Goodmans bring Sin City to London
Former Mayor Oscar Goodman will be toasting Queen Elizabeth on Sunday - and maybe, under his breath, muttering a thanks to Prince Harry.
On second thought, forget that mutter part. With Oscar, history tells us protocol be damned.
Our martini-loving ex-mayor, his wife, current Mayor Carolyn Goodman, and Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority CEO and President Rossi Ralenkotter arrived in London on Friday to promote Las Vegas. To make their point, they brought along British crooner Matt Goss and a Cirque du Soleil troupe.
The Las Vegas delegation is in London for World Travel Market. Sunday they will attend the Las Vegas-sponsored British Guild of Travel Writers Dinner. Oscar Goodman, in his role as Las Vegas Welcome Committee host, is scheduled to make an honorary toast to queen.
Nobody elevated the Las Vegas brand more in 2012 than Prince Harry, the randy royal, with his much-publicized game of nude billiards in a VIP suite inside one of Steve Wynn's hotels. Prince Harry's Sin City shenanigans led to a significant boost in Las Vegas interest, according to reports.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Don't forget that some of the heroes involved in the massive humanitarian efforts in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy are Las Vegas volunteers. If anyone deserved bold-faced names in this space it is the 10 unpaid Las Vegas Red Cross workers who rushed back east to help. They are: Pat Moore, who was sent to Maryland; James Smyth and Stanley Thompson, in Albany, N.Y.; Jennifer Ramieh, New York City; and Al Cook, Christa Ward, Eric Baum, Zoe Albright and Deb and Ariel Davee, who were dispatched to New Brunswick, N.J. ...
Former Lt. Gov. Lonnie Hammargren's Nevada Day weekend celebration runs from noon to 5 p.m. today and Sunday at his Home of Nevada History at 4300 Ridgecrest Drive. Sunday's program includes honoring former Sheriff Ralph Lamb, former UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian and community leader Thalia Dondero.
SIGHTINGS
Robert De Niro and Michael Douglas, at "Love" (Mirage) on Thursday. Their "Last Vegas" cast mate Kevin Kline dined Thursday at Julian Serrano Restaurant (Aria at CityCenter). ... Swimming legend Michael Phelps, dining with a friend Thursday night at Society Café (Encore) Boxing legend Mike Tyson, with his family at Eli Roth's Goretorium (Harmon Corner Retail Center) on Halloween. Tyson hammed it up during a photo with Roth, pretending he was going to chomp onto an ear of the horror film director, a nod to Tyson's ear-biting title fight with Evander Holyfield in 1997.
THE PUNCH LINE
"Today Rush Limbaugh joked about President Obama and Chris Christie being gay lovers. Obama and Christie are furious and said they'd give a formal response as soon as they get back from the Caribbean." - Conan O'Brien
Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.
