Thursday, March 20, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
DATELINE: BEATTY. ... Last Friday afternoon, Roberta arrived home after five days of watching the tennis tournament action at Indian Wells, Calif., and I left for Beatty, 117 miles almost due north. ... Two hours later, at 5:30 p.m., I checked into the Exchange Club (established in 1906), clean and spacious.
Nevada's most famous ghost town, Rhyolite, is about four miles west of Beatty. ... Our function was to serve as grand marshal for the Rhyolite Festival Parade on Saturday morning then spend the rest of the day as Rhyolite's unofficial mayor.
That evening in the Beatty Community Center, a full house enjoyed a fashion show replicating costumes of the early 1900s, Rhyolite's heyday. ... Beatty High School students then performed several selections from their March 27-30 production of the musical "Grease."
More Rhyolite
Debbie Baker, personal service representative at the Bank of Nevada Beatty branch, was crowned Ms. Rhyolite, 1997-98, a popular choice. ... Homemade cookies, punch and coffee were served at the halfway point. ... The songs from "Grease" were done so well, so professionally, it would be nice to be able to see it in its entirety.
Alpheus Bruton, owner of the hot Beatty Club, across from the Exchange Club on Beatty's main four corners, drove us back to his place Saturday evening in time to share the triumph of the Beatty Club billiards team, which won the city tournament that night over representatives from all of Beatty's clubs and motels. ... I promised to list their names.
Congrats, Archie Kibbe, Susan Kibbe, Sherri Parra, J.B. Schultz and Jack Stroop, Beatty's best at billiards. ... We checked the NCAA basketball scores and made it to bed by midnight.
More Beatty
While there, we learned that Alpheus Bruton, Beatty photographer Richard Stephens and the SUN's Brian Greenspun have something in common. ... All three were students at Las Vegas High at the same time. ... Brian and Richard worked together on the LV High newspaper, which, of course, was printed at the SUN.
We also had regards for Jack Kogan from Joe Passarelli, 79 years young, raising two grandsons in Beatty. ... Passarelli was a casino boss in Vegas early days. ... We told him Kogan was still active. ... His show now airs live on Tuesdays, 5-6 p.m., from Debbie Reynolds Hotel on KLAV AM-1230.
Another good buddy, radio's foremost sports authority, Lee Pete, is now heard handling all comers on KRLV AM-1340, weekdays from 2-4 p.m. ... Lee and I had a great time doing radio in the late 1980s from the Dunes for Mitzi Shore's Comedy Store, both no longer here.
On Monday
It was good to be back as St. Patrick again, our 25th year out of 26, in Monday's Sons and Daughters of Erin St. Patrick's Day Parade. ... The Rhyolite Festival was our fifth in the last six years. ... We missed out on both events in 1996 because we were teaching at the International Academy of Broadcasting in Montreux, Switzerland.
Monday's Las Vegas SUN had a reprint of the late Judge John Mowbray's 1968 St. Patrick's Day article on the Irish persona -- a nice reminder of a very special man, both as a jurist and as a person. ... He officiated when Roberta and I were married in 1964. ... Rest well, John.
Recommended: Bernie Allen headlining in the Maxim's Comedy Max this weekend and at the Riviera's Comedy Club, starting Monday. ... Likewise, the Treniers at the Aladdin through March 25 and Loretta Holloway, back at Luxor through April 13.
Star-policy rundown
It's Louie Anderson (Bally's); Tim McGraw (Caesars); Kenny Kerr (Debbie Reynolds Hotel); Elayne Boosler, starting Friday (Desert Inn); Wayne Newton (MGM Grand); Siegfried & Roy (Mirage); Lance Burton (Monte Carlo); Danny Gans (Rio); Little Anthony & the Imperials (Sahara); Branscombe Richmond-Pat Morita (Stardust, Friday only); and Marty Allen & Karon Kate Blackwell (Westward Ho).
Orleans hotel-casino star Rex Allen Jr. will be the entertainer/celebrity guest, 3 p.m. March 27, on the weekly taping for UNLV's Arnold Shaw Research Center, co-hosted by director Bill Willard and Loretta Kaye. ... The locale is Arizona Charlie's Naughty Ladies Saloon, everyone's invited. ... See you Friday.
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