Friday, July 23, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
JOHN L. SMITH: In kingdom of Aladdin, problems go far beyond trying to stifle Ronstadt
The foundering Aladdin, which can ill afford to lose a warm body, saw fit to boot singer Linda Ronstadt from the premises after she called "Fahrenheit 9/11" filmmaker Michael Moore a patriot and dedicated "Desperado" to him at the end of her recent concert.
The tepid political statement from the longtime activist was met with the usual Strip overkill, this time delivered by Aladdin President Bill Timmins, who had her escorted from the property.
Who knows, maybe this qualifies as marketing by Aladdin standards. Pathetically, the overheated controversy is about the only national news the Aladdin has made in recent months.
The New York Times saw fit to editorialize about it, but overlooked the obvious: The Strip has never been a bastion of free expression and progressive politics. A generation ago, its awful showroom policies invited black performers to play but not stay at the hotels, a mind-set that won the corridor the title of "the Mississippi of the West."
These days, casinos battle over control of the supposedly constitutionally protected sidewalks. Harmless street preachers get harassed in the name of peacekeeping.
If the Aladdin is a little sensitive, it's understandable. Not only is it a dismal failure and an architectural mess, but it's the only Strip resort offering an Arabian theme in the post-9-11 world.
UNCIVIL ACTION: Roy Horn is down, but apparently he's not immune from litigation.
The mauled illusionist was named Thursday among several defendants in a case filed on behalf of James Lavery, who claims he lost a lengthy list of personal belongings after he was locked out of a home at 4187 Pleasant Road, property owned by Horn. Lavery worked for Roy and partner Siegfried Fishbacher and lived on the Pleasant Road property for nearly 20 years before his trouble began.
SMILING MARTHA: Martha Stewart's media rehabilitation continues following her recent sentencing on federal obstruction charges. There's little doubt attorney David Chesnoff, hired to assist with Stewart's appeal, is helping improve her media image as she attempts to win a new trial.
HERB JONES: Talk about a senior member of the bar. Attorney Herb Jones celebrated his 90th birthday at a jam-packed luncheon Thursday at the offices of the Jones Vargas law firm.
With 57 years of legal experience and an impressive list of clients dating to the 1940s, Jones surely is the community's most unassuming legal icon.
HOOP DREAMS: His passing on June 27 at age 48 went without fanfare, but there was a time William "Son" Hill brought crowds to their feet at the Clark High gymnasium.
Hill set a wall full of scoring records in the mid-1970s at Clark and went on to play college ball in Oklahoma before returning to Las Vegas. More recently, as an employee at the Arizona Charlie's sports book, he was known to his many friends and customers as "Sonny."
DALE UPDATE: Kind comments, accolades, and offers of help continue to flow in for Ira Dale, the one-legged octogenarian who recently thwarted an attacker in a grocery store parking lot.
Even if he did just celebrate his 84th birthday, Ira is living proof that courage is timeless.
'ACTING' MAYOR: Mayor Oscar Goodman just received his Screen Actors Guild check for a three-minute appearance on "C.S.I." Word is it's almost enough to cover one Goodman-sized Happy Hour.
LAS VEGAS STORIES: Time magazine has published its celebration of the "new" Las Vegas, and documentary crews from PBS and Paris are in town gathering their takes on the town.
ON THE BOULEVARD: Frank Legato has written the gambling book with the most honest title I've heard in a long time: "How to Win Millions Playing Slot Machines! ... Or Lose Trying." ... As the Crazy Horse Too case draws closer to the indictment stage, word is surfacing that authorities are investigating whether two of the topless club's employees received preferential treatment after being stopped for suspicion of driving under the influence. ... Clark County has been using part-time officers alongside full-time and fully certified juvenile probation officers, a practice that makes fiscal sense but opens the door to a passel of problems.
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