‘Makeover’ team leader to stroll Strip

You can't do Nevada without Las Vegas. Just ask ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

The Emmy-winning reality series is doing a home makeover this week in the Northern Nevada town of Silver Springs. But show officials still want shots of the Strip's signature glitter as part of a visual roundup of all things Nevada.

Which explains why team leader Ty Pennington is expected to be strolling the Strip today, walking and talking for the cameras.

Presidential race: Nevada takes over the political spotlight this week with Tuesday's Democratic presidential debate and Saturday's Democratic and Republican caucuses.

Downtown's Cashman Center serves as caucus -- and media -- headquarters for both events, according to Vince Alberta, spokesman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, which operates the center.

Despite its "significant role in this community," he says, Cashman ranks as "the forgotten child" of Las Vegas convention facilities -- and, as such, is seldom a media focus, Alberta adds.

NBC News anchor Brian Williams and "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert will moderate Tuesday's debate, which airs live from 6 to 8 p.m. on cable's MSNBC.

The debate, which focuses on minority issues, is sponsored by 100 Black Men of America, the African American Democratic Leadership Council, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, IMPACTO (the Las Vegas Latin Chamber of Commerce's nonpartisan political action committee) and the College of Southern Nevada.

As a sponsoring organization, CSN will provide more than a hundred volunteers before, during and after the debate, notes Carlos Campo, interim vice president of academic affairs, who will represent CSN at a predebate news conference.

"I think it's really exciting," Campo says of the debate, noting that CSN's demographic makeup, with minorities making up more than 50 percent of the student body, "gives (students) a voice" in the presidential campaign.

Strip search: Documentarian Matthew Bardocz, whose "Off the Rocker" focuses on lively Southern Nevada seniors who dance up a storm at local casinos, needs more only-in-Vegas stories for "Servicing Vegas," a documentary devoted to service workers at Strip and Glitter Gulch casinos.

He's currently collecting stories from local casino employees (bartenders to cocktail servers, housekeepers to parking valets), preferably with 20-plus years of experience.

If that's you, you can share your story by filling out a submission form available online at www.filmcz.com/sv. Or e-mail Bardocz directly at servicingvegas@filmcz.com.

Carol Cling's Shooting Stars column appears Mondays. Contact her at (702) 383-0272 or e-mail her at ccling@ reviewjournal.com.