Boo! Haunts, Happenings & Spooky Stories | Vegas Seven Magazine | Oct. 27-Nov. 2, 2016

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HAUNTS, HAPPENINGS & SPOOKY STORIES

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Giddy up

FOR

ON THE COVER

ENTERTAINMENT CONCERTS AT 10PM Read Vegas Seven right-side up and UIFO nJQ JU PWFS BOE TUBSU BHBJO XJUI (7) SEVEN NIGHTS, featuring after-dark FOUFSUBJONFOU BOE UIF XFFL T OJHIUMJGF happenings.

HALLOWEEN Artwork JUSTIN FAVELA Photography KRYSTAL RAMIREZ

SEVEN NIGHTS: FUTURE Artwork KYLE LAMBERT

@GOLDENNUGGETLV

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OCT. 27-NOV. 2, 2016 FEATURE

14 Dark Curiosities

SOCIAL INFLUENCE

42 Rebuilding the Rebels

Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum puts the bizarre on display.

A plan to get them back to tournament form.

BY LISSA TOWNSEND RODGERS

BY MIKE GRIMALA

20 Haunted Channels

1BSBOPSNBM 57 4IPXT mMM UIF screen with screams.

BY LISSA TOWNSEND RODGERS

Sin City Spirits Why isn’t Las Vegas more haunted?

BY LISSA TOWNSEND RODGERS

44 9HJDV¡ 6SRUWV )XWXUH

Will UNLV fade as pro sports take root in Vegas?

BY TYLER BISCHOFF

PLUS: Who to follow on Instagram and the Rebels’ roster projection for the 2016-17 season.

21 Seven Spooky

CONVERSATIONS

Spend a night at Nevada’s eeriest hotels and motels.

47 Give and Let Give

Sleepovers

BY LISSA TOWNSEND RODGERS

TO DO

23 24/7

What to do around the clock in Las Vegas.

BY SHANNON MILLER AND BOB WHITBY

28 Take a Ride with BRMC

A talk with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club bassist Robert Levon Been. %< -(66,( 2¡%5,(1 PLUS: Kobe

vs. Faux-be Dinner at SW Steakhouse.

TASTE

31 One Sip: Perky Potion Coffee, VegeNation style.

BY DIANA EDELMAN

32 Downtown Dining Update Checking in on three anticipated

restaurants. %< -(66,( 2¡%5,(1

36 The New Bohemians

Partying for a cause with DJ/ producer and native Las Vegan 3LAU. BY JOHN CARR

48 Legacy on the Court

Coach Darrel Jordan helps the Payton boys rise to the top.

BY ALLY TATOSIAN

50 The Auspiciousness of Angela

Angela Quinn on opening lowincome-focused health and wellness centers.

BY JESSI C. ACUĂ&#x2018;A

52 Lucky No. 7

OUR SITES TO SEE

Justin Favela creates cover art for Vegas Seven

VegasSeven.com Transmissions of Terror Whether you need some inspiration as you put the mOBM UPVDIFT PO ZPVS DPTUVNF PS KVTU XBOU UP TUBZ home on the couch, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plenty of scares to be found on your TV screen. Visit VegasSeven.com/ HalloweenTV to see our top picks.

DTLV.com

Halloween costumes to expect.

Greens and Proteins to Open Downtown

BY SEVEN STAFF

Greens and Proteins Healthy Kitchen is the latest to join the Juhl lofts family after a string of openings over the past year. It has been a long process, but UIF DBGĂ? JT OFBSJOH UIF mOJTI MJOF 3FBE NPSF PO DTLV.com.

PLUS: Ask

a Native.

ON THE FLIP SIDE Broad Strokes and Fine Lines Stranger Things artist Kyle Lambert sketches his way into nightlife.

BY IAN CARAMANZANA

Seven Nights

At home with the culinary power couple Steve and Lindsey Geddes. BY AL MANCINI

Your week in parties.

PLUS: Four dishes making the move from NYC to Sin City

Noraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Italian Cuisineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seasonal cocktail. BY XANIA WOODMAN

BY IAN CARAMANZANA

Drink This: Xocolatl

RunRebs.com The Towel Boys -PPLJOH GPS ZPVS 6/-7 TQPSUT UBML mY $IFDL PVU the RunRebs podcasts at RunRebs.com/podcasts for all your audio needs.

SpyOnVegas.com The Hookup Find upcoming events, see highlights from the hottest parties, meet the DJs and more.

PLUS: Zombies are so last year and Deconstructing Phandom.

October 27-November 2, 2016 vegasseven.com

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THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR 25 YEARS LAS VEGAS.

ABOUT THE COVER ARTIST

Justin Favela Justin Favela is a Las Vegas native working in the mediums of painting, sculpture and performance. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Studio Arts from UNLV. He has participated in exhibitions across the United States and curated many shows throughout Southern Nevada at venues such as UNLV’s Marjorie Barrick Museum and El Porvenir Mini-Market in North Las Vegas. His work draws from art history, popular culture and his heritage. Favela’s exhibition Parimonio is now open in Las Vegas City Hall’s Grand Gallery and will be part of the Denver Art Museum’s 2017 exhibition Mi Tierra: Contemporary Artists Explore Place. You can listen to his podcast at LatinosWhoLunch. com. Turn to page 11 to see his artistry in action.

JustinFavela.net.

Ryan T. Doherty | Justin Weniger President Michael Skenandore &KLHI )LQDQFLDO 2IÀFHU Sim Salzman Vice President, Marketing and Events Keith White Creative Director Sherwin Yumul Graphic Designer Javon Issac Technical Director Herbert Akinyele Controller Jane Weigel

Letters and Story Ideas Comments@VegasSeven.com Advertising Sales@VegasSeven.com Distribution Distribution@VegasSeven.com

PUBLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE OBSERVER MEDIA GROUP Vegas Seven 701 Bridger Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89101 702-798-7000 Vegas Seven is distributed each Thursday throughout Southern Nevada. © 2016 Vegas Seven, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of Vegas Seven, LLC is prohibited.

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Publisher

Michael Skenandore Editorial EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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Genevie Durano SENIOR EDITOR, DINING, BEVERAGE & NIGHTLIFE

Xania Woodman ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Mark Adams SENIOR WRITER

Lissa Townsend Rodgers EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Shannon Miller EDITORIAL INTERNS

Sam Mendoza, Ashley Miles, Zauni Price, Ally Tatosian Contributing Editors Michael Green (Politics), Al Mancini (Dining), David G. Schwartz (Gaming/Hospitality) Art CREATIVE DIRECTOR

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Cierra Pedro STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Krystal Ramirez PHOTO INTERNS

;BDI .D,FF 8FT .PSFmFME VegasSeven.com DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL CONTENT

Zoneil Maharaj SENIOR WRITER, RUNREBS.COM

Mike Grimala EDITOR, DTLV.COM

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John Tobin

Dark Curiosities

Zak Bagansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; H a u n t e d Museum

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puts the

bi z a r r e on display

By Lissa Townsend Rodgers Photography Krystal Ramirez

A

t first glance, the Wengert House is an unassuming Tudor revival cottage, with a peaked roof and multipaned windows that read more Disneyland than Sin City. But a closer look reveals a sprawling 30-plus rooms, each one transformed into the optimum display for its particular collection of oddities: a parlor full of antique mechanical dolls clacking and blinking away, a hallway lined with skulls in glass cases, a human mummy tucked into a niche at the top of a staircase.

“I can’t say where I got the mummy,” Zak Bagans says. The host of television’s Ghost Adventures and Deadly Possessions has spent the last year and a half transforming the historic home into the Haunted Museum, a repository for the many cursed and creepy items he has collected over his years of chasing the paranormal. “The objects that I bring in here, they have a lot of things attached to them,” he says. “It’s just a concentrated nuclear reactor of objects and energy.”

The Wengert House was built in 1938 by Cyril Wengert, whose family lived here until the 1970s. After being used as law offices and the offices of the State Bar of Nevada, Bagans’ company, Hellfire Media, purchased the house. “I’ve been trying for a long time to run a historic property for tours. And I wanted it to be haunted. Vegas is a hard place to find that.”

Bagans dashes through the house, pointing out Bela Lugosi’s cursed mirror and a bullet-holed Nazi helmet with all the enthusiasm of an 8-year-old showing off his new toys on the afternoon of the Best. Christmas. Ever. No white-walled galleries here, each room is set up as its own creepy vignette with lighting and sound. One room is fluorescent-lit with iron bars and white tile—the better to show off “murderbilia” such as Charles Manson’s bloody handprint and the high-school-detention-style artwork of Richard “The Night Stalker” Ramirez. A mock doctor’s office with anatomical posters and brains floating in jars leads to the minibus Jack Kevorkian used to carry out his assisted suicides, complete with a creepy mannequin lying under a faded blanket. A room centered on grave-robbing cannibal Ed Gein’s cauldron and shovel has the ceiling opened to the rafters like a barn, with a thunderstorm soundtrack playing in the background. It’s a little like walking through an episode of American Horror Story or a particularly gonzo Hammer film.

“In every room I want you to experience different energy, different emotions. … Between the sounds, the energy from the objects and the way things look, the moods will change,” Bagans explains. “I’m sensitive, I can feel stuff from the object—I want people to kind of feel what I feel. It’s kind of like an object and its energy in its natural habitat. I want them to feel a whole experience.”

When Bagans first saw the Wengert House, he thought, “It looks like the Winchester Mystery House,” and the home has evolved into something similar, as tunnels, secret doors and sliding panels have been added to the mazelike interior. “I love this place. I don’t like being away from it when I’m filming,” he says. “It was meant for me to have this place. I’m feeling like Sarah Winchester a little bit—I’ll never stop building and adding little things.”

There are even a few pieces of that famed haunted mansion here: a wooden case containing a dozen lifesize wax heads and a spiderweb window.

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October 27-Novemeber 3, 2016 vegasseven.com

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The majority of the objects in the house aren’t technically haunted; they’re just … strange. There’s an array of carnival and circus paraphernalia, including a vast display of a tiny, intricate amusement park featuring everything from merry-go-round to lion tamer to hot dog booth, all handcarved by a single artist in the ’40s. “Can you find the little kid whose arm was torn off by a tiger?” Bagans asks excitedly before pointing out a tiny figure at the back. “Little kid lying on the ground with blood coming out of his arm and a tiger just mauling on him. I made that; I just had to put my own dark flair on it.”

Which of the many things in the Haunted Museum does Bagans find the most disturbing? “I think the demon house dirt and the objects and the staircase in there. That’s the most feared, and people can’t really go into that room.” Of course you can—although Bagans says people will be given a warning about “what can happen” before entering, like giving a heart patient a heads-up before getting on a roller coaster. Even if the tales of demon voices and little boys walking backward up walls don’t disturb you, the staircase to nowhere, pile of dirt and makeshift altar is unsettling in itself.

However, one part of the house is completely off-limits: the basement. “I do not allow people to go down there. And I won’t.” Bagans says that several construction workers walked off the job after going to the basement and he himself has only gone a few times. “There’s a lot of dark, evil shit down there,” he says. “We found out that in the 1970s, they used to do Satanic rituals in the basement.”

Bagans expects that the Haunted Museum will be open in a few weeks and hopes it will join the Mob Museum and the Neon Museum as one of Downtown Las Vegas’ unique cultural offerings. “The stories attached to the items—that’s what’s important to me,” he says. “I don’t want it to be a hokey experience—come in and watch out for the haunted big bad wolf!”

“I haven’t really shared my collection too much,” he continues, “but I feel things and so will a lot of people. I hope a lot of skeptics come in and they’re just open to it.” Even if you’re not a believer in the paranormal, the Haunted Museum is a fascinating trip through the eerie side of Americana. 7

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“It’s just a concentrated

nuclear reactor of objects and energy.”

Haunted Haunted Channels Channels KRZV ÀOO V 9 7 O D P ms 3DUDQRU ith screa w n e e r c the s Reality TV has produced infinite variations on every genre, from 10,000 ways for someone to talk to a camera while baking a cake to the millionth iteration of finding the love of one’s life (or at least of this season). Paranormal shows are a relatively new television development, but seem to have multiplied at an even faster rate.

Most prevalent is the first-person

“I was haunted” tale: A true crime show with talking heads and reenactments, but with incorporeal perps.

A Haunting gives the most serious, longform treatment, almost always a family that moves into a lovely home only to find that along with the big yard and the wainscoting comes— evil! Ghostly Encounters offers shorter stories of possessed dolls, heedless

Ouija boarders and sinister imaginary friends. Haunted Case Files lets ghost hunters tell about their “most terrifying cases,” every one of which seems to be: Go to haunted house, wait for creepy voice to say “Get out,” get out. One longs for a ghost that would at least tell them to “Get bent.”

Also consistent is the way the ghost hunters that resemble Ken Bone in their talking heads metamorphose into Jason Statham look-alikes for the reenactments.

Another take on the paranormal are the ghost-hunting shows, where a group of people pack up recorders, monitors and night-vision cameras, head for an allegedly haunted location and repeatedly freak the hell out. It’s pretty much the same concept each time—and sometimes the same locations, because there are only so many abandoned insane asylums and murder houses—only the people screaming change. Paranormal State is a bunch of college students, Ghost Asylum is a herd of good ol’ boys, Paranormal Lockdown is a hipster

couple, Ghost Brothers are a trio of black guys who are not actually brothers. One variant, The Dead Files, features two stereotypes: New York City cop and goth chick. The medium “walks” the property in question and “reads” it for restless ghosts and malevolent spirits, while the retired detective—a man of the Lenny Briscoe school—interviews hauntees and tracks down the history.

It’s only a matter of time before the Playboy Channel gives us My Sexy Ghost Story or LOGO pops out Gay Ghost Hunters. Heck, even the ubiquitous “MESOTHELEOMA!” commercials have gotten a creepy house and gothic font treatment. The paranormal trackers may not know what’s around the next dark corner, but we do—and it’s more TV shows.

—Lissa Townsend Rodgers

Sin City Spirits Why isn’t Las Vegas more haunted?

By Lissa Townsend Rodgers We’ve got the usual suburban legends of ghostly janitors stalking high school halls and day care centers haunted by the victims of their killer choo-choo trains, but Las Vegas has no great ghost stories. You’d think we would, with our history of mob violence and hotel fires, the collection of legendary stars and anonymous losers.

Of course, our propensity for demolishing anything more than a few decades old might have something to do with our dearth of ghostly residents. A spectral Dylan Thomas still sits at a table in Manhattan’s White Horse Tavern and the spirit of Montgomery Clift still roams the halls of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel because the bar and the hotel are still there. If Dean Martin wanted to groove through his afterlife hanging around the Sands rattling the ice in his glass at unnerved tourists, what landfill would he go to? Who knows how many undead pit bosses and trophy wives got turned out of their Paradise Palms lairs when the breeze blocks and wet bars were gutted in favor of faux-Colonial shutters and home offices?

It’s not just the buildings that don’t stay: It’s the people. Dino could also haunt the Riviera, Caesars, Bally’s or the MGM Grand. The “get in, make money, get out” ethos has been embraced by everyone from the most illustrious of overpaid headliners to the lowliest of under-the-table laborers. The only Vegas legend rumored to haunt where he once performed is Elvis, who never

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played anywhere except the International (now the Westgate) and is said to still be occasionally spotted in his suite and the elevator he would take down to the stage. Of course, there is sometimes a logical explanation for the sighting of a man in a white jumpsuit and pompadour in Las Vegas …

Which is too bad, because it would be great if douchebros who act up and undertip would be awakened in their hotel rooms in the middle of the night to the sensation of being slapped repeatedly across the face by a well-manicured hand in Sulka French cuffs and Cartier cuff links as someone softly croons “Strangers in the Night.” Or if bimbos staggering around Appletini-drunk with their spandex miniskirts riding up would look into the bathroom mirror to see the enraged yet still exquisite visage of Lena Horne delivering a tirade about how she wasn’t allowed to take a dip in the damn casino swimming pool, but Iowa white trash gets to walk barefoot through the baccarat tables with its ladyparts hanging out.

One would think the collateral violence of decades of mob activity would have filled our city’s backrooms and basements with spirits both fearful and vengeful, but we must remember that the mob’s dirty business wasn’t supposed to be carried out within city limits, but out there by those fabled holes in the desert. For all we know, herds of disembodied petty criminals are still out there—snitches, rats, low-level players, made guys who couldn’t quite make it—all damned to eternally roam the sandy wastelands in their loud suits, wishing their afterlife wanderings were at least in Brooklyn or Chicago or Kansas City.

Then again, for all we know, Las Vegas is haunted, but the city itself is so weird that we don’t even notice it. That mysterious green haze isn’t just reflected neon: It’s a spiritual manifestation. Those glowing red eyes aren’t the hangover after a bender: That’s a demon! The distant music and clinking glasses isn’t a neighbor’s party: It’s a herd of showgirls enjoying eternity!

You’re not drunk: Everything in your room actually has been moved! You’re not sleep-deprived: The LED screen outside the Cosmopolitan actually is transmitting messages from your dead grandmother! Haunted, I tell you!

This whole fucking town is haunted! 7

Seven SPOOKY Sleepovers Spend a night at Nevadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eeriest hotels and motels

By Lissa Townsend Rodgers

Nevada is a state where people keep moving. All of those folks seeking the spot where they want to strike gold, get hot at the tables or make their name and fame have always needed a place to rest their heads, if even IRU MXVW RQH QLJKW +RZHYHU D IHZ RI RXU VWDWH¡V KRWHOV and motels may have guests that stick around â&#x20AC;Ś

GOLDFIELD HOTEL

When the Goldfield Hotel was built in 1908, Goldfield was a boom town, deserving of an elegant hotel with mahogany paneling, gold-leaf ceilings and crystal chandeliers. A century later, the town and the hotel are emptyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but some have reported seeing lights and hearing music in the abandoned edifice. Two ghosts are said to haunt the place: Former owner George Wingfield and a young prostitute named Elizabeth, whose spirit is said to linger in room 109, where she was supposedly imprisoned and murdered, possibly by George himself â&#x20AC;Ś

SILVER QUEEN HOTEL

The oldest hotel in one of our oldest citiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Virginia Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the Silver Queen Hotel was built in 1876. It is named for the wall mural in the saloon of a bride whose dress is made of silver dollars. The other famous woman in residence here is Rosie, a prostitute who supposedly slashed her wrists in the bathtub of room 11. Even creepier: What is now the

wedding chapel was reportedly used as a morgue long ago during frozen winters.

OASIS MOTEL

Between the Strip and Downtown sits the Oasis Motel, a dark strip of pavement with two rows of rooms huddled under enormous molting palm trees and yellowish light. The motel was the site of two celebrity deaths just four months apart. In November 1998, professional poker player Stu Ungar was found dead of a drug overdose in room 16. Ungar had just signed a contract with Bob Stupak, who would back him in several upcoming tournaments. In March 1999, actor David Strickland hung himself in room 20. He was in a hit sitcom (Suddenly Susan), but reportedly spent the last night of his life in a $55 hotel room, spending 20 minutes with a local prostitute and drinking a six-pack of Coors.

THE LUXOR

The pyramid at the end of Las Vegas Boulevard was never intended to be a tomb, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s witnessed plenty of

death since its opening in 1993. Two construction workers perished while the casino was being built. After opening, a woman threw herself from the top level and a man fell to his deathâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;both landing on the casino floor. A 16-year-old prostitute was murdered in one of the rooms and a man was killed when a bomb planted by a jealous boyfriend went off in the parking garage. Who knew Pharaohâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s curse could extend so far from the Nile?

BOULDER DAM HOTEL

The Boulder Dam Hotel opened a few years before the dam itself, in 1933.

An elegant building with a pillared portico, it hosted stars such as Shirley Temple and Bette Davis. The hotel is purportedly haunted, although no one seems to be sure exactly by what.

People have reported having an uneasy feeling while in the basement, but who doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel uneasy in a basement? Perhaps the scariest thing about the Boulder Dam Hotel is that the master of movie horror, Boris Karloffâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a.k.a. Frankenstein and the Mummyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;stayed here once.

MIZPAH HOTEL

Opened at the turn of the century, the Mizpah Hotel in Tonopah also claims ghosts in the basementâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in

this case, a pair of thieves murdered by one of their dishonorable colleagues. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lady in Redâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;a woman murdered by her jilted loverâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;is said to haunt the fifth floor and occasionally ride the elevator with unsuspecting male guests. The hotel has been renovated in sumptuous Victorian style, with one room redone as a scarlet-toned tribute to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lady in Red.â&#x20AC;?

CLOWN MOTEL

What may be the most frightening place on this list actually has scarcely any reports of hauntings. The Clown Motel in Tonopah is jam-packed with clown paintings, clown figurines, clown needlepoint, clown dolls, clown plaques â&#x20AC;Ś Of course, if the clowns donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t disturb you, maybe the fact that there is a freaking graveyard next door will. Perhaps the Clown Motel is too unsettling even for the undead. One can imagine Satan himself rolling up (on a Harley), looking at the grinning, rednosed faces and muttering, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nah, too creepy. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s keep going. I hear thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s this pyramid in Vegasâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;? 7

Top Mizpah Hotel Left *ROGĂ&#x20AC;HOG Z+RWHO

October 27-November 2, 2016 vegasseven.com

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TO DO

THURSDAY 27

Grab free candy and a ride on the Jupiter Express Railroad at the Las Vegas 0HWURSROLWDQ 3ROLFH 'HSDUWPHQW·V Trunk-or-Treat. The family-friendly

event is from 6-10 p.m. at Metro’s Enterprise Area Command, 6975 W. Windmill Lane. Facebook.com/JupiterExpressRR

PHOTO COURTESY OF RESTORATION HARDWARE

Porch weather is finally here, so take advantage of it at Southern Nevada’s first brewery. Big Dog’s Brewing Co. welcomes sweater season at its Dogtober Beer Festival with local live music and award-winning brews at 7 p.m. BigDogBrews.com Pay tribute to the dearly departed at Commonwealth. UnXommon’s I Hear Dead People will mix the music of artists who no longer have a pulse (R.I.P. Bowie and Prince), starting at 9 p.m. CommonwealthLV.com Jam to beats by Byra Tanks and unleash your inner rock star with live-band karaoke at Gold Spike’s Fright Spike. The Halloween revelry, which runs from 10 p.m.-midnight, also includes drink specials and complimentary Champagne for the ladies. GoldSpike.com

FRIDAY 28

The Mello Yello Drag Racing Series is in town through Sunday, and watching cars accelerate to around 300 mph in a quarter mile is a trip. You can also cruise the pits and check out the machinery, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. NHRA.com The kids can trick-or-treat near shark-infested waters at Haunted Reef, starting at 10 a.m. and lasting all weekend. Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef will give complimentary admission to children 12 and under who show up in costume, as well as to guests 17 and older who donate blood to United Blood Services. SharkReef.com Move over, Ikea! Featuring artistic home furnishings in a massively elegant gallery setting, Restoration Hardware brings its unique and cutting-edge style to Vegas at Tivoli Village. Get your first look during its grand opening at 11 a.m. RH.com

Stop by The Writer’s Block at 7 p.m. for a reading and book signing with Miriam Melton-Villanueva, author of The Aztecs at Independence. Villanueva’s latest work gives an internal ethnographic view of central Mexican indigenous communities during the country’s transition to independence.

TheWritersBlock.org Here’s to your health. Dr. Deepak Chopra presents The Future of Wellbeing at The Smith Center, 7:30 p.m.

One of Time magazine’s “100 Heroes and Icons of the 20th Century,” the holistic and transformative medicine pioneer will discuss research and practices.

TheSmithCenter.com Strut your stuff for a chance to win big money during the costume contest at 'RZQWRZQ *UDQG·V +DOORZHHQ Party. The evening’s big winner takes home a $1K prize, with $500 going to the runner-up. The rooftop fete, which begins at 8 p.m., also features beats by DJ ParaDice. Did we mention there’s no cover? DowntownGrand.com

Ikea, schmikea.

Restoration Hardware opened its doors at Tivoli Village this month.

24/7 What to do around the clock in Las Vegas

By Shannon Miller and Bob Whitby

October 27-November 2, 2016 vegasseven.com

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TO DO

I’VE BEEN A FAN OF ELLIS ISLAND FOR

SATURDAY 29

Kanye West returns to Vegas, bringing his Saint Pablo tour to T-Mobile Arena at 8 p.m.

T-MobileArena.com

Love mud, sweat and tears? You need to participate in (or watch) Tough Mudder, a 10-mile obstacle course at Lake Las Vegas that will have you questioning your stamina, grit and sanity. ToughMudder.com Catch the matinee of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity at Cockroach Theatre, 2

p.m. Covering everything from geopolitics to wrestling and raisin bread, this award-winning play bounces audiences back and forth from social satire to playful comedy.

CockroachTheatre.com Atomic Liquors is serving up some “hazardous” specialty cocktails at its Radioactive Halloween party, 8 p.m. Dress to impress, as the bar staff’s favorite costume-wearers will receive free drink tickets. Atomic.Vegas Retired neurosurgeon and former Nevada Lt. Gov. Lonnie Hammargren again opens the doors to his very unique house, all in recognition of Nevada Day. See this place while you can—words do not do it justice.

The 21st Annual Hammargren Home of Nevada History Open House runs today and Sunday from

noon to 4 p.m. NevadaDays.org You may have noticed an increased number of cowfolk in town in the last couple of days. They’re here for the PBR World Finals, a bull-riding competition that has morphed into a nine-day rodeo extravaganza. The event begins today and runs through November 6. PBRWorldFinals.com

snacks to Downtown Container 3DUN·V 0RYLH 1LJKW, when the Downtown destination will screen the 1988 comedy fantasy Beetlejuice at 9 p.m. DowntownContainerPark.com The Jewish Community Center of Southern Nevada hosts its fifth annual BBQ Cook-off & Festival at Temple Beth Sholom. Seventeen teams will compete for the best brisket, ribs and more, with Las Vegas chefs and restaurateurs sitting in judgment. Gorge on delicious food in between enjoying amusement rides, arts and crafts activities and Mob Museum exhibits. The tasty event runs from noon-4 p.m. JCCBBQ.com

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Got a novel in you? Start scribbling— today marks the beginning of National Novel Writing Month! Novelist and fiction coach Sean Hoade will be at Green Valley Library’s NaNoWriMo Kick-Off from 6-7:45 p.m. to help you transform your word salad into a best seller. HendersonLibraries.com WEDNESDAY 2

Town Square becomes Town Scary, starting at 4 p.m. Bring the whole family for trick-or-treating, costume contests and more.

MyTownSquareLasVegas.com The City of Henderson’s annual

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!

Bring lawn chairs, a blanket and

Celebrate Día De Los Muertos at Winchester Cultural Center’s Life in Death Festival, which runs from 5-9 p.m. Honor the dead with ofrendas, food, drink and dance.

ClarkCountyNV.gov

MONDAY 31

SUNDAY 30

Witness Painted Stories, where artists Meegan Boiros and Charlotte Fox will turn blank canvas into works of art while authors Mercedes Yardley and Paul Atreides read from their latest spooky works, 2-4 p.m. at Clark County Library’s Jewel Box Theater. NevadaWriters.org

TUESDAY 1

Haunted at the Ranch Halloween

bash starts at 5 p.m. at Whitney Ranch Recreation Center. There’s a haunted house, carnival games, craft stations and, of course, candy!

CityofHenderson.com

Franks & Deans will put a punkrock spin on Rat Pack tunes during its Weenie Roast at the dive-tastic Double Down Saloon. Starting at 10 p.m., the event also features a set from Rex Dart and free hot dogs.

DoubleDownSaloon.com

decades, but Ellis isn’t the only Island in town. Way out in Henderson is Emerald Island. Dedicated local casinos follow certain protocols that resonate with their customer base, the tried-and-true areas being dining and gambling. Emerald scores big in both.

The 24-hour Emerald Grille is oldschool, functioning as a loss leader for the casino. Daily specials include pot roast for $10.99 and a rack of ribs for $14.99. From 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., a big ham & eggs or a burger & fries are $5 each. But the meal deal that stands out is the Fridays-only $19.99 steak & lobster (which requires a players card). It starts with a shrimp cocktail and choice of salad or homemade clam chowder. Both the steak (a filet) and the lobster tail are at the high end of the quality scale for a special in this price range, and they come with a baked potato and green beans. The meal is topped off with the dessert of the day. This special is famous and the restaurant is packed on Fridays, which gives you time to check out Part 2 of the local-pleasing formula.

The gambling at Emerald Island is like none other in Vegas. There are no live table games, only machines—and just about every one of them, both on the floor and at the bar, can be played for pennies. Penny play almost always spells trouble in terms of payback percentages, but that’s not the case here. In fact, these aren’t just the best penny video poker schedules in town, they’re among the best at any denomination. The 9/6 Jacks or Better schedules return 99.54 percent with perfect play; the best Deuces Wild pay table—a game known to experts as NSU (“not so ugly”) Deuces—returns 99.73 percent; and the 10/6 Double Double Bonus game has a 100 percent return.

That’s virtually unheard of at the 1-cent, 2-cent and 5-cent levels.

You can play these games from 1 to 100 coins, but even loaded, you’re playing only $1 per hand, as opposed to $1.25 on a 5-coin quarter game, so over time your money will absolutely last longer. For video poker players, it’s a low-roller’s paradise!

On top of the low minimums and the choice paytables, Emerald Island is a promotion machine. Different daily gambling promos offer point multipliers, spins on a valuable cash wheel and merchandise from a laundry list of Henderson vendors that have partnered with the casino. And whatever you do, be sure to get and use a players card. For relatively low levels of play, you’ll move up the club-tier ranks and start to get free meals in the restaurant.

Even at the introductory (Jade) level, you get one free entrée on your birthday month. No one else does that. 7 Anthony Curtis is the publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor and LasVegasAdvisor.com.

PHOTO BY KOBBY DAGAN

A Gem in Henderson

Grab your Stetson and head to PBR.

THE DEAL

By Anthony Curtis

TO DO

Japanese Kobe beef is among the most coveted and misrepresented items in the fine-dining world. Real Food Fake Food author Larry Olmsted and executive chef David Walzog will let you sample real Kobe next to its various pretenders to the beefy throne at a five-course Kobe vs.

Faux-be Dinner on November 9 at SW Steakhouse, one of only nine restaurants in the U.S. authorized to serve the real deal. Georges Daou of California’s Daou Vineyards will select and pour the evening’s vinous pairings. $425, 6 p.m., in Wynn, WynnLasVegas.com. –Al Mancini

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GREEN

Here’s the Beef!

TO DO

Take a Ride With BRMC Black Rebel Motorcycle Club bassist Robert Levon Been talks revisiting old tracks and making new music By -HVVLH 2·%ULHQ

Photography James Minchin

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL BAND BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE

Club sounds like something you would listen to if you were a member of a black rebel motorcycle club. The psychedelic gospel vocals backed by resonating bass and catchy guitar riffs hypnotizes listeners, motivating them to replace their bricksize, pineapple-flavor-filled vape pens for a pack of old-fashioned Marlboros, put on a leather jacket and ride off on a Triumph Thunderbird under the moonlight. Braaaaaaaapp!

The trio—Robert Levon Been on bass, Peter Hayes on guitar and Leah Shapiro on drums—released their latest album, Specter at the Feast, in 2013. BRMC is now working on a new record while touring with Death From Above 1979 and Deap Vally. We talked to Been about revisiting old songs and playing new music live, ahead of his band’s House of Blues at Mandalay Bay stop on October 27.

What are you up to? We’re just doing studio stuff and getting ready to start rehearsals for this tour. So, yeah, [we’re] about to dive in. [We’re] about to go back in time ... [to relearn] all the old songs versus working on newer ones.

Is that weird or nostalgic? It’s always a little strange, because you never quite know [how it’s going to go] until it happens. It’s like looking at a photo album. Sometimes you’re not in the mood, sometimes you wonder what the fuck happened [and] sometimes you love it more than you ever did before, like a memory. But I [found] things that I hadn’t found before in the songs.

We retire songs from time to time, [or] we [won’t] play them [for] years. Five or even 10 years go by, and then we come back and it’s like a new song to us again. So we lock them away and it is strange— they do come out differently to you. They’re sort of oddly new, even though they’re familiar.

Are you still recording tracks for your upcoming album? We still have a few to record.

We’ve gone back and changed a couple [of songs], and there are a few that have become more difficult than others. We were a little frustrated with ourselves that we’re taking longer than we’ve taken before, so we’re all a little bit moody and pissy with each other. At the same time, all of us are trying to avoid the feeling that we had [before]. A couple times we rushed records for other people, or because we thought that being fast [mattered]. We learned pretty [quickly] that it doesn’t. In hindsight, with [our past records], I wish we would have taken a little bit more time on them. [With] Specter, we kind of learned our lesson, which is why that one took a little bit

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longer. It’s also partially a luxury, just [being] able to tell a label or a manager “no.”

Has making music gotten easier over time? Embracing the panic has changed. I’ve talked to enough people that I admire [and realize] that everyone is just as scared. That gives me a certain amount of comfort.

How has your sound changed? The fact that no one knows is what makes me work hard.

[That’s] the exciting part. I’m not going to tell you, because that’s one of the only things that makes me [feel] a little bit of goose bumps. … It’s [what] feels right and good.

With this tour, we are going to be playing some of the new songs, which normally we have a rule of not doing. But live, they are a little different than the record, so I know there is still something to look forward to.

Why did you have a rule of not doing that?

Everyone filming things with their phone. It’s rough when a new song is subject to whoever is

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club With Death From Above 1979 and Deap Vally, House of Blues, Oct. 27, 8 p.m., $25, HouseOfBlues.com/LasVegas

filming it on whatever crappy phone they have, with a crappy angle and sound. And who knows when they started filming and when they stopped.

It’s just everything you could possibly not be in control of. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Is it also a good litmus test as far as the FURZG·V UHDFWLRQ JRHV" It is and it isn’t. I remember reading about Beck talking about [“Where It’s At”]. It was the biggest fucking song.

I remember that song just being everywhere that summer, and he played it for people before the record came out. He said it was the most dead response—no one moved, no one cared, and he thought [the song was] going to be the biggest failure ever. I’ve noticed any time you play something new, people just stare at you. They’re not going to move. But that is sometimes the greatest compliment, because they are actually listening and actually digesting [the song] for the first time. So it’s a tricky one. Music is a funny thing—you can’t ever be sure of anything.

Have you played Vegas before? [It’s a] very strange place. We’ve had some great nights. We’ve played in [casinos] where you can hear the video games and the slots splatter, and it’s louder than our music. It’s fucking bizarre, but those are also funny memories we can laugh about later. It definitely keeps you on your toes because you have no idea. Fuck, it is the one show you can’t phone in. 7

TASTE

ONE SIP

PERKY POTION Get perked up … without the caffeine crash. VegeNation’s Perky Potion ($6.95) starts with freshly brewed, locally roasted organic coffee from Frankly Good Coffee that is blended with healthy ingredients including cacao, organic jasmine green tea, hemp protein and coconut oil (which allows the caffeine to move slower through the bloodstream, resulting in a spike-free caffeinated concoction). This mildly sweet, hot coffee drink comes large enough for four cups and is perfect for sharing. But, we won’t blame you if you don’t. Start your day with some vegan breakfast bites and this energy booster (bonus points if you go early for the free morning yoga class). Or, stop by anytime for your plant-based pick-me-up.

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By Diana Edelman Photography Anthony Mair

October 27-November 2, 2016 vegasseven.com

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TASTE

Atomic Kitchen and Turmeric

T

Downtown Dining Update Checking in on three anticipated arrivals By -HVVLH 2·%ULHQ

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Photography Cierra Pedro

hree Downtown restaurants—Turmeric Flavors of India, Atomic Kitchen and Sparrow + Wolf—were all announced more than a year ago. One is now open, one is in limbo and the other is moving … elsewhere. Here is the latest update on Downtown’s most anticipated restaurants, starting with the not-so-good news.

Brian Howard, former executive chef at Comme Ça in the Cosmopolitan, says he is relocating his restaurant Sparrow + Wolf (previously the Huntsman) from its intended 1010 N. Main St. location to somewhere other than Downtown. The characteristically tight-lipped chef is not ready to share the new location just yet. Howard says he loves the Arts District but could not come to an agreement with landlord Addison Thom, who is also behind the large mixed-used building The Venue, under construction at 197 E. California St., among other Downtown projects.

This is the second time Howard has relocated his restaurant.

After announcing the whole-animal and charcuterie concept Harvest & Larder in early 2015, Howard was forced to move due to an asbestos issue.

“There are certain parts [of the journey] that are frustrating, but I learned so much over the past 18 months,” he says. “[The concept] has evolved so much since Harvest & Larder; it’s more mature.” And to Howard, being unwavering in his vision is worth the wait. “I’m super determined,” he says, “and I’m not going to settle just to open.”

According to the chef, Sparrow + Wolf represents the two sides of himself as well as the old world-meets-new world concept of the restaurant—it will use seasonal and local ingredients and serve some woodfired items (there will still be charcuterie). “It’s a good technique, and it’s cooking from the heart,” Howard says.

On East Fremont, Atomic Kitchen restaurant next to Atomic Liquors at 927 Fremont St. has been been a long time coming.

Owner Lance Johns (who also co-owns the bar next door) says construction is set to finish the first week of November, but that the neighboring Fremont 9 apartments created a power issue and they won’t be able to open until it’s fixed. “Its a hurry-upand-wait game,” Johns says. As of now, he is not sure when the 3,250-square-foot casual restaurant will open.

Of the menu, Johns says it will be wide-ranging: “There is something for everybody, [from] a twist on bar food to fine dining.” Rose Signor of Atomic Liquors is leading the beverage program, but Johns says that while Atomic Kitchen will not have the same items as its neighbor, there will still be a selection of craft beers and specialty cocktails.

The restaurant and bar seats about 100 guests and has two separate patios—one for dining and the other connected to the bar by large garage doors. The building previously served as an auto garage from 1946 on, and even had a cameo in the movie Casino.

Some of the original components remain, such as the garage windows that separate the kitchen from the dining area.

While Atomic Kitchen plays the waiting game, Turmeric Flavors of India at 700 E. Fremont St. celebrated its soft opening on October 14, although the menu and design remain a work in progress.

Co-owner Rajesh Patel says the plan is to keep the dishes as fresh as possible. The new corner spot serves individual plates rather than the cuisine’s traditional family-style dishes. The menu consists of appetizers, main courses and sides such as spinach dumplings and lamb and chicken korma, with prices ranging from $8-$28. Patel says he wanted to differentiate Turmeric from other Indian restaurants around town.

Downstairs, dining tables and a bar dominate, and open onto the corner by way of large garage-door-style windows. Upstairs, a rooftop patio offers a central bar and multiple seating options that will have a “sexy Kama Sutra vibe” with murals, festive lighting and some bench-style seating—all of which are still in the works. For now, hours are from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and 5-11 p.m. for dinner (possibly later on weekends). 7

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The new Pub 365 is the perfect place for you and your friends to meet, watch a game and enjoy a cold pint of your favorite brew.

Pub365

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TASTE

By Al Mancini

Here Comes Manhattan!

Four dishes making the move from New York City to Sin City

EVER SINCE Bellagio featured Le Cirque and Osteria del Circo as stars of its groundbreaking dining lineup in 1998, Las Vegas resorts have maintained a strong tradition of importing dining brands that have been successful in New York City.

The most recent Big Apple invasion saw the Cosmopolitan choosing Beauty & Essex to launch its dining reboot, Aria bringing in Carbone as a cornerstone of its revamped VHFRQG ÁRRU UHVWDXUDQW HQFODYH and Masaharu Morimoto making good on his long-overdue promise to come to the Strip with his eponymous spot in MGM Grand.

Now, a fresh wave of New York City restaurants is heading our way. +HUH·V ZKDW·V LQ VWRUH

Raw Scallops With Caviar With Nobu having expanded from Hard Rock Hotel to Caesars Palace, Morimoto settling in at MGM Grand and BarMasa vacating Aria, the high-end sushi scene is currently in a state of flux. The Cosmopolitan is tossing its hat into the ring in a big way by bringing in London and New York powerhouse Zuma. As with all great sushi restaurants, the key to dining here is to put yourself in the chefs’ hands by ordering an omakase tasting menu. The highlight of your

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resulting feast may very well be the raw and slightly sweet scallops drizzled with wasabi ponzu sauce, imbued with a mild bite thanks to a scattering of scallions and micro shiso. The crowning touch is a healthy dollop of salty and briny Siberian caviar. Coming to the Cosmopolitan in early 2017, ZumaRestaurant.com.

Baby Corn, Roasted and Glazed When people discuss New York’s NoMad Restaurant, located in the hotel of the same name, they usually speak of the dining room’s preternaturally hip vibe (think the Vampire Lestat in his rock ’n’ roll period) and a pair of dishes: the avant-garde seasonal seafood tower and a whole chicken stuffed with foie gras, shaved truffles and brioche. But don’t overlook this veggie side dish as you sip your personalized cocktail (created by bartenders based on a hand of tarot-style cards you select). Few chefs would serve corn five ways in the same dish, but that’s exactly what you get: ears of baby corn—some roasted, others glazed—served over grits, sprinkled with corn kernels and drizzled with corn nage (stock).

To round the superstar side dish out with texture and color, the chef adds roasted potatoes and microgreens.

Coming to NoMad Hotel (currently Monte Carlo) in 2018, TheNoMadHotel.com.

Compost Cookies For dessert lovers, the biggest news of the year may be the arrival of Milk Bar. Pastry chef Christina Tosi’s chain began as an East Village offshoot of David Chang’s New York Momofuku empire (which is also planning its own spot in the Cosmopolitan), but has slowly expanded to a string of Big Apple locales. The Chelsea grab-and-go concept—to which owners say the Las Vegas outpost will bear the closest resemblance—taunts the healthconscious with its addictive, buttery, nougat-style Crack Pie, assorted cake truffles and soft-serve ice cream sprinkled with sugar-coated corn flakes. But it’s among the cookies where you’ll find this crown jewel: a soft, chewy, transcendent dessert experience that mixes salty and sweet elements such as pretzels, potato chips, coffee, oats, graham cracker, butterscotch and chocolate chips. If this is what Tosi calls “compost,” it’s no wonder that her empire continues to blossom. Coming to the Cosmopolitan along with Momofuku in late 2016, Momofuku.com.

The Perfect Picnic No two locations of Mario Batali’s Eataly—a partnership between chefs Lidia and Joe Bastianich—are exactly the same. At each Italian food market, shoppers can choose from a wide variety of restaurants, as well as pick up gourmet ingredients to take home. Details remain scant, but based on the two New York City locations in the Flatiron District and World Trade Center, you can expect gourmet cured meats and cheeses, dozens of freshly baked breads, pastries, cold salads and flatbread pizza.

Of course, for those who prefer to cook at home, the spot will offer the artistry of gourmet butchers, fishmongers and pasta makers. Even without more details, it’s obvious Eataly will be the perfect spot for assembling a gourmet picnic basket— maybe to take to The Park! Coming to Park MGM (currently Monte Carlo) in 2018, Eataly.com.

Raw scallops with caviar at Zuma (above) and the bakery at Eataly (left)

TASTE

At home with the culinary power couple who connect to the terroir even among the neon

By Al Mancini Photography Krystal Ramirez

W e N e h t

s N A I M e H Bo A VISIT TO THE HOME OF STEVE AND LINDSEY GEDDES IS NOT what you’d expect from two of the most sophisticated and accomplished people on the local food and beverage scene. They’re the only husband and wife to hold master sommelier certifications from the prestigious Court of Master Sommeliers—the designation itself is an honor currently held by only 149 people in the U.S. Steve stepped away from that lucrative career at the top of his game in 2001 to pursue cooking, eventually rising from a line cook to executive chef. Their combined résumés include stints with André Rochat, Charlie Trotter and Wolfgang Puck. And today, he serves as director of operations for the Charlie Palmer Group, where Lindsey consults on the wine program. Yet their home life is as far as you can get from the glitz and glam of the Strip.

The Geddes’ neighborhood has no streetlights and no sidewalks. Their water supply comes from a dedicated well, and there are septic tanks rather than sewage. Inside the home, Steve points out their 15-month-old son Laird Andre’s playroom, which a previous owner had converted from a garage, as well as a new garage that was subsequently added to the building to compensate. The home and neighborhood are distinctly un-Vegas, despite the fact that Siegfried & Roy’s former compound is just a few doors down (with the letters S and R still emblazoned on the gate).

Touring the yard as Lindsey puts Laird down for a nap, the first thing you notice is a fenced-off section where several chickens play. Within a few months, Steve says, they’ll be old enough to provide the family with eggs. Another nearby pen will soon be home to milking goats, and possibly some rabbits for eating.

And the couple are already eyeing spots for a vegetable garden. Steve is anxious to put to use some of the farm-to-table cooking and whole-animal butchery lessons he learned during four years living and cooking outside of Cincinnati.

“We really wanted to have a little bit more of, I guess, a bohemian lifestyle,” Steve says as Don McClean’s “American Pie” plays on the sound system.

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A quick lunch of grilled chicken wings, flank ribs and an Asian salad of cabbage, jicama, fennel and fish sauce, however, reveals their sophisticated tastes.

“This is a wine from Savoy, which is an odd low-production area in France, where France and Italy meet. You don’t often see these wines in Vegas,” Lindsey says, excited to report as she pours from a $16 bottle she found at Whole Foods.

It was a mutual friend who first introduced Steve to Lindsey, 16 years his junior, in 2000, while Steve was a sommelier at Aureole and Lindsey was a competitive swimmer at UNLV pursuing a double major of hotel and beverage management. “She was young,” he recalls of his future wife. “She was a little cutie, however. But I didn’t even look at her in any other way but as a friend of the group. And she didn’t really know anything about wine.”

“I didn’t know shit,” Lindsey chimes in. “I liked to drink.”

She knew a lot more when they reconnected at a Court of Master Sommeliers event in Dallas in 2012. “We were getting ready to do the awards,” Steve says, “and I looked around and I was like, ‘Lindsey?’ She had changed quite a bit.”

A year later, Steve was back in Las Vegas living with one of Lindsey’s friends, and their relationship blossomed while she was studying for her final master sommelier certification. After she passed, Charlie Palmer asked Steve to help open a craft cocktail bar and steakhouse in New York. He asked Lindsey if she wanted to join him and, she recounts, her reply was an immediate “Hell, yes, I do!” They were married in 2014, with Laird joining the family in the summer of 2015.

Today, while Steve goes to work every day, he revels in telling stories about helping his son chase the chickens around the yard with cooking tongs. Lindsey consults from home for Palmer and other clients. “I’m like som-mom,” she laughs. “I go in twice a week and do maintenance, but most of my work I can do from here.”

It may not be the most cosmopolitan existence, but it suits them just fine. 7

SOCIAL INFLUENCE

Insta-Gratification Follow this account right now

@jermcon Already making a name for himself in sports photography, UNLV communication studies and journalism student Jeremy Rincon has contributed to Street Dreams magazine, CBS and ESPN. “I’ve always been into storytelling,” Rincon says. “I’ve found more joy in telling someone’s story through photos than just snapping a moment and moving on.” Follow local athletes and entertainers through his images at @jermcon. 3,365 followers.

October 27-November 2, 2016 vegasseven.com

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SOCIAL INFLUENCE

RUNNINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; STRONG THE REBELSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ROSTER PROJECTION FOR THE 2016-17 SEASON

By Mike Grimala

The 2016-17 season is going to be one of transition for the RunQLQ· 5HEHOV DV DOPRVW HYHU\WKLQJ about the team has changed since we last saw them in March. In DGGLWLRQ WR D QHZ FRDFKLQJ VWDII RI WKH VFKRODUVKLS SOD\HUV DUH QHZ WR WKH SURJUDP WKLV \HDU LQFOXGLQJ Ã&#x20AC;YH WUXH IUHVKPHQ +HDG FRDFK 0DUYLQ 0HQ]LHV KDVQ·W WLSSHG KLV KDQG LQ UHJDUG WR WKH VWDUWLQJ OLQHXS EXW ZLWK RSHQLQJ QLJKW MXVW DURXQG WKH FRUQHU KHUH·V RXU EHVW JXHVV DV WR KRZ WKH QHZ SOD\HUV ZLOO EOHQG ZLWK KROGRYHUV LQ WKH 5HEHOV· URWDWLRQ

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Point guard JALEN POYSER, sophomore Poyser averaged 5.4 points per game last year as a freshman, but his production is expected to take a leap forward this season when he assumes a new role as the Rebelsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; No. 1 scorer.

Marvin Menzies also wants to give him minutes at shooting guard, which would free him up to attack the basket more.

Power forward DWAYNE MORGAN, junior The coaching change may benefit Morgan, a former top prospect who has been plagued by turnovers and foul trouble in his first two years at UNLV. The good news is that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s improving as a rebounder, and he was an effective defender last year.

Shooting guard UCHE OFOEGBU, senior The grad transfer was brought in to be a steadying influence in the backcourt, as he can shoot (43.5 percent from 3-point range last year at San Francisco) and defend on the perimeter. Ofoegbu isn’t flashy, but his experience will be welcomed on this exceedingly young team.

Small forward KRIS CLYBURN, sophomore Clyburn is a springy defender who should fit in well if the Rebels succeed in pushing the tempo. He’s a strong finisher, and he shot the ball well at the junior college level last year, but it remains to be seen if the lanky lefty’s scoring touch will translate to Division I.

Bench CHRISTIAN JONES, senior Another fifth-year grad transfer, Jones can defend multiple frontcourt positions.

ZION MORGAN, freshman The athletic Morgan will need to provide support as a reserve point guard.

JOVAN MOORING, junior Mooring adds a scoring element to the backcourt rotation.

TYRELL GREEN, senior Green has a sweet outside shot, but limited athleticism means a limited role.

Center CHEICKNA DEMBELE, freshman Dembele hasn’t practiced yet this preseason due to a heel injury, but the 6-foot-11 Mali native is a long, athletic shot blocker who should shore up the Rebels’ interior defense.

He may not play a traditional starter’s minutes, but his long-term development is a priority for the coaching staff.

Sixth man TROY BAXTER, freshman A late signee, Baxter is a ferocious dunker and capable shooter who will bring offensive firepower to the frontcourt.

Along with Poyser and Dembele, he’s a future program cornerstone.

DJORDJIJE SLIJIVANCANIN, freshman The 6-foot-10 Serbian could be in the mix for backup minutes at power forward and center.

BEN COUPET, freshman Defense-first swingman will be a favorite of the coaching staff.

Redshirts JORDAN JOHNSON, junior The diminutive transfer from Wisconsin-Milwaukee will sit out the 2016-17 season, then take over as the starting point guard next year.

October 27-November 2, 2016 vegasseven.com

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SOCIAL INFLUENCE

REBUILDING THE

REBELS A NINE-POINT PLAN TO GET THEM BACK TO TOURNAMENT FORM

By Mike Grimala

T

HERE’S NO QUICK FIX FOR THE UNLV BASKETBALL PROGRAM.

When Dave Rice was fired in the middle of his third consecutive underwhelming year, the dismissal was destined to have long-lasting effects, and we’re seeing the back end of that equation now. Most of the roster transferred or turned pro, including several cornerstone players who were supposed to form the foundation of the team over the next few years. And while the in-season firing was supposed to give the UNLV administrators a head start on finding a replacement, the opposite happened, and it took until late April before the carousel finally stopped and Marvin Menzies was hired (let’s not even get into that whole Chris

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Beard thing). That cost the Rebels valuable recruiting time, leading to a motley incoming class and depressed expectations for the 2016-17 season, which tips off on November 11.

Despite all of that, the Runnin’ Rebels are not dead and buried. It will take time—years, probably—but Menzies is a capable coach and the program can be revived if things are done the right way. So here, we present our nine-point plan for rebuilding UNLV basketball.

1.

PRESENT A UNITED FRONT Athletic director Tina KunzerMurphy is leaving her post on July 1 for another job within the university, which means Menzies will soon be working under an athletic director who didn’t hire him, so … awkward.

If Menzies and the new AD in-

stantly become best friends while doing karate in the garage, there’s no problem. The faster Menzies and the new boss can develop a working relationship, the better for everyone involved. Turbulence within the athletic department isn’t good for anyone inside the program, and it can scare away people on the outside. (How many potential coaches steered clear of UNLV after all the negative attention brought on by Rice’s in-season guillotining? We may never know.)

UNLV is a once-great program struggling to return to prominence, and the Rebels are starting at the absolute bottom. If the administration doesn’t have Menzies’ back and the school ends up hiring another coach three years from now, it’s safe to say the rebuilding effort failed and we’ll be starting all over again. From the bottom.

2.

CONTINUE SCHEDULING THE BEST This may sound counterintuitive when Duke and Kansas are smashing the Rebels by 20-plus points this season, but Menzies would be well-served by continuing the previous staff’s edict of scheduling at a national level.

One of UNLV’s biggest advantages over its Mountain West rivals is its brand. No other school in the league has anything close to the Rebels’ history and cachet, and though it will result in some painful spankings— especially over the next couple years while the team is rebuilding—playing the blue bloods will give Menzies a leg up when it comes to recruiting.

Young players want to see their name in lights, on a big marquee, playing televised games against the big boys. UNLV, unlike the rest of the Mountain West, can offer that.

Menzies should take advantage of it.

SOCIAL INFLUENCE

3.

RECRUIT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA The greater Los Angeles area is one of the most talent-rich regions in the country, and whereas the previous staff ignored it, Menzies has spent the past three decades coaching and recruiting in SoCal. He’s respected by every high school, juco and AAU coach in every gym in the Southland, and judging by his actions this summer, Menzies intends to prioritize turning it into UNLV’s main recruiting pipeline.

The Rebels have already offered scholarships to a bushel of California prospects in future classes, including superstar-type recruits such as point guard Brandon Williams (Encino, California), the No. 14 player in the Class of 2018, and center Onyeka Okongwu (Chino Hills, California) and guard Cassius Stanley (North Hollywood, California), both of whom are rated in the top 10 in 2019.

If the Rebels are going to have a chance at a blue-chip talent in the next couple recruiting classes, odds are overwhelming that he’s going to hail from Southern California. It’s up to Menzies and his staff to open the pipeline.

4.

LAND A HOMEGROWN STAR Los Angeles isn’t the only nearby region churning out college basketball prospects. Las Vegas itself is no slouch in that department, and keeping some of those prep stars at home would definitely help accelerate the rebuilding process.

Rice and his staff did an excellent job of making UNLV a viable choice for local players, a long-term effort that culminated when the Rebels landed Stephen Zimmerman, perhaps the best high school prospect in Nevada high school history. Menzies’ late hiring probably means UNLV won’t be able to land Troy Brown Jr. (Centennial) or Charles O’Bannon Jr. (Bishop Gorman), the two jewels of the local 2017 class. But if Menzies can snag someone like Coronado’s Bryan Penn-Johnson, a 6-foot-10 center regarded as the top in-state prospect in 2018, it would help make it acceptable among other local kids to start coming back to UNLV.

5.

FIND THE POINT GUARD The point guard position has been something of a boondoggle for UNLV in recent years, but if Menzies can find a longterm answer at the one, it will pay huge dividends for the rebuild.

Instead of churning through grad transfers and one-year stopgaps, as Rice tended to do, Menzies should target a prospect who can step in and eventually fill the role for two or three years. This is one position that doesn’t have to be a star recruit— gamesmanship and basketball IQ can be enough to win—but it’s hard to identify on the recruiting trail.

Menzies signed Zion Morgan over the summer in hopes that the athletic Chicago native could be that guy, but that shouldn’t preclude the coaches from bringing in more point guard prospects in the 2017 and 2018 classes if they think they can find the right fit.

6.

DEVELOP AN IDENTITY The Rebels may not be good this season, but it’s important that they figure out what they are. Menzies had a very defined style at his last coaching stop, as he turned New Mexico State into the biggest, baddest, slowest, most smashmouth post-up team in the Western Athletic Conference. Those Lobos teams knew their identity, and that continuity helped them sustain their success from season to season.

season or two. Even if that causes the Rebels to pass on a few game-changing talents, it will be worth it to develop a more consistent roster going forward.

8.

EMPHASIZE DEVELOPMENT Menzies doesn’t come in with a mandate to win now. No coach could be expected to perform such a miracle. The bright side of the situation is that Menzies has freedom to develop his players and his system without any pressure to win games right away.

That developmental focus could take many forms. If Menzies wants to hone Jalen Poyser’s point guard skills, for example, he can experiment with it even if the offense isn’t responding that night. If freshman Troy Baxter Jr. makes a mistake on defense, Menzies can leave him on the court to play through it and learn from it. All the young players should be put on specific developmental plans to help them become contributors at the college level.

9.

MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT … BY 2019 Again, winning now isn’t the priority. UNLV fans are smart enough to see the big picture, and they’ll stick with the team through the first rebuilding year. But the landscape of Las Vegas sports is changing. Next year, the Rebels will be competing with an NHL team for local attention. And heck, the year after that could see an NFL team moving in down the block. So while the Rebels don’t have to win immediately, they do have to remain relevant.

Three years should be long enough for Menzies to bring in a full roster of his type of players and get them playing at a high level. If the Rebels aren’t back in the NCA A tournament by then, it will be time to start questioning the rebuild.

But as long as Menzies sticks to the plan laid out here, that shouldn’t be a problem. So mark it down now—in March of 2019, the Rebels will be back.

UNLV won’t play the same style— Menzies has said since he took the job that he wants the Rebels to play at a fast pace—but look for the coaching staff to instill the same single-mindedness in approach that Menzies cultivated at NMSU. Whether it’s commitment to a fast-break attack, a certain defensive scheme, overall toughness or some other style, Menzies will make sure the Rebels know their identity as a team.

7.

AVOID SHORTCUTS Battling for elite recruits gives the fan base something to obsess over year-round, and landing NBA talent is exciting. But there are some pitfalls to building a roster of superstars. “One-and-done” players can struggle to assimilate, and blue-chippers who don’t get enough playing time are apt to transfer. The effect can be a transient culture, which we saw happen at UNLV under the previous regime.

Menzies should go the other way and embrace longevity—more juniors and seniors, and fewer one-year quick fixes. Menzies has said that will be part of the plan.

He wants to recruit the best players available, including NBA talent—but he has said he’ll stay away from high schoolers who intend to leave after a

October 27-Novemeber 3, 2016 vegasseven.com

43

SOCIAL INFLUENCE

WILL UNLV FADE AS PRO SPORTS TAKE ROOT IN VEGAS?

By Tyler Bischoff

In December 1986, the Thomas & Mack Center hosted one of the premier college basketball matchups of the season. Unbeaten UNLV laid claim to the nation’s No. 1 ranking.

Eventual Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year David Robinson led the 11th-ranked challenger Navy into Vegas.

At the time, UNLV was selling out the 18,500 seats in the Thomas & Mack regardless of opponent, but this battle ramped up demand.

“We sold tickets until we were at 20,000,” UNLV’s former athletic director Brad Rothermel says. “And we talked to the fire marshal, who said, ‘Two hundred more. How many more do you think you could sell?’ I said, ‘Probably at least 5,000 more.’

And I think we could have except there was no space for them.”

UNLV hammered Navy 104-79 in front of 20,321 fans.

Fast forward to the 2015-16 season, when UNLV saw average attendance fall for a third straight year to 11,542.

With a new head coach and projections slotting UNLV near the bottom of the Mountain West, it’s unlikely the Thomas & Mack will be packed for Marvin Menzies’ first season.

But Menzies is working on exciting the fan base. From day one on the job, he has promised UNLV will play a fast-paced style. But that is the longterm goal.

“We want to put a brand of basketball out there that begins with winning and is also entertaining to watch,” Menzies says. “We have to build a program. It is going to take a second before we can be this prolific running machine. We gotta win games.”

Even with the falling numbers, UNLV still ranked 34th in the nation in average attendance last season,

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and the Rebels were the sixth-best attended team in the Mountain and Pacific time zones.

UNLV has one more chance to win games before pro sports invade Las Vegas. The yet-to-be-named Las Vegas NHL franchise will start play in the T-Mobile Arena in the fall of 2017.

As the first major professional sports team in Vegas, the NHL will be a second option for sports fans in the valley, if not the primary attraction.

With hockey season completely overlapping the college basketball season, UNLV will likely be going head-tohead with hockey on game nights.

The hockey team has sold out 16,000 commitments for season tickets. The first 10,000 were sold exclusively to Clark County residents and the first 13,000 were sold before Vegas was even awarded the team by the NHL on June 22.

Todd Pollock, the vice president of ticketing and suites for the NHL franchise, says it wasn’t too hard to sell people on buying hockey tickets.

“We didn’t have to sell as much as we had to just inform people that we were legitimate and that (owner) Bill Foley’s intentions were to absolutely get a team in this town,” Pollock says.

Las Vegans know about UNLV basketball. But the Runnin’ Rebels haven’t made the NCAA Tournament the last three seasons, and UNLV has finished 8-10 in the declining Mountain West in consecutive seasons.

UNLV’s losing form has told fans to stay away.

“Nothing promotes like winning. If you win, fans will respond,” Rothermel says.

Will fans decide between UNLV basketball and the NHL based simply on which team is winning more?

Despite Foley’s insistence that his team will be competitive from the

start, Pollock’s strategy is to reward season ticket holders with perks so the experience of supporting Vegas’ NHL team isn’t dependent on wins and losses.

For UNLV, a selling point outside of winning is the marquee schedule.

“We’re fortunate the reputation and profile of our program is such that we don’t have a hard time getting other national brands to come to Las Vegas,” Darryl Seibel, deputy director of athletics at UNLV, says.

This season UNLV will welcome two preseason favorites for the Final Four as Duke comes to the T-Mobile Arena on Dec. 10 and Kansas visits the Thomas & Mack on December 22.

But with over two million people in the Las Vegas Valley, UNLV and the NHL may not even be drafting from the same pool of fans.

“I wouldn’t look at it as competition to be honest with you,” Menzies says. “I think if both teams are successful at a high level it just adds.

Each one can benefit from having the other.”

The worry for hockey may be if UNLV basketball does turn back into a national power. Fans would flock back to the Thomas & Mack for a top 25 matchup, let alone a topranked UNLV hosting a Player of the Year candidate.

That potential could leave the NHL as a sport that has to wait. Hockey season in Vegas could be reduced to when the Runnin’ Rebels season ends. But like Menzies, Pollock isn’t worried about his team getting overshadowed.

“You can look at any town that has college and pro teams, every city has its segment of fans. There’s a lot of die-hard hockey fans here, so whether UNLV is good or bad, there’s no concern,” Pollock says.

The real competition for Las Vegans’ disposable income may be the NFL. With Nevada legislature passing an increase to the hotel room tax in Clark County to fund $750 million for an NFL stadium that UNLV football would use, the Oakland Raiders could end up playing in Vegas in 2020.

The Raiders still need approval for relocation from 24 of the 32 NFL owners, but if that comes to fruition, UNLV will suddenly be staring at competition from two pro sports franchises.

“The Raiders are only coming here if there’s a stadium involved, and that can only be a good thing for UNLV football,” Seibel says. “So if the price of playing in a state-of-the-art stadium is that we have more competition in the market, I’ll take that trade-off.”

But at some point, the money for supporting sports in Vegas will run out. The Las Vegas metropolitan area ranks just 84th in the country in median household income, behind cities like Lincoln, Nebraska and Corvallis, Oregon.

Will UNLV get pushed out of the picture in Las Vegas’ sports scene?

Not if they win.

“I do believe this town loves their Rebels,” Menzies says. “And I do believe a successful team will get supported at a very high level.” 7

CONVERSATIONS

Give and Let Give

How DJ/producer and native Las Vegan 3LAU took partying for a cause to a whole new level By John Carr

L

as Vegas-based DJ and producer 3LAU is charitable in many ways, including arranging for a 30-inch Napoli Pizza to be delivered for the raucous crowd he entertained at Jewel nightclub this month.

In the broader sense, he’s only about $5,000 away (or about 250 pizzas’ worth) from reaching his 2016 goal of donating $200,000 to Pencils of Promise, a nonprofit with a mission to open schools around the world.

Justin Blau by birth, 3LAU is best known for turning down the 9-to-5 lifestyle to go down the less-traveled path of being an artist.

Despite graduating with a business degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 2012, he instead rose to prominence making mashups that drew people in with recognizable vocals and introduced them to eclectic electronic beats.

His career solidified thanks to his rigorous work in the studio, resulting in remixes for Shawn Mendes and Ariana Grande, as well as original productions with inspirations from dance pioneers such as Tiësto and other musical influences such as Radiohead.

3LAU’s most recent single, “Fire,” mainly stems from his deeper musical side, and was released on his new nonprofit label, Blume. Launched in April, the label combines the artist’s love for philanthropic work with his passion for music by donating all profits from the artist’s releases to various charities, starting with Pencils of Promise.

“I could motivate fans to give back in the easiest way

possible, which was ‘Listen to my song!’ It’s literally as simple as that,” he says.

3LAU chose to focus his philanthropic efforts on education because of what he calls his “business mindset toward charity.” Wanting to make as big a splash as possible with Blume, he is using the label to continue raising enough money to open eight schools in Guatemala, the first two of which opened in 2013.

“Public access to education globally would make the world a better place because it solves so many other issues,” he says. “Corruption, disease, poverty—more educated communities can combat those problems more effectively.” Getting existing fans to engage in these efforts is an important part of 3LAU’s mission.

“With everything on the internet, people have a low attention span; they want to see the real effect of what they’re doing,” he says. “There’s a real impact to this money; it’s not just going into an account.”

Witnessing how moved the parents of the first Guatemalan students were in knowing that their children may grow up to be more successful than themselves continues to be the driving force behind 3LAU’s philanthropic work.

Now two releases into the journey of Blume, 3LAU’s future plans include allowing fans to select the charity they want to contribute to with each release. “A lot of it was building, a lot of it was learning,” he says, “and now we’re ready to show the world what we’re trying to do moving into 2017.” 7

October 27-November 2, 2016 vegasseven.com

47

CONVERSATIONS

By Ally Tatosian

LEGACY ON THE COURT Coach Darrel Jordan helps the Payton boys rise to the top

what I can do.

G: Yes, the everyday comparison became a lot to deal with growing up, so I chose other sports until Coach Darrel told me he saw a lot in me. So I took his word, and look what happened. ages but makes a big boom!

Who is tougher in the long run, your father or Coach Darrel?

T

he Paytons are a well-known name in the basketball world thanks to patriarch Gary Payton, a Hall of Fame point guard who went toe-to-toe with Michael Jordan once upon a time.

Known for taunting and smack-talk on the court, as well as the incredible defensive skills that earned him the nickname “The Glove,” Payton’s reputation and welldeserved praise led him to introduce his two boys to the family trade.

Gary Payton II, 23, and Julian Payton, 18, have set their sights on careers as pro-ballers, with an assist from longtime family coach Darrel Jordan.

Las Vegas-based Jordan has been working closely with the Payton family since 2009. “I live, eat and breathe basketball,” Jordan says. With more than 16 years of experience, the University of Nevada, Reno grad has trained more than 100 youth basketball players. He currently works with the Anthony L. Pollard Foundation and Nevada Hard 2 Guard program.

Jordan is always looking to help kids make their dreams become a reality. Gary II went undrafted out of Oregon State in 2016 and is exploring his options. Julian, who was previously at Bishop Gorman, is now in a basketball prep school in North Carolina, readying for college basketball

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in 2017-2018.

“I have seen them through the whole process, with the parents’ blessings as they allow me to be hands-on and help in whatever it takes, whether school, life or basketball,” Jordan says.

Gary and Julian talked with Vegas Seven about their experience with Jordan, being raised by an All-Star and the journey toward a life in professional basketball.

What is it like learning and playing alongside Coach Jordan? How would you describe the whole experience?

Julian: [It] was a great experience.

He taught me well and was the first person to give me true confidence and freedom on the court.

Gary: Darrel is a great person to learn from. He knows so much about how to get better and make people better. He always sees small things that others don’t.

What kind of coach is he?

Aggressive? Tough? Passionate?

J: Coach Darrel has all of those traits: aggressive, tough and passionate. Seeing how passionate he is for the game drives me to be better and better.

G: He is all three because he doesn’t care who you are. He just wants you to listen, get better, work hard and do everything with passion. He is always saying dynamite comes in small pack-

J: In the long run, my father is tougher.

G: Coach Darrel, by far. He has guided me through this whole basketball thing. He is tougher than his size shows, but my dad is my dad. He is tough when it comes to life.

What was your upbringing like, not only being the son of a star but having his name, too?

G: Tough. My dad always wanted [us] to work for it. He never gave anything to us, but it was fun and competitive.

My mom, Monique, showed us all the nice love and my dad was the disciplinarian, but he loves us all the same.

Has Las Vegas been a good place to work and focus on a basketball career?

Having an NBA All-Star player as a father sounds intimidating. What are the positives of having someone like that push you?

J: You can trust his advice because he’s been through the process, and how could you not listen to someone who has [those] credentials?

G: My dad was great in that he never let what he has done affect who we were as people, but it’s cool to have the chance to see all the NBA players and shoot around at practices. But he never pushed me to play ball.

Your father spoke his mind when he was on the court. Did you inherit any of his trash-talking ability?

J: I talk a little bit when necessary. I try to let my game talk more than my mouth.

G: No, I do not. I just keep it quiet and let my game speak.

J: It has taught me a lot on how to block out a lot of the extras in life.

G: I was born in Seattle when my dad was really at the top of his career, so when we relocated to Vegas, I didn’t play ball until I got with Coach Darrel, and when I turned pro I worked out in Oakland, California.

Was it ever nerve-racking having to prove yourself to your family or bystanders?

J: I was more excited to show my family

From left: the Payton brothers and Darrel Jordan

CONVERSATIONS

I’m moving to Las Vegas soon. Can you settle the debate: Gated or non-gated neighborhood?

New construction or “used” home?

SETTLE THE DEBATE? UNLIKELY. As is true in many cities in the throes of adolescence, Las Vegas residents are fiercely defensive over the part of town where they choose to live. I’ve seen envelopes listing “Summerlin, Nevada” as the return address (rather than Las Vegas, where most of the community lies), and a sweatshirt emblazoned with “Green Valley 89014,” an aspirational reference to the title of a TV show about Beverly Hills.

To no surprise, the internet has made these conversations more polemic than ever. If one believed some things I’ve read on relocation bulletin boards, Las Vegas is a city under siege, with the only safe place being sequestered behind a series of gates, sleeping with a .45 under your pillow and opening

the door only to the Postmates driver. That’s hardly the case, but people love drama.

As a Las Vegas lifer, I rode the city’s wave of new construction in five brand-new apartments. Later, it was a new house in a new neighborhood built on virgin desert off West Cheyenne Avenue. I eventually gave in and bought behind a gate in Summerlin, before settling into an old house in an old neighborhood.

Five years of dealing with the hassle of a gate and the costs of multiple HOAs, SIDs and the like, just to drive into a Truman Show neighborhood where every house was a replicant of the other… Well, it wasn’t for me.

Later, gater!

That doesn’t mean it isn’t for you. For a variety of reasons (not the least of which is maintenance), new,

ASK A NATIVE

By James P. Reza

gated homes can be appealing. Forget the fear/safety sales pitch; newness itself may be the most honest of the advantages. But too often I hear from recent arrivals that their realtor never offered them the option of an older, established neighborhood, steering everyone, it seems, to new construction.

The conspiracy theory has some merit. A realtor told me that home builders often offer bonuses, as well as extra commission on multiple closings in the same neighborhood. This should be disclosed to the buyer, but, well, maybe it isn’t always. My advice is to learn the city by talking to longtime Las Vegans, not just reading the internet ramblings of questionable sources. What you’ll find is that the Valley has a lifestyle suited for just about everyone. 7

October 27-November 2, 2016 vegasseven.com

49

CONVERSATIONS

The Auspiciousness of Angela

A life of public service continues with the opening of health and wellness centers

C

areers in the nonprofit sector aren’t exactly known for their glamour or grandeur. They’re synonymous with long hours and financial constraints.

The work is often stymied by policies as organizations are continuously cut and programs downsized. Staying committed to the cause poses plenty of challenges, but Angela Quinn shows no distress about the nature of her industry.

Quinn is at the helm of nonprofit work in Las Vegas, and for the better part of 2016, she’s been devoted to her latest post as the CEO of FirstMed Health & Wellness Center. The organization, which since 2009 has provided comprehensive preventative and primary health care services to low-income and underserved families in Southern Nevada, opened its second location (400 Shadow Lane) in July.

“I confess it was a little bit more challenging than I had anticipated,” Quinn says. FirstMed was $3 million in debt. Mismanagement by the previous leadership, including failure to supply accurate information to Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA, which led to the termination of grant funding, nearly shuttered what is only the second of two federally qualified health centers in town (the other, Nevada Health Centers, has six clinics).

A native of England who’s been in Las Vegas for a quarter century, Quinn has been working tirelessly for one cause after another. “I started 22 years ago in the housing authority as a public housing manager, then went on to the [Economic Opportunity Board] that subsequently went bankrupt,” Quinn says. “Toward the last 18 months of EOB’s life, they decided to build Head Start [the federal program that promotes school readiness for children up to age 5] on the campuses of Boys & Girls Clubs.” Since she was already building apartments and drug treatment centers, the Head Start project was a smooth transition that eventually led to the organization’s pursuit of her as president.

After five years with the clubs, she set up her own nonprofit community

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development company, Building Hope Nevada, or BHN, and implemented other notable programs including The Crossings, a 15-unit apartment building for young adults who were previously homeless or in foster care. But it was her work with Boulder City Hospital that ultimately landed her at FirstMed. “I spent three years learning what it costs to run a hospital and how to make it more profitable,” Quinn says.

Unlike social causes such as helping the homeless, health care has a revenue stream—a way to invest and get a return. “Everything I’ve done has always been federally funded,” she says. That’s not to say the stressors have been nonexistent, but more so that she’s mastered the process.

Case in point: The funding for Boulder City Hospital to prevent its looming bankruptcy came under the guise of economic development—rural development to be exact—instead of a health care project loan, which its leaders had struggled with for half a decade. “Boulder City Hospital is considered a rural hospital, so they had access to a rural community facility loan and grant program from USDA,” she says. “My team worked closely with the team at BCH to develop a business model that showed both a high quality of health care, but also a sustainable business model. We were able to do so, and BCH continues with this success today.”

Since she and her Building Hope Nevada colleagues took over FirstMed, they have regained the trust of the federal and state governments and have expanded to open a second location in the medical district—the area near Downtown that includes Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center and UMC, the soon-tobe-added UNLV School of Medicine, Clark County Social Services and two hospitals. Their goal is to open 10 clinics within five years.

“The reality is that for every 7,000 people in Southern Nevada who need primary health care, only one person has access to it,” she says. Thanks to Quinn and her team, 11,000 patients are expected to be cared for at the

By Jessi C. Acuña two FirstMed locations.

“When I started in public housing, I went in with this notion that people were here because they chose to be here—it was an easy way out,” Quinn says. “Six months later I would tell you nobody wants to live in public housing. But until we give people opportunities to get out, they do not have a choice.” Access to affordable health care is one of the ways out of the endless cycle of socioeconomic challenges, Quinn says.

“If you are living in public housing and have a chronic illness that you cannot get treatment for, you are less likely to search for and maintain employment,” she says. “If your child is sick and your only primary care is the ER, you are making decisions as to whether you go to work or care for your child. As a [federally qualified health center], FirstMed can be a community partner for all of these issues, and you have a home [for] preventive and primary health care.” 7

Photography Krystal Ramirez

FirstMed Health & Wellness Center 400 Shadow Lane and 3343 S. Eastern Ave.; FMHWC.org

CONVERSATIONS

Lucky No.

We asked the Vegas Seven staff: What Halloween costume do you think will be most popular this year?

Stranger Things Pokémon I expect to see Pokémon as well as group costumes like Ash, Misty and Brock or Team Rocket. Costumes that can convert into jacked evolutions of the Pokémon will be big contenders in any contest.

Judges will not be able to resist playing into the script, “Pikachu, I choose you!” (especially if you slip them a Poké ball as a prop).

–Shannon Miller, editorial assistant

Eleven from Stranger Things, because I haven’t heard one bad thing about the show … it’s awesome.

–Wes Morefield, photo intern

Ken Bone During the second presidential debate, a portly, disarming gentleman in a red sweater won the collective hearts of the internet. Ken Bone became an instant meme and overnight celebrity, and he’s sure to show up to your Halloween party—all you need is a cable-knit sweater, glasses and a million-dollar mustache.

–Zoneil Maharaj, director of digital content

A Clown Harley Quinn Without a doubt, the most popular costume this year will be Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad. I’ve already seen countless makeup tutorials and DIY costume instructions on Pinterest and YouTube. If you don’t want to be completely basic this Halloween, it’s probably best to avoid this costume along with any form of cat.

–Ashley Miles, editorial intern

Despite the creepy clowns and killer clowns IRL news stories, I think the good clowns of the world will unite to turn all this nonsense around. And what better place than Las Vegas, a city built by clowns (Circus Circus, Cirque du Soleil, etc.), to lead the charge? My costume will be “wig not included.”

–Melinda Sheckells, editor-in-chief

American Voters

Dead Rock Stars Expect a very glam Halloween with lots of David Bowie and Prince costumes.

People love dead rock stars.

–Mike Grimala, senior writer, RunRebs.com

In 2016, no one needs to wear a costume to be the scariest thing in the world right now: the American voter.

–Lissa Townsend Rodgers, senior staff writer

Illustration Cierra Pedro

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October 27-November 2, 2016 vegasseven.com

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