Milam shows how savvy he isn’t

Talk about tone deaf.

For a guy savvy enough to hire the best juice representation money can buy, would-be Henderson stadium developer Christopher Milam continues to founder in the court of public opinion.

Milam has gone through his share of public relations experts. He could use one now.

Milam’s latest snafu emerged this week after a real estate advertisement began circulating via email touting the exclusivity and grand development potential of 477 acres in Henderson. The email from the Land Advisors Organization company went out to potential buyers and, of course, failed to mention the fact Milam is locked in a terribly public litigation with the city of Henderson. A lawsuit accuses Milam of fraud in his attempt to secure the Bureau of Land Management property.

Milam’s attorney, Terry Coffing, defended the email to the Review-Journal. That’s what he’s paid for. But it surfaced at a most inopportune time for Milam and for any of the insiders who would prefer this public battle go away quickly and quietly.

Sources with knowledge of the players insist the litigation is more likely to be settled, possibly with a pot-sweetener thrown in from Milam, than to end up in a costly litigation.

Milam is obviously not as concerned about how this deal looks as about whether it pays off in the end.

OKADA RESIGNS: Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada resigned as a member of the Wynn Resorts board of directors ahead of today’s stacked shareholders meeting, but he’s not going away quietly.

Okada, forced to relinquish his
20 percent stake in the company at a
30 percent discount, sent a scathing news release that not only reveals his anger but also shows his frustration at being shoved out of the company he helped Steve Wynn create.

He issued a news release blistering Wynn’s ethics and more. (For details, go to my blog at lvrj.com.)

Time will tell whether this is a new chapter in a war of attrition or the parting catcall of a defeated battler.

WIND ENERGY: Son of Searchlight and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid extolled the virtues of renewable energy in his Wednesday address to the state Legislature in Carson City.

But a group of Searchlight locals and other concerned citizens aren’t buying into Reid’s enthusiastic support of a large wind energy generation plan in the planning stages near the small town, located about an hour’s drive south of Las Vegas on U.S. Highway 95. They say it’s expensive, inefficient, environmentally damaging and aesthetically nauseating.

They will be expressing their outrage at a rally set for 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday in Searchlight. The event is being organized by 51-year resident Judy Bundorf.

BALD IS BEAUTIFUL: March 2 will mark seven years since the follicles first hit the floor at McMullan’s Irish Pub in the initial local fundraiser for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for childhood cancer research and treatment. Over the years the event has grown from Lynn and Brian McMullan’s place and now features fundraisers at Nine Fine Irishmen at New York-New York, Ri Ra at Mandalay Bay, Vinyl Lounge at the Hard Rock and Mickie Finnz on Fremont Street.

That also means my daughter, Amelia, once again will be shaving my head to help raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer research. Although we’ve had a few close calls, I have yet to lose an ear.

“We don’t have a huge formal dinner or silent auction as our fundraiser,” McMullan says. “Rather, we have had hundreds of people from throughout Southern Nevada show up at our pub and sponsor their neighbors, friends and even strangers who are willing to have their heads shaved in solidarity with children who have lost their hair to cancer.” To contribute to Amelia’s Team or any other, go to stbaldricks.org.

ON THE BOULEVARD: Starting March 1, attorneys Robert Eglet, David Wall and Peter S. Christiansen will partner in a law firm. Wall is the former District Court judge and prosecutor with the district attorney’s office.

Have an item for Bard of the Boulevard? Email
comments and contributions to Smith@review
journal.com or call 702-383-0295. He blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/Smith.