Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Columnist Timothy McDarrah: POW to get high honor from mayor

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman has given the key to the city to all kinds of people, from entertainers to trade magazine publishers to visiting foreign dignitaries.

But when Hizzoner gives a key away Friday, he says it will be something special.

"There is no one who is more deserving of receiving this honor -- or any honor -- than Shoshana Johnson," Goodman told VegasBeat.

"She is truly the personification of what makes this country great. She served us with honor and dignity and put herself in harm's way for the benefit of the nation."

Johnson was the country's first black female prisoner of war -- ever. She spent 21 days in captivity in late March and early April, at the start of the ongoing conflict in Iraq.

The story of the capture and subsequent release of the El Paso, Texas, mother of a 2-year-old captivated the nation. The Army cook (formally a food service specialist) was on a convoy that was ambushed. She was wounded in both legs and was captured with five other members of the 507th Maintenance Company, 552 Battalion, 11th Brigade.

She was freed during a rescue mission by the Marines, and returned to a hero's welcome in the United States.

"This has a lot deeper meaning than some entertainer getting a proclamation when they introduce a new slot machine. This is serious business. We are honored that she wants to come to Las Vegas on this most solemn of weeks," Goodman said on the eve of the anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attacks.

Pol doings

Democratic presidential hopeful, Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri, is coming to Las Vegas on Wednesday for a fund-raiser.

Among the hosts are gamers Steve Wynn, Mike Sloan, Terry Lanni, Michael Gaughan and Wally Barr.

Others on the host committee for the event, to be held at the home of Bob Forbuss, include power attorneys Tom Kummer and Bob Faiss, and former Nevada Gov. Bob Miller.

Shut out

Late visitors to the Andy Warhol show at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art were surprised to learn the show had closed a week earlier than advertised.

The celebrity portrait exhibition was supposed to be up through Sept. 7, but actually closed Labor Day.

The show was cut short because of the amount of time needed to prepare the new show, "Treasures From Chatsworth: A British Noble House," more than 250 pieces -- including jewelry, photos, manuscripts, paintings, porcelain and furniture -- collected by one family spanning five centuries.

"We put the word out about the early closing, but we are genuinely sorry if anyone was disappointed," gallery spokesman Matthew Hileman said. He added the show was up for longer than any other show the gallery has had, and that "people had plenty of time to see it."

The new exhibit opens Saturday and runs through Jan. 18.

Big backer

One of the biggest contributors so far to Arnold Schwarzenegger's California gubernatorial campaign is the Las Vegas firm of Fletcher Jones Management.

In addition to its Vegas Valley car outlets, Jones operates a Mercedes Benz dealership in Newport Beach, Calif., that is one of the Golden State's largest.

On Monday, records show that Jones gave $57,600 to Schwarzenegger's Total Recall Committee. Unlike Schwarzenegger's campaign for governor, the pro-recall committee is not subject to federal limits on contributions. The contribution was first reported in the Los Angeles Times.

VegasBits

Honor: Football Hall of Famer Lynn Swann was honored at the Education & Economic Symposium as part of the National Black College Reunion event at the Stirling Club on Wednesday. Others joining in the Swann tribute: Sen. John Ensign, UNLV coach John Robinson, Randall Cunningham, Gov. Kenny Guinn and Perry Rogers ...

Grand get: The Vegas date and venue for the Simon & Garfunkel reunion show has been set. Several locales, including the Thomas & Mack Center and The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel, were competing for the historic concert. But it will happen at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Nov. 8. No ticket information has been announced ...

Hush-hush: "Access Hollywood" host Pat O'Brien is hosting a private party in Los Angeles on Tuesday to launch "Las Vegas," the new NBC casino surveillance drama. The show's stars, James Caan, Molly Sims, Josh Duhamel, Nikki Cox and Vanessa Marcil, are expected to attend ...

Hot: The "Miss Hawaiian Tropic Western Regional Finals Model Search" will be held in the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts on Sept. 20. Tickets are $20 ...

Call me: VegasBeat is back for its weekly radio call-in bit with "Las Vegas Today" host Andy Vierra on KNUU 970-AM (K-NEWS) today at 4 p.m. Call the studio line at (702) 735-6397 and we'll dish. It is also streamed online at Knews970.com.

Also, we're back with Melanie & Tom on LITE FM, KMZQ 100.5-FM on Friday at 7:30 a.m. and on Las VegasONE (Cox cable channel 39) on Friday just after 9 a.m. with some weekend entertainment tips.

From Sun wires

The much-anticipated wedding of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck is apparently off -- at least for now.

The couple said they didn't want any more publicity regarding their nuptials and have decided to postpone the ceremony, which was set to take place this weekend at a mansion in the Santa Barbara, Calif., area.

"We began to feel that the spirit of what should have been the happiest day of our lives could be compromised," said a joint statement released Wednesday by Dan Klores and Ken Sunshine, Lopez and Affleck's respective New York-based spokesmen.

"Due to the excessive media attention surrounding our wedding, we have decided to postpone the date. When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate 'decoy brides' at three different locations, we realized that something was awry," the statement said.

Some celebrity journalists warn the postponement report could be a fake-out to dupe the press.

"I think it's a good possibility. I think it's at least 50-50 that the wedding will still take place this weekend but perhaps in a different location," said editor Bonnie Fuller, who oversees 14 magazines including the National Enquirer, the Star and the Globe.

Writing a wrong: Disgraced New York Times reporter Jayson Blair, who sparked a plagiarism scandal that rocked journalism, will receive a mid-six-figure advance for his memoirs.

L.A.-based New Millennium Press will publish "Burning Down My Master's House: My Life at The New York Times." The book goes on sale March 9, with a first printing of about 250,000 copies.

"It's a marvelous story. I think (Blair) is one of the best writers in the country today," New Millennium publisher Michael Viner said Wednesday. "(Blair) is a compelling individual and very honest, very self-critical, and that's part of the reason I wanted to do this."

Blair, 27, could not be reached for comment.

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