McMullan’s Irish Pub marking 9th year of St. Baldrick’s

Lynn McMullan was feeling tired.

Then she saw that pained look in the eyes of a young mother. She listened to a story, variations of which she’s heard countless times before, about a family’s struggle to save a child stricken with brain cancer.

She remembered her own loss. And McMullan was reminded once again of the importance of the annual St. Baldricks’ Foundation head-shaving fundraiser to benefit childhood cancer treatment and research.

Lynn and Brian McMullan, proprietors of McMullan’s Irish Pub, started the local St. Baldrick’s event and are now marking their ninth year. It’s set to start at 2 p.m. Saturday with donations accepted at the pub and at stbaldricks.org.

“It’s a community,” she says. “I think we need that.”

The annual shaves have raised approximately $3.5 million with $1.3 million remaining in the community in the form of grants to local childhood cancer clinics.

This year, a team representing Thomas & Mack Center employees will join with a variety of other generous groups. Some teams will raise thousands, others a few hundred, and many solo shavers do their own fundraising. (Amelia’s Team took the year off, and I shaved at the recent St. Baldrick’s event at L’Oracle Gym, but we’ll be there Saturday to join in the fun.)

“It’s not the dollar amount,” McMullan says. “It’s what it means to that person. Everyone does what they can do. In the end, it adds up.”

MAYOR’S RACE: Or will it end up a re-election victory parade for Mayor Carolyn Goodman?

If it is, she’ll have a law enforcement escort now that she’s won the coveted Police Protective Association endorsement over former cop-turned-councilman Stavros Anthony.

Despite plenty of public outrage over a fizzled stadium proposal for downtown, Goodman’s campaign is obviously gaining steam. Her television spots are polished and positive. She adds billboards as fast as they can be leased. A Thursday night event marked the start of 15 fundraisers in 30 days, campaign manager Tom Letizia says, who of course lauds his candidate’s energy and enthusiasm.

With the economy turning her way, Goodman can tout jobs created and businesses started on her watch (despite the fact she’s a mayor in a city government run by a management team.) From the look of that first Letizia TV spot, Goodman is the picture of positive politicking.

So what makes me think things might get a little more negative soon?

POLITICAL DUSTUP I: This is getting to be a regular occurrence. Yet another critical robo-call went out recently in Republican Assemblyman Chris Edwards’ district authored by conservative rabble-rouser Tony Dane.

Metro is investigating allegations raised by Edwards that Dane attempted to strong-arm his vote for a favored Assembly speaker candidate in the run-up to the current session of the Legislature.

Instead of invoking his right to remain silent, Dane continues to blast away at Edwards in Assembly District 19. Dane’s lawyer Dave Otto says his client will continue to exercise his right of free speech.

POLITICAL DUSTUP II: Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao will headline the big fight night May 2, but maybe we can fit Republican Assembly members Paul Anderson and John Moore onto the undercard.

Moore, who was featured a couple times recently after winning election despite having an outstanding warrant for his arrest on traffic violations, filed a complaint with legislative police Tuesday after a meeting with Anderson in a stairwell which apparently became more heated than the rules of order allowed.

Was that Robert’s Rules, or the Marquess of Queensberry?

Moore, a former Army Ranger who ran as a conservative, voted against a Republican-supported bill that would extend school bonding for construction, but also would eliminate prevailing wage requirements for future building projects.

ON THE BOULEVARD: Recent columns on the plight of employees and customers at the Department of Motor Vehicles in Southern Nevada continue to generate responses from all parties concerned. Everyone seems to agree something needs to be done. Let’s see if their complaints are heard a few hundred miles north in Carson City.

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