Friday, March 7, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
County health officials plan to increase efforts to curtail the growing number of street food peddlers, who sell everything from ice cream bars to ears of corn from their makeshift carts.
While officials acknowledge that many of these vendors are impoverished immigrants from Spanish-speaking countries who are trying to earn a living, they point out that the businesses are often insanitary and never licensed.
"They need to be licensed, but they can't be," said Mark Gillespie, environmental health specialist for the Clark County Health District, who explained that county health requirements pose a Catch-22 for street food vendors.
"You have to have a valid health permit to get a business license and we won't give them a permit," Gillespie said. "It's insanitary -- the way (that) food is prepared."
Gillespie said the number of illegal street vendors walking through low-income Las Vegas neighborhoods -- mostly in east and northeast Las Vegas -- has increased greatly in recent months.
Concern among health officials about illegal street sales of food items increased greatly Monday after street vendor Alberto Baez died at University Medical Center after he was shot in an apparent robbery attempt Sunday at the 2700 block of San Marcos Street.
Baez, 24, who sold steamed corn, did not speak English.
"He was probably shot over an ear of corn," Metro Police homicide Sgt. Bill Keeton said. "The man was just trying to earn a living to put food in his family's mouth."
Keeton's sympathy for the family of Baez and for the plight of the countless other food vendors still on the street is shared by Vicenta Montoya, a Las Vegas immigration attorney.
"I really think that instead of making it harder for (the vendors) to earn a living, the county should acknowledge their efforts," Montoya said. "If the concern is health, they should work to find a positive solution that would allow these people to keep working."
But officials say it's not that easy.
Gillespie, who noted that health officials also join "in the public outcry against the senseless violence" that took the life of Baez, said there is still a problem with illegal food sales.
"They elicit a lot of public sympathy, but who's to say a pet cat isn't walking on the counter when the food is prepared in some household kitchen?" Gillespie asked.
Among those who do not have sympathy for the street vendors is Jim DiFiore, city business services manager.
"With all the articles there have been both locally and nationally about food poisoning, it's obvious that we're facing a critical issue here with regard to these food vendors," DiFiore said. "I certainly would not want my son or daughter buying one of these food items."
Gillespie said he has asked his supervisors for more help to deal with the growing number of food vendors, and he also plans to take Spanish lessons.
"Nine times out of ten, they don't speak English," Gillespie said.
Often, the vendors work for someone else who prepares the food, Gillespie said.
"There are people with brains behind this, working to make a profit, and often they have less fortunate people out on the street doing their work for them," Gillespie said.
Despite the concern among health officials, overworked Metro officers are reluctant to crack down on the growing business of street food sales.
"They're serving the minority community," Keeton said. "The population is starting to burst ... I see no problem."
Montoya said she suspects the only real problem is the attitude among county officials.
"It's too bad," she said. "This practice (of street sales) adds a little bit of character and diversity," Montoya said. "Las Vegas is so sterile in some ways. It doesn't have the neighborhood flavor. When you see the "paleta" (fruit Popsicle) vendor ringing his little bell, it's kind of nice."
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