Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: State leaders show support for school arts programs

The recent Arts Day in Nevada, sponsored by the Nevada Arts Advocates, was a memorable day for the arts and artists across our state. Hundreds of arts advocates met outside the chamber doors of the Nevada State Legislature, then joined the state senators and assemblymen, each one sitting with a legislator for this special mission.

NAA Executive Director Angie Wallin, long known for her concern for the arts in our state, joined Assembly Speaker of the House Joe Dini, while Roger Peltyn, president of the NAA, accompanied Senate Majority Leader William Raggio to his seat in the Nevada Senate. Other NAA board members attending included past president Roger Thomas, as well as Colleen Schroeder, Joanne Nivison, Mark Zackman, Bill Marion, Dr. Marcia Neel, Tim Quillin, Margaret McMillan, Alice Eisenberg, Mimi Rodden and May Muskin.

The midday break was a most pleasant luncheon, with the Reno Youth Philharmonic providing an uplifting program. Gov. Kenny Guinn provided the keynote speech, giving great emphasis to the need for arts in education during his remarks. Roger Peltyn took the podium as well and reminded all of the need for standard funding for the arts before introducing supportive dignitaries including Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus and state Sen. Ray Rawson, as well as Harry Whittemore, Susan Boskoff, Mike Hillerby and Constance Devroux. Nevada Arts Day 1999 was dedicated to the late Thelma Calhoun, who gave much of her lifetime to promoting the arts in our state. Her daughter, Patricia Harris, accepted the award. Special recognition was also given to Southern Nevadan Lucile Bruner, noted watercolorist and arts advocate, who is credited with founding the Las Vegas Art Mus eum.

Julie Gilday Shaffer helped facilitate the activities and events enjoyed by the large crowd, among them Richard Hooker, Donna Antraccoli, Sue Putnam, Frederick J. Herbert, Virginia Becker and Lucy Dalton. Working closely with Shaffer was Joe McCarthy, along with Terry Sayer and Gary Lubra, who also enlisted the generous sponsorship of Sprint, Nevada Bell and Southwest Gas as underwriters for the luncheon.

The finishing touch to this special day was the tea at the Governors' Mansion, hosted by Nevada's first lady Dema Guinn. Personally guiding tours through the extensively remodeled and refurbished mansion, Dema Guinn explained the history of certain furnishings and artwork. The interior designers, using tones of creamy beige, caramel and taupe for the carpeting and window treatments, have created a warm elegance that befits the Nevada gubernatorial residence.

Golden Rule

Susan and Ken Sullivan are co-chairs of the distinguished honorary committee assisting with a Salute to Volunteers, the 10th annual J.C. Penney Golden Rule Awards ceremony. A luncheon event, hosted by the Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada, will be held April 23 at the Stardust hotel-casino. Guest speaker will be Robert K. Goodwin, president and chief executive officer of the Points of Light Foundation. For all of the details and reservations, call Charlotte Hill (892-2322) at the Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada.

Taxing celebration

One of the most creative new events of the season is Ellis Island casino and brewery's First Annual Tax Relief Fest, to benefit the local American Heart Association. Slated for the weekend of April 17-18, the outdoor party will be in full swing from noon-10 p.m. on Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. Ellis Island is at 4178 Koval Lane. Admission is $2 per person at the door, with partygoers each getting $2 worth of free tickets for food and beverage with their admission.

Festivities will include live music, microbeers from the new Ellis Island brewery and lots of great food. Michael Rainone, food and beverage director, revealed that they plan to fly in 2,000 pounds of Dungeness crab for the event. Other food booths will offer brats and kraut, chicken sandwiches, roasted corn on the cob, barbecued ribs and beer-battered shrimp and cod.

The American Heart Association is the nation's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to reducing disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and stroke. The money raised at AHA events directly supports heart research and community education programs. For more information, please call AHA at 367-1366.

Off to work they go

Helping kids learn more about the world of work is the joint goal of many school and business partnerships. Recently, 17 Basic High School students spent the day learning what it really is like when seeking employment. With the generous help of human resources representatives and executives from both Palace Station and Sunset Station hotel-casinos, the students went through the entire application process, including mock interviews, group orientations and other real-life situations.

The students are enrolled in a word processing course at Basic High School, taught by Dave Ayers of the school's business department. Their curriculum includes real-life issues such as creating a resume and obtaining a job interview, and reflects the finest aspects of the Clark County School District's "School-to-Work" program.

The daylong experience for each of the students included discussions on productive management and team communications, preparation for job interviews, what interviewers might be looking for in a candidate and hiring information from the employer's viewpoint. The group interviews and activities the students underwent were the same as those for all candidates who apply to Station Casinos, which were designed by the human resource executives prior to the opening of Boulder Station in 1994. The field trip to Palace Station was part of a state-funded grant to the school for the "School-to-Work" program.

Fashionable fund-raiser

The Fall 1999 Badgley Mischka collection of fashions, sponsored by Neiman Marcus, will be held Wednesday. A luncheon event, "A Flair for Care," will begin at 11:30 a.m. inside the Four Seasons hotel at Mandalay Bay. Beloved entertainer and philanthropist Phyllis McGuire will host the event.

Ticket prices are $125 per person, with proceeds to benefit Nathan Adelson Hospice, Southern Nevada's only nonprofit hospice. Featured during the fashionable event will be a large and very luxury-laden "opportunity drawing" with treasures including Bulgari earrings, a Steven Lagos bracelet, Tiffany Freshwater pearl necklace, Gucci and Prada handbags, Callaway Lady's golf clubs and a splendid array of dinners from Sonoma Cellar, Napa, Fiore, Gatsby's, Caesars Magical Empire and other elegant eateries. In all, more than 60 items will be won by lucky ticket holders, who will purchase their opportunity drawing chances for $10 each, or 11 for $100. Details on this fashion luncheon and the drawing can be obtained by calling Judith Hantin at Hospice (796-3112).

archive