Friday, April 2, 2004 | 10:51 a.m.
VegasBeat appears Sunday through Friday in the Las Vegas Sun. Timothy McDarrah can be reached at [email protected] or at (702) 259-4096.
Mother knows best.
Lois Tarkanian is telling her son Danny not to take on powerful incumbent Sen. Harry Reid in this year's U.S. Senate race.
"I spoke to Danny today, and I told him that a race like that can bring him a lot of pain," the former school board member, who is the wife of champion UNLV hoops coach Jerry Tarkanian, told VegasBeat. "I pointed out all the problems to him. It can get pretty brutal in a campaign."
Mrs. Tark knows of what she speaks: She served three terms on the Clark County School Board and was defeated by Chip Maxfield in a 2000 run for a seat on the County Commission.
It has been widely reported, first by Jon Ralston in his Flash political newsletter a few weeks back, that Danny, 41, is contemplating a run for elective office.
"The day I left Fresno State, getting into politics was my top priority. It would be foolish for me to not look into this," he told the Fresno Bee last week.
A nonpracticing attorney and Las Vegas resident, Danny was an assistant coach under his father at Fresno State for seven seasons and before that at UNLV. He also played at UNLV from 1981 to 1984, and is second on the school's all-time career assist list.
Both Fresno State and UNLV were penalized with post-season bans -- and Tark pere and fils faced heavy media criticism -- over NCAA rules violations, including academic fraud.
If he doesn't run against Reid (and his mother said it was unlikely he would enter the race), Tarkanian would probably run for a seat in the Nevada Senate. He lives in the district currently represented by Mike Schnieder.
"My son is a very altruistic and idealistic person, and always has been. He thinks that right will always win out. But when you actually get out into the world, you see that is not usually true," Lois said.
"Unfortunately, in politics, money is a lot more powerful than the truth."
Live art
To celebrate springtime and the current Monet exhibition, the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art has teamed up with the Bellagio Conservatory to re-create a Monet painting.
But instead of using paint, they did it with plant life. The three-dimensional version of Monet's "The Water Lily Pond, 1900" can be seen in the Bellagio's Conservatory & Botanical Gardens through May 16.
"What Monet painted is a story in itself and we are proud to bring that story to life," said Audra Danzak, the conservatory's horticulture director. "The works of Monet are beautiful and very peaceful. We have tried to re-create that same atmosphere."
Meal time
If you tried to have dinner at Palms on Wednesday night, you most likely went hungry.
A pharmaceutical company hosted a meal for 4,500 people and closed down Little Buddha, N9NE, Gardunos and the buffet, plus it set up tables at ghostbar, Rain and Skin, the area around the swimming pool.
The hotel brought in 150 UNLV culinary students to help prepare and serve the crowd, mainly salespeople for the multinational.
Missing Messing
"Will & Grace" star Debra Messing won't be coming to Las Vegas for the filming of her show's season-ender. She is eight months pregnant, and her doctors are telling her to stay home.
The finale, which is being filmed this weekend on location, will center around the Vegas wedding of Grace's (Messing) outlandish friend, Karen (Megan Mullally). She is getting married to a character played by British comedian John Cleese ("Monty Python's Flying Circus").
As we reported Wednesday, Jennifer Lopez also guest stars in the episode, which airs April 29. When she gets to town, she may cross paths with old flame Ben Affleck -- but it likely will be by accident if it happens.
Affleck is expected in Vegas this weekend for a birthday bash for a Bellagio casino host, which we also reported on Wednesday.
VegasBits
Big bucks: Dallas Mavericks owner and Internet millionaire Mark Cuban will be at Rain all day Saturday to help cast contestants for "The Benefactor," an upcoming ABC reality show where Cuban gives $1 million away to a complete stranger ...
Move: Dan Shewman has left the Las Vegas Philharmonic, but not the arts world, to join the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum (Venetian) as its marketing and public relations manager. The position has been vacant for nine months ...
Art: The Frank Sinatra art exhibit opened Wednesday night at the Godt-Cleary Gallery (Mandalay Place). The big opening reception and dinner, hosted by Barbara Sinatra and benefitting her California children's center, is set for April 16 ...
Good biz: James Woodrow and Michele Tell's Preferred Public Relations & Marketing is having a grand opening party tonight to celebrate its new home, a building they've bought on South Jones Boulevard. Tommy Rocker will entertain, as might some of their clients, including Mac King and the Scintas. They also rep David Copperfield, the Cannery, Sammy's Woodfired Pizza and the MGM Grand show "La Femme" ...
Follow: The Mad Hypnotist (C.J. Sterling), the son of retired comedy hypnotist Dr. Naughty (Dean Sterling), is taking the stage again. Along with producer/performers Robert Allen and Dr. Scott Lewis, he is now part of the rotation in "The Hypnosis Zone," the nightly 10 p.m. Riviera show. He used to work with his father at Greek Isles and before that at Bourbon Street ...
Mob scene: Four "Sopranos" cast members -- Steve Schirripa, Michael Imperioli, Drea de Matteo and Vince Curatola -- went to see the "X" show at Harvey's Lake Tahoe the other night. Another production of the show opens at the Sahara on Tuesday ("X," that is, not "The Sopranos") ...
Add act: Flamingo Las Vegas headliner Gladys Knight has been added to the lineup of the VH1 "Divas" show at MGM Grand April 18. Mischa Barton ("The O.C."), VEGAS Magazine cover girl Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Tyra Banks and Usher will also make appearances. Previously announced performers are Patti LaBelle, Jessica Simpson, Debbie Harry, Cyndi Lauper and Joss Stone ...
Ink: The April issue of the upscale magazine Robb Report has an 11-page spread on the Palm Canyon Development homes at the Ridges in Summerlin, and the company's designer, builder and President Chris Finlay ...
Sunny skies: Witty weatherman Mark Pfister is joining the "Action News" morning news team at KTNV Channel 13. He starts 5 a.m. Monday, alongside anchors Ron Futrell and Rikki Cheese. Pfister left KLAS Channel 8 last month, saying he wanted to be a real estate agent.
From Sun wires
London calling: A tabloid on Thursday published paparazzi pictures of Prince William on the ski slopes with a young woman described as his girlfriend, earning the displeasure of royal aides who barred the newspaper from future official photo opportunities.
The photos of William and Kate Middleton, spread across five pages of The Sun, are the first major breach of an agreement struck between the royal family and the press to leave Prince Charles' sons out of the limelight.
"One of William's girlfriends could become queen one day," the tabloid said in an editorial. "Her subjects will be entitled to know all about her."
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