ Jump
Food & Drink Specials
Featuring the Traveller Infused WSKY BBQ Burger
How to throw the perfect holiday party, plus festive table centerpieces. 20
From Italy to Niagara Falls to Las Vegas, Bootlegger Italian Bistro has kept it in the family for 75 years.
How a new ground game in the 2024 general election led to the first Republican presidential candidate victory in two decades in Nevada.
The Crystal Method teams with Rabbit in the Moon at Area15, AFAN celebrates the holidays at House of Blues and more this week.
First the Raiders, then the A’s … how will sports fans feel about having two Oakland teams in Las Vegas?
NFR
Shanda Cisneros Ratto of Shanda & The Howlers shares her three most formative albums.
Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Ian Garry is the biggest draw in UFC 310 this weekend at T-Mobile Arena.
Santa Fe and The Fat City Horns at Bootlegger Italian Bistro. (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)
SUPERGUIDE
GARTH BROOKS
8 p.m., & 12/7-12/8, the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com
THE BLACK CROWES
9 p.m., the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com
LATTO
With Mariah The Scientist, Karrahbooo, 7 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com
BARRY MANILOW Thru 12/7, 7 p.m., Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com
GARY LEFFEW’S BUCKAROO BALL Thru 12/14, 8 p.m., Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, universe.com
PAULY SHORE Thru 12/7, times vary, Wiseguys Arts District, wiseguyscomedy.com
NATIONAL FINALS RODEO Thru 12/14, times vary, Thomas & Mack Center, tickets. nfrexperience.com
THE CRYSTAL METHOD & RABBIT IN THE MOON
This Area15 double bill is a holiday gift on several levels. It pairs two indisputable giants of the early rave era: The Crystal Method, whose all-killer-no-filler 1997 debut album Vegas remains a genre classic, and Rabbit in the Moon, which delivers its psychedelic trance through wildly theatrical performances. It brings the Method’s Scott Kirkland back to his former hometown of Las Vegas, the city where he met his former bandmate Ken Jordan and laid the groundwork for what would be one of the top breakbeat groups of the late ‘90s/early aughts. And it’s an inexpensive show at a great venue. Glad tidings, indeed. 9 p.m., $25, the Portal at Area15, area15.com. –Geo Carter
Aid for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN) celebrates the holiday season with this afternoon event at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, hosted by beloved local drag artist Edie (aka Christopher Kenney of Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity). Sing your favorite carols along with standout performances from American Idol’s David Hernandez as well as Cierra Bliss, Brett Pruneau and Estevan Velasco, and festive food will round out the fun at this all-in-one benefit to support AFAN’s mission to provide healthcare guidance, support and advocacy for Southern Nevadans living with and a ected by HIV/AIDS. 1 p.m., $30-$50, House of Blues, afanlv.org. –Brock Radke
RYAN BINGHAM & THE TEXAS GENTLEMEN
MONDAYS DARK
11TH ANNIVERSARY
8 p.m., Pearl Concert Theater, mondaysdark.com
PAM TILLIS & LORRIE MORGAN
10 p.m., Golden Nugget Showroom, ticketmaster.com
DIVAS OF SOUL BRUNCH
1 p.m., Notoriety, notorietylive.com
COLTER WALL
8 p.m., Dolby Live, ticketmaster.com
RAY WYLIE
HUBBARD
10 p.m., Golden Nugget Showroom, ticketmaster.com.
With Corb Lund, 9 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com
CHUS 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com DO IT ALL
9:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, rodeovegas.com
BELLAMY BROTHERS
10 p.m., & 12/12, Golden Nugget Showroom, ticketmaster.com
GREET DEATH
With Prize Horse, Mutual, 7 p.m., Sinwave, dice.fm
KING BUFFALO
7 p.m., Swan Dive, swandivelv.com
(Courtesy/Thomas Crabtree)
ENTERTAINING PARTY PLANNING
MAKE A LIST
Plan the perfect holiday party
BY CAMILLE CANNON
The holidays are stressful, but holiday party planning doesn’t have to be. These two party professionals are gifting you with their best and brightest tips.
Event planner SJ Campbell has managed everything from an intimate wedding in Italy to an imaginative “Santa’s Workshop” party. And Yulunda Gladney has overseen countless soirees as senior marketing manager at Flight Club Las Vegas, a popular holiday party venue. Here’s their advice on how to make your celebration sparkle.
DETERMINE HOW MUCH MONEY AND TIME YOU WANT TO SPEND IN ADVANCE. Whether your vibe is an opulent winter wonderland (cue the fake snow) or a cozy pajama potluck, decide early how much you have to give this season. If the budget is tight, consider a smaller guest list, opting for a cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres over a seated dinner, or even host a cookie exchange that encourages guests to bake and bring their favorite recipe to share. “You don’t have to throw a grandiose party for it to be something special,” says Campbell. “Holiday parties are about creating a feeling of love and community.”
Shutterstock/Photo Illustration
GET CREATIVE IN CHOOSING A PARTY THEME.
“A theme helps guide your decisions,” says Gladney. From invitations to food and décor, have some fun curating an experience for your guests. A party theme also provides opportunities for guests to get to know one another. Encourage your guests to share a few of “My Favorite Things” (like in the classic The Sound of Music song), or invite friends for gingerbread house decorating and have them share the inspiration behind their edible abode. Providing common ground gives everyone an entry point to connection.
+ Table centerpieces (see page 18)
KEEP THE GOOD TIMES FLOWING WITH A VARIETY OF FOOD AND BEVERAGES.
DON’T FORGET DÉCOR AND AMBIENCE. Remember that theme you chose? Make it come to life with special details. For her “Santa’s Workshop” party, Campbell wanted guests to feel transported to childhood nostalgia. “We had Home Alone playing on the screen during the party,” she says. “It felt like being at grandma’s house.” Think of small ways you can implement the theme throughout your event. (See page 18 on DIY centerpieces.) “Props bring people out of their zone and help people have fun,” Gladney says. “Party favors help people keep your party top of mind.”
“It’s really important to understand the dietary restrictions of your guests,” says Campbell. Consider including a space in your invitations for guests to indicate their dietary needs, so that your gluten-free, lactose intolerant and vegan friends can all gather together. And while variety is important to make guests feel welcome, “you don’t have to go over the top. Keep it simple,” says Campbell. If you’re hosting at home, o er food that’s easy to prepare in advance so that you, too, can enjoy the day. “Food is bonding,” says Gladney. When it’s time to raise a glass, don’t overcomplicate it: you can serve familiar cocktails with whimsical names, keep beer and wine on deck and o er fun non-alcoholic beverages.
REMEMBER THAT THE PURPOSE OF YOUR HOLIDAY PARTY IS TO HAVE FUN.
“Plan your event timeline, but be ready to adapt,” Gladney says. “If you see people have an amazing time dancing but the itinerary says to move on—be flexible. It’s a party!”
PROGRAM YOUR EVENT WITH ENCHANTING ENTERTAINMENT.
For past clients, Campbell has hired carolers, musicians and even a horse and carriage to set the vibe for a holiday soiree. If live entertainment is out of reach, curate a playlist of holiday songs to deck your halls with cheer. “Take the extra time to listen to songs and decide where to place them throughout the evening,” Campbell says. (You know that when “All I Want For Christmas Is You” comes on, it’s time to dance.) Gladney reminds us that entertainment also includes activities. Is this a white elephant gift exchange, holiday trivia or karaoke type of shindig?
GATHER ‘ROUND
DIY centerpieces to complement your celebration
■ Centerpieces should be just that ... at the center of the action. They help give your party a distinct look and feel, transform a space into a destination, and can even spark a conversation. Try these festive ideas for your next get-together.
WHAT’S OLD IS NEW
If you’ve bought a real Christmas tree this year, you’re familiar with the trimming (and waste) it leaves behind. Spare a few branch trimmings and place them in a mason jar, upcycled can or cozy mug lined with parchment or butcher paper and add a few pops of color (think: red owers or wrapped candy canes). Tie leftover ribbon cuttings around the base for an extra festive touch.
GET CRAFTY
If your family traditions include decorating gingerbread houses, make miniature ones to become the stars of your tablescape. For a quick and easy project, glue sequins, glitter, or hand-draw on green party hats (matte or metallic, depending on your theme) to mimic cute little winter trees. If you’re using glitter, line your workspace with old newspaper before you begin. Otherwise, your table will stay sparkling ‘til the Fourth of July.
MAKE IT INTERACTIVE
Consider including a prompt with your centerpieces for guests to answer, such as “What’s your favorite holiday tradition?” or “Which avor is worse: Pumpkin spice or eggnog?” This conversation starter is sure to spark connection, and maybe, a little healthy debate. Another idea: include quotes from classic holiday movies and see if your guests can guess the titles. I triple-dog-dare ya! –Camille Cannon
BUCKLE UPAND GET READYTO PARTY WITH PALMS HOTEL & CASINO DURING THE 2024 NATIONAL FINALS RODEO.
BUCKLE UP AND GET READY TO PARTY WITH PALMS HOTEL & CASINO DURING THE 2024 NATIONAL FINALS RODEO.
A Free Nightly Country Concerts including Zach Top- Friday, December 6 and Easton Corbin- Saturday, December 7 in KAOS nightclub
A Free Nightly Country Concerts including Zach Top - Friday, December 6 and Easton Corbin - Saturday, December 7 in KAOS nightclub
A Meet 4x World Champion Tuf Cooper and 8x World Champion Fred Whitfield
A Free Parking, Live Feed, and Shuttle
A Meet 4x World Champion Tuf Cooper and 8x World Champion Fred Whitfield
A Enter to win a 2 Horse BumperTrailer
A Free Parking, Live Feed, and Shuttle
A $5 Crown Royal, Jack Daniels and Beer Specials
A Enter to win a 2 Horse Bumper Trailer
A $5 Crown Royal, Jack Daniels and Beer Specials
LOOKING BACK ON 75 YEARS OF SUCCESS AT THE
RON MANCUSO
LORRAINE HUNT-BONO
DENNIS BONO
BOOTLEGGER
THE BOOTLEGGER
7700 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-736-4939, bootleggerlasvegas.com.
When you think of old-school Las Vegas—the kind of Vegas where the croon of Frank Sinatra and the jingle of slot machines echoed through the streets—you likely picture a world of bone-dry martinis, plump leather booths and lounge singers belting out torch songs in smoky rooms. Today, the city’s iconic charm may have been buried under a polished layer of luxury resorts, but there’s one place that hasn’t forgotten what made this town legendary: The Bootlegger Italian Bistro.
For 75 years, this Italian restaurant, lounge, and live music haunt has stood as a time capsule of Old Vegas, nodding to the city’s roots even as the Strip continually reinvents itself. And at the heart of the Bootlegger is a local family whose own story is as intertwined with the city’s history as the food they’ve been serving for decades.
On a busy Monday night, the bistro is in full swing. The sound of a grand piano fills the air in the main dining room, as the soft notes blend with the deep rhythm of a double bass. The room pulses with the urgency of the waitstaff, sharply attired in tuxedos and rushing to accommodate an eager crowd.
As my dinner companion and I are led to our table, I feel a sense of belonging. This is the kind of place where regulars are treated like family and where newcomers are welcomed as old friends.
Earlier in the day, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Lorraine Hunt-Bono, former Clark County commissioner and Nevada lieutenant governor, and the woman at the helm of this iconic institution. Over plates of warm garlic bread, sausage-stuffed mushrooms and ravioli fritti, I settled in to hear about the family’s journey—one that starts in a small Niagara Falls boarding house and winds its way through the streets of an ever-changing Vegas.
FROM NIAGARA FALLS TO FREMONT STREET
It all started with Maria and Luigi Zoia, Hunt-Bono’s grandparents, who emigrated from Italy to Niagara Falls in 1907 and ran a small boarding house there. In 1926, Maria, Hunt-Bono’s mother—“Mama Maria,” as she was known—moved in and cooked for the boarders, and it didn’t take long for the house to become a de facto restaurant.
“Now keep in mind, the foods that mama made and learned from
ROMAN MANCUSO
Live music in the Bootlegger’s dining room. (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)
(Christopher DeVargas/Staff)
my grandma were sauces,” Hunt-Bono recalls. “I mean real, red, white, pink sauces … rabbit sauce, sausage sauce, all different combinations that we still have here today. My mother changed some of grandma’s recipes, so now all of grandma’s originals have become Maria’s that she’d been implementing since we had our first restaurant.”
In 1943, Hunt-Bono’s father Albert Perry moved Maria and the rest of the family to Las Vegas in search of a drier climate to alleviate his health issues, specifically rheumatic fever and arthritis. They both began working in the hospitality industry, Maria as an Italian chef and Albert as a
bartender and restaurant host.
After working under chef Domenic Piscatelli, who recognized Mama Maria’s knack for cooking, Piscatelli and the Perrys eventually went on to open an Italian restaurant together in 1949 and ran it for some time before going their own ways.
“Now, my dad’s looking for a piece of land to build a restaurant for my mother and family. He finds a lease—Fremont Street,” Hunt-Bono says.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
In 1955, the Perrys opened the Venetian Pizzeria with Maria’s sister Angie and her husband
Lou Ruvo on Fremont Street. (If that latter name seems familiar, it’s because Angie and Lou’s son Larry would later found the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.)
Hunt-Bono herself would eventually come back to Vegas after a year in Hollywood. “I went to Westlake College of Music for one year, and then I came back that summer ... at that time, I was 19,” she says. “[The musicians working at the Riviera] were looking for a girl singer … sure enough, I got the job and never went back to Westlake.”
Her singing career took off. She went on to open the Landmark Hotel and Casino, sang backup
vocals for Elvis and even had her own girl group called The Lauri Perry Four. But despite her career as a vocalist, she stayed close to the family business.
By 1966, as the Rat Pack on the Strip caused a stir, the family’s restaurant enterprise expanded to the Venetian Ristorante on West Sahara.
“Well, they sold the Venetian to some guys from Chicago. ... As life would have it, my mother couldn’t stand it,” Hunt-Bono recalls. “I’m taking her to sign the escrow papers and she’s there crying, ‘Christ, I’m too young to retire!’”
She laughs, remembering the moment. “We’re getting close to the title company and I said, ‘I’m
(Christopher DeVargas/Staff)
SANTA FE AND THE FAT CITY HORNS IN THE BOOTLEGGER’S COPA ROOM
building you another restaurant,’ … and she immediately started to look to the future.”
THE BOOTLEGGER DEBUTS
In 1973, the Bootlegger opened its doors on Tropicana and Eastern on a parcel of land Hunt-Bono had secured with earnings from her showbiz career. It was an immediate success.
“You take care of your locals, my mom and dad always said that. ... Don’t ever forget your locals, because they’re your base,” Hunt-Bono says.
The family has always kept that adage at the front of its mind. They built the Bootlegger for the people who made Vegas Vegas—the ones who
stuck around long after the tourists were gone and the lights dimmed. But the city, as always, was changing fast.
The Strip was growing, and the family business needed to grow with it.
Hunt-Bono, who had a nose for both business and survival, realized something that a lot of other people missed.
“I became a strong small business advocate,” she says. “In Nevada, even though we always think about the big hotels and conglomerates, the reality is most of the businesses in Nevada are small businesses.”
It’s the small places that really make the city hum. The ones who aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel, but rather just keep the thing spinning. So, the family made the call to expand. In 2001, they sold the
original property and opened the Bootlegger 2.0 on South Las Vegas Boulevard.
“We could see the Mandalay Bay,” Hunt-Bono says, remembering standing on the corner with her father, looking out at their undeveloped piece of desert land. “And Dad’s standing there and saying, ‘The Strip is going to keep going. It’s not going to stop.’”
CONTINUING THE LEGACY
By 2003, the family business had firmly passed from one generation to the next. Hunt-Bono’s son, Ron Mancuso, took the reins as CEO of the Bootlegger, moving his New York-based recording studio Studio77 next door to the restaurant. In 2006, Lorraine married entertainer Dennis Bono, who brought his musical connections to the family enterprise.
The next generation of the family joined in, like clockwork. In 2011, Ron’s son Roman stepped up as vice president and manager— marking the fourth generation in the family businesses.
After 75 years, the Bootlegger still feels like home to its dedicated regulars, and it’s a refreshing spot for visitors looking for a taste of a bygone era. Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns blast the roof off of the property’s music venue, the Copa Room, while in the main dining room, you can catch everything from gifted vocalists to master harpists captivating diners.
The menu? Still classic, unpretentious Italian comfort food.
The Bootlegger has survived and thrived in a city that’s more notorious for reinventing itself through implosions than for anything that lasts. But there it is, one of the rare spots in town that’s still as durable and true as the family who built it.
”A family restaurant has to be a family-run restaurant,” says Hunt-Bono. “The family has to pay the mortgage, pay the taxes, pay their employees, and the family has to have their heart and soul in it.”
That’s the recipe, one that’s never gone out of style.
LAS VEGAS
Seafood Fra Diavolo, lasagna, Venetian Spritz (left) and Bella Maria cocktail.
“What I have just come from is the best job in the whole world. My husband loved it before me for 12 years. He said he
was the happiest mayor in the universe (and) I think I understand why, and it’s just been a great time.”
— Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, whose third and final term came to an end this week
A statue of
was
The
1 SICK NEW WORLD CANCELED
The hard rock, goth and alternative music festival Sick New World announced it will no longer take place at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds as planned on April 12, 2025. “Despite our best e orts, we’ve encountered unforeseen circumstances that we are unable to overcome for next year’s show,” reads a statement on its website. Tickets purchased directly from Sick New World’s vendor Front Gate Tickets will be automatically refunded in 30 days, according to the statement.
HOT SHOT
former Las Vegas Mayors Oscar and Carolyn Goodman
unveiled during a ceremony in front of Las Vegas City Hall on November 26.
bronze sculpture, created by artist Brian Hanlon, is 11 feet tall and stands on a 6.5-foot base.
(Steve Marcus/Sta )
LABOR
BY THE NUMBERS
That’s how many people died this year from heat-related causes in Southern Nevada as of December 2, according to the Clark County Coroner’s Office. That’s a 78% increase compared to 2023, which had 294 recorded heat-related deaths.
AI managing food waste in Strip kitchens
Caesars Entertainment is testing artificial intelligence technology that embraces the taboo principle of garbage in, garbage out.
The system by Winnow Solutions monitors and tracks the flow of physical kitchen garbage to reduce food waste.
“We have given chefs very few tools to manage their operations. We need to give them the tools to be able to understand what’s happening in the kitchens,” said Ignacio Ramirez, Winnow’s managing director for North America.
The system uses a camera to identify the type of food waste going into the trash, measures it and compiles a report. Chefs can use the information to alter menus, food purchases or portion sizes to cut down on waste.
Caesars has been using the system since January as part of a two-year pilot program at
its resorts across the U.S. The system is being used at Paris Las Vegas in the employee dining room, said Brianna Kennedy, sustainable operations manager for Caesars.
One item under scrutiny in the dining room: green beans. The system has found they end up in the garbage more than other menu items, Kennedy said.
“We’re learning from the chefs that green beans ... don’t survive as long under the heat lamps as some of our other roasted vegetables,” Kennedy said. “Based on the chef’s recommendations, we may end up removing those items from the menu.”
A device with a screen no bigger than an iPad is connected to a scale with a trash bin on top. A camera faces down on the trash bin.
When an item is tossed into the trash, it is weighed and
2 3 NSU NURSING PROGRAM ON ITS WAY
Nevada State University’s School of Nursing’s Simulation Center has been granted Provisional Accreditation by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH). It is the first simulation program dedicated to pre-licensure nursing education in the state of Nevada to receive the provisional accreditation. The center may receive full accreditation after completing two years of review by SSH.
Barry Manilow, who earlier this year surpassed Elvis Presley’s record of 636 performances at the Westgate International Theater, has accepted an offer of a lifetime residency there. “[Owner] David Siegel and the Westgate team have been like family to me, and I am deeply grateful to have the opportunity to call Westgate home for the rest of my career,” he said in a statement. The holiday edition of Manilow’s show kicks off this week, with tickets available at ticketmaster.com STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
the camera takes a photo of it. The system keeps track of what’s new from the last time something was added and the screen identifies the new item, Kennedy said.
Winnow included in the system database-specific items Caesars offers, such as meat and vegetable lasagna, but there is also a more generalized menu. Users can go through the full menu to select the right item if the system incorrectly identifies something. Caesars has set a goal of reducing waste by 65% by 2030, and the use of technologies is one way to help get there, said Eric Dominguez, senior vice president of engineering and asset management for Caesars.
“If we can figure out where they make sense within our business, it’s just one more tool for us to keep moving,” he said.
–Ilana Williams
MANILOW IS FOREVER
Virgin Hotels strike continues
Officials with Virgin Hotels Las Vegas say sweetening its contract offer to striking workers would add more economic strain amid dismal casino earnings over the past two years.
The strike, which started November 15, is the longest open-ended demonstration in decades along the Resort Corridor. Hundreds are now out of work and living on strike pay, $500 a week. The situation will remain until the union and resort reach a deal. Shortly before the strike started, Virgin proposed a contract that amounted to a yearly 30-cent increase to hourly wages over five years, said Ted Pappageorge, the secretary-treasurer of Culinary Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165.
The union is still unhappy with that deal, but it’s a better offer than the resort’s earlier proposal, which included no raises for the first three years of the pact. The union’s first contract with Virgin, from 2019 to 2023, had at least a 30% pay raise, according to the resort.
Throughout the strike, the union has reiterated that it’s only asking from Virgin what dozens of other Las Vegas resorts have agreed to already, including the Strat and Westgate, resorts in similar situations to Virgin. Resort officials told the Las Vegas Sun that the union’s contracts with other properties have led to layoffs, which Pappageorge denied.
“As an off-Strip property, we do not have the same levels of revenue of the larger on-Strip properties and therefore cannot accept the same financial terms as they have,” management wrote in a statement to the Sun –Kyle Chouinard
SCAN HERE FOR TICKETS
GROUND GAME
Reversing course on early and mail voting messaging helped propel Trump to victory in Nevada
BY HAAJRAH GILANI
According to election results certified by the Nevada Supreme Court on November 26, President-elect Donald Trump won Nevada by 46,008 votes. He’s the first Republican presidential candidate to win the state in 20 years.
Surprisingly, early voting was an early indicator of the win, bucking past trends where Democrats turned out in higher numbers than Republicans. The two-week early voting period saw 247,263 Republicans, 150,160 Democrats and 145,518 nonpartisans or third-party voters participate, according to secretary of state data.
But if you look at the Trump campaign’s messaging on early and mail voting, it explains how Republicans— who traditionally preferred to vote on Election Day and have distrusted mail voting (following Trump’s false claims that the method is rife with fraud)—established a ground game that ultimately led to victory in the Silver State and in five other battleground states.
Take Vice President-elect JD Vance’s unorthodox pitch to supporters at a rally at Treasure Island in the final days of the campaign.
“We are now in a world where early voting, mail-in voting, Election Day voting, these are all the methods that we have to vote,” Vance told the crowd at Treasure Island in the final days of the campaign. “And if Kamala Harris’ team is using everything and we’re only using one of those methods of voting, then we’re gonna get killed.”
Michael McDonald, chairman of the Nevada GOP, seemed like a sports coach when talking to the Weekly about the ground game in July at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. He was optimistic—maybe even a tad confident.
“We have more lawyers involved. We
have more volunteers involved. We’re doing ballot harvesting,” McDonald said in July. “The focus now, we want (Republicans) to vote early, stay engaged, we want them to volunteer more in their community.”
In 2024, Nevada Republicans recognized the need to learn from the success of Democrats. After witnessing the power of the “Reid Machine”—an established Democratic edge manufactured by late Nevada Democratic Sen. Harry Reid—Republicans sought a stronghold of their own.
Jesus Marquez, a political strategist who served on the National Hispanic Advisory Board for Trump, joined calls to emulate the Nevada Democratic ground game.
“(Democrats are) good at one thing and that’s reaching the voters and the ground operation they have, the grassroots operation,” Marquez says. “The old Harry Reid Machine is still well alive, and they’re really strong there. But this time, Republicans are getting more organized.”
Democrats in Clark County have relied on an army of local groups to help with outreach and motivate residents to vote, such as the Culinary Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 knocking on 900,000 doors in support of Democratic candidates in the run-up to election day.
To match that effort, Republicans had to take a deep look in the mirror to upgrade the ways the party communicated with voters. The resolution included increased door knocking, phone calls and embracing the methods Vance mentioned.
That strategy helped pave the way for Trump to receive 62,122 more votes in comparison to 2020 in the Democratic stronghold of Clark County.
Washoe County election workers sort ballots at the Registrar of Voters Office in Reno on October 29, 2024. (AP Photo/ Tom R. Smedes)
Jesse Law, the chairman of the Clark County Republican Party, says he tried to make “a firewall to keep the Nevada GOP stable.”
“Keeping our stability at the county means that Michael McDonald gets to do what he does very well, which is marshal resources,” Law says. “And in a stable environment, it means that people who are back East and looking at the landscape in Nevada know what they can rely on, which means they can plan to invest and give resources.”
Embracing ballot harvesting and early voting wasn’t an overnight fix. Law recalled a meeting last year where vice chairman Devin Livziey pitched early voting plans to a group of party members who wrongly claimed Trump won the 2020 election because of fraud. (Those claims have repeatedly been proven false in court challenges.)
Law said attendees began yelling at the newly seated Livziey, calling him “part of the problem” with the electoral system. “Not everybody got involved, but that was a very small minority,” Law says. “We just took the lead on it.”
Despite initial pushback, the Clark County GOP’s efforts to get people on board with early voting and voting by mail moved the needle, as indicated by secretary of state data that showed Republicans outnumbering Democrats in early voting. Those efforts were also supported by messaging from Trump and the Trump campaign.
Nevada State Democratic Party chairwoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno tells the Weekly Democrats knocked on more than 2.5 million doors in Nevada, made 25.5 million calls and cured more than 11,000 ballots.
“I don’t know if there’s anything that I would do differently,” Monroe-Moreno says.
She also embarked on a statewide tour for a week in the summer, touching all 17 counties.
The result was more than a consolation prize: All four Nevada Democratic candidates—Jacky Rosen in the U.S. Senate, and Steven Horsford, Susie Lee and Dina Titus in the U.S. House—won reelection.
“We are that battleground state and races are won here by razor thin margins. But it’s my job as party chair to make sure that I sing the praises of the work that our elected officials are doing from the top all the way down to the bottom,” Monroe-Moreno says.
“I think that’s how we were successful in our slate of candidates here in the state.”
WINNING THE RURALS
Rural counties in Nevada traditionally support Republican candidates, with Trump the past two elections winning 15 of Nevada’s 17 counties but losing the urban counties of Clark and Washoe.
Trump again won the rurals, but this time won by a larger margin in cementing his battleground-state win.
In Nye County, which has less than 56,000 people, the ground game included 300 volunteers and a partnership with Turning Point USA, the nonprofit organization for youth engagement in conservative politics.
Nye County Republican Party chairman Leo Blundo says the effort employed mail, texting and campaign assistance to candidates.
“I don’t think you need to reinvent the wheel,” Blundo says. “I think you can just change some of the spokes or the rubber or some of the gears out and improve the wheel, improve how your methodology is and how you’re executing.”
Trump received 18,946 votes in Nye
County; he had 17,528 in 2020. Those 1,418 votes may seem like a small figure, but they certainly were beneficial in helping Trump break the Republicans’ two-decade drought in presidential elections in Nevada.
“[Trump] loses [Clark] County, but he loses by less, which now makes our impact here more profound,” Blundo says. “And then when we do better than expected [in Nye County], it gives us even more fluff and cover.”
Blundo recognized why Clark and Washoe counties received more resources from the state Republican party. But he feels Nevada’s rural counties go underestimated at times and says investing more into these areas
would “energize a base that is hungry and wants to be engaged, wants to be active.”
“In Vegas or Reno, it’s easy to have rallies there, but you have a rally out in Pahrump and these people come out. You’ll shut the whole town down,” Blundo says. “Can you imagine if Trump came out to Pahrump? It’s over. There’s no town. It’s over. It’s like a madhouse.”
Trump excelled with young voters, a push Blundo says was solidified last February in Las Vegas when the Republican National Committee held a winter meeting.
Blundo adds that the collaboration with Turning Point stemmed from the
winter conference. The group offered paid volunteer opportunities for those who would assist with phone calls among other outreach. He immediately saw the value in pursuing a partnership, he says.
Turning Point’s involvement, particularly its youth outreach, proved to be a success. Trump made stronger connections with 18 to 29-year-olds with support among the demographic increasing by 7% from 2020 to 2024, according to CNN exit polling.
“When Nye goes red, Nevada goes red, and I think we proved that this cycle,” Blundo said the week after Election Day. “We went red with Trump, and it was because of the efforts here.”
HOW WILL TWO TEAMS FROM OAKLAND AFFECT LOCAL PRO SPORTS CULTURE?
In the not-so-grand tradition of middle-aged punk rockers deriding Las Vegas, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong expressed frustration during a September concert in San Francisco, with the Oakland A’s plan to move to Vegas. He rallied the Bay Area audience and expressed scorn for A’s principal owner John Fisher, shouting, “I f**king hate Las Vegas. It’s the worst s**thole in America.”
Earlier in the same concert, Rancid guitarist Lars Frederiksen better articulated the same issue, saying of Fisher: “His whole family makes money o the backs of Bay Area people, then he wants to f**k o to Vegas.”
THE INCIDENTAL TOURIST BY BROCK RADKE
in San Francisco and ostensibly feel the Warriors are still the home team, but that won’t be the case with the A’s. The Major League Baseball team is set to play three seasons at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento while the organization hopes to build its stadium on the Las Vegas Strip for the 2028 season.
For two storied sports franchises from the same city to relocate to the same new city within a decade feels unprecedented. It’s especially exciting for Las Vegas, which will have added four teams in just over 10 years, and especially bitter for Oakland.
“I have been torn on it, because I have ties to a lot of things and people and so many great memories growing up in the East Bay,” says Eric Nagrampa, a Bay Area native living in Las Vegas, better known as DJ E-Rock. “My rst baseball game, my mother took me to Oakland Coliseum, and my mom is still an A’s fan. She still brings up Jose Canseco. I know what the culture of A’s baseball and the fandom is like. But things happen.”
INTRIGUING EXODUS
It’s not hard to understand these sentiments. The NFL’s Oakland Raiders moved to Las Vegas in 2020, starting play at Allegiant Stadium one year after the NBA’s Golden State Warriors moved from Oracle Arena in Oakland to the new Chase Center in San Francisco.
mala Harris when her campaign breaks
The vendors … it was local folks,
Now that the A’s also have abandoned Oakland, the East Bay city of 440,000 people is without a major league sports team of its own—something lamented by Berkeley native Kamala Harris when her campaign stopped at the All the Smoke podcast in October. Speaking with hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson—both played for the Warriors during long NBA careers—Harris said, “It breaks my heart … It was part of the economic engine of Oakland. The vendors … it was local folks, small businesses. I’m always going to think Golden State Warriors, that’s Oakland.”
E-Rock grew up cheering for the San Francisco Giants and 49ers, but he lived in the East Bay during his high school years and also rooted for the A’s. “That’s part of the fabric of the Bay Area. It’s very diverse, just everything and anything meshed together, all walks of life converge. There’s just so much you’re exposed to living in the Bay Area,” he says. “It didn’t matter what part you lived in. If I lived in Walnut Creek or Concord, I’d still travel 45 minutes to downtown San Francisco.
“You’re never held to where you live. I feel like I spent my whole life there commuting … just to experience culture and sports.”
Oakland basketball fans can make a short trip to see the team
He’s turned that experience into a successful profession, working as a DJ in top nightclubs in Las Vegas, continuing a syndicated radio show, and still
Now that he’s lived and worked for years in both Vegas and the Bay, E-Rock understands and appreciates both places, even if Armstrong and other A’s fans do not.
“While I’m torn and it hurts to know my friends can’t take their kids to A’s games in the Bay Area, it makes me happy to think the people I’ve met here are growing their families and can take their kids and create new traditions and new stories in Las Vegas,” he says. “That [negative] sentiment, it’s a little misguided. You don’t hear that a lot on the ground. And I think people will support it when it gets here. It’s de nitely a baseball town. This town loves the [minor league] Aviators and they get a great turnout.”
It’s di cult to predict how sports fans here or anywhere will adapt to the Athletics playing baseball in Las Vegas. Over the summer, Las Vegas native Bryce Harper, an allstar rst baseman with the Philadelphia Phillies, told the Los Angeles Times he was unsure if the A’s move would be
a wise one: “It’s a tough thing to see the A’s go away from Oakland. They have so much tradition and history there … I see it in Oakland. I don’t see it in Vegas.”
stadium.
“They come in, eat at the people I’ve met here are growing their families and can take their
Vegas clearly loves its Golden Knights, but it’s the only local franchise that came to the Valley as an expansion team. The WNBA’s Aces moved from San Antonio. The Raiders, who had already bounced back and forth from Oakland to LA, seem to make sense in Vegas, where California permeates di erent aspects of local culture—and because Vegas loves football.
Michael Credico is vice president of food and beverage at the M Resort, the o cial team headquarters hotel of the Raiders. He’s also a native Las Vegan who grew up a fan of the LA Rams and Dodgers since they were the closest-to-home teams.
“Game day here really is next level,” he says of the atmosphere at the Henderson resort and its Raiders Tavern & Grill. “There are alumni [former players] who are just like fans, very loyal to the team, and they visit a lot for games and events. And we have the RTC buses picking up fans to take them to the
Raiders Tavern or at Marinelli’s for breakfast, get on the bus, then come back and stop in for a drink after the game. They all stay together.”
The Raiders fandom has long been notorious, at times for rowdy antics at games, but mostly for their passion and dedication no matter the team’s win-loss record. Many of those loyal California fans have stayed with the Vegas team, and the local hospitality structure makes it easier, and more fun, to participate.
Like many locals, Credico is seeing Raiders culture expanding in Las Vegas. “A lot of people in Vegas have their own teams [they like] already, but a lot of those people are now rooting for the Raiders to do well,” he says. “There’s a soft spot now. If they weren’t true blue to their team, they’re starting to lean a little to the Raiders.
“I’m a diehard Rams fan but I want to see the Raiders do well for many reasons, including that they’re a big part of our partnerships [at M Resort]. We root for them and they root for us. And they’re doing so much charity and local fundraising, it made more
people open their eyes.”
Of course, winning more games is the best way for a team to connect to the community—just ask the Golden Knights and Aces—and underwhelming results on the eld surely have slowed the Raiders’ e orts. That will be a factor for the A’s as well; the team has had three straight losing seasons and the lowest attendance in baseball for the last two years.
And it’s not a done deal yet. The Las Vegas Stadium Authority is meeting this week on December 5 to review the proposal and nancing for the stadium planned at the southeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue. It’s been reported that nal approvals could be made at the meeting, where Fisher is expected to commit $1 billion of his own money along with a $300 million loan to get things rolling. If everything goes to plan and we get to hear “Play ball!” announced on the Strip in 2028, that will be only the beginning—of another story Oakland and Vegas sports fans will have to consider whether they want to keep reading.
“While I’m torn and it hurts to know my friends can’t take their kids to A’s games in the Bay Area, it makes me happy to think the people I’ve met here are growing their families and can take their kids and create new traditions and new stories in Las Vegas.”
–DJ E-ROCK
NOT YOUR FIRST RODEO
BY BROCK RADKE
RODEO WORLD AT RESORTS WORLD
They did it again. Following up on a massive Formula 1 activation, Resorts World continues to be a creative canvas for the big Vegas of the moment to paint a masterpiece. Rodeo World welcomes NFR fans and followers with viewing parties at multiple venues, meet-and-greets and live music at the Dawg House Saloon, and an unprecedented lineup of country stars and DJs at Zouk Nightclub. On the rodeo’s first Saturday night, December 7, East Texas singer Paul Cauthen performs at Zouk at 9:30 p.m. before Snoop Dogg gets behind the decks as DJ Snoopadelic—and that’s the third of 10 nights of explosive programming. rwlasvegas.com/experiences/rodeo-world
NFR is back and we’ve got the lowdown on the best Las Vegas parties
GRAND OPENING AT JASON ALDEAN’S KITCHEN & BAR
This long-awaited Nashville transplant, a partnership between the country superstar and TC Restaurant Group, finally makes its debut at 63 CityCenter on December 5, the fourth location for the restaurant, bar and live music venue. The two-story, 22,500-square-foot spot features two stages, six bars, an outdoor terrace overlooking the Strip and a Southern-inspired menu. jasonaldeansbar.com/ las-vegas
GILLEY’S SALOON
Rodeo fans can catch a shuttle bus from Treasure Island to the Thomas & Mack Center during NFR, but with iconic country bar and dance favorite Gilley’s on the premises, you might just want to stick around. Lots of live entertainment, line dancing and drink specials will complement $10 mechanical bull rides, o cial nightly watch parties and the world-famous Gilley Girls, plus entry is free before 9 p.m., and just $20 after. gilleyslasvegas.com
DESERT SADDLE AT XS
When Wynn Nightlife resident DJ and musical trendsetter Diplo feels a little twangy, he makes country music under the name Thomas Wesley. Wynn’s megaclub XS has shown similar flexibility when it comes to country sounds, and now it’s a whole thing for rodeo week—the Desert Saddle music weekend features Diplo as Wesley with Dustin Lynch and Brandi Cyrus on December 6, and Kane Brown, Marshmello and Vavo on December 7. wynnsocial.com
STONEY’S ROCKIN’ COUNTRY
This Town Square saloon is still among the Valley’s top spots for country music year-round, so you better believe the sounds and the party will be amped up in the coming weeks. Expect specials on Crown Royal and Casamigos cocktails and shots, photo ops with rodeo riders, long lines for the mechanical bull and performances from the likes of Alexis Wilkins, Randall King’s Tonk Vegas, Jade Eagleson, Gunnar Latham and the Kruse Brothers. stoneysrockincountry.com
ROCK AND ROLL DENIM AT 24 OXFORD
The versatile entertainment space at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas usually occupied by Lady Like modern burlesque and Frank Marino’s Divas Drag & Drinks gets a country makeover on December 5-7 and 13-14 with watch parties and concerts from RaeLynn, Caylee Hammack, Love and Theft, Vincent Mason and Chase Wright. virginhotelslv.com
Ella Fitzergald
Ella
“The first one is actually an album my older brother gave me, and it made me want to sing in front of people. I always wanted to sing, but this actually made me do it. I picked my first ever singing solo from this album. I still remember what it felt like at that performance. My legs were shaking so bad, I thought they could see it through my dress (laughs). I wanted to be her. I think she’s one of the greatest voices ever, to be honest, and she’s also this amazing personality.”
SHANDA CISNEROS RATTO
BY AMBER SAMPSON
Shanda Cisneros Ratto, powerhouse singer of the 1960s-inspired rhythm and blues band Shanda & The Howlers, rarely holds back. Dismantling the idea of “singing pretty,” the vocalist taps into her raw potential, channeling all the grit and glory of music’s finest growlers. Now Ratto is working on a solo project with Wild Records, which she promises will be “dirtier, more growling, more feeling” than anything she’s done before. Here, she shares three key albums that helped shape her musical trajectory.
The Raconteurs Consolers of the Lonely
“I wasn’t exposed to classic rock. My parents were older, so it was either oldies, country—or my brothers listen[ing] to Depeche Mode. My friends and I, we all listened to Bell Biv DeVoe, New Edition and I was too busy dancing to ‘Poison’ [laughs]. When I moved to Vegas, and I got the job at Tower Records, I started getting exposed to more music. I love Jack White, so any project he did, I would look into. And I just feel like The Raconteurs are like our modern day Beatles. It’s this Gen X supergroup of musicians. That album is so diverse in its styles of music, but it’s also really rock ’n’ roll.”
Otis Rush 1956-1958 Cobra Recordings
“The minute you hear his voice, you’re gonna melt. It’s blues, but it’s so ... Magic Sam. It just hits me, and I feel everything that he’s singing. And he’s a prolific guitar player too. There’s this YouTube video, and it’s one of his most popular videos. He comes out, and the song’s called, ‘I Can’t Quit You Baby.’ He starts with a note. His tone, it’s perfect. Hairs on the back of your neck just stand up. And I’m like, ‘I want to do that. I want to be like that.’”
Shavkat Rakhmonov, Ian Garry put their undefeated records on the line
BY CASE KEEFER
Asure way to tell a dangerous fighter is when few opponents ever want to step up to fight him. Hardly anyone ever wants to fight UFC welterweight Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Current welterweight champion Belal Muhammad relented over time and agreed to a bout with the undefeated, 30-year-old Rakhmonov, but only after initially targeting 37-year-old former belt-holder Kamaru Usman for his first title defense.
Muhammad vs. Rakhmonov was booked as the headliner for UFC 310 on December 7 at T-Mobile Arena but wound up shortlived. Muhammad broke his toe and then developed a bone infection that forced him to pull out of the fight.
Then silence prevailed.
A parade of candidates tend to emerge when a seemingly more beatable opponent is left in a main-event slot without an opponent, but hardly anyone campaigned for a shot at Rakhmonov.
Fellow undefeated welterweight prospect Ian Garry proved the exception. The 27-year-old potentially could have kept carving his own easier path to an eventual championship bout, but instead jumped at the chance for a title eliminator against Rakhmonov.
“One thing the world will never
UFC 310 BATTLE OF THE
December 7, preliminary card 3 p.m. on UFC Fight Pass, undercard 5 p.m. on ESPN2, main card 7 p.m. on ESPN+, $80 pay-per-view at plus.espn.com T-Mobile Arena, $95-$1,500, axs.com
be able to say about me ... they will only be able to say that I’m a f**king gamer,” Garry said in a YouTube video released to announce the fight. “They will only be able to say that this guy will fight anyone, anywhere, any time, and the perfect example is giving me the boogeyman in the welterweight division and I’ll stand in there on three week’s notice and I’ll find a way to beat him.”
The Ireland native Garry (15-0 with eight stoppages) will now fight the Kazakhstan native Rakhmonov (18-0 with 18 stoppages) in a five-round co-main event at UFC 310 with the winner booked into a fight early next year against Muhammad.
A flyweight title bout between champion Alexandre Pantoja (285, 18 stoppages) and Kai Asakura (8-2, six stoppages) is now the main event, but in name and card placement only. Rakhmonov vs. Garry is the biggest draw in the UFC’s annual local year-end payper-view.
Unlike boxing, it’s exceedingly rare that two undefeated fighters square off this deep into their careers given the higher level of parity and lower rate of record-padding matchups in mixed martial arts.
“I’m very disappointed in our division,” Rakhmonov posted to social media after the Garry fight was finalized. “(Belal Muhammad, Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman, Jack Della Maddalena, Sean Brady,) you’ve all let fans down. The only one who backed up his words was Ian, and I respect that. But make no mistake, I’m coming for (Garry’s) zero (losses) and will fight for the belt after.”
If Rakhmonov is the most feared fighter on the current UFC roster, Garry might be the most hated. His nickname “The Future” turned off fans from the start as did heavy trash talking that appeared to be inspired by fellow countryman Conor McGregor, but without the former two-division superstar’s requisite charisma.
Garry’s also been accused of crossing the line with personal attacks, but not responding
UNBEATENS
kindly when opponents have taken a similar tact. Several rivals have ridiculed Garry and his wife, English television sports personality Layla Anna-Lee.
Rakhmonov vs. Garry at least shouldn’t devolve to such juvenile, if not unsettling, bickering. The pair clearly have a respect for each other and were once training partners at one of the sport’s top gyms, Kill Cliff FC in South Florida.
Rakhmonov still fights out of the facility headed by trainers Henri Hooft (a former kickboxing champion) and Greg Jones (a former collegiate wrestler), but Garry has sought to expand his repertoire with more recent stints in Brazil and Thailand.
“[Rakhmonov] is incredibly talented,” Garry said at a recent news conference before the fight was announced. “I’ve trained with him. I’ve shared the ring with him. We’ve hit each other. We’ve trained with each other. I have nothing but respect for the dude. It’s purely that I don’t want anyone else to beat him before me.”
No one has come close to beating Rakhmonov so far. His run has been reminiscent of longtime lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, whom some consider the greatest UFC fighter ever, especially with their similar tribal-influenced walkouts.
Nurmagomedov famously wore a sheepskin cap in a nod to his Dagestani warrior heritage; Rakhmonov sports a traditional Kazakh wolfskin headdress.
Rakhmonov stands as a -400 (i.e. risking $400 to win $100) favorite at UFC 310 with Garry coming back at +325 (i.e. risking $100 to win $325), implying about a 78% chance at victory for the former.
Few are picking against Rakhmonov, though Muhammad is one of the few on record predicting a Garry shocker.
A skeptic would say that’s wishful thinking from Muhammad, who knows he will have to fight the winner.
Almost everyone wants to avoid Rakhmonov except Garry. UFC 310 will show whether such confidence is warranted or misguided.
Ian Garry, (right) Shavkat Rakhmonov (AP Photo/Photo Illustration)
GAMING FORGES EXECUTIVES ABLE TO TACKLE ANY INDUSTRY
BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF
Cameron Conn wasn’t just born and raised in Las Vegas—he’s been steeped in the gaming and casino industry his entire life.
The third-generation Las Vegas native, son of Paragon Gaming CEO Diana Bennett and grandson of iconic casino owner and operator William G. Bennett, has followed in his family’s footsteps over the course of his career by building out gaming properties, working on the casino oor—even dealing blackjack—and founding a licensing and compliance company.
“Gaming is art,” Conn said. “It’s science. It’s getting some scar tissue from being in the industry, and that’s why most gaming executives usually have a tremendous amount of tenure. But what gaming does produce is executives that are scalable to other industries.”
That’s why, Conn continued, he feels equipped to depart the gaming industry for a new venture: fashion. As CEO of Vancouver-based menswear line Champlain, Conn said he feels his casino and technology background gave him the tools to take on a “completely foreign industry.”
“That’s a very unique thing about the casino and the gaming industry ... that I don’t think is highlighted very often—the quality of talent that it produces,” he said.
Conn found Champlain while looking for investments, and was immediately struck by the brand’s versatility. Attire from Champlain could be worn to the o ce or on a date, Conn said, and it was “proper.”
While athleisure and high fashion dominated both ends of the fashion spectrum, Conn and Champlain founder and creative director Jonathan Richard recognized there was a market between them for modernized classic pieces.
“I was always in a suit and tie running a casino,”
Conn said. “And then when I started my tech company, all my employees wore hoodies and had headphones, and if I ever wore a sports coat to work, they thought they were all red. … And so when a friend of mine said, ‘Hey, I started this clothing company,’ I walked in and I went, ‘Yeah, this is missing in the market.’”
Champlain elevates staple pieces of clothing, he said, making it easy for people to dress in well-made out ts at a great price and with low e ort. Its aim has always been to allow people to dress down while still looking good, he said, and stocking up on staples with a modern air and variety of color.
Ultimately, Conn said, Champlain is fresh, clean and modern, but also very familiar. It’s not fast fashion, but sustainable in the market, he emphasized.
“I think that’s the beauty of classic apparel, is it can be what the wearer wants it to be,” Conn said. “We create clothes, and we may create what our image is, but they’re versatile enough for customers to create their own image of what they want it to be, because it’s lived on for so long.”
The company launched online in September, and has since sold products in more than two dozen states and six provinces. It has entered the wholesale market and the brand is slated to appear in stores this spring, Conn said.
Gaming creates a fearlessness in executives that makes them great entrepreneurs, Conn said, which is why he could jump into an industry like fashion, which he may not have known much about beforehand.
Gaming requires a strong work ethic, and Conn pointed to his mother as an example of that. To see how hard she worked to carve out her own stake in the business was inspirational. Though, like his mother, he was part of a gaming legacy created by his grandfather, Conn stressed he had to be “scrappy” to succeed in gaming.
Launching a casino property, for example, requires knowledge about so many di erent areas— from human resources to food and beverage.
“There’s so many businesses within the business of gaming,” Conn said. “That creates such well-rounded leaders, because you have to know how all of those aspects are impacting your company, your bottom line, your employees.”
Sports is increasing Las Vegas’ visibility, Conn said, and the city is producing versatile workers.
“The talent in Vegas is really amazing, and ... there’s going to be other industries that bene t from that talent, because of how di cult and how interesting the gaming market is,” Conn said. “There’s just a really great future with the professionals that are coming out of, whether it’s UNLV or the industry itself … the Vegas market.”
Jonathan Richard (left) and Cameron Conn (Courtesy)
BY KAREN RUBEL
As mental health continues to be recognized as a vital component of overall well-being, businesses—especially those in health care—must stay vigilant and proactive in addressing mental health challenges within the workplace. The importance of this issue has never been greater, as the health and well-being of employees affects the quality of care provided to patients. In health care, where workers are on the frontlines, the need to support mental wellness is even more urgent.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role mental health plays in the workplace. For many, isolation, routine disruptions and heightened fears of illness created overwhelming stress. Health care workers faced unprecedented levels of anxiety as they dealt with the unknowns of the virus and the heavy burden of caring for patients in a crisis. The surge in mental health challenges became apparent during the pandemic, while simultaneously, many people around the world began speaking more openly about their mental health struggles. Before 2020, mental health was often a hidden concern in many industries. But the pandemic forced a shift; the stigma around mental health diminished and conversations about well-being became more common. In health care, the focus is always
GUEST COLUMN
A call to action for business leaders in health care: Prioritizing employees’ mental health is a necessity
on patient care, but the well-being of the caregivers cannot be overlooked. Whether in hospice care, hospitals or assisted-living facilities, health care workers experience unique challenges that require not just clinical support but emotional support as well. Health care organizations must continually explore new ways to care for their employees, offering not only competitive pay and benefits but also strategies to support mental wellness.
One of the initiatives Nathan Adelson Hospice has introduced is an additional “wellness day,” allowing employees to take a day off to recharge at any time. This has been an important way to provide employees with a much-needed break, ensuring they have time to focus on their own mental health without the burden of feeling guilty for taking time off.
Another tool we utilize is FRANSiS, a mental wellness app designed to send uplifting, daily messages to employees’ phones. These simple, encouraging texts are a small but powerful way to check in with staff, offering them a moment of support. The app also allows employees to respond, and if they need further help, their messages can
be directed to HR for follow-up. The response to FRANSiS has been overwhelmingly positive, and we’ve expanded its use to offer the same support to families who have experienced hospice care with us.
Keenan Hart, co-founder of FRANSiS, explains, “We developed FRANSiS to address the emotional and mental challenges people face—both personally and professionally. Health care workers, in particular, often don’t have the time or space to focus on their own well-being. Our goal is to provide them with simple, heartfelt messages that can make a meaningful difference in their day.”
In a hospice setting, the emotional toll on caregivers is significant. Health care workers often form close bonds with their patients and their families, and the loss of a patient can be deeply affecting. At Nathan Adelson Hospice, our teams regularly come together to review patient care plans, but they also take time to discuss their personal experiences and challenges. These discussions provide an opportunity for our staff to offer mutual support and care. This peer-to-peer connection fosters a sense of community and helps staff pro-
cess their emotions in a healthy way.
Addressing mental health in health care isn’t just about offering resources—it’s also about creating an environment where employees feel supported, heard and understood. The health care industry is facing significant workforce shortages, making it even more important to support those who remain in their roles. Employers need to strike a balance between meeting the needs of the business and providing the mental health resources that employees require to thrive.
Employers should not only offer internal support but also be aware of the resources available in the community. Local and national organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Anxiety and Depression Association of America can provide invaluable resources, guidance and treatment options for staff who may need help.
Creating a culture of care and compassion begins with listening to employees and taking proactive steps to ensure their mental well-being is a priority. It’s crucial for employers to build trust, so workers feel safe reaching out when they need assistance. Providing resources, whether through employee assistance programs, counseling services or peer support groups, can make a meaningful difference.
Business leaders must recognize that mental health support is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.
You never want to find out too late if a person at your workplace needs help. Become a culture of care and compassion and let team members know they can turn to someone in the organization when help is sought. Resources are always available. And care for others should always remain at the forefront of any business.
Karen Rubel is president and CEO of Nathan Adelson Hospice.
Before 2020, mental health was often a hidden concern in many industries. But the pandemic forced a shift; the stigma around mental health diminished, and conversations about well-being became more common.
VEGAS INC NOTES Spotlighting the best in business
Bailey Kennedy has been recognized among the 2025 Best Law Firms list ranked by Best Lawyers The firm received a Metropolitan Tier 1 ranking for six practice areas: Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Health Care Law, Litigation – Health Care, and Real Estate Law. Best Law Firms is a resource for individuals and companies seeking reputable legal representation. Bailey Kennedy had eight attorneys recognized: managing partner John Bailey; partners Dennis Kennedy, Joshua Dickey, Joshua Gilmore, Joseph Liebman and Paul Williams; and counsels Mark Goldstein and Sarah Harmon
Spotlight Outdoor, a digital outof-home advertiser, and MGM Resorts International entered into a multiyear arrangement establishing Spotlight Outdoor as an outdoor sales and marketing representation for the hospitality and entertainment company. This collaboration expands Spotlight’s reach in the market to 81 media faces, which produce nearly 275,000 media plays and over 75 million impressions per week.
With Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada’s president and CEO Deacon Thomas Roberts’ retirement approaching, the organization named and hired his successor. Sara Ramirez will lead the organization as president and CEO effective December 16. Ramirez led Catholic Charities of Central Texas for more than 11 years as executive director and previously served as vice president of advancement for Catholic Charities Fort Worth for nine years.
PowerSoul Cafe, launched in March by Dina Mitchell to provide quick-service options for those with celiac, non-celiac gluten sensitivities, allergies and other dietary restrictions, has become an official philanthropic partner for the National Celiac Association. Kicking off the partnership, throughout December, PowerSoul will donate $1 from of the sale of every pizza to NCA. Funds raised will go to NCA to support its mission to educate and advocate for people with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivities.
Opry Entertainment Group appointed Gary Scott as chief operating officer. With over 25 years of experience in hospitality operations, asset management and strategic leadership, Scott brings extensive expertise to OEG as the business continues to grow and innovate. He joins OEG from Ridgeline Hospitality Group, where he served as principal and owner and provided full-service counsel to clients across the hotel, gaming, food and beverage, and hospitality sectors.
The Nevada Mining Association appointed Rebecca Hall as community engagement manager. She will oversee the organization’s community engagement throughout the state, while supporting the communications and government relations teams to highlight and promote organizational programs, education, membership and advocacy. She previously served as director of the Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada, was executive director/founder of the Nevada Science Center and director of ed-
ucation for the Las Vegas Natural History Museum.
Comprehensive Cancer Centers hired oncologist Dr. Janson Trieu and advanced nurse practitioners Tiffany Show, Jan Kathleen Stanek and Damaris Kiptoo. Trieu is a medical oncologist and hematologist at Comprehensive’s Central Valley Twain treatment center, at 3730 S. Eastern Ave., Las Vegas. Show sees patients at Comprehensive’s Horizon Ridge – Henderson treatment center, 2460 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway, where she provides oncology care and follow-up care. Stanek works out of Comprehensive’s Henderson – Siena treatment center, 10001 S. Eastern Ave., where she helps manage the care and treatment plans for patients with cancer and blood disorders. Kiptoo provides patient care at Comprehensive’s Northwest treatment center, 7445 Peak Drive.
Cure 4 The Kids Foundation hired Dr. Drishti Ragoonanan to Southern Nevada’s only pediatric cancer and rare disease treatment center. As a board-certified pediatric hematology-oncology physician, Ragoonanan joins 18 other providers at the clinic, treating children and young adults affected by pediatric cancer, blood and bleeding disorders, and rare diseases. Ragoonanan completed her medical training at the University of the West Indies and pursued a pediatric residency at the University of Miami. She then went on to complete fellowships in both pediatric hematology-oncology and stem cell transplant and cellular therapy at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
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ARIES (March 21-April 19): Blaming others for our problems is rarely helpful. Yet we all benefit from having mischievous fun. As we rebel against tendencies, we have to be dogmatic and fanatical. That’s why I’m authorizing you to celebrate a good-humored Complaint Fest. For a limited time, feel free to unleash fantasies in which you uninhibitedly and hilariously castigate everyone who has done you wrong.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): What you are experiencing may not be a major, earth-shaking rite of passage. But it’s sufficiently challenging and potentially rewarding to qualify as a pivotal breakthrough and turning point. You may look back and will feel deep gratification that you have clambered up to a higher level of mastery through the power of your intelligent love and feisty integrity.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You are now about halfway between your last birthday and next birthday. We call this your Unbirthday Season. It is usually a time when you receive an abundance of feedback—whether you want it or not. I encourage you to want it! You could gather a wealth of information that will help you fine-tune your drive for success and joy in the months to come.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): The Buddha achieved enlightenment while meditating beneath the Bodhi Tree in Bihar, India. At one point, a huge storm came and pelted the sacred spot with heavy rain. Just in time, the King of Serpents arrived and shielded the Buddha. You, too, will receive an unexpected form of protection and nurturing in the coming weeks. Be ready.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): We grow and ripen at our own unique pace. That’s why it’s senseless to compare our rate of unfoldment to anyone else’s. We each have our own timing, our own rhythm. These ideas are especially apropos for you right now, Leo.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): It’s crucial for you to get as relaxed and grounded as possible. You have a mandate to explore ultimate versions of stability and solidity. Shore up your foundations, please. Grow deeper roots. Dig down as deep as you can to strengthen and tone your relationship with the core of your being.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the coming weeks and months, you may be as unhypocritical as you have ever been. You are likely to be consistently faithful to your ideals. Your actual effects on people will closely match your intended effects. The American idiom is, “Do you practice what you preach?” I expect the answer to that question will be yes as it pertains to you.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Author George Orwell advised us that if we don’t analyze and understand the past, we are likely to repeat the mistakes of the past. Alas, few people take heed. In the coming months, you will have exceptional power to avoid replicating past ignorance and errors—if you meditate regularly on the lessons available through a close study of your life story.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Can you shoot lightning bolts from your eyes? Sure you can. Can you change water into wine? Fly to the moon and back in a magic boat? In your imagination, yes. And these exercises will prime you for an array of more realistic escapades, like smashing a mental block, torching an outmoded fear and demolishing an unnecessary inhibition or taboo.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You are in a phase of your cycle when it’s even more crucial than usual to be a good-natured skeptic who poses exuberant, penetrating questions. To serve your soul’s health, refine your practice of the art of creative rebellion.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Be like a beautifully made fountain that people love to visit, Aquarius. What does that entail? Here are hints. The water of the fountain cascades upward, but not too high or hard, and then it showers down gently into a pool. Its flow is steady and unflagging. Its sound is mellifluous and relaxing. The endless dance of the bubbles and currents is invigorating and calming, exuberant and rejuvenating.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Your gorgeous fertility is waxing. The blessings you have to offer are at a peak. I invite you to be extra generous as you share your gifts with those who are worthy of them—and maybe even a few who aren’t entirely worthy.
BACKSTORY
BISHOP GORMAN VS. ARBOR VIEW | ALLEGIANT STADIUM | NOVEMBER 26, 2024 The Bishop Gorman football team is again Nevada’s best. The Gaels defeated Arbor View 69-7 in the Class 5A, Division-I state championship on November 26 at Allegiant Stadium for another championship. They have captured the title in all but two seasons since 2007 in going from a state contender to national power. This year, they’ll finish ranked in the top 5 nationally. Junior quarterback Maika Eugenio passed for five touchdowns and 284 yards in the win. –Ray Brewer
