Sam Skolnik

Story Archive

Mob museum walks on public tightrope: Planners find it’s not easy promoting high-profile project while keeping it serious; Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2009; Las Vegas’ proposed mob museum has taken some hits of its own in recent weeks, targeted on late-night talk shows and Capitol Hill as an absurd showcase for the likes of Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, Meyer Lansky and Anthony “Tony the Ant” Spilotro. Museum backers say the critics don’t get it. This won’t be some sideshow exhibit celebrating the mob’s role as a storied part of Las Vegas’ past. Rather, it will offer a serious examination of organized crime and law enforcement’s efforts to combat it.
City committed to project as Culinary pushes to handicap it: Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009; Mayor Oscar Goodman and other city officials say they’re moving forward with their grand plans for a new city hall – price-tagged between $150 million and $267 million – for several key reasons.
Ross rival doesn’t like plan for new city hall: Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009; Scott Anderson, a 39-year-old Realtor from Ward 6, so far is the only person to signify his intention to run against first-term Councilman Steve Ross, who’s running hard for reelection this year.
Mayor keeps prostitution legalization debate going: He suggests prostitutes could be treated very well; Friday, Jan. 23, 2009; Mayor Oscar Goodman insists he’s not in favor of legalizing prostitution in downtown Las Vegas. He just wants there to be an open discussion of the topic.
Culinary to take beef with city to voters: Halting city hall plan, curbing redevelopment spending are union’s aims; Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009; Culinary Union officials say they will file two petitions today with at least twice as many signatures as necessary to force June 2 ballot questions aimed at not only stopping Las Vegas from building a new city hall but limiting its options for spending redevelopment money.
Apex land deal linked to Goodman draws lawsuit: Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009; A real estate investment group that includes Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and several other local notables has been sued on behalf of hundreds of victims defrauded by a convicted Ponzi scheme operator.
Downtown bar owner objects to hard-line meter-readers: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009; Over the past several years, Las Vegas City Hall has bent over backward to assist businesses looking to set up shop in downtown’s Fremont East District. But the line apparently is drawn when it comes to enforcement of parking regulations.
If you owe city a fine, expect knock on your door: Marshals are ramping up collections with wider use of traffic, misdemeanor warrants; Monday, Jan. 19, 2009; One way to stem a budget crisis is to cut costs, as Las Vegas officials are anxiously doing.
U.S. Jewish leader: Weaken Hamas, achieve ‘real victory’: The hope is attacks on Israel will be prevented, he says; Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009; A top American Jewish community leader said Wednesday he believes the ongoing military conflict between Israel and the ruling Hamas party in the Gaza Strip may ultimately aid Israel by deterring future attacks.
Six Questions for David Steinman: Newest Las Vegas city councilman; Monday, Jan. 12, 2009; The newest Las Vegas city councilman, David Steinman, is taking his seat during one of the most tumultuous periods the city has faced.
Mayor returns fire over mob museum funding: Senate critics of stimulus pork have singled out project for scorn; Monday, Jan. 12, 2009; One of Mayor Oscar Goodman’s favorite downtown development projects, the mob museum, riled up a few Republican U.S. senators last week after they learned that the mayor had requested federal funds for the project.
Mayor eyes longevity: Goodman exploring how he could get around limits, run for a fourth term; Friday, Jan. 9, 2009; Term limits be damned, Oscar Goodman wants to be Las Vegas mayor for life.
Union’s concessions could start a trend: Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009; After a decisive vote from Las Vegas city workers to allow cuts in their future cost-of-living raises, three other unions may be primed to fall like dominoes and ratify similar agreements with the city. And it may be the case that public sector unions throughout Clark County will feel increased pressure to make concessions because of the pact.
Union accepts reduced raises to help in crisis: Saturday, Jan. 3, 2009; As Las Vegas struggles with its worst budget crisis in years, the city has reached an important agreement with the union representing about 1,500 municipal workers.
Board says timing’s not right to go full time: Senator wants to change county roles, but city move is unlikely; Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2008; State Sen. Terry Care said recently he will push a bill in Carson City to mandate that Clark County Commission seats become full-time jobs.
Vegas council loses a fearless, dogged critic: Officials he challenged on ballot and in meetings laud his devotion; Friday, Dec. 26, 2008; By the time he died, Tom McGowan had accumulated 150 pounds worth of marked-up old Las Vegas City Council agendas in his downtown apartment.
Las Vegas to end licensing, regulating of centers: Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008; Las Vegas has decided to give up its traditional role of licensing and regulating the city’s child care centers.
Goodman on mayoral A-team: Group’s plan would give cities hunk of stimulus pie; Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008; Mayor Oscar Goodman has been selected by the U.S. Conference of Mayors to serve on a working group to create a “Main Street Economic Recovery Plan” to try to sell to Congress.
High praise as official leaves city for county: Friday, Dec. 19, 2008; Officially, Wednesday’s City Council meeting was just like any other. Politicians pontificated; citizens and attorneys pled their cases; ordinances came to a vote.
Street safety proposal riles builders group: It’s designed to accommodate large vehicles; Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008; On Wednesday, the City Council introduced an ordinance that would mandate all future residential streets in Las Vegas that don’t intersect with another road be circular cul-de-sacs.
Interim building chief set to get permanent job: In post temporarily since June, Chris Knight now has certification he needs; Monday, Dec. 15, 2008; The City Council is set to approve Chris Knight as the city’s new building and safety director when it convenes for its last 2008 meeting on Wednesday.
Proceeding with caution: Union Park developers still committed, but delays are possible; Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008; Las Vegas has long been planning Union Park as an extraordinary development: a gleaming new downtown, adjacent to the current one and built from the ground up. With the recent drumbeat of dour economic news, it may not seem like the time for a project of Union Park’s 61-acre, $6 billion scope. And to a degree, the economy has affected Union Park. One of its six major business and civic developments has been delayed a year, and at least one more, a top official confirms, may soon ask for a similar postponement from the City Council.
Two versions of Jillian’s demise, from man, wife: Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2008; RIP Jillian’s, the two-story cafe/pool hall/music venue that was long one of downtown’s successful businesses on the important corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street.
Celebrated chef plans final menu at Andre’s: Monday, Dec. 8, 2008; In 1980, when a young and ambitious chef opened Andre’s, the classically styled French restaurant downtown, celebrity chefs hadn’t yet begun to create a presence on the Strip.
Hardball: Vegas City Hall edition: Union holdouts on payroll breaks prompt stern words; Friday, Dec. 5, 2008; The message from the City Council to the unions Wednesday was twofold, and it couldn’t have been clearer if it had been spelled out by a skywriter.
Roadwork works up West Las Vegans: Residents of historically black district are organizing against project they say hems them in; Monday, Dec. 1, 2008; In 1968, more than 300 residents of West Las Vegas marched on City Hall to keep D, F and H streets open.
Council seeks foreclosure grant: City would buy homes in distressed neighborhoods to then either sell or rent; Monday, Dec. 1, 2008; Las Vegas is doing what it can to address the home foreclosure crisis. In part, that means requesting millions of dollars from the federal agency on the front lines of assistance.
Las Vegas eyes own roster to fill coming city manager opening: Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008; It appears likely that outgoing Las Vegas City Manager Doug Selby will be replaced by one of his deputies, Betsy Fretwell, City Hall sources confirm.
Six Questions for Ted Olivas: Lobbyist for las vegas; Monday, Nov. 17, 2008; For the past four years, Ted Olivas has been Las Vegas’ top lobbyist, or more formally, director of government and community affairs. It’s his job to sell state lawmakers every two years on laws the city thinks should be changed or adopted. The next Legislative session starts in February.
Promises unkept? Condo buyers sue: Friday, Nov. 14, 2008; As if the problems at Streamline Tower weren’t bad enough.
Park upgrades to have baseball stadium theme: Patrons might be reminded of storied Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, even Ebbets Field; Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008; Las Vegas officials soon will break ground on improvements — $46 million worth — to Freedom Park.
Has Neonopolis achieved liftoff?: ‘Star Trek’ attraction appears likely to join Telemundo, others in the downtown shopping mall; Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2008; For years, the hulking downtown retail structure called Neonopolis has remained mostly empty, save for a restaurant and pool hall anchoring one ground floor corner, and a sparsely attended movie theater complex on its top floor.
Resident opposes Wal-Mart on alcohol sales — and wins: Monday, Nov. 10, 2008; In Martin Dean Dupalo’s neighborhood, finding a place to buy alcohol has always been easy — astoundingly easy. More than 80 such outlets lie within a 1.5-mile radius of the corner of Stewart Avenue and Nellis Boulevard. Bars and restaurants. Liquor stores and groceries. Mini-marts and bodegas.
Reid lurks in background of Dems’ fundraising: Sunday, Nov. 2, 2008; There is interesting irony in Sen. Barack Obama’s phenomenal fundraising. With donations averaging $86 per person from 3 million Americans, Obama isn’t in hock to any one person or industry or labor union.
Races for upper chamber shift from attack mode to turnout mode: Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008; Political pros and the candidates for state senate say the focal point has shifted from the ad wars to making sure every single favorable voter gets to the polls — now, through early voting, and on Election Day.
Temple becomes tiny battleground: Congregants get up-close view as campaigns court Jewish vote; Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008; For most people, presidential campaigns are waged from afar. Voters watch televised debates, read newspapers, surf the net.
New details emerge in suit against Gibbons: Governor’s alleged assaults of cocktail waitress in garage, at hotel described; Monday, Oct. 20, 2008; With a confidence she lacked two years ago, Chrissy Mazzeo is swinging harder this time at Gov. Jim Gibbons and the political establishment she says covered up for him.
The off-camera drama told a story, too: Friday, Oct. 17, 2008; If it wasn’t evident that the two tightly competitive state Senate races in the region had become frosty affairs, with little or zero friendliness between the opponents, the debates Thursday made the notion clear as ice.
Majority a magnet for money: Parties up the ante in battle to control the Legislature; Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008; Democrats and their allies in the labor movement have taken the unusual step of buying at least $500,000 in TV advertising in an attempt to win two closely contested state Senate races, according to sources with knowledge of the advertising buy.
Audit office helps pay its own way in lean times: Vegas agency that polices others uncovers fraud, pinpoints waste to cut; Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008; Over the past two years, one Las Vegas Leisure Services Department worker stole 93 city-owned items and kept them, some with property tags still attached, in his house and at storage facilities.
You can trust that your vote counts in Nevada, election officials say: Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008; Early voting begins this week in Nevada and anxious voters may have reason to wonder whether they can trust the outcome.
Council takes early swing at coming deficit: Even eternal optimist Mayor Oscar Goodman says this year ‘has been brutal’; Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008; State legislators, staring at a $1 billion-plus budget shortfall when they meet in February, are bracing for a bloodbath over fundamental issues of taxing and spending.
Property owner gets a break on fine, but others shouldn’t expect the same: Friday, Oct. 3, 2008; City inspectors visited the dilapidated site on Jackson Avenue 44 times over a three-year period.
Close races — such as Porter-Titus — breed attack ads, experts say: Monday, Sept. 29, 2008; The television advertising wars between Jon Porter and Dina Titus started off like the first round of most boxing matches: a few light jabs, with not many punches landing.
Beers, rival give voters face time: Monday, Sept. 29, 2008; For politicians in tight races, hitting the hustings as Election Day approaches — canvassing neighborhoods and knocking on doors — can be the difference between a narrow victory and a heartbreaking loss.
Mandate foe, not medicine’s: Joe Heck says his real objection is to the high cost of health insurance; Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008; State Sen. Joe Heck is one of the Legislature’s strongest voices on health care, which isn’t surprising given that he’s a physician.
Six questions for Bree Blumstein: GENERAL MANAGER OF THE BEAUTY BAR; Monday, Sept. 22, 2008; Bree Blumstein has been the general manager of the Beauty Bar in downtown Las Vegas for about two years.
Hello Mayor! Hello Governor!: As Mayor Goodman considers a run for governor, he names a possible successor: His wife; Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008; Love him or hate him — and most, according to repeated election returns, feel the love — Oscar Goodman will be forced to step down as Las Vegas mayor in 2011.
But does he offer them a drink?: Friday, Sept. 12, 2008; They come from far-flung corners of the globe: Peru, China, Kenya and Russia. Sometimes they come by themselves, sometimes in big groups.
Agencies cooperate to shorten delay in prosecuting DUI cases: Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008; Until recently in Las Vegas, it took on average almost a year for motorists arrested for misdemeanor drunken driving to be charged with a crime.