Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Association names Wiesner Educator of the Year

Elizabeth Foyt's social column appears Wednesdays. Reach her at [email protected].

Football hero, youngest-ever Clark County Commissioner and now successful entrepreneur and University Regent Tom Wiesner, of Big Dogs Hospitality Group, has served our community with great dedication, justly earning the 1999 Educator of the Year title as proclaimed by the Nevada Restaurant Association. Wiesner's honors were bestowed during the NRA's second annual scholarship dinner.

Held in the exquisite Versailles ballroom at Paris Las Vegas, the evening began with a lavish hosted reception given by sponsor De Luca Liquor and Wine Ltd. The central gathering point for many was the carved ice martini bar where the Brothers Nolet of Holland made magic with their ultra-smooth Ketel One Vodka. Each carefully shaken martini was chilled to perfection as it traveled through a channel of ice into the waiting glass. An appreciative audience was found among Brian and Anne Menzel, Chas and Carol Del Guercio, George Markantonis, Irene Trillo and John Pease.

Nearby, guests browsed the luxury goods of the silent auction, making successful bids on travel and gourmet meals at the finest resorts of our region. Mingling happily were Jeannie and Dr. Monte Greenawalt, Mike and Beverly Mykisen, Chrisse Waddell, Ginette and Peter Jaramillo, Sujoy Brahma and John Theiss as well as Rene and John O'Reilly, Manny Cortez and Wiesner's family members including wife Lynn and daughter Kari.

Dinner, served in most formal fashion for this well-executed evening, was an elaborate affair with each course matched with the finest wines. NRA President Van Heffner and wife, Joan, were pleased to speak of the efforts of their statewide organization to assist hospitality industry students attending programs across Nevada.

Present for the award of scholarships were Sue and Barry Becker, Mick Hall and Joe Ross, as well as Cindy and Gary Ellis, who attended with president-elect Karen Dorsey. Bill Hiers, of the Las Vegas Hilton, was seen with Boyd Gaming executives John Carlson, Craig Frigaard and Scott Ringwood. Other guests included Dr. Don and Janet Mackey, Mel Wolzinger, Dr. Carol Harter, Bob Ansara and Dean Stuart Mann of the UNLV Hotel School.

Presentation ceremonies were led off by Heffner with Mark DiMartino, NRA's chairman of the board, while Sam Facchini and Karen Dorsey directed the scholarship awards to students David Friedlander, Ann Warren, Rosalyn Bunardi, Erika Pineda, Erika Gjovik, Michelle Greene and Catherine Donahue. Also earning the $1,000 awards were Kellie Andrews, Joshua Bond, Susanne Pierce, Scott Ramin, Michelle Wood, Kay Park, George Kweyama and Wei Li. Criteria used to determine the scholarships included grades as well as enrollment in a field related to the hospitality industry.

Tribute paid

Philantrophists Toni Clark and Larry Finuf served as honorary co-chairs and were then given a gracious tribute for their community efforts by sports guru Lem Banker at the recent Make-A-Wish Foundation luncheon at Spago. The fashionable gathering was jointly sponsored by Estee Lauder and Spago as well as MaxMara and Alfred Dunhill, both of whom provided extensive showings of their latest designs for the fall and winter seasons.

Judee Gordon and Blaine Banker coordinated the elite luncheon, which drew a generous slice of Las Vegas society including Shari Schmitt, Patsy Brinton, Char Hejmanowski, Lotti Polis, Diane Bigelow with daughter-in-law Lisa, and Cleo and Harley Harmon with Norma Land. This special luncheon was filled to capacity and Spago's staff served a delightful meal to supporters including Robin Brooks Townsend, committee member Jennifer Tuttle, Sue Becker, Leila Raya, Eleanore Doumani and board member Sheila Ferris Beaton, accompanied by her mother, Virginia Ferris, as well as Betty Becker, Sharon Emminger and Sandra Tiberti.

Causing a happy stir with her delightful reappearance on the Las Vegas social scene was Joanie Shoofey Richardson, who is once again a local resident, with hubby Ron Richardson, after several years away. Equally popular with guests was Cherie Flanagan, co-founder of this fund-raiser and top executive for Estee Lauder International, provider of the cosmetic party favors given to each attendee.

Retired United States Air Force Brigadier General Robert A. Jones, president of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Nevada, explained that the purpose of the Make-A-Wish Foundation is to grant the favorite wish of children between the ages of 2 1/2 and 18 who suffer from life-threatening diseases. Great efforts are made to fully comply with each child's special wishes, both great and small. Jones also introduced Kathy Stewart Hopper, newly-appointed executive director of the charity.

Citizens honored

While they enjoy rich friendship with one another, they are among Clark County's most exemplary citizens, giving fine examples of lives well lived in public service: Thalia Dondero, Avis Jansen, Kitty Rodman and Claudine Williams are to be honored with the Nathan Adelson Hospice's Monarch Awards. The black-tie gala is slated for Saturday at the Mirage, with former Mayor Jan Laverty Jones serving as dinner chair.

Nathan Adelson Hospice provides medical care and support for patients who have been diagnosed as having a terminal illness, with a life expectancy that can be measured in weeks or months rather than years. Proceeds from the dinner gala will benefit the Bonnie Schreck Memorial Comfort Care Program, which offers hospice patients a variety of gentle therapies that include aromatherapy and pet therapy as well as those using music and water to both comfort and calm hospice patients and their families. Reservations for the dinner event are necessary and can be made by calling the Nathan Adelson Hospice at 796-3133.

League at work

Hats off to the membership of Assistance League of Las Vegas, which continues to reach out to the children of our community with its many programs. A nonprofit, nonpolitical charitable organization, Assistance League is once again offering The Kids on the Block program in partnership with the Clark County Schools. With trained teams of puppeteers, this program helps children confront quite serious issues by using large puppets to present educational, yet entertaining skits to third-grade students.

Nearly a dozen public schools will be served by mid-January with topics covered including divorce, learning disabilities, problem-solving, multiculturalism and the challenges of cerebral palsy. Assistance League of Las Vegas has 280 members with no paid staff. Last year it provided 31,000 volunteer hours to Clark County through this program and others. Assistance League of Las Vegas is best known for its immensely successful Operation School Bell, which works to meet the clothing needs of school-age children.

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