NAC chair tries to weed out fight confusion

Nevada Athletic Commission Chairman Francisco Aguilar is on the offensive.

He continues his assertive approach to getting to the bottom of the confusion and obvious miscommunication surrounding the shoulder injury Manny Pacquiao suffered during training a few weeks before Saturday’s fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand Garden.

In an interview with ESPN radio here, Aguilar stressed the professional attention fighters receive by commission inspectors on fight night.

“Once they walk onto the property, they become part of our jurisdiction,” Aguilar said. “And we have inspectors, people who work hard at the fight behind the scenes, individuals wearing the maroon jackets. As soon as the fighter arrives on the property, those inspectors are with that fighter until they walk out of the arena. Their eyes are on them at all times. They’re watching what they’re drinking. They’re watching what they’re ingesting. They’re watching what they’re doing to prepare. So, nothing can be consumed once they’re on that property without the approval of the inspector and, potentially, the doctor and the executive director.”

NEVADA STATE: You don’t hear a lot about Henderson’s Nevada State College these days, but it continues its slow and steady growth despite economic challenges to the state’s higher education system.

On Saturday night at the Henderson Pavilion, 350 students are scheduled to graduate at its spring commencement. That’s a 62 percent increase.

This year, the college will honor Marydean Martin, Beverly Rogers and Sonia McTaggart-Anderson with the President’s Medal Award.

Construction progresses on campus, too.

WATER OPTIMIST: Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager John Entsminger is certainly no doom-and-gloomer. While others are predicting almost unavoidable calamity associated with the West’s drought-related water supply future, Entsminger this week gave The New York Times a decidedly brighter view — at least as far as the Las Vegas area is concerned

“Lake Mead will be able to sustain Las Vegas for the indefinite future,” Entsminger said. “By indefinite, I mean hundreds of years.”

OUR TOWN? Outside magazine is asking readers to help select the “Best Town in America,” and Las Vegas made the big list. We’ll see how long it lasts. Editors are trying to find the city with the best “restaurants, vibrant farmers’ markets, friendly neighborhoods and unparalleled access to hiking and biking trails. In short, the perfect jumping-off point for adventure.”

If topless cabarets and 25-hour cards and dice were on the list, we’d be a lock for the finals.

MAKING PROGRESS: In time for Mother’s Day, four women who are leaders in their fields will speak at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Nevada State Museum at Springs Preserve on the importance of activism in the community. The program is titled “Making Progress Through Movements” and features welfare rights activist Ruby Duncan, Justice of the Peace Karen Bennett-Haron, political activist Rozita Villanueva-Lee, and UNR Justice Studies professor Mary Stewart.

The event is open to the public, but seating is limited.

PRINCESS D.I.: Some of Suzanne Dalitz’s earliest memories are of her legendary father, Moe Dalitz, the legendary Desert Inn owner who knew ample notoriety and celebrity during his long life.

On the Strip, Dalitz was known as “Mr. Las Vegas.” Elsewhere, he was generally considered a mob associate often mentioned in the same breath with Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano.

On Tuesday, May 19, Suzanne Dalitz will be the featured guest at the Mob Museum’s popular Wiseguy speaker series. It’s titled, “Princess of the Desert Inn: Suzanne Dalitz.” For ticket information: Themobmuseum.org or 229-2734.

ON THE BOULEVARD: Were those Gaming Control Board agents in District Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez’s courtroom this week during casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson’s roller-coaster ride on the witness stand in the Steve Jacobs wrongful termination case? There were other nonjournalists present keeping tabs on developments in the case. One of many choice lines Adelson used to describe Jacobs: “This is an evil man. All he was good at was firing people and saving information he could use to blackmail this company.” Attorneys on Thursday made their closing arguments in the hearing to determine the jurisdiction of the lawsuit.

Have an item for the Bard of the Boulevard? Email comments and contributions to Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 702-383-0295. Find him on Twitter: @jlnevadasmith