Sunday, February 13, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
Free Spirits: City's eligible bachelors, bachelorettes have wide range of careers, interests
City's eligible bachelors, bachelorettes have wide range of careers, interests
By SONYA PADGETT
REVIEW-JOURNAL
On Monday, sweethearts across the country will exchange tokens of their devotion, affection and appreciation.
The outpouring of sentiment will cause plenty of eligible singles to say: "Where's my guy/girl? All the good ones are taken."
Anticipating this reaction, we looked around Las Vegas, wondering if, indeed, all the best people are off the market. Turns out there are plenty of interesting, lively and attractive singles calling the valley home. Here are 10 eligible bachelors and bachelorettes who attracted our attention.
DAVE SCHWARTZ
As coordinator of the Gaming Studies Research Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Schwartz oversees what he believes is the largest collection of gaming-related written materials in the English language.
The 31-year-old New Jersey native became interested in the history of gaming and its role in society while growing up in Atlantic City. He received his doctorate at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he specialized in the rise of the Las Vegas Strip. He parlayed his research into his first book, "Suburban Xanadu."
Schwartz, who enjoys reading, working out and listening to jazz music, is writing his third book, a history of gaming, going as far back as the 16th century.
"Right now, I'm looking at bear baiting. That (involved) chaining a bear up and throwing dogs at it, then guessing how many dogs it would take to kill it," Schwartz says.
He's also a weblog enthusiast, sharing his thoughts, as well as his gallery of casino carpet, on his blog, http://www.dieiscast.com.
When it comes to dating, Schwartz says he doesn't have any set criteria that potential girlfriends must meet.
"Superficially, appearance is important, but personality is a lot more important," he says.
CINDY FUNKHOUSER
The 46-year-old owns the Funk House, an antiques store, at 1228 S. Casino Center Blvd., but Funkhouser's biggest claim to fame is as one of the founders of First Friday.
The seed was planted nearly five years ago, when Funkhouser started exhibiting the works of local artists in the back of her shop. Then she attended a gathering of local artists in Portland, Ore., called First Thursday.
"My immediate thought was, `Vegas is big enough, why aren't we doing this?' " she recalls.
Three hundred people turned out for the inaugural First Friday in 2002. Now, it's not uncommon to have from 3,000 to 7,000 in attendance.
"It kind of brings cohesiveness to the art community. There's always been art stuff going on but no cohesiveness to it. And it benefits the community because they get to see artwork they might not otherwise," she says.
A self-described workaholic, Funkhouser has lived in Las Vegas for 23 years. In her spare time, the Iowa native enjoys hanging out with her friends at Dino's Lounge. She also likes to travel and loves art.
"There's nowhere I'd rather be than inside an art museum," she says.
When it comes to men, this mother of one says: "I like someone who's very comfortable with themselves. They have to have a good sense of humor, and they have to get my jokes."
BETTY KINCAID
Originally from Connecticut, Kincaid, 44, has lived in Las Vegas for 25 years. Divorced for the past 10 years, this mother of two doesn't have a lot of time for dating. She's pretty busy running Southwest Exchange Corp., a company that helps investors exchange property to defer capital gains taxes.
"It's a real niche," Kincaid says. "What are there, 10,000 Realtors in Las Vegas? I wanted to be different."
She's also the 2005 president of the Women's Council of Realtors, representing the organization throughout the country, so she's on the road a lot.
What does she look for in a man?
"Obviously schedule flexibility. Also a sense of humor and intelligence," Kincaid says. "And a risk taker, because I'm a risk taker. Not jumping out of airplanes, but maybe someone who has a passion for their life, someone who wants to grow and learn."
In her spare time, Kincaid likes to read, watch movies and travel.
"I like a movie with a good story. The kind of story that makes you think," she says.
An avid reader, Kincaid likes to keep several books going at the same time. Right now, she's reading five at once.
"I'm really into Eleanor Roosevelt. She was just so ahead of her time, when you read some of the things she said and did, it was probably a little revolutionary and incendiary, a woman doing that. But she had all the qualities of a great leader," she says.
JILL TAYLOR
This divorced mother of one has worked as a dental hygienist for the past 19 years. But she's no ordinary tooth polisher.
The 40-year-old also is a teacher, consultant, snow skier and bicycle racer.
At Exceptional Dentistry, Taylor teaches oral hygiene to dentists and hygienists from around the world. She recently returned from Alaska, where she taught professionals the finer points of soft tissue management.
"I like helping people achieve perfect tissue," she says of her job. "Their gums don't have to bleed."
The native Las Vegan belongs to a racing team, so in her spare time she races her mountain and road bikes.
"My bike is in the back of my car, I go everywhere with it," she says. "Riding is good for you. All of the people I've ever dated I met on a bike or on a ski slope."
When it comes to dating, Taylor likes to take it outside.
"I'd rather do an activity than go watch a movie. I'd rather be doing something if I could," she says. "But you've gotta have balance. My priority is to make sure body and mind (are) healthy. You can't be a complete person if you're not and you can't have a relationship. I have my quiet time, too. I'm an avid reader, mostly science fiction, but lately I've been getting into mysteries."
MIKE WAFFLE
As a life support specialist for the Forum Shops at Caesars, Waffle, 29, cares for the aquatic life in the fish tanks. That includes such tasks as maintaining the aquarium filtration systems, feeding the animals and diving into the 20,000-gallon tank to clean it.
A 1997 graduate of UNLV, Waffle's family moved here from California when he was a baby. He developed his interest in sea life at an early age; at 15 he obtained his scuba certification.
"I enjoy dealing with the animals," he says. "It's amazing how you can pick personalities out of a fish."
The southern stingray is among his favorites because "she's got a lot of personality, enough where she can be annoying sometimes," Waffle says.
Though he works 10-hour days, Waffle finds time to play the drums in his band, TBA. He has been performing as some part of a band since 1998. He says he also likes to go to clubs and parties.
"I do actually like to dance," he says.
When he dates, he looks for an activity partner.
"I prefer someone who's interested in what I do because it is such a big part of my life," he explains. "Someone who can go camping over the weekend, come home, take a shower and go to club, someone who's spontaneous. But also someone who can pull me back when I get carried away."
MICHELE QUINN
As the curator of Godt-Cleary Gallery, Quinn, 35, is an active player in the valley's burgeoning arts scene.
A native Las Vegan, Quinn studied, lived and worked in the New York art world before moving back home two years ago. She lives with Chico, a cat she inherited from a friend who moved to Spain.
Dating is difficult because her career demands heavy traveling. She's on the road about one week out of every month. That's down from two weeks a month.
"A personal goal for this year is to stop traveling so much," she says.
When she manages to fit dating into her schedule, Quinn likes goal-oriented men, whether they're bankers or musicians.
"First off, they have to be intelligent and well-rounded. I like people who are driven, accomplished. I also like people who are pretty funny, and can deal with my sarcasm."
SU KIM CHUNG
A belly-dancing, baking librarian, Chung, who works in UNLV's special collections, is known, at least among her friends, as the showgirl archivist.
"My job is to collect materials that document the history of Las Vegas," explains Chung, 37. "It's a really fun job. I think I have one of the most fun jobs in the city."
A California native and the author of the photo essay book "Las Vegas: Then and Now," Chung received her degree in library science from UCLA. She's lived in Las Vegas five years, "but I probably know more than people who've lived here for 50 years," Chung says.
Her German shepherd, Cleo, is a big part of her life, so any boyfriend must love animals. And independent women.
"I'm very independent and I have to be with someone who respects that," she says. "I really like somebody who's smart, somebody that reads. But I think it's important for them to respect what you do because I think what I do is neat and I like to bore people with it."
She says she took up belly dancing several months ago because "I liked dancing but I didn't want to move my feet a lot. I'm not an outdoors person at all. I hate hiking. I hate the outdoors."
RANDY PEOPLES
This successful neurosurgeon's parents told him to wait until he was older before marrying, and he took their advice.
Now, they're saying: "You've waited long enough. Get married," the 48-year-old doctor says.
"Sometimes you get so wrapped up in life you don't realize it at first," Peoples says of his 20-year career. "I've made a conscious decision to back off of it some because I'm getting older. I thought I'd be married with kids by now."
Peoples was born in Washington and grew up in California. He was drawn to neurosurgery because of the intensity and the ability to make a difference in a life.
"There are not a lot of specialties where you know that you've saved a life," he says. "It's very gratifying."
In his spare time, Peoples has been known to perform neurosurgery on dogs who wouldn't live otherwise. It's not illegal, he explains, because a veterinarian is always present.
"I love animals. If you don't love animals you're not going to get along with me," he says.
Peoples recently cared for an emu egg and now has a 6-foot-tall emu running around his back yard. Peoples enjoys playing with his dogs Mac and Molly as well as turning home videos into miniproductions with music and photography.
JOE TRAMMEL
This 38-year-old comedian has been working the local scene for the past 10 years, first as an act in "Splash" at the Riviera and most recently in "V -- The Ultimate Variety Show" at the Aladdin.
Trammel's day is typical of any local performer. He's up about 11 a.m. and home as late, or early, as 3 a.m.
He performs two shows a night, six nights a week. He's also a contestant on Wayne Newton's reality show "The Entertainer" on E!
During his downtime, Trammel can be found working on material or props to use in his routine.
"My hobby is creating my show, going to the warehouse, getting props made," Trammel says.
He also enjoys working out, playing basketball and swimming.
His crazy schedule doesn't keep him from doting on his 16-year-old daughter, Priscilla. In fact, he settled in Las Vegas, choosing to leave the comedy club circuit, so he could have more time with her.
Before he dates, which isn't often, Trammel makes sure any potential girlfriend gets along with her.
"I'm not big on the dating scene, so to speak. I've got my daughter and I've got my career, that seems to get in the way of casual dating," he says.
But when he does meet a woman, "I like to be friends first," he says. "I really do want to get married, settle down but I'm not going to rush into it. When I meet the right person and it works out, I will."
JEREMY UNERTL
A defensive back with the Las Vegas Gladiators, Unertl, 26, may be young but he's a self-described "old soul."
He's not into the club scene; he'd rather hang out with friends in a place where they don't have to shout over the music. He also loves working out at the gym and reading biographies and self-improvement books.
And when it comes to dating, he doesn't do it for dating's sake. If things don't look like they'll work out, Unertl moves on.
"I'm more of a homebody, honestly. I'm kind of boring. Dating out here is a little different, because a lot of people you meet are night owls. It's hard to find someone who's on the same schedule. I'm a morning person," he says.
This Milwaukee native holds a degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. He put off his career in finance to pursue football because it's in his blood.
"Whatever I do after football has to be very competitive. It's that athletic competition that fuels me," Unertl says. "(Finance) is still something that's in the back of my mind, but I feel blessed to be able to play football until my body rides it out."
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