Friday, April 11, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

COLUMN: John L. Smith

For Moncrief, next challenge is nursing her primary edge to final victory

Somebody call a critical care nurse. Ward 1 City Councilman Michael McDonald's political career is on life support and flashing before his eyes.

McDonald was dumped hard in Tuesday's primary by 24-year nurse and political neophyte Janet Moncrief, who fell a couple of minor entrants short of knocking out the incumbent in the primary. She beat him 48 percent to 44 percent, but Moncrief might have won outright had Peter "Chris" Christoff (5.5 percent) and Paul Chomintra (2.5 percent) not diluted the anti-McDonald vote.

Without that split, McDonald would be packing up his plaques and planning his vacation today.

Reasons for the upset? Voter apathy? McDonald's list of negatives? Moncrief's sincere letter-writing to registered voters?

Yes, yes, and yes.

And there's something else going on that's harder to quantify. For an amateur who'd not voted here before Tuesday and had shown no interest in the process, she has an impeccable sense of timing.

"I actually thought I was going to win in the primary," Moncrief says. "The media didn't know it. I'd been walking for six weeks, and people verbalized that they wanted a change. By meeting virtually the whole ward, I found out a lot of people were very happy I was running."

McDonald counters that his constituents are mostly happy and, thinking he had no competition, didn't turn out. We'll see.

Irony alert: Four years ago, McDonald's campaign was busy rallying to Councilman Gary Reese's aid. Now McDonald needs to shout for assistance from Mayor Oscar Goodman and the rest of the council if he is to have a shot at keeping his chair.

"I don't take anything for granted these days," McDonald says. "Never have, never will."

MALOOF FAMILY: Sacramento Bee columnist R.E. Graswich probably has plenty of friends, but I'll bet members of the Maloof family (owners of the Sacramento Kings basketball team and the Palms resort) aren't among them.

In a recent edition of Michael Feldman's "Whad'Ya Know?" national radio program, Graswich seemed to indicate it wasn't healthy to cross the Maloof clan.

"All I can say is, I'm glad I don't have to battle these people," Graswich half-jokingly told the host. "I have a family."

Wonder what he meant by that.

SCISSOR SERVICE: Barber Fidel Salazar has lost plenty of customers with the recent deployment of local Air Force personnel from Nellis, but his shop at 7380 S. Eastern Ave. hasn't lost its patriotic spirit. He's offering free haircuts to the families of all service personnel stationed in Iraq.

"I have a big customer base here from the military," he says. "I just wanted to do my part."

MAZUR MANIA: Artist Ruby Mazur has returned to Las Vegas from Los Angeles and immediately set to work on projects ranging from designing Clint Holmes' logo and merchandise to painting murals at the Moulin Rouge and Turnberry. There's an even bigger project in the works, but the man who created the Rolling Stones' famous lips logo says, "I can't talk about it today."

So how about next week?

Meanwhile, Mazur is teaming up with Steve Donner to create a celebrity gallery inside the Forum Shops at Caesars. ETA: four months with an opening that resembles a rock-meets-Hollywood awards show. Tentative attendees thus far: Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Peter Falk, Pierce Brosnan, Jane Seymour and a score of others.

"Steve's the one that brought me back to Vegas," Mazur says.

He's even more proud that actress daughter Monet Mazur is starring in the motorcycle racing movie "Torque."

ON THE BOULEVARD: Don King held court Tuesday night at Piero's but crossed the room to enthuse over LV's leading ladies, Claudine Williams and Kitty Rodman. King then sang the praises of Bluegrass man Dan Chandler, Kentucky racetrack executive Julie Sorrell and Caesars Palace President Mark Juliano. Former Kentucky football coach Fran Curci, now an ESPN commentator, cruised through with his wife, Ann. ... In one corner sat Kirk Kerkorian and Barron Hilton with friends. I didn't see who picked up the check. I don't know what the waiter was tipped, but I heard the busboy received stock options.

Have an item for the Bard of the Boulevard? E-mail comments and contributions to Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 383-0295.