Reid, Berkley part ways with president of Israel

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By Karoun Demirjian (contact)

Friday, May 27, 2011 | 1:55 a.m.

Harry Reid

Shelley Berkley

Barack Obama

Rep. Shelley Berkley and Sen. Harry Reid are in lock step with President Barack Obama when it comes to most of his domestic policies: They’ve been executors of his health care plan, defenders of the stimulus, and champions of his stances on energy, immigration and social spending.

But on foreign policy, Berkley and Reid appear to be parting ways with the president, and they’re doing it over Israel.

Obama took the bold step last week by becoming the first U.S. president to publicly endorse a two-state solution to end the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on pre-1967 lines, in a speech delivered on the eve of a diplomatic visit from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

That didn’t sit well with Nevada’s Democratic delegation. Berkley was the first to sound an alarm, saying she was “extremely troubled by President Obama’s call for Israel to ‘act boldly’ for peace” and “also deeply concerned by any calls for Israel to return to the armistice line that existed before 1967 — that line left Israel far too vulnerable to outside attack.”

Reid followed suit a few days later, with a shout-out to Berkley and Nevada’s “fastest-growing Jewish community in the country.”

“I will make sure the United States Congress stands with Israel every time ... our futures will be intertwined even more than our history has been,” Reid pledged to a crowd at the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington, while offering what sounded like a rebuke of Obama’s speech. “These negotiations will not happen, and their terms will not be set, through speeches, or in the streets, or in the media. No one should set premature parameters about borders, about building or about anything else.”

The security of Israel is a deeply personal and emotional issue for Berkley, who is Jewish, and for Reid, whose wife Landra converted from Judaism to Mormonism when they married, and whose mentor, former Nevada Gov. Mike O’Callaghan, was a strong supporter of and frequent traveler to Israel.

Their move away from the president, although centered in personal convictions, appears to be conscious of the Nevada electorate, which, as Reid put it, “is a spirited pro-Israel community.”

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict may depend on lines drawn in sand thousands of miles away, but for many Nevadans, it resonates at home.

“People care very passionately for the safety and security of the state of Israel,” said Rabbi Yocheved Mintz of Las Vegas’ Valley Outreach Synagogue, a reform congregation. “This has hit a nerve, not just among Jewish voters, but among all those who support the freedom of the state of Israel and its position with the United States.”

Nevada, and especially Las Vegas, has a rooted Jewish community that has been loyal to Israel. Jewish-Americans were some of the earliest Las Vegas residents, coming in as a small but crucial population that largely built what would become the city’s lifeblood: the Strip’s resorts, in the postwar years.

In the decades since, the Jewish community has grown dramatically, numbering an estimated 100,000 across the state.

It’s a well-connected, but not particularly activist population, according to historian Michael Green, a professor at the College of Southern Nevada. But the community is very supportive of Israel, rhetorically and financially, especially through its more influential members: whether that’s Sands owner and noted conservative Sheldon Adelson, who’s a staunch supporter of Netanyahu, or Berkley, who, as Green put it, “is as strong a supporter of Israel as you’re likely to find outside of Israel, even stronger than some inside Israel.”

Israel has been in a protracted standoff with Palestinians, whether it’s the population of Israel, those living in the occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza, or those in other countries: the descendants of the several hundred thousand Palestinians who fled or were expelled in the war surrounding Israel’s founding in 1948, and who number in the millions.

Generations of Americans have been struggling to wrap their heads and hearts around the conflict for almost as long, through study, travel to the region, and proxy peace dialogues between immigrant communities affiliated with either side. But there’s less of that in Las Vegas than other U.S. metropolises, likely because the local population of Jews so completely outnumbers the Arabs.

Jewish-Americans overwhelmingly outnumber Arab-Americans in the Las Vegas area: According to the 2000 Census, only 6,183 people claimed Arab ethnic origin in Clark County, with Palestinians numbering so few that they weren’t even listed separately. In the same year, the estimate of Clark County Jews was about 75,000.

Still, the conflict has captured the attention not just of the two peoples involved, but those of the Arab world and the United States, which are entering a new chapter of their relationship in the post-Osama bin Laden era that’s been even more emphatically defined by the democratic revolutions collectively known as the Arab Spring.

Obama had hoped to capitalize on that energy when he called for resolution to this central conflict along lines that have been the negotiation status quo — diplomats have agreed for decades that the solution to the conflict lies in creating two neighboring states: one Jewish state for Israelis, and one the Palestinians.

There’s been a basic acceptance of the pre-1967 lines, too: Those being the U.N.-recognized national boundaries that split Israel and a future Palestinian state along the borders that existed before Israel gained the West Bank from Jordan, and the Gaza Strip and much of the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt in 1967, and the Golan Heights from Syria in 1973. (Israel pulled its troops out of Sinai in 1982, after concluding a peace treaty with Egypt in 1979.)

The 1967 borders are problematic because Israelis have built several Jewish settlements in the West Bank since it was annexed, many of which both sides acknowledge are too large and established to be dismantled. They also raise the question of whether Jerusalem will be divided between the predominantly Arab East side and Jewish West. If it is, Jews argue, it would unfairly cut off Jewish access to the bulk of the city’s renowned holy sites. Palestinians however, insist East Jerusalem is legally theirs, not only because it’s home to the third-holiest site in Islam, the Al-Aqsa mosque (located next to the well-known gold-cupolaed Dome of the Rock on land Jews refer to as the Temple Mount), but because like the West Bank, East Jerusalem was under Jordanian rule until the 1967 war.

Netanyahu has also agreed to the 1967 lines, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in a joint statement the two released in November, which stated that “the parties can mutually agree on an outcome which ends the conflict and reconciles the Palestinian goal of an independent and viable state, based on the 1967 lines, with agreed swaps, and the Israeli goal of a Jewish state with secure and recognized borders that reflect subsequent developments and meet Israeli security requirements.”

But to Jewish-Americans watching developments in the Middle East, the stakes since then have been rising.

It’s not just the 1967 lines. There’s concern about a unity agreement struck this month between Fatah, which controls the West Bank, and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. The agreement was brokered by mediators from Egypt, which this week is also taking the step of opening up its border with the Gaza Strip to Palestinian travelers. The poverty-stricken Gaza Strip has been under a joint blockade since 2006, when Hamas came to power; Israel has not indicated any concurrent intention to lift it.

The quartet of international trustees overseeing the road map to peace in Israel and the Palestinian territories — the U.S., the European Union, Russia, and the United Nations — had long been pushing for a unity agreement in which Hamas, which the U.S. lists as a terrorist group, would agree to end its armed resistance against Israel. But that didn’t fully happen under the terms of the agreement: Hamas has agreed to a cease-fire of the rockets that are regularly fired at Israeli territory from Gaza, but hasn’t rewritten its fundamental charter, in which the group makes clear that it does not recognize Israel’s right to exist.

“I think the president was pretty clear in saying that the Palestinian Authority had to renounce terrorism as a tactic in terrorist organizations,” said Elliot Karp, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas. “But Hamas is clearly a terrorist organization, and Hamas is now part of the Palestinian Authority ... unless the representative groups that make up the Palestinian Authority recognize Israel’s right to exist, and renounce their calls for the destruction of the Jewish state, you don’t have a negotiating party you can sit down with.”

In the meantime, local Jews are demanding the president take a much tougher line than he is.

“Giving them any type of territory, it really hasn’t helped out anything,” said Eddy Chaltiel, 25, the son of former mayoral candidate Victor Chaltiel, who said he was supportive of Obama but has become disillusioned. “It hasn’t increased peace, it hasn’t promoted peace in that area. I think a lot of Jews in Southern Nevada are pretty upset about what he said.”

“Even though the president talked about land swaps, I’m pretty sure that all the Palestinians heard was ‘1967,’?” Berkley said. “I thought both of his points were nonstarters, and not artfully stated.”

Berkley has been much more outspoken about her disdain for Obama’s Israel stance than Reid. She has called for the United States to end its foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority and also introduced legislation in Congress to ensure that if the new government in Egypt retreats from the peace treaty with Israel, the U.S. will rescind its foreign aid to Egypt.

Those are strong steps to the right of the president and echo the impassioned campaign that many Republicans are staging on the floors of Congress, striking at the first chink in the president’s foreign policy armor since Obama triumphantly announced the death of bin Laden.

But even though almost everything that goes through Washington these days is looking toward 2012, Israel may be the exception.

Strong support for Israel is bipartisan, both in the Nevada delegation and in Congress, which in joint session this week welcomed Netanyahu with a warmer reception and more standing ovations than the president received during his State of the Union address.

Although Israel is an important issue for Berkley, as is it to Nevada’s Jewish electorate, it isn’t everything: Come election time in the swinging Silver State, Berkley and Obama will still need each other’s support, built around the domestic issues that are likely to play a much bigger role in 2012, to thrive — likely meaning there are limits to how publicly incensed Berkley will get.

Although some in Congress are calling for a resolution of formal rebuke to Obama for his stated Israel policy, she says she has no intention of taking her disagreement that far.

“I’m less concerned about rebuking the president of the United States,” she said. “I’m more concerned about the policy of the United States.”

Tropicana: five new things

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Vegas Inc Latest News Gaming Tourism Real Estate Legal Opinion Photos Videos Latest Issue Vegas News Tropicana: Five new things Comment Print E-mail Share Facebook Fark Digg Delicious Reddit Stumble Tweet By Liz Benston (contact)

Friday
27 May 2011
1:54 a.m.

In the past two years, the 54-year-old Tropicana has undergone a $180 million renovation. It barely looks like its former, dated self.

The resort, which now has a South Beach vibe, has been transformed into a mid-market property flush with new features.

Below is a list of five parts of the resort that have been updated as part of the ongoing renovations. They are worth a second look.

Click here for list of five things that haven't changed.

Find the full story about renovations at the Tropicana here.

Rooms

Tropicana recently finished renovating all of its available 1,375 rooms in two hotel towers. The room upgrade accounted for much of the $180 million makeover and has been key in its ability to attract more customers willing to spend a greater amount of money.

Tropicana guests aren’t going to get the cheapest rooms on the Strip, nor is the property seeking customers who have that goal in mind, President Tom McCartney said. “The market is evolving. We needed to attract a new clientele,” he said.

Customers seem to like the tropical d?cor, although some have inquired about where they can purchase the hotel’s pillowtop mattresses and linens, he said.

Multiple low-rise wings original to the hotel and containing nearly 100 rooms with balconies are still closed, awaiting remodeling that will include poolside rooms.

Casino floor

Tropicana replaced its outdated, gold-accented interior with white floors, columns and chairs. The whitewashed look, replicated in its outdoor facade and restaurants, is inspired by South Beach, which is appropriate for a vacation getaway like Las Vegas, McCartney said.

“It looks like a creamsicle,” Anthony Curtis, publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor newsletter, said of the hotel’s orange-accented whites and tans.

Also associated with white is a tropical fragrance the new owners are pumping through the hotel to put people in a pleasant, vacation mood: It’s coconut mixed with almond, McCartney said.

For Las Vegas tourists in a drinking mood, the scent may conjure images of a white concoction available at the bar: pina coladas.

Race and sports book

The race and sports book, now near the casino’s side entrance, is run by Cantor Gaming, a bookmaking company that offers a high-tech form of sports betting called “in-running” that allows gamblers to make split-second betting decisions throughout a sporting event. Cantor, an affiliate of investment banking giant Cantor Fitzgerald, is known for accepting a wider range of bets at higher limits than many Las Vegas books. Through Cantor, Tropicana also offers mobile gambling devices that can be used to place bets outside the sports book.

By outsourcing its sports book, the Tropicana wanted to create a more enticing option for gamblers, McCartney said.

Nikki Beach, Club Nikki & Caf? Nikki

Nikki Beach, which runs a chain of luxury beach clubs in exotic destinations such as St. Tropez and Greece, is opening its largest location at Tropicana. The admission-fee beach club, modeled after a Nikki Beach location in Marbella, Spain, is terraced on multiple levels leading down to a small pool. Among the seating arrangements are daybeds and tepees with lounge chairs, refrigerators, counters and locked safes.

The club will feature live entertainment from musicians and dancers as well as international DJs. Servers will deliver drinks from several bars and food from Caf? Nikki.

An attached nightclub that opens onto the beach club is also terraced, with theater-style seating. The white and wood materials emphasize the natural over the synthetic, including shell, stone and bamboo. Performers will appear for special events, bearing Champagne and entering from overhead chairs that move along tracks attached to the ceiling.

Caf? Nikki, which opens to the beach club, serves breakfast and lunch but stays open late for the nightclub crowd.

Tropicana executives call the 1.8-acre complex a coup for the property, as Nikki Beach is a worldwide brand known for attracting a young, well-traveled crowd of “beautiful people.”

To build interest in the club, executives plan to broadcast club action onto the side of the Tropicana facing the north side of Las Vegas Boulevard, giant moving images easily viewed by passers-by.

Side entrance

At its north side facing Tropicana Avenue, the property built a modern entrance with nearby valet parking for those visiting the Nikki Beach and nightclub venues. The white granite entrance features bamboo accents and will be distinguished from its main entrance by club music booming through a sound system.

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Hot today, but windy and cooler for Memorial Day weekend

By Dave Toplikar (contact) Friday, may 27, 2011 | at 6: 07

Warm temperatures climbing into the upper 90s and mostly sunny skies are finishing off the work week in Las Vegas.

But gusty winds Southwest and relative air humidity of around 15% will result in a fire weather watch to the area Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

An area of low pressure will move southward toward the Great Basin on Saturday since then over the area on Sunday, resulting in stronger winds and an increase in cloud, the weather service said.

Fire Weather Watch is in effect from Saturday afternoon to Saturday evening, with the West to Southwest winds 20 to 30 km/h and gusts around 40 mph. along with a humidity of 15%, winds could create conditions for forest fires, they said.

The weather service also says that strong storm system diving in Northern Nevada on Saturday evening to Sunday will produce gusty winds in the area of the lakes at the weekend.

They said gusts of 30 mph are expected on Saturday afternoon and evening and also strong winds are expected on Sunday, with gusts as high as 35-45 mph. Winds will create choppy to rough waters that can Capsize boats and other watercraft, they said.

On Sunday, afternoon temperatures 20 degrees lower than this afternoon, reaching a peak just 74 in the Valley, they said. Showers will also be possible on Sunday, mainly North of Las Vegas, forecasters said.

Monday's Memorial Day holiday will bring sunny skies, with a high near 81 degrees, forecasters said.

At 5: 56 today was the temperature at McCarran International Airport 67 degrees. The normal low for today's date is 66 degrees. Record low was 44 degrees, which in 1953.

Around the Valley just before 6 a.m. where temperatures 68 degrees North Las Vegas Airport, 62 ? at Nellis Air Force Base and 63 ? at Henderson Executive Airport.

Temperatures in the Valley was increasing day to 78 degrees with a 9 a.m. to 89 degrees at noon, and reach a high of 96 degrees of 15.00, forecasters said. The normal high for today's date is 92 degrees and high record was 108 degrees, in 1974.

Temperatures are expected to be 96 degrees at 6 p.m. and then drop to 88 degrees of 9 pm and to 81 degrees at midnight, forecasters said.

Saturday's morning low is 72 degrees, and Saturday's high will climb to 91 degrees, they say.

We need a clear vision for Afghanistan

Bob Jack, North of Las VegasFriday, may 27, 2011 | at 2: 03

We must be realistic assessment of our situation in Afghanistan and the prospects for the future. America is no longer Welcome in the region of the Pakistanis and Afghans.

Without the active support of these local governments and people's chances of success in applying the current documents the strategy quickly. Our original purpose for invading Afghanistan was to remove the Taliban from power and to disrupt and dismantle Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. We really wanted to do everything possible to prevent a return to previous conditions. These initial objectives have largely been achieved. Bin Laden is dead. Al-Qaeda are scattered and leaderless.

The Taliban, but still. Therefore, the job is not yet complete. Radical basic Taliban return to a position of power would not be acceptable.

Notwithstanding the outstanding bravery in our own military, we must ask ourselves: How do we define the future of the United States's involvement in Afghanistan? We need to reconceptualize a future vision for Afghanistan and its immediate surroundings and go in that direction without delay.

The existing model of documents is out of step with the facts on the ground and is shaky. History tells us, and current conditions on the ground confirm, that we should instead be using counterterrorism consisting of airstrikes, unmanned Drone attacks, marine-based missile launches, and CIA security service and special forces located and run local strikes and interact with local communities to coordinate strikes and maintain intelligence benefits. An aggressive diplomatic efforts to assimilate more moderate elements of the Taliban in the Afghan Government should be sought.

Significant troop withdrawal should be coordinated with the implementation of this new strategy.

Sandoval adviser: judgment of the blowing hole in budget 10 times greater than expected

Justin m. Bowen Gov. Brian Sandoval addresses Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Wednesday 26 January 2011 at a lunch held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas. ' By Anjeanette Damon (contact) Friday, may 27, 2011 | at 12: 36

A ruling Thursday by the Nevada Supreme Court opens a 656 million dollar hole in Gov. Brian Sandoval proposed budget, an issue about 10 times what was originally expected, according to new figures from his administration.

At a late press conference announced the Sandoval's senior advisor, Dale Erquiaga, the new figures after the Governor's legal counsel advised the interpreting judgment in General.

-The extent of the problem is much greater than expected, "said Erquiaga. "It is about 10 times worse than some initially thought."

The Court's decision centered on a dispute over whether the State can take $ 62 million in user fees from Clark County clean water Coalition for a scuttled water projects.

The precedent-setting case, however, that many of the local money grabs Sandoval had relied on to help him to avoid raising taxes.

In addition to the 62 million dollars from the clean water Coaltion, Sandoval now find a way to replace the following revenue sources:

• 38 million dollars from the counties of coffee producers accident and medical help resources.

• 247 million dollars from the school district debt reserve funds.

• $ 83.4 million in property tax diversion from Clark and Washoe County.

• 225 million dollars from a local tax increase earmarked for the financing of education.

The Democrats had already rejected several of the Sandovals funding mechanisms, to find ways to avoid debt reserve, property tax and room tax grabs. This option relies on expanding the tax increases that 2009 will be repealed.

Remove sunset on these taxes would net the State 712 million dollars.

"We will not speculate in the evening, the solutions are," said Erquiaga. "The problem is much worse than we thought. We'll start working with the solution. "

Sources close to the Governor said he did not have the appetite to reduce 656 million USD from the already beleaguered State budget and he will likely support extending tax increases in 2009.

UFC packaging more significant impact on the Las Vegas Sports books

Sam Morris Frank Mir talks with grappling coach Ricky Lundell, which he may hand taped during open pass for UFC 130 Thursday, May 26, 2011; Village cases Keefer (contact) Friday, may 27, 2011 | 2: 05 a.m. http://www.lasvegassun.com/videos/2011/may/22/5162/as the two most successful Heavyweight mixed martial artists in Las Vegas, Frank Mir and Roy Nelson has always been. But they should set aside their friendship when they meet this weekend in co-main event for UFC 130 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

As recently as two years ago to book Sport Directors did not know what to make of the UFC.

Promoting praise mixed martial arts as the fastest growing sport in the world, but the public was not stepping up to the Las Vegas betting windows enough to match the hype. According to odd smakers throughout the city, which has been changed.

"The operation has gone up that you don't believe in the UFC," said Mike Colbert, sports book Director of Cantor Gaming, which operates the books at The M, hard rock, the cosmopolitan and Tropicana. "On these Saturdays when we have these UFC cards, we are making solid handle".

It is likely to continue with this weekend's UFC 130, beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Colbert said an average UFC event would bring four times greater than the number of bets that an average boxing cards.

"You're talking to an absolute boxing guy here and I will be the first to acknowledge that the UFC is more popular games-wise," Colbert said. "I never thought I'd see the day when there is accordingly popular."

Rob Akers, Assistant Sports Director book at the Venetian and Lagasse's Stadium, was a mixed martial arts fan since UFC 1 1993 and has routes to the events since coming to the Venetian in 1999.

Akers has witnessed steady growth in betting interest and said he believed always UFC would come to the point where it is today. Some factors could have expedited the process for the players, "he said.

"I think it is directly related to boxing during the time in the last few years," said Akers. "Pacquiao is a one-man-show. He is the only guy who can keep a handle, and people want to bet on a combat sport. They will always find some way to go for a, and recently has been the UFC.

Betting on Boxing reached its peak during the 1990s. Akers said some time Mike Tyson appeared in the ring, people would be willing to bet on his shooting and all the other contests at the event.

Not to be long, but the sweet science still had a strong presence with the players a decade ago, behind a handful of prizefighters. More recently, the handful of carved into two — Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather — with the latter has not competed in more than a year.

"In boxing, most people can't even tell who is on the undercard," said Jay Rood, sports book Director for MGM Resorts International. "If you go to a MMA cards, phone in the crowd, and before it could be as much about one of the first fights on the card."

More wagering requirement option is also available on the UFC card. Venice used to be one of the only sites to post the lines in each fight, but most of its competitors has now joined.

Cantor offers odds on all cards and MGM puts approximately 75 percent of bouts in their boards.

"We are trying to put strokes in as many matches as possible because of demand," said Rood. -The large with the MMA is people coming for all matches.

According to the odds are, UFC 130 lots of evenly matched games for players to mull over. Only one of the top seven bouts on the card has a favorite at a price higher than the-200 (risking $ 2 to win $ 1).

Akers said Frank Mir at-125 (risking $ 1.25 to win $ 1) against Roy Nelson, who is on-105, had attracted most early money.

"All these pick 'em fight can actually hurt our handle," said Akers. -No one can decide what they think and, as in UFC 129, they love to have the big Favorites to win.

UFC 129 had last month in Toronto three major bouts with Favorites from more than 300. Who parlayed Georges St. Pierre, Jose Aldo and Lyoto Machida in surplus. When all three prevailed made it for a bad night at the Venetian.

The days when Sports books could ignore UFC results and live with all the results are over.

"It is expanded to well beyond what it used to be," said Rood.

Target Keefer can be reached in 948-2790 or case.keefer@lasvegassun.com. Follow the case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

Las Vegas expect squeezes more Memorial Day weekend

Al powers Memorial Day weekend at Tao Beach in The Venetian on May 30, 2010, By Kyle Hansen (contact) Friday, may 27, 2011 | at 1: 55

More Americans are expected to travel for Memorial Day weekend this year despite rising prices as gasoline, airfares and hotels, and Las Vegas is the No 1 target, according to some travel experts.

Las Vegas Convention and visitors authority predicted a 2 percent increase in visitors this year. Those 311,000 people will play 96% of the Las Vegas hotel room and conduct a nongaming incomes of 186.2 million dollars, the Agency said.

VEGAS.com, a travel site and sister company to the Las Vegas Sun, said the average daily room rate 15 percent for the weekend compared to last year, $ 160 one night instead of $ 129 a night, suggesting a greater demand for rooms this year.

But the price increase seems to frighten people away or get them to spend less on entertainment.

Travel Web site said visitors plan their weekend trip has earlier this year, with the booking window or time someone books a trip before their arrival, 6 percent.

And visitors have purchased 20 percent more entertainment packages this year, showing the VEGAS.com said people buy tickets before arrival instead of to the door.

The expected increase in visitors seem to share national trends.

Auto Club AAA predicts only 0.2 per cent increase in travel for the holidays, says 34.9 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles from home, rather than the 34.8 million who did so last year.

AAA also said the number of persons travelling by car would likely reduce the result of high gasoline prices. Average gas price April this year is the highest in 10 years, with prices 95 cents higher than a year ago.

Although automatic travel will slightly decrease nationally, it is expected the number of Americans travelling by air the weekend rise 11.5 percent compared to last year.

And the rising prices that gasoline does not appear to change many plans.

AAA says 58% of travelers say gas prices would change his plans, and only 10% of the people that said prices would prompt them to cut, said they would compensate by making shorter journeys.

"Travel continued to see an uptick in early 2011, especially for those booking vacations in advance," said Filomena Andre, Southern California, AAA vice President of products and services. "Here at the AAA, is planning an increase in the number of travellers made Memorial Day travel in January or February and before significant price increases took place. But already now we hear from members that they will adjust their expenditure to ensure that they can take a vacation weekend holiday and throughout the summer.

Travel site Priceline.com said in a recent survey 68 percent of respondents said a "staycation" was not going to be enough this year.

"This year's Memorial Day favourite list, indicates that it is serious about what they said," says Brian Ek, the site's travel expert. "Some of the smaller, local" drive-up "cities that were on the list last year, has been replaced by larger cities, countries, and the popular ' fly-to ' destinations as Las Vegas and Puerto Rico."

Las Vegas came No. 3 in the list of favorite destinations for Expedia weekend, behind Chicago and Seattle. But the list also separates Las Vegas into zones, so that the region actually displayed on the list of top 50 four times.

Promotions said Las Vegas was the No. 1 destination for booking on its website before 10 may, followed by New York, Chicago, Honolulu and San Diego.

AAA's Southern California Club sa also Las Vegas was no 1 target for its members, both the driving and flying.

NLV police target drivers who don't look up

By Jackie Valley (contact) Friday, may 27, 2011 | at 5: 11

Drivers may face $ 72 or $ 192 tickets this weekend in North Las Vegas if caught not wearing their safety belts or without children properly restrained, said police.

North Las Vegas police are participating in the national "click it or Ticket" campaign with saturation patrols from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Officials will patrol areas of heavy traffic and intersections, with a history of crashes.

Authorities said the goal is to make the streets safer with a zero tolerance-application for bad driving and seat belt. Safety belt citation carries a $ 72 fine, and ticket for not having a child properly restrained is $ 192, police said.

Nevada law requires children younger than 6 years old or less than 60 pounds restrained in a car or booster seat.

Las Vegas express bus routes among the best in the United States, the report

MATTHEW MINARD/Las Vegas Sun/Sun file photo of the new vehicle hits Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) rapid transit system in the streets after an Unveiling ceremony at 3258 North Las Vegas Boulevard on Wednesday, 30 June 2004. The vehicle, provided by the regional transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, offers commuters a new and larger form of public transport. Every vehicle, MAX can transport up to 120 passengers and uses an advanced optical guidance that precisely target the near each MAX station. By Kyle Hansen (contact) Friday, may 27, 2011 | at 2: 03

Las Vegas's new bus rapid transit lines were identified as one of the best in the country in a report released Thursday, but the United States has a long way to go to catch up with some other countries.

The report "regain global leadership in Bus Rapid Transit" by the Institute for transportation and development policy, "said Cleveland, Eugene, ore., Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Las Vegas best bus rapid transit, or BRT, system in the nation.

In the report, but the United States is far behind other Nations in building faster bus systems and must do more to catch.

"These systems are poised to redefine how Americans see and use buses, critical at a time when increasingly scarce transport funding," said Walter Hook, Executive Director of the Institute and one of the report's authors, in a statement.

-But based on what we have seen in our work in cities around the world, we believe that there is still more that can be done, "he said. "To get at least a truly world-class BRT system built in the United States could inspire cities around the country to reconsider how they use the buses in the fight against growing congestion and rising fuel prices."

The regional transportation Commission of Southern Nevada has spent millions of dollars, much of the federal stimulus money to build four express bus routes and have more under construction. The report considered two main features of the service now, the MAX Las Vegas Boulevard North, which opened in 2004, and the Strip and Downtown Express line, which began service last year.

The idea of the report was to establish a system of scores to rank system bus, similar to how Green Building Council uses a score to determine its LEED awards for environmentally friendly buildings.

The result is a caption that gives each bus system a score from 0 to 100. A score of 85-100 is a gold designation, 70-84 is silver, 50-69 is bronze and slightly less than 49 is not a bus rapid transit.

Las Vegas made 50 scale, to get a bronze designation, but barely passes the requirements for bus rapid transit.

None of the other bus rapid transit lines in the nation got a silver or gold description, either. Cleveland got a score of 63, Eugene was a 61, Los Angeles got a 61 and Pittsburgh scored 57.

Cities in other countries do much better in the report, with some scores as high as 93 when the same ranking system is used.

The report praises the RTC systems but say Strip and Downtown Express suffers from congestion and slow service at the main part of the route, where there is no dedicated bus-only k?rf?lt.

-Line SDX most significant shortcomings are that special infrastructure does not continue on the main strip, largely because the casino owners did not want to make it easier or more attractive to their customers leave their casinos "in the report.

"The result is that in the most congested and popular part of Las Vegas, SDX behave more or less as a normal bus route incur countless delays," continues. "Yet the SDX line is a positive example for all accommodation in Las Vegas that GRT could provide high-quality transit at a lower cost than rail, and it is seen as a political and operational success."

Line MAX, who was the first rapid transit line in the State, also benefited from some "factual luck" which helped to pave the way for route Strip, according to the report.

"The city's other major transit investments, a monorail, opened late, millions of dollars over budget, and with significant technical issues," it says. The result is that the MAX saw particularly good and RTC was eventually able to expand with Strip and Downtown Express, which are in direct competition with the monorail, the report says.

In addition, the BRT success in Las Vegas quieted most of push to talk, and build a light rail train in Las Vegas, which is much more expensive, according to the report.

The report said sub-Saharan Africa Express line under construction in Las Vegas not likely qualifies as a true bus rapid transit line because it will use the lanes along the right hand curb, by the way, instead of in the middle of the street.

"Enlargement remains a positive sign that BRT is an accepted mass transit in Las Vegas," the report.

Tropicana: five old things

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Vegas Inc Latest News Gaming Tourism Real Estate Legal Opinion Photos Videos Latest Issue Vegas News Tropicana: Five old things Comment Print E-mail Share Facebook Fark Digg Delicious Reddit Stumble Tweet By Liz Benston (contact)

Friday
27 May 2011
1:54 a.m.

New rooms. New sports book. New restaurants. The Tropicana has all of those.

In the past two years, the resort has undergone an $180 million renovation, and more changes are on the way. Although much of the resort has been upgraded, some areas are still the same.

Below is a list of five things that are still old at the 54-year-old resort.

Click here for list of five things that are new.

Find the full story about renovations at the Tropicana here.

Glass ceiling

A curved ceiling made from more than 4,000 square feet of leaded glass and valued at more than $1 million runs the extension of the main casino floor. The design was inspired by a glass ceiling in a San Francisco bank before the turn of the 20th century and was introduced, along with the Tropicana’s reimagined Art Nouveau design, in the 1980s. Some glass has since been recolored to match the surrounding d?cor. The ceiling’s days are numbered, though, as it will be eventually removed.

Pool area

The Tropicana pool is a 1950s throwback amid mature landscaping at the center of the property. Tropicana split its manicured lawns and gardens in half to create Nikki Beach and has updated its remaining pool area, a tourist magnet featuring manicured lawns and gardens.

Longtime employees

Thousands of employees have come and gone over decades of different owners. Many longtime employees remain, including Linda McDonald, who today serves as executive assistant to President Tom McCartney. McDonald, 60, said she has met many fellow employees who have gotten married, sent children to college and had grandchildren over the years when the property’s future was in doubt.

“You become a family.”

Employees were heartened to hear about Alex Yemenidjian’s renovation plans, which have preserved their jobs while giving the property a new lease on life, said McDonald, who has worked at the Tropicana for 34 years.

“He has kept every promise he made to employees. When employees are happy, they can provide better service.”

Bell desk

The check-in area features ornate marble and brass railings that are decades old and among the few remaining areas that have yet to be updated. A makeover is in the works.

Palm walkway

A long breezeway connecting the casino with one of the hotel towers features windows on both sides from which visitors can look down at the pool and gardens. The windows, also replicated in hotel tower elevators, are a throwback to the bungalow architecture of the original Tropicana and lend themselves to the property’s beach resort atmosphere, managers say.“The bones of this building were good,” McCartney said.

The Island Tower walkway, pictured here, once held a string of kiosks selling novelty items. It has been revamped with white marble and is vendor-free.

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Matt Hamill secure place among the most influential, accomplished deaf athletes

Sam Morris Christian Buserini smiles on his hero, light heavyweight fighter Matt Hamill, after Hamill gave him wrote t-shirts and gloves during open pass for UFC 130 Thursday, May 26, 2011. Both Christians and Hamill was born deaf.Of case Keefer (contact) Friday, may 27, 2011 | 1: 55 a.m. http://www.lasvegassun.com/videos/2011/may/25/5179/Dana White holds his customary "fireside chat" with the media after the press conference of UFC 130 at the MGM Grand. Among the topics touched on white Wednesday was the most recent decision against Chael Sonnen by the California State Athletic Commission, Nick Diaz chances to get to the UFC from Strikeforce and the landscape in the light heavyweight division.

12-year-old Christian Buserini impatiently, and no one can blame him.

His hero, Matt Hamill, is a few meters away in a conference room outside the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Hamill, a UFC light-heavyweight facing Rampage Jackson in UFC 130 main event Saturday, will chat with Buserini as soon as he stops his media obligations.

Buserinis eyes are wide open and he fidgets while anticipating the moment that he is on infinite for the last three days. His father, Michael Buserini, "says Christian has barely slept in this range.

Hamill has a chance to establish himself as one of the best mixed martial artists in the world with a victory over Jackson. Christian Buserini is a passionate young wrestler who would like to become one of the best in Henderson. But they share a defining traits: they are both deaf.

"The tension has a deaf person that is not what he is doing so with the wrestling, to a 12-year-old, it is as if he just met Elvis," Michael Buserini said. "I don't think he will rest for a week now."

Hamill spent more than 10 minutes with Christian communicates through sign language about his upcoming fight and how he hopes to get one of the biggest names in sport.

Christian will be there every step of the way. UFC has released Buserinis tickets for the fight, and access to Friday's weigh-in. It is a dream for a Christian, but Hamill would say it is only to him.

Inspiring members of the deaf community, and in particular children, is what drives the Hamill to compete in the Octagon.

"If I can give them hope, or give them a dream, that is what I live for," said Hamill. "I just want to help in the future. It makes me feel good. It is great motivation ".

Hamill, whose life is the basis for a film entitled "Hamill" released in the autumn, know what inspiration can turn to. It felt not that long ago when he was in the same position as Christians.

When Hamill was in fifth grade, he met Doug Blubaugh-1960 Olympic gold medalist, a deaf wrestler, became a lifelong mentor. Blubaugh, who also spent 11 years as a wrestling coach at Indiana University, was at the Hamills page for many of the highlights during his career.

He worked with Hamill while he was in college and became a three-time Division III national champion at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Blubaugh helped refine the Hamill most recently wrestling leads to a UFC 121 victory against Tito Ortiz last year.

"Doug taught me how to become successful in wrestling," said Hamill. -He was influential in my life and gave me my wrestling skills.

Blubaugh died 10 days ago in Tonkawa, Okla. The 76-year-old died in a motorcycle accident.

"He was legally blind as a child and he never let that stop him in wrestling or whatever, says the Hamills trainer and manager Duff Holmes. -He really had his life and, until 76 years old, he runs around on his motorcycle. He was such a guy. Do guys like a lot. "

Hamill said Blubaugh would be on his mind heading into Saturday's bout. Coach on proud of his prot?g? 's performance.

One could argue Hamill is already the most successful deaf athlete ever. A win over Jackson would only confirm his position among the elite.

Other recent well-known deaf Sports figures include NFL linebacker Kenny Walker and MLB veteran outfielder Curtis Pride, but none of them were ever stars or headliners as Hamill.

-There is no close, especially for Christian, "says Michael Buserini. "He is related to him. Christian play not soccer, he will not be in the NFL, but with wrestling, he joins him. "

Even Jackson, who has said all week that fight not excite him, is impressed with how Hamill has dealt with his disability. Jackson remembered watching the third season of "The Ultimate Fighter," Hamill were on, and is surprised to find out he was deaf.

Jackson said it immediately made him respected Hamill and his opponents deserve "big ups".

"I look at Matt Hamill in the same way that I look at each other," said Jackson. "I get upset when people make deaf joke on my twitter. It is not who I am. I will not see the harm. I will try to beat him like I try to outdo all others. "

Hamill attempted using wrestling techniques he learned from Blubaugh to prevent any chance of that. He will likely push for takedowns, as Christian said was his favorite part of the Hamills games.

About Hamill becomes more powerful with more support from the deaf community as he says, then should Jackson concerned. Recently, said Hamill, he averaged 3,000 pieces of mail per week from fans.

"I cannot agree with them," said Hamill. "The problem is so many different languages. They are in Russian, Swedish, Japanese, Portuguese. I cannot read a them. "

-I get more deaf fans and that gives me more motivation.

Target Keefer can be reached in 948-2790 or case.keefer@lasvegassun.com. Follow the case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

Bottom row

Friday, may 27, 2011 | at 2: 01

In an attempt to correct the deficit budget last year, the Legislative Assembly adopted a law in a special meeting to 62 million dollars from Clark County clean water coalition.

The legislature and then-Gov. Jim Gibbons, the money was easy pickings. The coalition had collected money from Clark County sewer users to build a system that would send treated effluent water deep in Lake Mead, but the plan was scrubbed after the growth cone. It was therefore essentially free money to them in Carson City.

But the coalition — together with developers who paid into the Fund and local officials – protested. The money, said they were taken up for a particular purpose, and the State should not be allowed to take it to balance its budget.

They lost a lawsuit in District Court last year. Even though a judge said the legislature's move was "tantamount to legislating cannibalism", he ruled it was legal because the money was taken by a State authority which was subordinate to the State.

On Thursday, the Nevada Supreme Court reversed the unanimous decision by way of preliminary rulings, the measure was unconstitutional because it singled out the coalition. The Court considers that reverberated through Carson City since the money, which the coalition was never released, was part of Gov. Brian Sandoval budget.

The decision by lawmakers and the Governor is working to come up with an alternative plan. Sandoval has maintained against increasing taxes and has kept the Republican legislators in a row, and held the legislature from Allmusic two-thirds majority required to pass a tax. The Democrats have been pushing for a plan that would tax reapprove to expire this year, and the Court's decision may help by giving reluctant legislators — and the Governor — some political coverage.

Sandoval and legislators should not miss the larger issue at hand. The decision strikes a blow for what has been a regular in Carson City. The law gives the Government wide latitude to take the money and Sandoval, like others before him, has used that to their advantage. In its draft budget, the Governor essentially runs a shell game with a host of local funds, move funds, and borrowing against the future.

As we have said before, it is wrong to balance the budget at the expense of local governments so that a Governor and legislators do not need to address the underlying problems. The State's tax system is broke and unfair, making it possible for many companies to go virtually tax-free. As a result, not the State revenue to fund proper schools and many other services.

Sandoval, as well as Gibbons before him, acknowledge not to. Instead, they have hidden behind the platitudes about the Government tighten its belt so that they can continue their anti-Government ideology.

We cannot imagine that the judgment will drive the Governor and legislature to fix the underlying problem that the session is wrapping, but if nothing else, we hope that it will make them face the reality. They cannot keep pushing outside State problems in the future.

Tropicana's 180 million dollar renovation turning heads

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Steve Marcus

A view of the renovated pit area at the Tropicana Tuesday, May 24, 2011.

http://www.vegasinc.com/videos/2010/may/19/3941/ The Tropicana Resort and Casino is getting its first major renovation in 25 years, and 500 of the 1,700 new rooms are already open. Come along on a tour of the new 3,000-square-foot suites, redesigned restaurants, and four-acre tropical pool area - where Nikki Beach will have its Beach Club, nightclub and restaurant next year.

3801 S. Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas

The history of the Las Vegas Strip has been a tumultuous one, defined as much by the wrecking ball as by the construction of some of the world’s largest and most expensive resorts.

That economic model, the primary force driving decades of tourism growth for Las Vegas, came to a crashing halt in the downturn as financing for new resorts dried up, leaving casino owners with two options: do nothing or renovate.

Alex Yemenidjian opted for the latter when he bought the Tropicana out of bankruptcy in 2009, elevating it to a competitive mid-market property. The tactic seemed questionable in a town that has razed most of its mob-financed casinos and replaced them with lavish megaresorts tailored for newer and more profitable audiences.

Critics questioned whether the Tropicana brand, which had long been known for dingy rooms, tacky d?cor and iconic Folies Berg?re showgirls, could be salvaged.

Now, nearly two years later, the Tropicana bears little resemblance to its former self. Besides renovating all of its available rooms and public spaces under a South Beach theme, the Tropicana has changed all of its restaurants and entertainment, including the recent arrival of Gladys Knight in the main showroom. The property’s most extensive attraction opened Thursday: a nightclub and attached outdoor pool lounge under the Nikki Beach brand. Even parts of the property visitors never see got a full makeover, including the first upgrade under Yemenidjian: a $1 million employee dining room.

For a property that had changed little from the 1980s, the $180 million transformation is dramatic — and swift.

It also has little parallel in Las Vegas.

The 54-year-old Tropicana is one of only four remaining hotels dating from the Strip’s early resort era still in operation. Of those, the Riviera — which, like Tropicana, recently emerged from bankruptcy post-recession — has not announced major renovations under new ownership. Like its pricier sister property, Caesars Palace, the Flamingo has been renovated periodically over the years to maintain its appeal.

Tropicana, by contrast, had gone to seed under at least three owners as strategies to upgrade the property came and went. Plans to tear down the building and erect a major new resort had been discussed more than a decade ago. During the height of the economic boom, different owners proposed the most ambitious expansion in Las Vegas history, including plans to build multiple hotel towers onto the existing resort for a total of up to 10,000 rooms.

The facelift made sense because of Tropicana’s location at the bustling south end of the Las Vegas Strip and one of the busiest intersections in town, Tropicana President Tom McCartney said. The original structure, which opened as a luxury resort in 1957, had been well preserved over the years, with mature landscaping and reasonably-sized rooms, he said.

The resort has yet to earn a profit from its upgrade, though losses have narrowed as the now-renovated property is generating more revenue from all types of customers, including tour groups, last-minute tourists and business customers.

Though renovated rooms and service upgrades have so far been well-received, financial analysts such as Jacob Oberman say it’s too early to tell whether the face-lift will pay off, especially given that business has been somewhat disrupted over the past year while work was under way.

Rising room rates are a big help, he said, as every $10 improvement in rate likely translates into a few million dollars in pretax earnings per year, said Oberman, director of gaming research and analysis for CB Richard Ellis’ Global Gaming Group.

The arrival of Nikki Beach and its Club Nikki nightlife venue — high-margin businesses drawing crowds of young customers in the downturn — could further lift earnings, he added.

Midmarket hotels have suffered more than higher-end properties in the downturn as visitors could afford discounted rooms at the more luxurious hotels.

“It costs about the same amount to service a room and check you in whether you’re at Bellagio or Tropicana,” Oberman said.

Despite optimism about improving tourist traffic and spending patterns, CB Richard Ellis estimates revenue from nonluxury Strip hotels open for at least a year to be flat this year.

McCartney doesn’t sound worried. Instead, he sounds relieved.

The timing of the downturn worked in Tropicana’s favor, yielding an upgrade at much less cost than the boom years and allowing the property to pass on those savings to customers in the form of affordable prices, said McCartney, a Strip veteran who formerly ran the Planet Hollywood resort.

Casino operators in Las Vegas have discussed the negative consequences of lowering room rates to the point where they attract customers who go elsewhere for cheap entertainment because they can’t afford to eat in a property’s restaurants or see its shows.

The opposite is happening at Tropicana because it has achieved a pricing balance among its new offerings, which were designed for post-recession consumers seeking value, McCartney said.

“People can afford to stay here and participate in other activities while they’re here,” from the 24-hour Starbucks to the casual Italian restaurant by noted Chef Carla Pellegrino, he said.

“We’re not competing at the high end. There’s a very large middle market in Las Vegas.”

In years past, the Tropicana served as a conveniently located dorm offering cheap rooms for budget seekers who spent money elsewhere. Tropicana is now a “net importer” of customers, McCartney said.

Tropicana executives use the catchphrase “aspirational yet accessible” to describe their business model — buzzwords that happen to be all the rage in boardrooms across the country.

The new rooms are one example, with plantation shutters made from synthetic white material rather than cloth that can easily wear out or look outdated. Save for an iPod docking station with an alarm clock and a 42-inch flat-screen TV, there are no objects d’art or high-tech features in the rooms, which have a muted tropical theme to match the property’s South Beach-inspired design. Like each new design element of the hotel, the furniture was selected by Yemenidjian for its balanced appeal between modern and casual — an intended departure from the generic minimalism or trendy opulence favored by many hotel chains.

“Some hotels don’t know what they want to be,” said Tropicana Service Excellence Manager Kennon Wolff, who formerly worked at a four-star hotel. “People want a look they can recognize, without it being stuffy or ostentatious,”

The new entertainment lineup may seem a confusing mishmash for younger and older audiences. That’s all according to plan, as the Tropicana casts a wide net in its effort to attract Baby Boomers alongside Generation X and Generation Y customers who weren’t necessarily frequenting the property, McCartney said.

“It’s important to have diverse entertainment offerings available at different times of day. It doesn’t make sense to be too narrow.”

After a building boom of luxury hotels many people can no longer afford, the middle market is “definitely the place to be” for Las Vegas hotels, gaming industry consultant Daniel Shumny said.

Still, budget hotels have a rough road ahead as high-end properties use discounted rooms to compete for customers, he said.

The Tropicana, meanwhile, is a brand that has outlived its expiration date, Shumny said. The new owners would have been better served by tearing it down and waiting to rebuild when the economy recovers.

“It has this image as the place where my grandparents used to go,” he said.

Anthony Curtis, publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor newsletter, calls the makeover a successful effort to bring the property up to par with newer competitors.

“They’ve followed through on what they said they would do,” Curtis said.

The property has been ramping up its advertising efforts, using the slogan “We’re changing everything” to get the word out. Online customer reviews are helping those efforts, as the renovation included retraining staff in the standards of luxury hotels, McCartney said. Among other things, employees must walk customers in need of directions to their destination and be able to explain resort amenities in detail.

On Tripadvisor.com, Tropicana has moved from a No. 80 customer ranking of top Las Vegas hotels before the renovations to No. 20, ahead of many higher-end hotels. Tripadvisor, a travel website known for extensive customer reviews that have become required reading for hotel managers nationwide, features mostly positive comments about the Tropicana, including the following post from a visitor last week: “I had stayed there a few years back and it was not a great experience. They have really turned things around ... The staff is really nice, helpful, knowledgeable and excited about the new direction of the hotel.”

Such comments mark a change from years past, when customers shared horror stories about dirty rooms and service that was lacking.

Occupancy and room rates have crept up over the past several months, resulting in higher gambling, food, beverage and entertainment revenue, according to company earnings reports. After previous management stopped selling rooms to convention groups in anticipation of major renovation work, the Tropicana’s convention business has been reborn, with remodeled convention facilities and a new group sales staff, McCartney said.

“All the indicators are moving in the right direction.”

Nostalgia may sell books and movies but isn’t an effective marketing tool for Las Vegas hotels.

“You will hear people grousing that they want the old prices but they also want the best,” Curtis said. “If you want to compete on the Strip you have to be new. They couldn’t do that with the old Tropicana.”

Congress goes to the brink before renewing Patriot Act

By Karoun Demirjian (contact) Friday, may 27, 2011 | 5 : 41 AM Harry Reid Shelley Berkley Dean Heller

Congress seems to love the brinksmanship in: it only narrowly avoided, so that the Patriot Act expires.

Thursday evening, the Senate voted 72-23 for extending by four years of the law that amped up the Government's monitoring capacity, enabling the authorities to obtain special court concluding that the seizure of items related to terrorism probes, tap phones and investigate suspicious individuals are not necessarily connected to known terrorist groups. Parliament followed suit soon after, with a vote of 250-153.

The monitoring activities allowed by the Patriot Act has been subject to scrutiny under the concerns about privacy and civil rights since October 2001, when President George w. Bush signed it into law in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks by Al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden.

Bin Laden's recent death has breathed a new urgency in the legislation of many lawmakers, who believe it is necessary to keep all the tools for collecting intelligence possible can be used, particularly as Government wins the new leads from the treasure trove of information recovered from the RAID on Bid Laden's compound.

Nevada Democratic rep Shelley Berkley is one of the legislators who have expressed serious concern over the application of the Patriot Act before.

But she put them in the larger purpose, to keep the U.S. intelligence-gathering in fighting shape in a critical situation in the fight against terrorism, she said.

-Patriot Act provisions we stretch is crucial for the United States's national security and the prevention of terrorism, said Berkley.

"They give law enforcement the authority and tools needed to track suspected and known terrorists in order to better protect our nation against those who seek to harm our families, our communities and those serving in our armed forces at home and abroad," she said.

But she said, it is important "that this package can only be extended to them during a limited time, restrain Congress oversight over how those rules apply."

Process, but went almost due because of an impasse in the Senate between majority leader Harry Reid and Taylor's Republican Sen. Rand Paul.

Paul has been with a strange utilitarian libertarian during his time on the national policy arena.

He came to Washington for a wave of Tea Party support but then overridden by the perception that he had little loyalty to the party as tea.

He will not support what was the Republican party's preferred approach to deal with next year's budget – the now defunct a presented by House rep Paul Ryan would have introduced significant changes to Medicare. Instead, he presented his own proposed balancing the budget by folding departments of Commerce, education, energy and Housing and Urban Development.

Paul got into a heated standoff with Reid during the past week, over increasing changes in the Bill. Reid was willing to let him do it, but not about the amendment which forbids authorities from verification of the registers of gun dealers to see who is buying arms.

"He is fighting for an amendment to protect the right – not of average citizens, but from terrorists — to cover up their gun purchases," Reid said of Paul's one-man filibuster, which continued as the clock ticked down to midnight last night.

But Paul was adamant that his struggle was one of principle.

"Those who want to destroy our country would like to see us Loose from within. We Dissolve from within when we give up our freedoms, "says Paul.

"If you think it is law enforcement activities, obtain an arrest warrant," he said. "You can't give up your freedom to capture our criminals."

Almost no one was with Paul on this one.

Other senators who hoped to introduce changes to force the Government to stick to new demands, withdrew them as Thursday wore on. Also the minority leader, Mitch McConnell, tried to get Paul to ignore their reservation Bill with a call to "now is not the time to give the tools authorised by this Act."

Reid finished vika Patriot Act extension to the interface of the unfinished Small Business Innovation Bill to speed up the time until he could force the Senate to vote, despite Paul's objections.

In the end, Paul would lose this particular crusade, but he would not be the only politician to take a strong stand on principle and to vote against the Patriot Act. So did the 19 other Democrats and only four other Republicans – including Nevada Sen. Dean Heller.

"I have opposed the USA Patriot Act since day one and continues to oppose it," he said. "I just don't think it is necessary that the Government knows your bank accounts, in order to come into your home. I imagine philosophically, only I do not trust the Federal Government to use that authority. "

Nor was the only member of the Nevada delegation to vote against the Patriot Act extension. Berkley, Republican Rep. Joe Heck, and Reid all supported it.

"But the PATRIOT Act is not a perfect law, it gives our intelligence and law enforcement communities vital tools to keep America safe and thwart terrorism," said Reid after the vote.

Lake Las Vegas ' Ravella Dives in the pool party biz, but target families

Ravella

Celebrities and bikini's have become games on Strip pool party scene where fluid drains from morning through night clubs when open.

Their name plastered on billboards, along with whatever they celebrate the birthday or the product launches, is sufficient for partygoers to spend hundreds of cabanas and bottle service saying they partied together with their favorite celebrity, fueling nightclub operators ' newest moneymaker.

And with pool parties appear on hotels across the Valley, it seems almost every resort is trying to cash in on the trend. Now, in the suburban gated community of Lake Las Vegas, Ravella tries his hand at pool parties but with a different take: family friendly pool party.

On Ravellas will not pool parties begin Memorial Day weekend, guests find $ 1,000 cabanas or a pool overflowing with boozy 20-somethings. Instead, they can expect balloon animals, face painting, and cotton candy, along with other activities geared towards families.

"We wanted to really be able to drive the locals out to the hotel and we thought that we should go route the family because the hotel is suitable for that," says Marty Bertone, Ravella Chief of sales and marketing, which helped to develop the concept.

The hotel has recruited its own celebrity host for some of the weekend's festivities, ' Holly's World ' star Angel Porrino. But instead of her usual friends-Holly Madison and playmate Laura Croft at her side, Porrino will host with toddler son, Roman.

"When you look at a host, we wanted someone who had something of a local after so we chose Angel, particularly because of his role in" Absinthe "and" Holly's world. " We knew that if we were to do an event promoting the family, we wanted a celebrity that may lead to a family member with her, "said Bertone.

Porrino will host a Memorial Day BBQ at Ravella pool, and the DJ will add to the pool party vibe Ravella hope to create. On Saturday, the resort hosts a tropical-themed party featuring authentic Caribbean cuisine and beverages for adults and children shaved ice.

The cost for the two weekends parties are included in the $ 119 rate on Memorial Day package at the hotel, but admission can also be purchased for less than $ 20 to $ 45 rooms over the weekend--a fraction of what other Las Vegas pool parties, free of charge.

Bertone said Ravella chiefs looked at pool parties at the Strip at the development of their, but not as a model. They are needed to guide their judgement that the demographic, who are mainly meetings during the week and families on the weekend.

The Strip tend to get a little crazy, especially the pool parties. We would not be able to compete with something similar, and we really do not want to compete with it. We want to develop a concept that is exclusive to Ravella and Lake Las Vegas community, "said Bertone.

Ravella will have some options for adults. Hotel cabanas that go for $ 100 each, and recently started to bottle service at the pool.

Ravella will start with Memorial Day weekend for its family-friendly pool party concept, but Bertone said the hotel hope to open it for other weekends, depending on its success.

-The community Las Vegas is really important to our success so to have a local following, and we certainly encourage the local audience to come out and visit Ravella, Bertone said. "This was the approach we used to keep people out from the other side of the city and Henderson locals."

Big oil profits should be data intensive to build refineries

Bruce Karley, Las VegasFriday, may 27, 2011 | at 2: 01

High profits. Tax Relief. Drill everywhere. Increase prices at any time they like.

I venture a guess that there is an oil refinery was built in this country in the past five, 10, 15 or 20 years. They do not have the opportunity to refine enough crude to meet the needs of this country.

Think of the jobs created on the oil industry would build a refinery. Oh, wait a minute. They would need to spend some of that profit. Oh, the horror of it all.

Obama should know his borderline advice doesn't work

Earle Malkin, Las VegasFriday, may 27, 2011 | at 2: 02

Israel must have secure and defensible borders if there shall be peace in the Middle East. We have heard that some time from many U.S. administrations. Withdraw to the 1967 borders "with certain adjustments" are current mantra. These statements are impractical to achieve.

If you look at the topography of Jerusalem, for example, heading North, there is no natural barrier that could be used as a defensible border. This applies, in principle, going South.

It is hypocrisy for President Barack Obama to try to impose this condition in this area when the US has a natural frontier that aren't justifiable — or at least not be defended. It is called the Rio Grande. If we can't do it against criminal gangs, how can we expect Israel to secure its border with a professional army and groups of State-sponsored terrorists?

Casino MonteLago is reopened at Lake Las Vegas

Steve Marcus people Scroll on the streets of MonteLago village during the grand re-opening of Casino MonteLago at Lake Las Vegas on Thursday, May 26, 2011.

It was a Las Vegas scene, circa 2007: too many, too few gambling machines and too few parking places for people on a crowded for what may be the only large Casino to 2011.

After 14 months of darkness, Casino MonteLago — social hub of Lake Las Vegas golf resort community — again 9 p.m. Thursday for a burst of fireworks.

Small casino closed in March 2010, a victim of the battered economy in a challenging Henderson location some 20 miles from the Strip. Although the local economy is still in error messages, are expecting a new management team to do better by promoting lean, with less gambling machines and employees.

But Thursday night, there were smiles all around – and the type of gambling measure casinos dream about. Shortly after the doors opened, customers stood two deep, expecting a 275 slot machines or seven electronic table games to open up.

Among them is the Henderson resident Nancy Almanzan, which found a place in an electronic blackjack game.

-It is nice to come here and relax and not on the Strip, says Almanzan, 45. "We used to come out here two or three times a week when the casino was open but not so much because it closed. I like the ambience village atmosphere. "

Roy Alexander drove all the way from downtown Las Vegas to open.

"We used to come here for live music on weekends. I would definitely come down here again now that the Casino is open, "said Alexander, 65.

As customers of the casino when it was under the previous administration, he and his wife, an offer to stay on attached Ravella hotel.

"We could have rented a room at the weekend, we had earlier received the message. We will probably be back, "he said.

While playing roulette, Lin was big on opening Meriage, says she and her husband had been waiting for it since the property ended last year.

Meriage, a retiree and full-time resident of Lake Las Vegas, said that there was still enough sights to keep the resort community, including seven restaurants were open during the last year. Still, the casino was a much needed attraction, she said.

"We are proud of," said Meriage, 67.

The Casino will hopefully stay open for fans of the Tuscan-themed in a faux Italian village of cobblestone walking paths, quaint restaurants and boutique shops and next to a 320-acre man-made lake.

Critics considered small surrounding population sentenced 40 000-square-foot casino from the beginning.

CEO Jon Berkley disagrees, saying the Casino's main problem was its heavy debt burden wiped away — now in the ownership to the lenders.

A significant though small problems of previous administrations, he said, was a marketing problem with the earlier Ritz-Carlton hotel next door.

Beautifully appointed hotel, which has done little on the market, the attached casino guests, was simply too expensive for the local population, "he said.

"When a room at the Ritz cost $ 300, no one could afford a staycation here," he said.

That changes now renamed hotel, Ravella, reopened in February under new management. This luxury hotel – who left the room and the space untouched but have brightened the lobby and other public places with more colorful and less formal furnishings – sells four-star accommodation in two-and three-star prices.

The property offers an advertising at $ 49 per night by 12 June, and has recently reduced the regular prices for Nevada residents to $ 59 from kr by Labor Day. Rates peak at around $ 130, price undercutting rates charged by other luxury hotels in the city. Staycations are a key marketing strategy for the hotel, which can be a significant part of the business from locals looking for a quick getaway, "said Marty Bertone, Ravellas Director of sales and marketing and a Ritz-Carlton coach in Phoenix.

"Our local people who have done very well," he said.

The Casino is also dependent on the local population rather than the out-of-towners.

Rather than simply drawing from Lake Las Vegas or Henderson, the Casino hopes to attract people from across the Las Vegas Valley to stop at Lake Las Vegas, Berkley said.

"We did not invent a staycation, but I think we have perfected it," he said. "From your House in Summerlin, 30 minutes away, you can be transported to another location altogether ... a village that looks like something you would find on the Amalfi Coast."

For its part sold 71 year old Laura Velgos on Lake Las Vegas. She and friend Frank Black, 73, nosed around some shops in the village in anticipation of tonight's Casino crowd to disperse.

"It feels like Europe. It is who is on vacation, "says Velgos, a 43-year Las Vegas resident who visited the Lake Las Vegas regularly until the casino closed.

"You can not find a machine which, so it's crowded. We waited 30 minutes, and then came out here, "said Black, who lives in Boulder City. -But we love this place.

They won so much money from the casino that they probably helped it turn, joke black.

Yes, they do not win, but they enjoyed themselves, and that is why they are back, enjoying a night walk in string lights in faux European village.

-We are here to win back all the money we lost, "he says with a laugh.

Jonathan Gomez thinking not long drive from his home in Northwest Las Vegas to his job as a line cook at Harry's restaurant in the Casino.

-It is worth it for the opportunity, "said Gomez, recent culinary-school graduate. "It's a great feeling to be an employee. And this is a good place.

Gomez said the Casino would flourish given sufficient publicity.

"Many people don't know about. I've told people, what a nice place to get a girlfriend. "