WAYNE NEWTON THROWS HIS SUPPORT BEHIND HARRY REID
Las Vegas entertainment legend Wayne Newton told Fox News on Tuesday why he's backing U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
During an interview with Fox News Channel’s "Your World with Neil Cavuto," Newton, a longtime Republican supporter who was one of the original "Republicans for Reid," said, “Anybody would be deaf, dumb, and blind to think that the second most powerful man in our nation, in terms of politics, should be replaced with someone else. Harry Reid is the best man I know for the job.”
“Most people don’t realize what Harry means to the state of Nevada. Had it not been for Harry Reid, we would be a nuclear dump right now," said Newton, who was appointed the first chairman of the USO Celebrity Circle in October 2001, about a month after the 911 terror attacks.
Asked to comment on President Barack Obama's statements about Las Vegas that triggered a furor, Newton said, “The president hasn’t been very kind to our city and asked people not to come here, which had a major impact on our town and the lack of jobs.”
“I think what might have started out to be a flippant statement had really incredible ramifications.”
Two months ago Newton chastized the President in a much harsher tone.
"I think that it was the most irresponsible, arrogant thing I have ever heard a President of the United States say."
As for retirement, Newton told Cavuto, “I’m going to keep doing it until it leaves me and when I feel like its leaving me, I’ll leave it.”
“I’ve had ladies faint; we’ve had several people over the years who have died in the showroom.”
VEGAS CHEF PIERRE GAGNAIRE FEATURED IN FOOD & WINE'S JULY ISSUE
Much-decorated French chef Pierre Gagnaire, who expanded his restaurant empire to Las Vegas in December, likes to describe his creations as "emotion on a plate."
In the July issue of Food & Wine magazine, food writer Jane Sigal went to Gagnaire's peers to further delve into the French master's "head-scratchingly complex" cuisine.
"There is no one doing creative cooking who does not go to taste Pierre's food and get inspired by him," said famed French chef Daniel Boulud, whose own restaurant empire is based in New York City.
Sigal writes: "Twist, in Vegas, marks a simpler cooking style for him, focused on U.S. product like Maine lobster, Washington bay scallops and Sonoma foie gras."
In her quest to better capture Gagnaire's brilliance, Sigal approached Pascal Sanchez, Twist's chef de cuisine, who had worked with Gagnaire in Paris.
"Sanchez shook his head," Sigal writes, "to say he understood the thrill and challenge of cooking with a visionary like Gagnaire." Sanchez told her: "Brainstorming with Pierre is like flying in a hot air balloon. Gagnaire is the balloon; we are all in the basket following him."
BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK EXPLORES THE QUIRKY SIDE OF VEGAS
Geraldine Campbell of Bloomberg Businessweek came to Las Vegas in search of fun spots that aren't always found along the neon-splashed Strip.
In the July 12-July 18 issue, she takes readers on a tour that includes the "smaller, quirkier scene."
She found off-Strip gems like newly opened Rumor, the South Beachesque hotel across from the Hard Rock Hotel, and the Artisan Hotel, "a hidden, art-swathed 64-room respite from the seedy video stores and gents' clubs nearby."
She made stops at The Arts Factory, the Erotic Heritage Museum and the Double Down Saloon (where she describes the infamous "Ass Juice" but doesn't say if she imbibed in the potent concoction."
Campbell climbed on board the Slidin' Thru, Vegas' first food truck, to check out the sliders and the ribs-and-pulled pork sandwiches for casual diners and she mentions Lola's, the popular Cajun diner with a mahogany bar and gleaming white-tiled walls.
COLORADO TEENS LEARN HARD LESSON: WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS DOESN'T...
Five members of a Connie Mack League baseball team from Pueblo, Colo., were kicked off their team after having too much fun in Las Vegas.
The dismissed players were disciplined after playing in a Las Vegas tournament a week ago.
"The boys made a poor mistake while we were in Las Vegas, we had an incident, and we had to let them go," Team Loaf 'N Jug manager Drew Hirshon told The Pueblo Chieftain.
Loaf 'N Jug was one of the top clubs in Colorado. The shorthanded team will go ahead and play in the 10-team state tournament this week.
RICK HARRISON OF 'PAWN STARS' NAMED 'PAWNBROKER OF THE YEAR'
Rick Harrison of the History Channel’s hit TV series "Pawn Stars" will be honored as the“Pawnbroker of the Year” for 2010 on Tuesday by the National Pawnbrokers Association.
The NPA , the leading trade association representing the pawn industry, said Harrison was a unanimous selection along with his staff at Gold and Silver Pawn.
“Rick, Richard Sr., Corey and the others on Pawn Stars have raised the bar on Pawn Industry awareness. They have done more to improve the image of pawn shops in a shorter time than anyone has ever done,” said Dave Adelman, immediate past president of the National Pawnbrokers Association.
The award ceremony will take place at the NPA Pawn Expo 2010 at Caesars Palace.
VEGAS RESIDENT JASON GIAMBI ON A ROLL
Colorado Rockies veteran Jason Giambi, who has lived in the Las Vegas area for almost 10 years, is on one of his hottest streaks in years.
Giambi, 39, has been a sparkplug in the Rockies' recent surge. After a rough start to his season, he has raised his batting average to .274, boosted by a .500 batting average in his last 22 at-bats. He has been getting more playing time with first baseman Todd Helton on the disabled list with back problems.
Giambi became an investor in several ventures at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in the past year. He owns a piece of Wasted Space, the steakhouse Rare 120 Degrees and Vanity Nightclub in the new Hard Rock tower.
A NAME TO REMEMBER
Thirteen-year-old Alexandra Kaui of Green Valley High continued her rise in junior golf last week.
She placed second in the Girls Division of the Aldila Junior All-Star put on by the American Junior Golf Association. Junior. It was her third top 15 finishes in AJGA competition this year. Last year, she had a fifth at the Montverde Academy Junior.
The 54-hole event in Santa Clarita, Calif., was for players 12-15 and included participants from 10 states, as well as Canada, Mexico and Brazil.
Other AJGA players who rose to prominence include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, along with Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr and Morgan Pressel.
HOLY WATER WILL COST EXTRA
Marklen Kennedy, director of VIP marketing at Tao Beach, has a new title: Reverend.
He recently got ordained as a minister so he can marry Sin City revelers, perform confessionals, etc.
