Labor Secretary Solis to tour U.S. Vets facility in Las Vegas

Advocates for Southern Nevada's burgeoning homeless veterans population will be interested to hear from Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, who is scheduled to visit Las Vegas today.

Solis is set to tour the U.S. Vets facility at 10:30 a.m. U.S. Vets is located at 525 E. Bonanza Road and provides housing and other services.

FAKE DIAMONDS: U.S. District Judge Larry Hicks this week granted a $31.5 million default judgment by the SEC against Las Vegas gambler and diamond mine swindler Urban Casavant.

With interest, Casavant owes $34.7 million.

Where will he get the money?

Maybe he can ask for credit from some of the resorts where he gambled away a fortune even after I exposed his shady dealings. Casavant gambled high and also built a racing team he used to market his stock scam to the masses.

VEGAS VIC: It's a heartache to report the death of casino marketing man Vic Vickrey, who knew and kept most of the secrets of the city. He was 83.

Vic died in his sleep on Wednesday, son Tracy Vickrey tells me. That's just like Vic: Knowing the odds, he beat them by passing in peace. Good for you, my man.

His services are set for 10 a.m. Tuesday at Davis Funeral Home.

ROLL CALL: Roll Call's John McAardle reports the National Republican Senatorial Committee is waiting and watching as GOP candidates jockey for position before making a substantial investment in the race.

NRSC spokesman Brian Walsh: "There are a number of qualified candidates looking at the race, and we'll let that process play itself out. Ultimately, this race will be a referendum on Harry Reid."

CANDLELIGHTERS RUN: There's still time to sign up for the 19th annual Candlelighters Race for Our Kids, which loosens up at 7:30 a.m. Saturday at Exploration Park at Mountain's Edge. The race chairman is Mark Grenier, and the race ambassador is my cancer-fighting 13-year-old daughter, Amelia.

The name of Amelia's team is Cookie's Cheerleaders. ("Cookie" is the nickname she picked up while attending her Candlelighters-sponsored summer camps at Torino Ranch.) Proceeds benefit Candlelighters' many programs that assist the families of children with cancer, and there's even a one-mile walk for guys like me.

ALS WALK: The folks at ALS of Nevada tell me Yankees legend Lou Gehrig walked 1,508 times in his career. All they want is for you to walk once to support the cause of fighting Lou Gehrig's disease.

Registration starts at 9 a.m. Saturday at Police Memorial Park. (Information: 777-0500, or at www.alsofnevada.org.)

GENNARO AT 30: The 30th annual Las Vegas San Gennaro Feast begins Tuesday in the Target shopping center at Flamingo Road near I-215. (sangennarofeast.com). If the directions seem a little vague, the event's promoters like to say, "you know you're there when you smell the sausage and peppers."

ON THE BOULEVARD:

Street-wise and razor-sharp Eli Shapiro died Monday at 88. A U.S. Army veteran and member of what was once called "the sporting crowd," Shapiro outlived many of his pals from Gus Gallo's place.

Longtime locals will recall Gallo's restaurant as a spot where customers ordered pizzas, football parlays and high-interest loans. While we're reminiscing, whatever happened to Stevie Goldberg and Bobby the Midget?

BOULEVARD II: Carmen Civella is working on a book titled "The Two Dons" about the ups and downs of the once powerful Kansas City crime family headed by Nick Civella. Of necessity, the story will include plenty about the skimming of casino profits in Las Vegas and the considerable influence of the Teamsters Central States Pension Fund. I wonder, will the author tell about how his Uncle Nick, after being placed in the state's casino Black Book, donned a disguise and gambled without care on the Strip?

BOULEVARD III: The publication of Jack Harpster's handsome "100 Years in the Governor's Mansion" was celebrated Thursday at Trump International Hotel as part of the History Honors Hope dinner with proceeds to benefit the Autism Coalition of Nevada. First lady Dawn Gibbons was scheduled to appear. Gov. Jim Gibbons is in Carson City, where he's set to appear today to note the arrival of the Stephens Press book. (Stephens Press is part of the same company that owns the Review-Journal.)

That's a little more than 400 miles separating Dawn from Jim. It seems like a safe distance, don't you think?

Have an item for the Bard of the Boulevard? E-mail comments and contributions to Smith@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0295. He also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/smith.