By Caitlin McGarry   Thu, Sep 03, 2009

The city of Las Vegas is currently living through a teachable moment in its history, teetering on a precipice between growth and decline, boom and bust. The dusty town that sprang from the desert and rose to prominence as the home of legal gambling is now a metropolis bustling with nearly 2 million residents, not to mention tourists.

Like each facet of Las Vegas in recent years, its roads have struggled to support the population growth. Working both independently and in tandem, the Nevada Department of Transportation and the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada have tackled the issue of transit in the valley.

The bursting of the real estate bubble sent the construction and gaming industries into a tailspin, and many workers have departed for greener pastures, but with President Barack Obama emphasizing the importance of infrastructure projects to the country’s economic recovery, it seems Southern Nevada’s roads are more significant than ever.

Lonesome Highway
The I-15, US-95 and I-215 are the three major freeways that transport Las Vegas residents to school, work and home. In 2007, the Nevada Department of Transportation began construction on the northern stretch of the I-15 north of the Spaghetti Bowl (the well-known point near Downtown Las Vegas where the I-15 and US-95 meet).

Construction on the project, which is intended to widen the I-15 north to Craig Road in order to reduce rush hour traffic on the highway, will be nearly complete toward the end of this year, according to NDOT District I engineer Mary Martini.

“Additional projects are being planned for the area south of the Spaghetti Bowl, but for the traffic in that area and most of the ramp traffic, [the I-15 widening project] will address most of the congestion,” Martini said.

One of the projects set to begin south of the Spaghetti Bowl later this year is the widening of the I-15 south from Tropicana to Blue Diamond. NDOT plans to build a system that will place weaving traffic from short ramps onto collector-distributor roads. In an effort to reduce traffic on the freeways, NDOT has also designated certain sections of US-95 as HOV lanes for carpooling drivers with one or more passengers.

“The HOV lane is an attempt to reduce the amount of congestion during peak times,” Martini said. “You need a certain level of congestion to induce people to take methods to conserve not only their time and fuel but also to travel at either non-peak times or to qualify legitimately to drive in the HOV lane.”

 Widening projects, collector-distributor roads and HOV lanes are expected to reduce congestion on Las Vegas freeways, but NDOT also plans to implement more metered ramps to make traffic flow more consistent during rush hour.

“We still have peak hours, and we are installing ramp meters at the ramps,” Martini said. “Utilizing ramp meters will meter the traffic onto the freeway so it doesn’t cause the flow to stop.”

Ramp meters are under the purview of the Freeway and Arterial Transportation System (FAST), an agency funded by NDOT in partnership with the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada. Managed by the RTC, FAST is responsible for managing traffic flow with lights and meters as well as LED boards that notify highway drivers of accidents and travel times. FAST is one clear example of efficient cooperation between a state and regional entity.

“We really try to approach transportation projects from a regional perspective,” said RTC Director of Public Affairs Tracy Bower. “It doesn’t matter if you’re driving through Las Vegas, North Las Vegas or unincorporated parts of Clark County, we want to make this is as seamless as possible. The beltway is the best example of that. In the 1980s, there was a need for another freeway in the valley, but at the time NDOT didn’t have the funding available to do that. The RTC and our member entities worked together. A ballot initiative was approved by voters and funded the 215 beltway.”

On the Road
The advent of the I-215 and improvements to the I-15 may alleviate congestion on the city’s freeways, but public transit is also necessary to streamline traffic flow in the valley. The RTC’s public transportation options, Citizens Area Transit (CAT) buses; the Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) buses; the Deuce double-decker buses, which run along Las Vegas Boulevard and are largely used by Strip employees and tourists; and the ACE Rapid Transit buses, which will be up and running in 2010, are used by a variety of Las Vegas residents. Approximately 67 million passengers used public transit in 2008.

“There are some people who are considered transit-dependent; we have some people who take transit to work because it’s more convenient than, say, parking in a parking garage and then walking into their place of business,” Bower said. “It helps them to save money.  Some people do it for environmental reasons. You can buy a transit pass and use it as often as you want. But what we hear from all of our commuters is they want services that will get them to where they want to go faster.”

The need to meet passengers’ demands was the impetus behind the new ACE bus system, which combines standard bus transit with the swiftness of a light rail.

“A couple of years ago, the RTC was faced with a decision on what type of new rapid transit service we could provide in the valley, what type of technology we should use, whether light rail was an option,” Bower said. “That was something we looked into, but the cost of a light rail system is very, very high. The board instructed us to move forward with a system that mimics a light rail system, that operates like a light rail system, but has a lower cost to build.”

ACE will connect the Strip and Downtown with the outer parts of the valley; the Gold Line, which is comprised of a series of stops Downtown, is currently under construction and will open early next year.

A park and ride lot and transit facility is currently under construction in the suburb of Centennial Hills, and will enable commuters from the northwest to leave their cars at the RTC facility and take the ACE Express route to Downtown using the HOV lanes on the US-95 southbound. That route will be operational in January 2010.

“One of the challenges we have with the regular bus system, which operates very efficiently, is the buses tend to stop a lot so it makes the trip a little longer,” Bower said. “The express routes are designed to go out into communities where you have a lot of residential development and create a park and ride facility where people can gather at one spot and then connect to the Strip and Downtown. They’re designed for commuters; they’re designed to be fast. The service will be very fast during peak times. They’re designed to go from where a lot of people live to where a lot of people work.”

Stimulating Progress
The ACE Rapid Transit system will benefit from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, part of President Barack Obama’s stimulus package that is expected to jumpstart infrastructure development during the economic slowdown. The Centennial Hills park and ride facility qualified for stimulus funds, enabling the RTC to more quickly construct the northwest Express route.

“Without stimulus money, we would not have been able to construct that facility this year,” Bower said. “We are also using additional stimulus money to construct the ACE Green Line from Downtown Las Vegas along Boulder Highway out to Henderson. That route will have dedicated lanes for part of the route, and then use mixed-flow lanes. We start construction early next year, and it will be completed in 2011.”

The Nevada Department of Transportation also met the conditions for receiving federal funding with a series of landscaping and repaving projects. A Rainbow Curve aesthetic overhaul project will also benefit from the stimulus package, as it was ready to begin when the ARRA was passed.

“Because there were pretty strict timelines—they were much shorter than for local agencies—we had to go with shovel-ready projects that we had ready to go that fit the funding category,” Martini said. “Those were paving projects for the most part. They help a great deal, and they help the economy, but projects are for the most part repaving areas.”

NDOT is also currently applying for additional grant money available through the ARRA for other projects, including the widening of the I-15 south of the Spaghetti Bowl.

Building Out
The current economic climate may have slowed the explosion of growth in the Las Vegas valley, but both Bower and Martini agree that building new roads is not the magic solution for Southern Nevada’s traffic problems. Instead, a multi-pronged approach that encourages considering alternative modes of transportation, and perhaps even lifestyle changes, is necessary.

“There is not a single mode of transportation that will work for everyone,” Bower said. “If you’re going to work at a time that’s against the typical commute, if you’re going a long distance or if you’re driving to a place in the valley where there’s a transit service, a car can be a good option. We also work to provide bike lanes and routes throughout the valley. If you have a lot of people leaving from the same place and going to the same place, it’s a lot more economical for people to share rides to those places.”

With the introduction of the ACE Rapid Transit system, Bower hopes the quality of Las Vegas’ public transportation will soon be comparable to those of other great metropolises with spread-out populations. As a relatively young city, Las Vegas has the opportunity to learn from transportation systems in places like New York City and Chicago.

And while highway construction and road improvement projects are an important facet in the debate over transportation in Las Vegas, Martini said perhaps more fundamental changes are needed.

 “One thing that every transportation agency deals with is growth versus transportation,” Martini said. “It’s a balance. There’s a phrase out there that says you can never build your way out of congestion. The real answer will never be to build more roads and widen freeways. There’s many pieces of the puzzle: more utilization of public transit, alternate modes of transportation, and designing cities, new neighborhoods, new developments so it doesn’t require transportation to get around.            

 “You’re starting to see the work-live neighborhoods, where you can walk to the grocery store rather than drive several miles. What has happened in Las Vegas because of the growth is that transportation—and the time it takes to plan it, design it, go through the environmental process and mostly to fund it—can’t keep pace with the need because of the growth there has been. Sometimes putting in a new road will attract developers to the site. It is kind of a never-ending cycle. The more you build, the more induced growth you get. Unless there are other methods used, you’ll always see congestion.”

By Bob Schwieterman   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

Gaming businesses increasingly recognize that employee engagement is an important part of their efforts to recruit top talent and a factor in top-line and bottom-line business performance. Engaged employees are passionate, energetic and driven employees who deliver better service to the customer and directly generate better business results.

Employee engagement goes beyond mere job satisfaction. In today’s economy, employees might be “satisfied” with just having a job. But true engagement is a higher level of commitment and dedication to their job and their organization.

“It’s not that job satisfaction is a bad thing,” said Kim Macdonald, regional director for Valtera Corporation. “But on its own, satisfaction is not a road to profitability. Developing engaged employees sets you apart from the competition.”

Independent research has even documented the link between engaged employees and customer satisfaction. The American Customer Satisfaction Index showed that service businesses in the top tier of employee engagement have significantly more satisfied customers.

Engaged employees can have a profound impact on a business. Engagement behaviors include:

• Persistence at difficult tasks;
• Helping others even when “it’s not my job”;
• Going beyond the norm to improve the guest experiences;
• Voicing recommendations for change;
• Initiating an expansion of one’s responsibilities

Measuring Engagement
The path to an engaged workforce begins with shaping the work environment and then nurturing engagement attitudes. Oftentimes organizations will undertake an employee assessment to benchmark the current level of engagement and identify opportunities to improve engagement. Such a survey is different from the typical employee opinion surveys that many organizations conduct.

“Annual employee surveys are a mistake,” said Nancie O’Neill, director of organizational development and training for Pinnacle Entertainment. “I believe in more frequent pulse surveys that help us understand the current environment.”

Carrie Messina, vice president of human resources for Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, agreed with the real-time need for understanding employee concerns as a way of building engagement: “Don’t ask employees for feedback if you’re not prepared to respond to that feedback. You may not implement every suggestion, but it’s important to let people know you heard them and what you are—or are not—going to do with that information.”

An organization must establish an environment that will foster high engagement. This includes jobs that can capture the minds and hearts of the people doing them, a safe environment to take initiative, become involved and offer suggestions and the resources to do the work well.

“We frequently ask our employees what they want in their jobs and direction, structure and order are always at the top of the list,” O’Neill said. “As managers we need to create an environment that meets those employee desires. In doing so, we build trust and involvement.”

At Station Casinos, there’s a coordinated effort to understand what people expect from their jobs. “We ask what their development goals are and make conscious decisions based on those goals,” said Harry Heck, the company’s corporate director of team member relations. “We don’t believe in an up-or-out philosophy. Some people want to move up while others want to continue doing their current job. Recognizing those differences is important.”

Hard Rock has recognized generational differences among employees. “The attitudes and motivations differ among our younger and older employees,” Messina noted. “So it’s important to specifically ask what’s important to your employees; what you may choose as important or rewarding may not be what your employees will choose as rewarding.”

Improving Engagement
“A fundamental part of improving engagement is understanding where engagement is built,” said Messina. “Our front-line managers and pit bosses make the biggest difference with employees. So our senior executives focus on making sure managers know what’s expected and the managers champion that down the organization.”

Numerous studies of workplace performance have shown that a person’s direct manager is the single-most important factor influencing that performance. Providing managers with the skills and resources needed to successfully manage their team will increase engagement and increase performance. As John O’Brien, former president of the Foxwoods Resort Casino, noted, “Front-line supervisors are the key to how well or poorly employees perform. They are the link between line staff and management and need to know that they are supported by management and what their role is.”

Engagement is contagious in both positive and negative ways. A good manager will create enthusiasm in his or her team. But a single disengaged employee can undermine the engagement and performance of many others. This is especially true among managers. Managers need to model the behaviors you want from staff, said Macdonald. “They’ll breed disengagement if they enforce workplace rules inconsistently.”

Station Casinos offers supervisory training that brings people from multiple locations together. Heck said that “integrating people from more than one property helps us to build camaraderie and create a more consistent culture. It also is an opportunity to share ideas that have worked at one location with others.”

Pinnacle found that it was extremely beneficial to provide a framework for managers to engage with their staff, said O’Neill. “We created a set of questions that front-line staff can use with their teams to discuss the work and the environment. It makes it easier to build rapport and trust in a low-pressure way.”

Engagement in a Down Economy
Too many executives dismiss employee engagement initiatives because they incorrectly assume these programs carry a high price tag. In fact, there are typically several ways to improve engagement at little or no cost.

Just the process of asking employees about their work environment often causes them to feel more engaged. But that improvement will be short-lived if there is not appropriate follow-up.

Station Casinos has been proactive in providing non-traditional benefits for its employees. “We’ve negotiated discounts on food, newspaper subscriptions and other services for our team members,” Heck said. “We also offer citizenship classes, finance education and home ownership assistance for team members. We connect our programs to what our team members are experiencing in their lives. They don’t cost much, but they directly help the team member.”

Hard Rock delivers a “psychological paycheck” along with employees’ pay. Each paycheck includes a flyer with an employee question or suggestion, said Messina. “We indicate what the employee’s concern was and then explain what we’re doing or not doing in that area. Employees appreciate the honesty.”

One such suggestion was to stock the employees’ dining room with peanut butter and jelly. “Doing something as small as stocking sandwich supplies helped improve engagement because our employees know we are listening,” Messina said.

“Assume your team members are smart and not naïve,” Heck said. “They’ll understand that you can’t spend a bunch of money when business is tough. At the end of every team member focus group, we create a list of every suggestion and then determine how or if we will address it. We post those spreadsheets for every team member to see.”

Foxwoods’ O’Brien emphasized the importance of honesty and sincerity with employees. “They want to be heard and listened to. They also want to see that they are taken seriously and not just given lip service.”

Moving Forward
Your employees are the face of your business. A dealer, room attendant or check-in team member will do more to influence your guests’ experience than any senior executive. And in today’s economy, every guest experience matters. An engaged employee equates to improved customer service, which translates into improved business results.

As our experts agree, employee engagement does make a difference, and it can be achieved without breaking your budget.

By Greg Jones   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

There are no shortage of impressive national parks throughout the Southwest, but there is no park that draws more visitors from around the country and the world than the Grand Canyon National Park.

This national park in Arizona is the de facto official spot to see the canyon, but it is far from the only place. The canyon is 277 miles long, offering plenty of opportunities to explore it from a variety of angles.

The park in Arizona is known as the south rim of the Grand Canyon. It is the image of the canyon that comes up most in popular culture. The south rim certainly offers a number of breathtaking vistas, and there is no shortage of activities thanks largely to the designation as an official national park. In much the same way, the west rim benefits from its proximity to Las Vegas. While it may not be as popular in pop landscape photography, the west rim is no less picturesque or awe-inspiring than the south rim.

The Grand Canyon is one of the greatest examples of the unbridled natural power of erosion. The exact age of the canyon is not known, and while the oldest rocks at the bottom are close to 2 billion years old, the canyon itself is thought to be much newer. Estimates put the formation of the canyon as happening in the last 5 million to 20 million years as tributaries flowed into the Colorado River, and the Colorado River carved to the ocean. The result is a canyon that ranges from four miles to 18 miles wide and that, at its deepest point, is more than one mile deep. While some people may be unimpressed with what they see as nothing more than a large hole in the ground, the Grand Canyon attracts a lot of visitors, with some five million people converging on this natural beauty each year.

The majority of visitors are from the U.S. (about 83 percent), and the busiest time of the year for visiting the canyon is the vacation months of summer. With children heading back to school and with the weather in this part of the country taking a turn toward the more moderate temperatures of late summer and early fall, now is one of the best times to visit the park.

South Side
The Grand Canyon National Park at the south rim is the place to see the canyon. That, at least, seems to be the consensus of just about everyone who has visited it. The park is about a four-hour drive from Las Vegas, putting it at the extreme end of realistic and viable day trips. You could conceivably drive out to the park in the morning, hastily take in the views from the more popular and easily accessible view points, leave shortly after sundown and be back home by around midnight. If that’s all the time you can spare, it is still worth a visit. But such a cursory visit of the park leaves a lot of things unexplored.

And as one of the nation’s oldest and largest national parks, there is plenty of exploring to do throughout the canyon. Regardless of how much research you do before you get there, the Canyon View Information Plaza should really be one of the first places to visit. It likely won’t be the first place visited, however, if you’re driving to the park. The visitors center is reachable only by free shuttle busses that operate on four different routes in the park. But, you can also (gasp!) walk to the visitors center from Mather Point, the first pullout for visitors entering through the south entrance. From this point, you can opt to take any of the shuttles around the park, or you can stay in your vehicle on the 25-mile Desert View drive. The drive takes visitors to all the major viewing areas, including Grandview Point, which offers the best view of the canyon, the highest viewpoint on the south rim at Desert View and the 800-year-old prehistoric pueblo at Tusayan Ruin.

While some visitors are more than happy to stay on top of the rim and view the canyon from the various pullouts, to get a more complete sense of the size of the canyon it is advisable to get out of the car and do some hiking. There are five day hike trails along the south rim. The Rim Trail is the easiest trail—and therefore most crowded—while the Grandview Trail is the most difficult. The Grandview Trail is only suggested for experienced hikers, but it offers some unique views of the park that can’t be seen any other way than by an aerial tour. If your trip is a spur of the moment kind of thing, these day trips will be about all you can do, that is, unless you’re a super hiker. The trail leading to the river at the bottom of the canyon can be traversed in a day, but the park strongly discourages people from trying. Every year there are a number of emergency rescues (and the park graciously passes on the costs of such rescues to the hikers themselves) that take place because people are under-prepared and over-confident.

Those hoping to get to the bottom of the canyon are instead asked to apply for a backcountry camping permit. Demand almost always exceeds supply for these permits, so the earlier you plan, the better. There are, according to the National Park Service, two general reactions from the people who hiked to the bottom. One group is so awestruck with the beauty and the emotions that are evoked standing at the river’s edge and looking 6,000 feet up at the rim that they don’t mind the physical exertion required to get down and back out of the canyon. Others vow never to try it again.

If you’re planning far enough out (like, say, 13 or more months) you might be lucky enough to get one of the mule trips to the bottom. These trips are somewhat expensive, but for those people who want to get the full Grand Canyon experience yet want to avoid the strain of miles of dangerous, rocky and steep park trails, mule trips are the way to go.

Closer to Home
For those coming from Las Vegas, Grand Canyon West is definitely a shorter—although not necessarily easier—drive. Getting to the Grand Canyon West requires a trip across the Hoover Dam, continuing south on U.S. 93 until you reach Pierce Ferry Road. The tricky part comes in the last 14 miles of unpaved road that connects Pierce Ferry to Grand Canyon West. The 14-mile stretch on Diamond Bar Road can be hell on smaller vehicles, and it can take upwards of 45 minutes to cover. In all, the 120-mile trip from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon West can take close to three hours.

While few would argue that this side of the canyon is as picturesque as the south rim, it is home to one of the more interesting man-made structures anywhere in the canyon: the Grand Canyon Skywalk.

Located on the Hualapai Indian Reservation, the U-shaped skywalk gives visitors a chance to stand over and look straight down into the canyon. The skywalk extends 70 feet over an offshoot of the canyon—the main canyon and the Colorado River are barely visible in the distance—where it stands more than 2,000 feet above the canyon floor. There are no comparable vantage points anywhere else along the 277 miles the canyon covers. (One thing worth noting is that while this sounds like a great spot to snap some pictures, you will not be allowed to take a camera out onto the skywalk.)

Entrance to Grand Canyon West costs $40.95 per person, and it costs an extra $29.95 for admission onto the skywalk. From the skywalk at Eagle Point, you can catch a shuttle to Guano Point or to the Hualapai Ranch. If you have young ones with you, the Hualapai Ranch may be an enjoyable diversion, but otherwise, it comes across as being a little too contrived and cheesy. But the view from Guano Point is something to behold. This little island of land stretches out into the main canyon and offers a stunning view of the Colorado River.

Starting in Las Vegas also offers a number of advantages for unique ways to view the Grand Canyon. There are a number of outfits that operate driving, helicopter and airplane tours of the canyon. Depending on how much you are willing to spend, you can arrange for anything from a flyover to a landing for a champagne lunch at the bottom of the canyon. Remember, it is Las Vegas, so with enough money, just about anything can be arranged. The advantage of the aerial tours is not just the unique perspective, but the views on the way to and from the Grand Canyon—flight paths usually go over the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead.

There are any number of tour companies that can arrange trips to the Grand Canyon out of Las Vegas. Some have better reputations than others going by reviews posted online, so if you do go this route, do some research first, because while not prohibitively expensive, some of these tours do get a little pricy.

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Grand Canyon National Park

Entrance Cost: $25 per vehicle; $12 per person for pedestrians and people on motorcycle or bicycles.

Includes: A seven-day pass that is good at the South Rim as well as the North Rim; access to shuttle service throughout the South Rim.

Other Fees: For those camping in undeveloped campgrounds, there is a non-refundable fee of $10 per permit plus $5 per person per night camped below the rim and $5 per group per night camped above the rim.

Mule Trips: Mule trips are offered by Xanterra Parks & Resorts (888-297-2757). The seven-hour Plateau Point ride is $162.06 per person; overnight trips to the Phantom Ranch near the Colorado River are $477.34 for one person or $842.60 for two people.

Website: www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm

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Grand Canyon West

Entrance Cost: $40.95 per person.

Includes: Access to the Grand Canyon West and use of the shuttles that deliver visitors to Eagle Point, Guano Point and the Hualapai Ranch. Also includes a ticket that can be used for lunch at either Guano Point or Hualapai Ranch.

Other Fees: $29.95 for admission to the skywalk.

Website: www.grandcanyonskywalk.com

By   Thu, Sep 03, 2009

After a fire destroyed the top floors of the Monte Carlo in January 2008, property executives decided to take advantage of the opportunity to redesign, rather than restore, the rooms. And in August, the property unveiled Hotel32, a boutique hotel within a hotel concept similar to the Go! rooms at the Flamingo.

Located on the 32nd floor of the property—hence the name—Hotel32 offers an upscale, luxury experience in rooms that range from 400-square-foot studios to 2,000-square-foot penthouse suites.

The rooms feature a host of technological accoutrements, including Blu-ray players, HD television sets, iPod docking stations and even an iPod touch in every room. The iPod touch serves as a means for guests to make reservations, purchase show tickets or schedule a spa session.

To enhance the boutique feel, Hotel32 will have private check-in facilities as well as an elevator and restaurant dedicated solely to the property’s guests.

By   Thu, Sep 03, 2009

Frank Sinatra’s former Lake Tahoe hangout is up for sale. Owner Canyon Capital Realty Advisors, which took over the property in April after a failed foreclosure sale, has hired Las Vegas-based firm CB Richard Ellis to handle the sale of the Cal Neva hotel and casino in northern Nevada.

No price has been set, but Canyon officials said more than 100 interested investors have called about the casino, and the company expects to sell the property within three months.

“There’s a lot of interest in this property,” CB Richard Ellis Executive Vice President John J. Knott II told the Sacramento Bee. “It has a substantial history, and it’s nearly impossible to build something new here.”

The 83-year-old casino sits atop the border between Nevada and California, and was once owned by Sinatra before the singer’s mob ties caught up with him.

“We said from day one that we could keep Cal Neva open for business, make long-overdue management improvements to the property and assess its future,” Canyon official Richard Bosworth told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “That’s exactly what we’ve done. Cal Neva is a great asset with a very bright future, and we think the time is right to market the property to interested buyers.”

By   Thu, Sep 03, 2009

Bally’s celebrated the reopening of its race and sports book in August, just in time for the start of football season.

The book was closed earlier this year in a cost-cutting effort. Patrons were directed to the book at the adjacent Paris casino, which is connected by a mall to Bally’s. At the time the book was closed, property officials made it known that it would reopen in fall.

By   Thu, Sep 03, 2009

The Tropicana hotel and casino in Las Vegas is set to undergo a $125 million remodel complete with a Miami theme, as evidenced by the recent unveiling of the property’s new logo.

The Tropicana, which recently emerged from bankruptcy as its own company separate from former parent company Tropicana Entertainment (which owns the Tropicana in Atlantic City and the Tropicana Express in Laughlin), was last remodeled in 1985, and new owner Onex Group plans to give the property a more updated look.

Tropicana chairman and CEO Alex Yemenidjian said in a statement that “the unveiling of this new company logo marks the beginning of a complete renovation and rebranding of the property with an energizing South Beach, Miami feel.”

The property may have separated from Tropicana Entertainment, but Onex Group still plans to retain the resort’s name, which has led to a legal battle between Tropicana Entertainment and Onex Group.

Onex Group is disputing a provision in Tropicana Entertainment’s bankruptcy plan that specified that the name “Tropicana” is one of Tropicana Entertainment’s assets and can only be used by the Las Vegas property if Onex Group pays a licensing fee to keep the name.

Onex Group sued Tropicana Entertainment, and Tropicana Entertainment recently countersued. The case is now in U.S. District Court.

By   Thu, Sep 03, 2009

MGM Mirage recently stated in a regulatory filing that cost-cutting measures in the last year have resulted in the equivalent of 14 percent of its full-time jobs being slashed.

MGM has not eliminated 14 percent of its full-time workforce, rather, cost-cutting steps such as changes to union agreements and eliminating 401(k) contributions, among others, are equivalent to eliminating 14 percent of the company’s full-time positions.

“We have been managing staffing levels across all our resorts; and we have been reviewing all areas of operations for efficiencies,” MGM said in the filing.

By   Thu, Sep 03, 2009

Locals gaming pioneer Frank Fertitta Jr., the founder of Station Casinos, Inc., passed away August 21 at the age of 70.

Fertitta is largely credited with the creation of the Las Vegas locals casino market, having the idea that casinos for residents don’t need to be Downtown or on the Strip, but instead in the neighborhoods where people lived. His vision became reality in 1976 when “The Casino,” a 5,000-square-foot property on West Sahara, opened. It soon became a popular hangout, and the locals market was born.

As the property gained popularity, Fertitta added bingo and changed the name to Bingo Palace. Success followed, and a series of expansions brought hotel rooms, restaurants and other amenities. The property was renamed once again in 1983 as Palace Station Hotel and Casino.

Although Fertitta retired from Station Casinos in 1993, he remained very active in other Fertitta family businesses as well as community and philanthropic affairs. Fertitta and his wife Vicki were deeply involved in and prided themselves on giving back to the Southern Nevada community. They had significant involvement in the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Bishop Gorman High School, Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, Nevada Cancer Institute, Opportunity Village and St. Jude’s Ranch, to name a few.

By   Thu, Sep 03, 2009

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service has approved MGM Mirage’s request to import two dolphins from Bermuda to display at Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden.

Two environmental organizations protested MGM Mirage’s application to import the dolphins. Born Free USA and the World Society for the Protection of Animals filed protests during a 30-day public comment period. Two dolphins died in the exhibit in the past year. The organizations claim the casino just wants to profit off the animals.

MGM denied the claim. It said it plans to import the dolphins for research purposes, and to allow students to study them. The company also said that by breeding dolphins, it could increase the dolphin population and facilitate continued research of the marine mammals.

The exhibit has a lackluster record when it comes to mortality rates; 14 dolphins have died since the exhibit opened in 1990. While five deaths were at or shortly after birth, others were attributed to a variety of causes, including pneumonia and pulmonary abscesses.

By   Thu, Sep 03, 2009

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland issued an executive order in July that will place video 2,500 lottery terminals in each of the state’s seven racetracks. Ohio joins the ranks of Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Delaware and New York, which all have lottery racinos.

While Strickland rejected a proposal to allow four full-scale casinos in the state’s major cities, a petition drive gathered enough signatures to be certified for a referendum in November. The Ohio Jobs and Growth Plan would authorize four $250 million regional casinos in the state’s four largest cities, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland and Toledo. The effort is being financed by Penn National Gaming and Dan Gilbert, the majority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The state’s Fraternal Order of Police has come out in support of the measure because some of the tax revenue is dedicated to law enforcement.

While the casinos will have to wait for voter approval, the slots could be up and running very quickly.

The legislature approved 17,500 racino terminals and also passed a bill recognizing that Strickland has the authority to put slots in racetracks under the existing lottery amendment that was added to the Ohio constitution in 1973.

Strickland has said he expects the new revenues will add $933 million to the $55.5 billion two-year state budget over the next two years. Proceeds will be earmarked for education.

The action represents a deal between Democratic Governor Strickland and Republican Senate President Bill Harris, who initially locked horns over gaming, until they realized that no other way remained to them to raise revenues without raising taxes. However, it was really Strickland who gave in since Harris had always said that he had the authority to install the VLTs.

 The casino referendum has tempered interest in the racinos, however. The casino initiative would, proponents claim, pump $200 million in licensing fees the first year plus $651 million a year in tax revenues that would go to local government and schools. It would also, they say, create 7,000 permanent jobs and 13,000 temporary construction jobs.

However, it is also possible that the casinos could hurt the revenues from the racinos. The racetracks will definitely be at a disadvantage since they will pay a 50 percent tax rate, while the initiative proposes a 33 percent rate for the casinos.

Harrah’s Entertainment has already begun to eye several racinos, which could cause it to campaign against the casino proposal. That will certainly be the case with MTR Gaming Group, Inc., owner of Scioto Downs. However, Robert Griffin, president of the company, said it is prepared to spend up to $8 million to defeat the initiative in order to prevent its investment from being undermined by the regional casinos.

By   Thu, Sep 03, 2009

Don Marrandino didn’t look back when he left Harrah’s Atlantic City in 1989 to join the Rio in Las Vegas, where he was responsible for setting up the nightclub scene in that seminal property. And when he moved on to Station Casinos to take charge of one of its properties and later one of its divisions, it seemed that his past was a distant memory. And later, when he was COO of the Hard Rock Hotel and then president of the under-construction Wynn Las Vegas for a short time, Marrandino’s pedigree seemed to be built for the desert. But he really started to shine when taking several down-and-out properties and reviving them into hip (at least semi-hip) mid-Strip properties, leading the Flamingo, Harrah’s Las Vegas, O’Shea’s, the Imperial Palace and Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall into the 21st century.

But Marrandino’s Las Vegas days are over. Last month, he was named president of Harrah’s eastern division, which includes the company’s all-important Atlantic City casinos and its Chester racino, following the announcement of the retirement of Carlos Tolosa, who had been with the company since its days as the Holiday Inns.

Marrandino was born in Atlantic City and grew up in Brigantine. His family still calls the island home and Marrandino admits he always had “sand in my shoes”—but not desert sand.

The shakeup brings Rick Mazer, a longtime Harrah’s executive, to Las Vegas to take Marrandino’s former position. Dan Nita, previously in charge of Harrah’s AC properties, will assume Mazer’s old job as general manager of Harrah’s Hammond in northern Indiana, and will presumably also oversee the company’s Midwest riverboats in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa.

 Tolosa will stay on until the end of the year, assisting Marrandino with the transition and working with Harrah’s Chairman Gary Loveman on “strategic initiatives.”

Known for his unique feel for entertainment, Marrandino was doubted last year when he brought in Donny and Marie Osmond to headline at the Flamingo, a move that has paid huge dividends for the property.

Loveman announced the changes in an email to employees and executives in which he called Marrandino an “engaging and creative leader.”

“Don is probably most well-known for his innovative entertainment strategies, but he is more than Mr. Entertainment,” Loveman wrote in the email. “Throughout his career, he has shown an unwavering dedication to service and a knack for cultivating innovation.”

By Dave Bontempo   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

This is a great scene-setting time in Las Vegas.  College football season hits full stride and the NFL campaign begins September 10, bringing fans en masse to the sports books. Boxing corrals center stage when Floyd Mayweather opposes Juan Manuel Marquez September 19, one step in a potential Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao summit for 2010.

It’s all out there—a schedule, a sense of probability and, above all, questions. Let’s look at them, starting with the NFL, and set a few lines of our own.

Questions:

1) Will Michael Vick help or hurt the Philadelphia Eagles?

Vick may not relish the backup role to Donovan McNabb once his dog fighting profile subsides. McNabb can’t be a backup, either. This is his team, the one he took to one Super Bowl and nearly a second last year.

At some point this season, a chemistry clash is likely. Yes, McNabb lobbied for Vick, who may become a natural heir apparent if McNabb breaks down. But can Vick wait? Can any team have two No. 1s?

Technically, Vick gives Philadelphia the running threat McNabb no longer does. Defenses must prepare exactly opposite for him than they do for McNabb because the southpaw Vick throws and runs from the opposite. But, like McNabb, he lacks touch on mid-range routes.

Key factor: Vick accepting role as insurance policy.

Odds on a clash: 2-1.

2) Can Arizona overcome the recent jinx of Super Bowl runner-ups?

Most miss the playoffs the following year. The gut feeling here is that the Cardinals buck the trend. They are not an aging team that made one emotional push and came up just short. This was the NFL’s best Cinderella playoff team in many years, beating Atlanta, Carolina and Philadelphia en route to a close Super Bowl loss against the Steelers. Kurt Warner is back and this team has the weak NFC West schedule. They open at home against the 49ers.

Odds to avoid jinx: 8-5.

3) Does T.O. stand for Terrific      

Off-season move or Terrible Off-season move?
Owens made immediate impacts in Dallas and Philadelphia. He’ll be craving the ball in Buffalo, especially on a team that won’t have the suspended Marshawn Lynch for three games. T.O. will also want to make a statement in week one with Randy Moss in the house. The Bills play in a small media market, which could deflect the glare on Owens and keep his statements in perspective.

What he brings is the ability to get open, even against tough defenses. He can also become an effective decoy and substantially elevate other receivers. But when he doesn’t get the ball, he pouts.

Odds he turns Bills around: 3-1.

4) What about Matt Cassel?

His move to Kansas City from New England should help the Chiefs, but they have been hurt more by predictable play-calling rather than quarterback inefficiency. This team tips off its plays by feeding Larry Johnson amid stacked eight-man fronts and passing primarily on second and third downs. And receiving threat Tony Gonzalez went to Atlanta. Was it the New England system or Cassel who produced the big 2008 campaign?

We’ll see.

Odds for a strong season: 7-2.


5) How angry is New England?  

This team lost its Super Bowl and unbeaten season to the Giants in an improbable last-minute drive, and then suffered the loss of Tom Brady last year. Had the Pats made the playoffs (they were beaten on a tiebreak), there was every reason to believe they would have won everything. If Tom Brady stays healthy, this is an elite team. Even without him, they were good.

New England in the revenge mode under Bill Belichick  is a good success formula.

Odds for big season: 4-5.

By Caitlin McGarry   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

Australian pop singers Toby Allen, Phil Burton, Andrew Tierney and Michael Tierney are well-known in their homeland with several hit albums and sold-out tours, but now the quartet, also known as Human Nature, has crossed the pond and set up shop as a Motown act on the Strip.

Human Nature has been headlining the showroom at the Imperial Palace for the last three months to great success and rave reviews. The show’s presenter, legendary Motown artist Smokey Robinson, lends credence to the performances, which pay homage to some of the greatest songs in music history. Together, Allen, Burton and brothers Andrew and Michael Tierney sing and dance their way through the Motown songbook in a nightly tour de force performance that has audiences on their feet.

Human Nature recently spoke to Casino Connection about their new album, song choices and performing on the Las Vegas Strip.

Human Nature performs Saturday through Thursday at the Imperial Palace. Tickets range from $49.95 to $59.95.

Casino Connection: First, the question on everyone’s minds—how did an Australian Motown group become headliners on the Las Vegas Strip?

Andrew Tierney: We formed as a group in high school, and a lot of the groups we looked up to were the Motown groups. We’ve had a career in Australia; we’ve been going now for 20 years. We just decided to do an album four years ago of the songs we loved from Motown in a tribute to the groups, and that was a huge success in Australia. The record was massive back home.

Then we put a show together around that record. We loved doing the show, and it was something audiences loved as well, and that’s basically the show that we brought over here. It kind of came from doing that record. Through doing further records in Australia as well, we actually got to work with Smokey Robinson. He fell in love with us, so the partnership is kind of what brought us here to Vegas.

How did you land a contract at the Imperial Palace?

Allen: We’d been working with a couple guys here in Vegas—one Australian guy, Billy Cross, who’s in partnership with Adam Steck from SPI Entertainment. Billy actually saw one of our shows in Australia and had already sort of spent a lot of time in Vegas, and he thought it would just be fantastic here in the American market. We’d been working closely with them.

They actually got us a contract; we did a couple of months in Atlantic City, at the Tropicana there, in the beginning of last year. It was great for us to get in front of an American crowd and see how they’d react, and the reaction—it was miserable in the middle of winter in Atlantic City—their reaction to the show was fantastic. It gave us a lot of confidence about how we might do here in the States, particularly in Vegas.

Since then, we’ve just been plugging away trying to get a deal. Eventually, Adam and Billy landed us the deal here at the IP. We’ve got a 12-month contract. All of Harrah’s has been so supportive.

How did you pare down the Motown songbook to come up with the setlist for the show?

Michael Tierney: It’s sort of been over all the shows that we’ve done, because we did this original Motown show back in Australia. I guess through picking out favorites and songs that we can really feel that audiences love, we’ve been able to put together a show that there’s no slow points or dead moments in the show. There’s just the great songs of Motown. We’re lucky that we’ve been able to perform the show so much before we got here, and get it to a point where we’re so happy with it.

Do you plan to add new songs as the show continues?
Allen: If we’re going to be doing this particular show or a Motown show for awhile, then I think we’d probably want to change other production elements as we go along, and that might influence song choices that we might put in. There are quite a few songs that we don’t do in the show that we’ve done quite a bit before. There might be room for some of them back in the show. We may look at changing it as we go.

The Imperial Palace Showroom seems perfect for a show like yours—it’s very intimate, and allows for audience participation. Has this space affected your performance?

Burton: I suppose it just makes us feel more comfortable to know that you’re in a good-quality room. We look around and we think this is probably the best thing about the Imperial Palace is the showroom. It’s just really great for our show.

To perform to too many people takes that intimacy away, but our show is kind of big in some ways, so you don’t want to have just 100 or 200 people and that’s it.

I think it’s probably just added to the comfort on stage and have that match, that the size of the show works with the size of the room.

Andrew Tierney: Because the crowd is so close, you can literally see people’s reactions straight away. It’s probably the most up close and personal we’ve been with an audience. The audience actually touches Toby. We get to go out in the crowd and perform in the crowd, which is great. We have changed the show because of this room, because it’s so close. But we could do that at the Colosseum, too.

The Motown catalog still resonates with so many people. Do you think you’re reinterpreting these songs for a new generation, or are you trying to remain faithful to the originals?

Michael Tierney: I think it’s a little bit of both. We feel we’re putting our own flavor into these songs, but at the same time, we love the original music, so we didn’t want to stray too far from the energy those songs had when they first came out. We were really careful when we were making the records and with the show, we wanted the songs to feel like they had that energy that people felt when they heard them for the first time. I guess it’s just brought them into today. We want people that love the songs to still love them, but also new people to hear these songs in a fresh way for the first time.

So you’re not going to change the arrangements of the songs?

Andrew Tierney: We definitely have. We’ve done our own versions of certain songs. One of the songs, one of the highlights of the show, is our version of “Ooh Baby Baby.” Our arrangement’s structurally the same as the original, but a traditional arrangement—it’s a cappella. It’s very different from the original. So we haven’t been scared to do that, but I think we wanted to keep the magic of a lot of the songs.

We were kind of worried about that at first, what the original artists would think of our versions, and that’s one of the amazing things about having Smokey involved. We automatically feel comfortable about what we’re doing with the songs, because he loves what we’ve done with them. It’s taken that uncertainty away from us.

Have you heard any feedback from other Motown artists who have seen the show?

Andrew Tierney: We teach the audience to do our moves to “Stop! In the Name of Love,” and [former Supremes singer] Mary Wilson was in the crowd. She said, “Those aren’t the moves. Those aren’t the moves that I do to ‘Stop! In the Name of Love.’”

We were teaching the audience our moves, but Mary wasn’t having a bar of that. She did her moves. But she was cool; she said, “You do the guy version; I’ll do the girl moves.”

What is your favorite song to perform?

Burton: I think we all have different ones, but as Andrew said, because it’s so different, “Ooh Baby Baby” is always great. It sort of strips it right back to just the four of us. There’s no band playing; there’s no big lighting effects or anything like that. It’s just real simple, us standing around one microphone.

Andrew Tierney: I kind of like doing “Please Mr. Postman.” That’s a new song that we’ve kind of put in this show that we didn’t have in our Motown show back home, but we just do it with the piano player and the four of us. For me, it’s hard to remember the original because we do it quite differently. It feels quite unique the way we do it. I like that one. And we don’t have to dance. It’s nice to change it up every now and then.

How do you keep the show fresh each night? Does it ever get boring?

Michael Tierney: I’d say it’s the audience, because it’s a different audience every night. Different things happen; you get different responses to different songs. Some nights, there’s a point where we get someone up on stage—Andrew does, in “My Girl”—and that plays out differently every night. Sometimes it’s fantastic. With any live show, it’s that element of you never know what might happen. Something might go wrong. It keeps you on your toes.

What can listeners expect from Reach Out, the new album you released this month?

Andrew Tierney: To a lot of people, it probably seems that the album is after the show, but actually the album inspired the show. We’re doing it the wrong way around in America. It’s kind of cool, because we feel so great about the album. We’re so proud of it. It’s not just the live version of the show—it’s the reason the show exists.

By Dave Bontempo   Sat, Sep 05, 2009

Damian Costa knows Las Vegas from numerous perspectives. He grew up here.

South Point’s new director of entertainment was practically baptized in the gaming-music world. One of his grandfathers was a conductor on the Strip. Another was a trumpet player alongside Elvis Presley and appeared in some of the King’s movies.

“I always appreciated what that music meant on the Strip,” Costa  said.

The magic rubbed off, prompting Costa’s career to mirror the gaming-entertainment symmetry. He rose from parking attendant to marketing specialist at the Thomas and Mack Center and then ran the Orleans Arena for 200 acts a year, including the NCAA’s first casino-based college tournament, the 2006 Las Vegas Invitational. Costa left to become project manager for the $5 billion Echelon Project, but wasn’t “Gaughan” long.

When Echelon stalled, he was reunited with locals legend Michael Gaughan, for whom he’d excelled at the Orleans. The family lineage, coupled with the tutelage of Gaughan and revered Echelon head Bob Boughner, allows Costa to understand many sides of the business.

“The casino industry was quick to realize the value of a big showroom emptying into their properties,” Costa said. “If you have a hockey game and those people then go and gamble, it is very good for the casino. For me, it’s great to be back with a family that was legendary in the development of Las Vegas. Michael’s focus is not only tourists, but on great service to the locals.

“Here, we emphasize affordable luxury,” Costa added. “The prices for shows are reasonable, and if you have the right headliners, I feel that can act as a tiebreaker when people decide where to go. It also helps us that we can easily sell the hotel side of it; the rooms are mini-suites. We give people great value.”

Costa’s gaming challenge taps into his experience. Here, he utilizes a mid-range arena in a property that gives locals a taste of the Strip. At the Orleans, he discovered the dynamic of the public accepting a performer.

“As a production manager, you learn to deal with the agents and the artists,” he said. “You understand how the money is handled. You get to step back from the function of the show and its technical side to look at it from more of a business perspective, as in what the audience wants. When you are involved in arena events, you get instant gratification. If you book the right thing, it’s all in front of you, all these people having a great time.”

Famed piano man Billy Joel has been a bridge to the milestones of Costa’s career. Joel was Costa’s first concert at Thomas and Mack and his final act at the Orleans, about 15 years apart. Recently, South Point had a Billy Joel tribute, which was booked just before he came on board.

These days, Costa juggles the buzz of entertainers, karaoke, cover bands, lounge acts, filling a 5,000-seat arena and finding price points that bring people back.

“We have to know who our audience is and how they are timing their day,” Costa said. “Sometimes you may want to find a Thursday headliner because the folks coming in from California may decide to make it a longer weekend stay. If the crowd is driving out, we might even cater to them better by having something in the early afternoon (encouraging the longer getaway).”

It all works for Costa, a seasoned local and gaming executive. For him, South Point is the right point right now.

By Greg Jones   Sat, Sep 05, 2009

With the football season finally underway, sports books throughout Las Vegas are picking up from the normal summer lull. It’s one of the best times to be in a book, whether you’re in front of the counter or behind it. But for Carol Griffin, a ticket writer at the sports books in Paris Las Vegas and Bally’s, every day is a good day to be in the book. The retired school teacher from Texas works for fun, and she’s found plenty of that in the book. “I do come here for fun and that is a neat thing, because when you’re happy, everyone else is happy,” she said. The book is like a big family made up of coworkers, sports bettors, handicappers and race enthusiasts. When things are a little slow, Griffin loves the opportunity to interact with her customers, regulars and new faces alike. She gets just as much joy out of seeing a returning customer as she does showing a new bettor the ropes of sports wagering. And it doesn’t hurt that she’s a sports fan. While every day is different, there are a couple that really stand out. Big events like the Super Bowl, Kentucky Derby and March Madness create an electric atmosphere. “You start feeling that excitement. People are coming in, they’re ready to go and they get into it and you get into it, too.” People can sense that Griffin is happy to be working, and her positive attitude rubs off, adding to the family-like environment of the books at Bally’s and Paris. It’s hard to figure out who gets the best deal—Griffin, who loves sports, Harrah’s, who got a great team member, or the customers that Griffin serves.

By Caitlin McGarry   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

Miley Cyrus is an inescapable presence in pop culture. The star of Disney’s hit tween show Hannah Montana has become a phenomenon, with Hannah Montana CDs, clothes and a recently released movie.

Cyrus, the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, seems to be moving beyond the role of Montana, who is a normal girl by day and pop star by night. Cyrus is now a full-time celebrity, recording under her own name rather than Hannah Montana’s.

Last year, Cyrus released her “debut” album, Breakout, which officially separated her from the Disney circus, and has reigned over the pop charts as the heir to Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera (former Disney stars themselves). So grab your Hannah Montana gear and your Disney-loving kids and see Cyrus before she grows up.

Miley Cyrus performs at the Thomas and Mack Center September 26 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $39.50, $59.50 and $79.50.

By Caitlin McGarry   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

Puerto Rican-born and Mexican-raised singer Luis Miguel long ago attained international stardom as the “Sun of Mexico.”

Miguel first garnered attention as a child star when he released his debut album, Un Sol, in 1981 at the tender age of 12. An award-winning duet with pop star Sheena Easton followed, as did film roles, but Miguel waited until 1988 to release his follow-up album, Busca Una Mujer.

As an adult, Miguel has had countless hit records, including a trio of Spanish-language Mexican romance albums that catapulted him to worldwide fame. The singer also crossed over to English-language success when he appeared on Frank Sinatra’s Duets II before Ol’ Blue Eyes passed away.

These days, Miguel is touring the world to support a new album, No Culpes a La Noche, to be released later this month.

Luis Miguel plays the Colosseum at Caesars Palace September 12, 13, 14 and 15 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $86.36, $140.91, $168.18 and $227.27.

By Caitlin McGarry   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

Some artists retain their popularity not by constant recording, but through steady touring—by presenting concerts that never fail to entertain. This month, funk stars Tower of Power are bringing a new brand of dance grooves to the masses.

With songs like “You’re Still a Young Man” and “What Is Hip?,” Tower of Power catapulted to soul success in the ‘70s. Though their star eventually faded, they remained a musical presence by supporting huge acts like Santana, Aerosmith and Elton John.

Though their horn-backed original songs have seen them through the years, the band recently released an album of covers titled Great American Soulbook. Throughout the new LP, Tower of Power takes on classic artists like Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin to great success, leading fans to hope that a second volume will soon be in the works.

Tower of Power appears at the South Point Showroom September 11, 12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $40, $45 and $50.

By Caitlin McGarry   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

From teen sex symbol to married mother of two to comeback queen, Britney Spears’ life is accurately summed up by the title of her latest album: Circus. For the second leg of her 2009 tour, Spears is continuing to prove that after years of erratic behavior and public stumbles, she is at last the ringmaster—at least of her performances.

Much has been said and written about Britney, but through all of her ups and downs, her fan base has never faded. After the pop star’s breakdown in early 2008, Spears’ supporters waited with bated breath for her imminent reemergence. And they were rewarded.

For the first time in awhile, Spears is on top of her game: Circus is a fun, slinky album full of club-ready beats that has already spawned a couple of hit singles since its release last December. If the album and tour are any indication, Britney is back to preside as the princess of pop—at least for a while longer.

Britney Spears appears with Jordin Sparks at the Mandalay Bay Events Center September 26 and 27 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $55 to $578.

By Caitlin McGarry   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

Few Las Vegans realized who the Killers were before they became ubiquitous—after all, a handful of UNLV students and musicians starting a band is plenty common in the MySpace age of insta-fame.

But the Killers are more than just one-hit wonders from Sin City—the band has carved a place in the music industry for the kind of synth-pop and dance-rock that has come to define the early 21st century.

It all began with 2004’s Hot Fuss, which was released after lead singer Brandon Flowers, guitarist David Keuning, bassist Mark Stoermer and drummer Ronnie Vannucci escaped to Britain to hit it big. Singles like “Somebody Told Me,” “Mr. Brightside” and “All These Things That I’ve Done” quickly took over radio stations both in America and abroad, and the Killers skyrocketed to stardom.

In the years since their debut, the band has continued to broaden its musical horizons with forays into American anthems (2006’s Sam’s Town, an unsubtle reference to the band’s roots) and ‘80s electro (last year’s Day and Age).

The Killers put Las Vegas’ blossoming music scene on the map, and for that they deserve a standing ovation at this month’s show.

The Killers perform at the Mandalay Bay Events Center September 19 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $39.75, $55.50 and $81.75.

By Marjorie Preston   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

The premise of The Soloist sounds like a recipe for treacle: an L.A. newsman (Downey) befriends a homeless schizophrenic (Foxx) who just happens to be a brilliant classical violinist.

Of course, the newsman tries to make it all better by introducing the poor soul to therapists, taking him to concerts, trying to interject him into a “community” of other mentally ill people, bringing his story to light in hopes that the guy will at least be recognized for his prodigious talent. The results are disappointing; the man’s condition simply is not fixable, not through love, optimism or will.

Based on a true story by former Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Steve Lopez, The Soloist thankfully leans away from the formulaic feel-good moments that often abound in stories like this. With unsentimental direction by Wright and powerful performances by Downey and Foxx, the movie’s almost great.

What’s missing is a real live-wire connection between the two leads, but that’s not surprising. Schizophrenia is a disorder of distance, of separation and fear, and the warm-fuzzies are few and far between. Though Lopez’s book is subtitled A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship and the Redemptive Power of Music—Mitch Albom, anybody?—for this sad man, redemption is improbable. That’s the whole point.

To Wright’s credit, he does not yield to what must have been a mighty temptation to sweeten this story. Foxx’s portrayal—and it’s a satisfying one—embodies this tormented isolation. Even so, lacking an emotional bond with the main character, The Soloist may leave you a little bereft. But that’s better than a Hollywood ending any time.

By Joe Legato   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

You know this year’s Madden is going to be good when its cover is shared by two NFL superstars for the first time in its history.

Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu are just two of the players you’ll see as EA Sports brings football fans Madden NFL 10. As with its predecessors, Madden 10 lets you pick from any of the NFL’s 32 teams and play through a season or build your own team and bring it to the top in franchise mode.

This year’s Madden comes with two new online modes, though, that make it stand out as a vast improvement over the other Madden games. The first is the Online Co-Op mode, where you have the option of playing a quick pick-up game against the computer with a friend from far away. The other mode is the highly anticipated Online Franchise mode, where you can now take your carefully crafted team online to play against other custom teams across the country.

Of course, Madden 10 also comes with some new game play features which help it live up to its hype. The main new feature is called Pro-Tak (short for Procedural Tackling), which gives players more control in tackling and blocking. This means players now have to throw more than a guy or two on tougher running backs to pull them to the ground. Or if a player is on offense, he’ll have to really fight for those yards when trying to get a first down. The Pro-Tak technology also lets players battle for those fumbles that end up under a dogpile of players.

The designers of Madden 10 worked hard to make this the most realistic NFL game to date. There are a ton of new details that are fun to try to spot, such as custom Super Bowl logos on players’ uniforms when playing in the championship. The realism of Madden 10 alone makes it definitely worth a shot. And if you haven’t guessed, it’s also a great way to gear up for football season.

By Roger Gros   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

My list of favorite novelists begins with John Irving, drops down to Pete Dexter and Elmore Leonard, and drops one more notch to Michael Connelly and Dan Brown. Now there’s a new contender: Stephen Carter.

Carter’s previous three novels dwelled on the problem of racism in America and focused on the black intelligentsia; they were well-crafted, multi-dimensional and very ethereal characters. Carter, an African-American, demonstrated clearly that racism is not, if you’ll pardon the pun, just black and white.

His latest, Jericho’s Fall, is a huge departure. It has no racial overtones; in fact, the only African-American character is assassin/librarian Maxine Kelly, whose race seems to be an afterthought.

Jericho’s Fall is a spy thriller featuring former CIA director gone “rogue,” Jericho Ainsley. His paramour, Beck, who once had a student-professor affair with him, arrives at his Colorado home, Stone Heights, to stand vigil while he dies. Her relationship with his two grown daughters—both older than she—is complicated and difficult. When she discovers that one sister, an Episcopal nun, is a former colleague of Ainsley, the plot thickens.

While Jericho’s Fall is not as richly plotted as Carter’s previous novel, Palace Council, or his arresting debut, The Emperor of Ocean Park, it does keep the reader guessing until the last chapter. As shadowy forces converge on Stone Heights, Beck figures out the clues while defending Ainsley from all comers. Complicating matters are threats on Beck’s daughter, who is staying with her control-freak mother during this episode.

Carter fails to develop his characters as deeply as in previous books, but he clearly was going for a change of pace. He peoples this novel with characters that rarely need any justification for their actions other than their relationships with Ainsley himself.

So like Irving, whose novels are as different as night and day, Carter’s first effort outside his genre is satisfying and makes you wonder where he’s going next—the mark of a great novelist.

By Robert Rossiello   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

Annie Clark, the pale, ethereal waif who goes by the stage name St. Vincent, has recently released her second album.

Clark is some kind of wonder; she took up the guitar at age 12 and worked as the tour manager for her uncle’s band, Tuck & Patti, while still a teenager. She also plays bass and keyboards and scores her own arrangements. Her debut album, Marry Me, released in 2007, was a showcase for her unique and varied song-writing and garnered her an avid cult following.

The new album, The Actor, for which Clark wrote all the songs and co-produced, continues her tradition of experimentation. It’s more cohesive than her previous work, yet the music is unclassifiable. The sound of St. Vincent can be at times sweet or menacing, vast or intimate, lush or industrial, often in the same song.

The album opens with “Strangers,” setting Clark’s airy vocals over a beat box and swirling carnival instrumentation. The chorus is upbeat while the lyrics are dark. “Paint the black hole blacker,” she chirps happily.

Clark excels in these contradictions and strange juxtapositions. Her voice has a sweetness that rides atop complex arrangements which often dive into dissonance. With aggressive guitar, vocal distortions and snippets of orchestration, one can hear the influence of Beck and Bjork. 

"Actor Out of Work,” the album’s first single, is probably the closest thing to an all-out rocker, but even this has a strange, sweeping grandeur. Clark has said that the album was inspired by her favorite films, like Snow White, Stardust Memories and Badlands. She imagined scoring her favorite scenes.

“I wanted to make something that had the whimsy and the sweetness of something very pure, like the Disney films, but also something that was kind of bloody and gory and disgusting,” Clark has said.

Clark has a unique approach to her material. Her music is not always easy listening, but somehow it all works. Actor is certainly not for everyone, but it will go far in furthering the popularity of St. Vincent and establishing Annie Clark as an important figure on the musical scene.

By Caitlin McGarry   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

Collective Soul emerged in the 1990s as one among many alt-grunge bands dominating radio at the time. Songs like “Shine” and “The World I Know” had enough thrusting guitar hooks to plant them in the rock scene, but also had enough pop sensibility to sound happy. Or as happy as a grunge band can sound.

Alternative rock veered away from grunge and moved to the bland depression of nu metal, and Collective Soul took the opportunity to jump ship. The band’s members, Ed Roland, Dean Roland, Will Turpin, Joel Kosche and Shane Evans, embraced the love of pop music that bubbled beneath the surface of their rock songs. In 2001, they released Blender. Shiny melodies and a guest appearance from Elton John marked the band’s shift from hard rock to adult contemporary music, and critics panned the transition.

More than a decade after they burst on the music scene, Collective Soul is now just trying to get back to where they once belonged. With the release of Rabbit last month on Roadrunner Records, the band is proving once again that they can rock with the best of them.

Collective Soul plays poolside at Hard Rock Hotel September 11 at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $31.36, or free by registering at spyonvegas.com.

By Caitlin McGarry   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

For almost 20 years, Mariah Carey has been at the forefront of contemporary pop music. As the reigning diva of R&B, Carey’s pitch-perfect five-octave voice has placed her squarely in the camp of music’s greatest legends.

Most artists dream of one day achieving Carey’s level of success—from her self-titled debut album to the impending release of her 12th studio LP, Memoirs of An Imperfect Angel, Carey has consistently delighted fans with her top-notch vocal stylings. The singer’s number of chart-topping singles, ranging from “Vision of Love” and “Fantasy” to “We Belong Together” and “Touch My Body,” ranks second only to the Beatles.

Of course, Carey has had downs in her career as well as ups, but the Glitter days are long gone. Carey has been flying high since the release of The Emancipation of Mimi in 2005.

With a controversial new single, “Obsessed,” (Eminem is rumored to be the subject of the song), Carey continues to prove that she still dominates the spotlight, even after all these years.

Mariah Carey performs at the Palms September 11 and 12 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $129, $179 and $254.

By Caitlin McGarry   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

The year was 1968. The world was a contentious place, but from the noise and tension emerged a work of genius: Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks. The Irish poet’s blending of folk, jazz, blues, rock and pop was magical, his lyrical genius unmatched, his soulful voice a port in the storm.

Astral Weeks remains one of the most original and pivotal landmarks in music history, like lightning in a bottle. Morrison went on to become a huge star, with hits like “Moondance,” “Into the Mystic” and “Domino,” but to this day he is an impenetrable force who has forever followed the beat of his own drummer.

Morrison’s newest album, Keep It Simple, seems to be his mantra of late. Even when his music is stripped bare, Morrison still outshines even the brightest stars.

Van Morrison plays the Joint September 25 at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $71, $91, $131 and $171.

By Caitlin McGarry   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

Karen O., Nick Zinner and Brian Chase comprise the dance-punk trio that is the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and together the band delivers the grungy eclecticism of the New York underground to the masses.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have come to define garage rock in the 21st century, having burst on the scene with their jagged self-titled EP in 2001 before breaking the hearts of American teenagers with the love song “Maps” from their 2003 debut album Fever to Tell.

“Maps” was an oddly telling hit for the band, putting the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on the map with Karen O.’s yearning sighs: “Wait / They don’t love you like I love you.”

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have cleaned up in the six years since Fever to Tell, releasing the slicker Show Your Bones in 2006 and the electro-rock It’s Blitz! this year. The new album is a step in a different direction for the band, who experiments with sound the way Karen O. experiments with hairstyles (punk rock bowl cut, anyone?). If It’s Blitz! is any indication, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are certainly no one-hit wonders.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs appear at the Palms September 19 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $32.50.

By Caitlin McGarry   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

Las Vegas bands can be seen around the city:

The Griffin:
511 Fremont St.
Las Vegas, NV 89101 • 702-382-0577
www.thegriffinlounge.com

The Study Band
September 9 @ 9 p.m.

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Gallo’s Pizza:
3250 N. Tenaya Way # 110
Las Vegas, NV 89129 • 702-656-9191

The Objex
September 11 @ 9 p.m.

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The Bunkhouse:
124 S. 11th St.
Las Vegas, NV 89101 • 702-384-4536
www.bunkhouselv.com

The Mapes
September 4 @ 10 p.m.

Neon Reverb Music Festival
September 17, 18, 19 @ 10 p.m.

Alleyways
September 24 @ 10 p.m.

A Crowd of Small Adventures
September 26 @ 10 p.m.

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The Aruba Hotel & Spa:
1215 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89104 • 702-383-3100
www.arubalasvegas.com

Moksha
September 4 @ 11 p.m.

The Clydesdale
September 7 @ 9 p.m.

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Double Down Saloon:
4640 Paradise Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89169 • 702-791-5775

The Vermin
September 5 @ 10 p.m.

By   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

By Dave Bontempo   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

Mayweather’s comeback obtained center stage in May, but the injury prompting his July 19 cancellation against Juan Manuel Marquez made him appear human for the first time in his career.

Their rescheduled September 19 battle at the MGM still offers intriguing variables. Mayweather is unbeaten in a career that started in 1996, and he should be able to outhustle a game but battle-worn Marquez.

If Mayweather wins and Manny Pacquiao prevails as expected against Miguel Cotto November 14 in Vegas, Mayweather-Pacquiao  looms as a substantial barn-burner for 2010. But they must first win impressively. That’s why Pacquiao’s spectacular May knockout of Ricky Hatton marked a perfect time to make Mayweather-Pacquiao, but it hasn’t happened.

Fri, Sep 04, 2009

Hood, born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1926, started managing hotels in the 1950s and came to Las Vegas in 1973 with her husband, David, who was assuming his role as the new president of the Four Queens.

The Four Queens, named for then-owner Ben Goffstein’s four daughters, had opened in 1966 as a small Downtown hotel and casino. Hyatt, for whom the Hoods were working in California, bought the property in 1972.  David made several changes, including the opening of Hugo’s Cellar, which is today still one of Las Vegas’ top casino restaurants.

After David’s death in 1977, Jeanne assumed the role of president and chief operating officer of the casino, and continued expanding the property, eventually doubling its hotel size.

When the Hyatt company bought the Four Queens, it created a wholly-owned subsidiary, Elsinore Company, which also later acquired the Hyatt Lake Tahoe. In the early 1980s, Elsinore moved into Atlantic City, in partnership with Hugh Hefner, and built the Playboy hotel-casino. After Hefner ran into licensing difficulties, Elsinore became sole owner of the property, renaming it the Atlantis.

Hood became president of Elsinore in 1983, and succeeded in selling the unprofitable Lake Tahoe and Atlantic City casinos so that the company could focus on the solid Four Queens. She continued to lead the company until 1993, when she left to become a director and gaming consultant with American Vantage Companies.

In Las Vegas, Hood left a strong legacy, both at the Four Queens and in Downtown Las Vegas. From the 1970s, she championed the cause of Downtown, and in the 1990s was pivotal in the redevelopment of the area. As one of the leading casino executives in a pivotal period in Downtown’s history, Jeanne Hood was a true pioneer.

SOURCE: Fedora Bontempi-Simpkin Collection, UNLV Special Collections

By Greg Jones   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

It’s hard to be all things to all people. Usually, microbreweries are either associated with more typical bar food or with some highfalutin cuisine that can be as intimidating to the uninitiated as it is difficult to pronounce. The 777 Restaurant and Microbrewery located inside Main Street Station, however, has managed to strike a perfect balance.

There are, in essence, two different restaurants in one at the 777. There is a menu that features a lot of what you would expect in a brew pub or sports bar—hamburgers, wings, etc.—but there is also a highly-regarded sushi bar in the back, off to the side a little bit. It really is the best of both worlds.

The sushi is flown in fresh daily from Hawaii, and everything is put together fresh in-house. There are no pre-formed rolls or pre-made platters being sent out here.

Some of the most popular items on the sushi menu include the Nigir Platter—Ahi, Hamachi, Unagi, Tajo and Ebi—and the California and dragon rolls, according to Ben Gries, head chef at Main Street Station.

Oysters are another popular item, with the restaurant typically going through two or more cases a day, Gries said.

 The other menu features more typical fare that can be found in a brew pub, with dishes like prime rib, fish and chips and pizzas being some of the top sellers, according to Lane Conley, food and beverage director at Main Street Station.

With the two menus, 777 draws a mixed business consisting largely of Downtown businesspeople during the lunch hour and more tourists, locals and hotel guests in the evenings. Gries attributes, in part,  the success of bringing in area workers for the lunch rush to the quality of the food and the large portions. Word of mouth helps bring people in at other times, as do the five beers—four regular beers, including a pale ale, porter, a red lager and a wheat beer, as well as a rotating seasonal offering—created on-site by brew master Matt Marino.

The happy hour specials also help, added Conley. The specials are offered from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) and include $2 house wines, well drinks and 16-ounce microbrews, as well as menu items like fried calamari, fried mushrooms, California rolls and 12 chicken wings for $4.50.

Traditional breakfast dishes are also available from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m.

---------------------

777 Restaurant & Microbrewery

Location: Main Street Station, 200 N. Main Street

Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Phone: 702-387-1896

By Caitlin McGarry   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

To be perfectly honest, there is no drink more perfect than a martini. No matter the combination of liquors, a martini glass brimming with booze is without a doubt the pinnacle of sophistication (olives are optional).

 Martinis, a 24-hour spot located near a bustling intersection in Summerlin, is one of several bars in Las Vegas with James Bond’s favorite drink in its name, yet Martinis is definitely the cream of the crop. Located away from the Strip in a locals neighborhood, the bar is a mix of upscale seriousness and sports bar friendliness, with a diverse beverage menu that includes high-end libations as well as a solid beer selection.

The entrance to Martinis leads to a dimly lit lounge with leather chairs clustered around small tables in front of the fireplaces that separate the bar from the dining area. Above the tables are flat-screen TVs with plenty of sports action (if you’re into that), and the bar-top is lined with embedded gaming machines, just in case you forget you live in Las Vegas.

 The drink menu at Martinis is serious business—with a thick, black embossed cover and pages filled with print, the task of selecting a drink takes some time. The list of traditional martinis ranges from Casino Royale’s Vesper (six parts gin, two parts vodka and one part blond lillet, shaken with a twist), the original Martinez (two parts gin, one part vermouth and a dash of orange bitters shaken with an olive) and the Oscar Goodman martini (Bombay Sapphire with anchovy and bleu cheese-stuffed olives). Martinis serves gourmet stuffed olives with its signature selections, with flavors including almond, garlic, jalapeno and onion.

 If gin, vodka and vermouth don’t do the trick, Martinis also offers more contemporary flavored martinis, some served with fresh fruit as a garnish. The classic Blueberry More martini combines Bluberi Stoli with sugar and lime over a base of blueberries, while the Lychee Martini blends vodka with Soho Liqueur, lychee puree and sweet and sour. If you’re feeling adventurous, the Afterburner (Plymouth gin, cucumber, garlic Tabasco, sugar and lime) is a cocktail for the brave of heart, or you could try the Martini of the Month—July’s lemon blackberry sorbetini, which has been added to the regular menu, was to die for.

Martinis’ cocktails hover in the $10 range, unless you take advantage of the bar’s happy hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m, or the late-night happy hour beginning at 11 p.m. for service industry folks partying after-hours.
    Martinis is a versatile neighborhood spot, simultaneously the perfect place for a quiet night with a glass of wine accompanied by a gourmet nut and cheese platter or for a raucous dinner party. And the martinis themselves? Sensational.

---------------------------

Martinis

Location: 1205 S. Fort Apache Rd.

Hours: 24 hours a day

Phone: 702-242-8464

By Dave Bontempo   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

Good news for UNLV football fans: you can see successive home games September 5 against Sacramento State (7 p.m.), September 12 against Oregon State and September 19 against Hawaii (both 8 p.m.). It’s a great way to bring in the new season.

On the flip side, three home games at the start of a campaign puts pressure on teams to come out flying. Naturally, the team’s last two games in November are on the road.

By Greg Jones   Fri, Sep 04, 2009

For the past 15 years, the international movement to get people to break free from the powerful grip of the idiot box has been growing. What started by the anti-consumerism magazine Adbusters back in 1994 has grown into a movement that is supported by organizations including the YMCA, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Education Association.

There have been name changes, as Adbusters changed TV Turn-Off Week to Television Detox Week, and it has a new iteration as Digital Detox Week. But the magazine’s primary partner in championing the movement, the Center for Screen-Time Awareness (known at the time as TV-Free America), is keeping to the original message and focusing on getting Americans to pay closer attention to the amount of time they spend watching TV through two annual efforts, one in April and another in September. This year, the fall TV Turn-Off Week runs from September 20-26.

Television has had an increasingly important role in the everyday lives of Americans. And while those who criticize it are usually dismissed as snobby, intellectual elitists, there are a number of scientific studies that suggest it is not in any way a good thing that as a culture, we are spending more and more time parked in front of the television set. Thus, the reason behind TV Turn-Off Week.

“The reason for it is simply that a population that is less sedentary and solitary is healthier mentally and physically,” said Robert Kesten, executive director of the Center for Screen-Time Awareness. “It is a primary cause of the diabetes crisis and heart attacks and everything else that goes along with being inactive.”

As the nation grapples with a health care system that is in crisis, the impact is clear to see. The health problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle play into that crisis. They lead to increased costs for everyone involved, and as Kesten said, regardless of the reforms the current administration might make, without addressing some of the underlying causes of the health care problems (poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, etc.), health care costs will continue to escalate.

But television doesn’t just cause problems through the sedentary lifestyle it encourages. Studies looking at brainwave patterns show the brain of someone watching television is actually less active than a sleeping brain. It was concluded that watching television slows the brain down to a state that would also be achieved by staring at a completely blank wall. Basically, when the TV turns on, the brain shuts down.

In additional to the psychological atrophy that television contributes to, it also slows the metabolism greatly. Again, studies have shown that  metabolic rates drop significantly when people are watching television. And, to tie it in with the blank wall example, you would burn more calories per hour sitting in front of that blank wall doing nothing than you do sitting in front of the television.

Karl Marx was talking about religion when he coined the phrase “opiate of the masses,” but he couldn’t have been more accurate if he was talking about the television set.

Television has become an addiction like any other. What starts as an easy approach to fill a couple hours in the evening has now become the de facto activity in too many households throughout the country.

“Since this boom of technology that started in the ‘80s with the advent of cable television, we have seen populations grow fatter and have shorter and shorter attention spans,” Kesten said. “There is a direct link. If people want to be healthy themselves, if they want healthier children and if they want a safer community, they have to make an effort to divest from the screen and invest in real, live activity.”

TV Turn-Off Week is aimed at young and old alike. Whether the result is reaching children who express concerns with their parents’ viewing patterns, or whether it is making parents more aware of how much television their children are watching, the ultimate goal is the same.

“Anything that breaks that normal chain so that the irregular becomes regular and the habit is broken,” Kesten said. “It does take time and it is not easy and computers and televisions are, frankly, the easiest thing you can do. But easy isn’t always the best.”

Kesten suggests a number of activities to help people wean themselves from television. Making and eating dinner as a family, followed by a family night playing a board game or doing something together is a good place to start. Having neighbors over for a pot-luck dinner is another suggestion. Not only do these activities foster the building of real relationships with real people, they help show that the TV is not really a necessary part of the nightly entertainment plans.

Another option is for people who normally turn to TV to try picking up a book. Perhaps fitting with the theme of the week, Neil Postman’s critique on the effect of television on culture, Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Showbusiness, would be a good place to start. In his book, Postman looks not at the physical or emotional impact television has on society, but the impact is has on culture. In short, Postman argues that switching public discourse from the printed word to the television is resulting in a dumbing-down of society.

And, of course, as fall begins in the desert, it is an excellent time to get outside for a walk. Whether it’s a short walk around the block after dinner, a longer hike though Red Rock or Valley of Fire or a more strenuous weekend hiking and camping trip, this is definitely the best time of year for it. It is also a time of year when people, especially in Las Vegas, actually find themselves watching more television, because with fall comes the start of the football season, which can mean eight or more hours of football on both Saturday and Sunday.

While the hardest-core of fans won’t think of missing one weekend of football, for those who may be somewhat less committed, TV Turn-Off Week offers an excellent opportunity for an experiment. Spend one weekend without watching a single football game—you can still get the final scores from the newspaper or listen to the game on the radio while you’re doing something else—and see if you notice any difference.

There is no doubt that television has some positive aspects of it, and ultimately the goal of TV Turn-Off Week is not to lead to TV Turn-Off Month or TV Turn-Off Year, but simply to enlighten people about how much time they spend in front of the TV and how many better things there are that they could be doing with their time.

Thu, Sep 03, 2009

After negotiating for months to get a prepackaged bankruptcy proposal approved by lenders, Station Casinos ended up filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in late July. The depressed economy has made it difficult for the company to meet debt obligations it incurred when it went private in 2007.

The filing is for Station Casinos’ parent company and some non-gaming assets. None of the company’s gaming properties were included in the filing. Kevin Kelley, chief operating officer for the company, said doing so ensured that operations would remain as usual for guests, vendors and team members.

Kelley recently spoke with Casino Connection Managing Editor Greg Jones to discuss some of the questions surrounding the company’s filing, and to explain just what it means to the company and its 13,000 employees.

Casino Connection: Clearly this was a difficult decision, not something that you really wanted to do, but a situation where you were left with no other choice. Could you explain some of the considerations that went into the filing?

Kelley: We have been working very hard with our lending group to come up with a scenario that would come up with a prepackaged solution to everyone’s concerns and that would have allowed us to get through this as quickly as possible.

We made lots of progress through the negotiating process, but I liken it to trying to herd cats. We’ve got a really complex capital structure, and if there are 15 cats that we’re trying to herd, we had about 13 of them in the bag, and when we went to try and get the other two in the bag and we captured them, by the time we got back, three had jumped out.

It seemed like that was what was going on for quite a bit of time. There were a few pieces of the puzzle that still remained and we felt that the right thing to do for the company was to provide an organized legal process that would help referee the ultimate conclusion of our negotiations, and that’s why we ultimately decided that seeking protection under Chapter 11 was the right choice for us.

How does this filing differ from the prepackaged proposal that you were talking about at the start of the year?

The bottom line is that in the prepackaged situation, everything would be completely agreed upon and, for the most part, the judge would just have to rule to make sure that all of the “i”s were dotted and the “t”s were crossed.

In this process, albeit voluntary, we have an exclusive negotiating right with our lenders as part of the process. There are still some elements of the negotiations that need be confirmed, crystallized and agreed upon and again; having that legal process to help referee that we think is going to help facilitate a much swifter resolution for us.

Do you have any idea what you might be looking at in terms of a time frame?

Obviously we’re hoping to get through this thing as quickly as possible. We could envision that we can get through this thing in as quickly as 120 days. But it may take longer than that, depending on how some of these protracted negotiations play out.

Once again, I think the good news is that we have a lot of motivated people who really see the virtues and the value of Station Casinos as it is today and want to see us emerge a stronger, leaner, more efficient company so everyone can share in the ultimate value that will be created by our ongoing operations.

Ultimately that seems like something that would be in everyone’s best interest.

Exactly. Our bondholders, our senior lenders, our bank group, they all bought into the company when it was valued at $9 billion. They’re going to like it as much at $3 billion because they know over time that our business model is the right business model; that we have the best assets in the market, human and physical; and that we’ll ultimately be able to take advantage of the growth in the valley when it returns. That is when they get paid. Again, I think they see that’s the best way to ultimately get the value back that unfortunately this economy has extracted from us all.

This filing is for the parent company of the properties. Does that mean there will be no impact on the operations at the properties themselves?

That’s correct. One of the things that was very important to us and to the lending group was to make sure that our operations weren’t impaired in any way through this process. And obviously we want to make sure that we had the resources to continue to make sure that the properties stay in good shape and that team members’ wages and benefits and vacations and all of the things that are important to them are not impacted to any degree whatsoever.
    The same time, our vendors and our guests are always very concerned in a situation like this. “What’s going to happen to my comp points?” and “What’s going to happen to this part of my rewards program?” and so forth. Obviously, if everyone is aligned as we are, you don’t want to see any damage come to the business through this process. Keeping the properties outside of it and allowing them to continue to do the good things that they do is very important, and that is why we’ve done it the way we’ve done it.

There were some limited layoffs earlier that were not related to the filing but were instead a result of the economy, but for clarity, are there any anticipated changes you foresee for your team members?

No, absolutely not.

Whether we have this restructuring or not, we have always prided ourselves on making sure that we run an efficient operation. What’s caused some of our very surgical downsizing, which is what I like to call it, is a downturn in the economy and the market here. You know as well as I do that unemployment is 12.5 percent, unfortunately, people’s home values are underwater, and we have some unprecedented economic challenges in this city.

As a gaming operator and a business operator, you have to do what you can to manage your expenses the best you can when revenues aren’t as robust as they could be. That’s caused us to make the adjustment to our staffing levels, not the fact that we’ve gone through this reorganization process.

One of the other things that has come up again recently was that one of your competitors made an offer earlier this year to purchase a number of your properties. Were you surprised when that offer was announced?

I’m not surprised. I think that would be the natural reaction for a company like that who has the kind of assets that they have in the city. Certainly you would want to grab better assets if you could. I think that they have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders to try to explore any and all opportunities to grow value.

First and foremost, what they were offering was completely out of the ballpark. And secondly, and most importantly, we weren’t even interested.

We have no interest in selling any of our assets or the company. Our whole intention here is to get our debt and get our company restructured in a way that allows us to take advantage of what we think is going to be a great future here in the valley, and that is really what we’re focused on and working toward. That is why when we entered the voluntary process, we have a lock-up agreement with our lenders that allows us the exclusive right to negotiate with them until we can get a deal done. That is the avenue that we’re going to pursue.

Is there anything that hasn’t been touched upon yet that you would like to say?

We started our company in 1976 and we’ve lived through some valleys and we’ve had some great boom times, and we are looking forward to getting through this little valley that we’re in right now to prepare ourselves for what we believe will be boom times in the future.

I think we have a great business model, but most importantly, we’ve got 13,000 of the very best team members in the whole city. It sounds very contrived, but I mean it from the bottom of my heart. These guys are so loyal and so passionate and so committed to Station Casinos, and they’ve been right there shoulder-to-shoulder with management as we’ve gone through these challenges. We feel very lucky that we have these kind of team members on board with us. We know that that is our biggest asset and they’re the ones who are ultimately going to get us through this downturn faster than anybody in the city.

By   Thu, Sep 03, 2009

The dream of table game operations in Delaware by spring came to an abrupt end last month, as Governor Jack Markell and leaders of the state House ruled out a special session of the legislature this fall to finalize the rules and tax rate for the games.

Immediately after Markell signed a bill into law in May authorizing table games and sports betting, operators of Delaware’s three racinos—Delaware Park, Dover Downs and Harrington Raceway—predicted they would have table games up and running by Christmas. They later modified that projected start to next April, but both predictions were predicated on the regulations for table games being approved by the legislature.

A special commission created by Markell, consisting of two state officials and Dover Downs CEO Ed Sutor, who represented the racinos, agreed on a 33.9 percent tax rate for the tables early this month, and sent the agreed-upon table regulations to the legislature. Markell had been expected to call the legislature into special session to approve the rules to get the tables running.

However, last week, Markell and lawmakers announced that there will be no special session, meaning the issue cannot be taken up until the legislature reconvenes in January. Considering that training, hiring of dealers and purchases of equipment cannot be completed until the rules are in place, which pushes the best estimates for tables going live back to July 2010.

Meanwhile, while table games are delayed, Delaware’s sports betting plans are in limbo. In a lawsuit against the state, the major professional sports leagues and the NCAA claim that Delaware is only entitled to parlay wagering, or betting on multiple games, on professional football under its exemption from the 1992 federal ban on sports wagering. A federal appeals court ruled that Delaware does not have that right and that the 1992 law passed by Congress banning sports betting says as much.

The state was one of four grandfathered under the ban because of a sports lottery it ran in 1976, which offered only parlay bets. (The sports leagues sued to stop that law too, but lost.) The leagues claim that the federal law only permits the game that was offered in ’76 and still bans single-game wagering in the state and bets on any other sport but pro football. The state legislature in June passed a law that merits full-blown sports wagering.

When asked by a federal judge what would happen if the panel permitted sports betting to go forward, and then it is later overturned, putting millions of dollars in wagers at risk, an attorney for the state of Delaware said, “Caveat emptor,” or “buyer beware.”

Thu, Sep 03, 2009

The media are kind of like women. Can’t live with ‘em; can’t live without ‘em. I’ve spent a good portion of my career trying to educate members of the mainstream media on the realities of gaming. Granted, I’m biased toward our industry, but there are so many anti-gaming “experts” out there, I believe I must try to balance out the shrill negative naysayers with a positive, progressive message.

But obviously, I can’t do everything, and most stories get written without my input and therefore become “hatchet jobs.”

One such article was a cover story in Time magazine last month, “Fabulous Less Vegas.” The author, Joel Stein, confesses with some embarrassment that he’s come to love the city over the past 10 years, and even penned a paean—read “puff piece”—to Vegas five years ago as a cover story for the same magazine.

This time, however, Stein seems to be rejoicing in the Vegas troubles. He celebrates the fall from grace of the huge casinos on the Strip and even seems to gloat that small homeowners in the city are being hit with the same punishment for the same crimes. He finds a convenient speculator upon whom he pins the sins of the entire city.

And then, of course, Stein is puzzled by the fact that the optimism that made Las Vegas great hasn’t disappeared. He actually makes a bet with Steve Wynn against the city’s recovery. Shows exactly how much he truly “loves” Las Vegas.

Now, I saw the way Time magazine works back in the early 1990s when the magazine sent a team of reporters to Atlantic City to document the “slums in the shadows of casino palaces” story that was, even at that time, an image of the past. But they could not be dissuaded by the truth, and sure enough, the cover photo showed a homeless man sleeping under a lifeguard boat in the very shadow of a casino. Great image, just not very accurate. It appears the same formula was used with last month’s cover story.

If Stein were just one of the “drive-by” journalists who pop in to make judgments about the town and the gaming industry as a whole, it wouldn’t be such a big deal, but it seems the mainstream media is feasting on Las Vegas these days.

The media is taking pleasure in the difficulties of the gaming industry in general and Las Vegas in particular. Take, for example, Chicago Sun-Times writer Neil Steinberg, who parachutes into Vegas (at the request of his son on a family vacation) to do a piece he so cleverly calls “What Happens in Vegas: Little Good.” He’s in town for less than 24 hours and manages to complain about his hotel (Excalibur), timeshare shills and even—horror of horrors—gambling itself!

It’s often amazing to me that these kinds of pieces get written without as much as a call to the hotel or seemingly any editorial oversight whatsoever.

But the newspapers and magazines certainly aren’t alone. There have been numerous stories on radio and television that tread the same ground claimed by these “parachute” journalists.

Now, surely we have problems. There is no denying that. But Las Vegas has faced down many challenges over the years, and I’m confident it will defeat this one as well. But that won’t stop these so-called journalists from taking every opportunity to berate the city that was once on top. Unfortunately, there are plenty of challenges that still remain, so the city will provide much fodder for more stories like that.

No, I don’t have much hope that this will change anytime soon. This feeding frenzy and obvious glee at the misfortunes of the gaming industry will continue. And in the long run, it doesn’t really matter.

What matters is that we provide the best service and continue to offer first-class facilities for our customers, our employees and our shareholders. Because, in the end, that’s the heart and soul of gaming, not some silly journalist who thinks he’s being witty and “original” by describing how “sad” he is that the casinos are hurting. Our revenge will be returning to prosperity and offering quality experiences to all who cross our thresholds.

By   Thu, Sep 03, 2009

Unemployment rates throughout Nevada continued their upward trend in July, reaching 13.1 percent in Clark County compared with a statewide rate of 12.5 percent.

The Las Vegas numbers represent almost a full percentage point increase over the 12.3 percent reported in June and a nearly 90 percent overall increase compared to the 6.9 percent reported in July 2008.

The national unemployment rate is 9.4 percent.

"Nevada is in the midst of the longest, deepest recession since World War II and recent labor market trends show no signs of improvement, particularly unemployment, which has surged at a record pace in recent months,” said William Anderson, chief economist of the state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. “Growth in the national economy will likely precede improvement in Nevada. When that growth will trickle down to Nevada is less certain.”

While there is some promise with the coming opening of CityCenter, Anderson noted that some of the 10,000 jobs created will be offset by the elimination of construction jobs on the project as well as cannibalization of existing gaming jobs at other properties.

The reason for the loss of jobs is clear in Southern Nevada. The major economic engine is sputtering as visitation and spending continue to decline.

“The leisure and hospitality sector continues to limp along,” Anderson said. “Visitation remains stagnant and those that do visit are spending less. For 13 months in a row, fewer visitors have come to Las Vegas.”

Things are no better in the Reno-Sparks area, where unemployment rose from 11.7 percent in June to 12.2 percent in July. In Carson City unemployment hit 11.7 percent in July, while Elko’s rate increased only slightly from 6.6 percent to 6.7 percent.

By   Thu, Sep 03, 2009

It might be considered a friendly rivalry by some, but with Nevada and California facing unprecedented budget shortfalls and dealing with rising unemployment figures, competition for jobs and new business development is serious.

The Nevada Development Authority recently rolled out its $300,000 ad campaign targeting California. The campaign intends to encourage the state’s residents and business owners to relocate to Nevada, especially considering the California’s budget crisis.

 The “Kiss Your Assets Goodbye” campaign largely focuses on comparing California’s imposing tax structure and excessive regulations to Nevada’s business-friendly tax system with no personal or corporate income tax and a lower worker’s compensation rate.

Jack Kyser, senior vice president and chief economist of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the campaign was a little mean-spirited, and noted that it also might be somewhat self-defeating for a city that generates a large percentage of its income off of visitors from California.

“The idea is, this is stealing our economic base, and if you’re trying to steal business out of Southern California, basically, what you may be doing is taking money away from potential customers who might go to Las Vegas,” Kyser said.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is fine with that. He predicted the campaign would drive lawmakers in California “bonkers,” and added, “We’re going to crush them.”

By   Thu, Sep 03, 2009

Community Connections, a charitable program run through American Casino & Entertainment Properties, LLC, conducted a coat drive throughout the month of July, through which hundreds of coats for adults and children were collected.

Employees at all four ACEP properties—Stratosphere Hotel & Casino, Arizona Charlie’s Decatur, Arizona Charlie’s Boulder and Aquarius Casino Resort—participated in the event.

The children’s coats were donated to each of the four properties’ adopted schools—Fremont Middle School, Doris Hancock Elementary, Will Beckley Elementary and Coyote Canyon Elementary. Coats were also donated to the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, the Las Vegas Rescue Mission, Praise Chapel and the Golden Valley Food Bank.

 All the donated coats were dry-cleaned free of charge by Mission Linen.

By   Thu, Sep 03, 2009

After years of back and forth between those who support the Lazy 8 casino project in Sparks, Nevada and those who oppose it, the resort has finally been approved by the Sparks City Council.

Developer Harvey Whittemore also recently announced that the Lazy 8 will begin construction within two or three years.

The project was first proposed in 1994, when economic conditions were vastly different from what they are now, and Whittemore said on the Nevada NewsMakers television program that obtaining financing for the project would be much more difficult now.

“We’re disappointed that we didn’t do this in a timely fashion, two, three, four years ago when these issues would have not been as tough as they are, but we’re confident that we’ll be able to succeed,” Whittemore said in an interview on the show.

By   Thu, Sep 03, 2009

Local casino operators in Las Vegas have teamed up to offer pooled sports book bets, widening the selection and upping the amount players can bet.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board granted preliminary approval to industry veteran and South Point owner Michael Gaughan to pool his property’s sports book with the Palms, the Cannery, the Eastside Cannery and the Rampart Casino at the JW Marriott hotel in Summerlin.

Gaughan currently pools South Point’s sports book resources with the El Cortez and Black Gaming’s Casablanca and Virgin River properties in Mesquite.

Gaughan told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he wants to try the plan for a year to see what the results are.

By   Thu, Sep 03, 2009

Impressionist Frank Caliendo, best known for his impression of NFL commentator John Madden, signed a 10-year contract to perform at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas.

In addition to his Madden impression, Caliendo also does impressions of other celebrities, including Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, Dr. Phil and Jay Leno. His new show is said to be a mix of impressions and stand-up that is enhanced by live music and video sketches.

“I’m excited to call Monte Carlo my new home,” Caliendo said. “This is Vegas, so this show is going to be bigger and have a higher production value than traditional stand-up.  I’ve got a live band; we’ll have video segments and maybe even some guest appearances. It’s going to have all of the excitement of a TV show but it will be live on-stage and no two shows will be exactly alike.”

By   Thu, Sep 03, 2009

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, really. If the big companies like Harrah’s Entertainment, MGM Mirage and Station Casinos are struggling to keep revenue up during the recession, why should the smaller casino operators be any different?

The answer is that they are not. A group of earnings reports from properties like Planet Hollywood, Hooters Casino and Black Gaming (operator of casinos in Mesquite) shows these companies facing the exact same problems as every other operator in the state.

Planet Hollywood, for example, said it is having a hard time generating enough cash flow to cover its commitments, including payments on an $860 million loan. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company noted that without a capital contribution from owners, a third-party investor or restructuring its debt, the property won’t be able to make its working capital and debt obligations through the end of the year.

Hooters Hotel is also treading water after posting a second quarter loss of $5 million. The property is in default on $144.5 million in debt, but it is engaged in negotiations with Wells Fargo Foothill about restructuring or selling the property.

Similarly, Black Gaming is in default on $205.8 million in debt, but it is also in discussions with its debtholders and Wells Fargo Foothill. The operator of the Oasis, CasaBlanca and Virgin River casinos in Mesquite posted a new loss of $4.8 million in the quarter.

The number is an improvement from the $20.3 million loss posted the same time last year. The company saved money through aggressive cost-cutting measures at the Oasis that included using the 900 hotel rooms for convention and overflow business only.

While a number of operators are staring bankruptcy in the face, Herbst Gaming could emerge from Chapter 11 protection before the year ends. Ballots were issued to creditors asking them to approve a reorganization plan. Ballots are due September 15 and a hearing is scheduled for October 28 and 29 in Reno.

The plan gives creditors 100 percent of the equity of the reorganized company as well as a $350 million new senior secured bank loan to wipe out the outstanding debt of $875.9 million.

By   Thu, Sep 03, 2009

Officials at mgm mirage’s citycenter project hosted a tour of the under-construction facilities to highlight the resort’s adherence to LEED standards during the the National Clean Energy Summit 2.0 in Las Vegas last month.

In an attempt to be a pillar of conservation, CityCenter has been equipped with the latest in energy efficiency, including floor-based air conditioning units, recycling facilities, limos that run on compressed natural gas and water fixtures that use less water without decreasing water pressure.

Air quality is also a major component of any Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification, and tobacco smoke in casinos poses a major challenge. To address this, rooms are sealed to help prevent the infiltration of tobacco smoke.

“Designing CityCenter with sustainable elements and practices reinforces its permanence and creates a healthier environment for our guests and residents, as well as for the 12,000 people who ultimately will work at CityCenter,” MGM Mirage CEO Jim Murren said.

CityCenter is scheduled to open its doors in December.