M A R C H 2016
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2016 SUMMER CAMP SECTION INSIDE
Lost Vegas
The Showgirl Next Door & Mob Boss Walking His Dog SUMMER DAZED
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SIMPLE ELEGANCE
SHADES OF SPRING
TEACHING FOR TOMORROW
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They’re your memories. Lets us help you cherish them.
Welcome to the Ronald Reagan Memory Support Suites at Las Ventanas. The Ronald Reagan Memory Support Suites at Las Ventanas is Nevada’s premier memory care facility, dedicated to the specialized care of Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers. Your memories are your most precious treasure. We’ll help you cherish them.
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lasventanaslv.com
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MARCH
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explore The month’s event listings to help plan your day or your stay devour Where to find some of the best eats, drinks and foodie happenings in the Valley
44 Teaching for Tomorrow The Adelson Educational Campus announces plans for a 5,000 sq. ft.technology incubator.
58 Jessica Abo Journalist, Entrepreneur & Social Activist
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34 speak It’s the late seventies, Long Island, New York. We go to summer day camp with a very young Corey Levitan. 38 taste Chef Sheridan Su searches for perfection. His signature Hainan Chicken is pretty darn close.
48 Shades of Spring As per Pantone, the color gods, these are the cool colors that celebrate the changing season.
22 discover Places to go, cool things to do, hip people to see in the most exciting city in the World
w w w. d av i d l v. co m M A R C H 2016
on the cover
Lost Vegas
The Showgirl Next Door & Mob Boss Walking His Dog
Last minute adjustments for a group of Jubilee showgirls. Photo: © TOMO Muscionico
www.davidlv.com
23 Summer Camps
52 Lost Vegas The showgirl next door and the mob boss walking his dog were common sights in old Las Vegas.
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special section
2016 SUMMER CAMP SECTION INSIDE
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20 desire Sin City abounds in world-class shopping ... these are a few of our favorite things
The month’s spotlight on someone to know.
SUMMER DAZED
SIMPLE ELEGANCE
SHADES OF SPRING
TEACHING FOR TOMORROW
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Copyright 2016 by JewishINK LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. DAVID MAGAZINE is protected as a trademark in the United States. Subscribers: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we are under no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year. The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited or contributed manuscripts, photographs, artwork or advertisements. Submissions will not be returned unless arranged for in writing. DAVID MAGAZINE is a monthly publication. All information regarding editorial content or property for sale is deemed reliable. No representation is made as to the accuracy hereof and is printed subject to errors and omissions.
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匀瀀愀渀椀猀栀 䴀甀猀椀挀 䌀漀洀瀀攀琀椀琀椀 䌀漀洀瀀攀琀椀琀椀瘀攀 匀瀀漀爀琀猀 䔀砀琀爀愀 䌀甀爀爀椀挀甀氀愀爀 䄀挀琀椀瘀椀琀椀攀猀 匀琀愀琀攀 䰀椀挀攀渀猀攀搀 䄀搀瘀愀渀挀䔀䐀 一愀琀椀漀渀愀氀 䄀挀挀爀攀搀椀琀愀琀椀漀渀
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Nevada’s only Funeral Home and Cemetery combination dedicated exclusively to the Jewish Community
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Publisher/Editor
• Southern Nevada consecrated Jewish cemetery • Proudly serving all Jewish denominations
Associate Publisher
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max@davidlv.com editor@davidlv.com
Joanne Friedland joanne@davidlv.com
EDITORIALllllllll
• Special Veterans Pricing Plan
Calendar Editor
• Special Synagogue Pricing Plan • Burials out-of-state and Eretz Yisrael
Endorsed by the entire Rabbinic community, meeting the needs of every denomination with tradition and compassion.
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Josh Bell
Marisa Finetti Zoë Friedland
Marisa Finetti Jaq Greenspon Jason Harris Corey Levitan Lynn Wexler
ART & PHOTOGRAPHY
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ADVERTISING & MARKETING
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Kacia-Dvorkin Pretty Family Service Director Volume 06 Number 9 www.davidlv.com DAVID Magazine is published 12 times a year.
Copyright 2016 by JewishINK LLC. 1930 Village Center Circle, No. 3-459 Las Vegas, NV 89134 (p) 702-254-2223 (f) 702-664-2633
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What Does student-Centered Learning look like? Let us Show you.
Call Today to Arrange a Tour Enrolling 18 Months-Grade 12 Education For Life * 9700 Hillpointe Road Las Vegas, Nevada 89134 * Phone (702) 255-4500 * www.adelsoncampus.org 03_10_FOB.indd 7
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contributors
Josh Bell
is the film editor for Las Vegas Weekly, where he's been writing movie and TV reviews since 2002. He's also written about movies for The Dissolve, LA Weekly, Film Racket and other outlets. Find him online at facebook.com/joshbellhateseverything and twitter.com/ signalbleed.
Marisa Finetti is a local writer, marketing professional and blogger. The Tokyoborn Finetti has called Las Vegas home since 2005. She has written for such publications as Spirit and Las Vegas and Nevada magazines and has a healthy-living blog at bestbewell. com. When she’s not writing, Finetti enjoys family time with her husband and two boys.
Jaq Greenspon
Jason Harris writes for a number of publications and websites. He specializes in food, music, and comedy writing. He has worked in almost every aspect of the entertainment industry. He has sold multiple screenplays, written awards shows and had a tv show on ABC for a minute. He’s still broke. And he loves his daughter Scarlett the most.
is a journalist, screenwriter and author with credits on The New Adventures of Robin Hood and Star Trek: The Next Generation. He also is a literary and movie critic, has taught and written about fi lmmaking but is most proud of his role in the fi lm, Lotto Love. A Vegas resident for most of his life, he now resides in Eastern Europe.
Corey Levitan
Lynn Wexler
is a regular contributor to Men’s Health magazine. He wrote the most popular newspaper humor column in Las Vegas history, “Fear and Loafing,” which ran 176 times in the ReviewJournal from 2006-2011. At home, however, he is referred to as “Mr. Poopyhead” by his four-year-old daughter, and something much less printable by his wife. Follow his latest adventures here and at coreylevitan.com.
has been a feature writer and contributor for magazines and newspapers, locally and nationally, for over 20 years. She writes a monthly online column entitled Manners in the News, which comments on the behavior of politicians, celebrities and others thrust in the public arena. She is the Founder and President of Perfectly Poised, a school of manners that teaches social, personal and business etiquette to young people. She is a former TV Reporter and News Anchor. Of her many accomplishments, she is most proud of her three outstanding teenaged children.
8 MARCH 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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2/22/16 9:25 AM
MARK
YO U R C A L E N DA R S A N D P L A N T O J O I N U S F O R T H E
TOURO GA LA
W ITH K EYNOTE A DDRESS
BY
VI C E A D M I RA L V I V E K H . M U RT H Y, M.D., M.B.A . U N I T E D S TAT E S S U R G E O N G E N E RA L SPECIAL
2016 HONOREES
A W A R D P R E S E N TA T I O N S W I L L B E M A D E T O :
JA L D E E P DAU L AT, D . O. M O J AV E C E N T E R F O R D E R M AT O L O G Y & P L A S T I C S U R G E RY M I T C H E L L F O R M A N , D . O. T O U R O U N I V E R S I T Y N E VA D A C O L L E G E O F O S T E O PA T H I C M E D I C I N E NV ENERGY DAV I D S T E I N B E R G , M . D . STEINBERG DIAGNOSTIC MEDICAL IMAGING
SUNDAY, MARCH 6, 2016 FOUR SEASONS HOTEL /
TABLES
LAS VEGAS
5:00 P.M. VIP SPONSOR MEET & GREET 5:30 P . M . – C O C KTA I L R E C E P T I O N A N D S I L E N T A U C T I O N / 7:00 P . M . – D I N N E R A N D P R O G RA M O F T E N A R E AVA I L A B L E AT $2,360 / I N D I V I D UA L S E AT S A R E $236 P E R P E R S O N / E V E N T S P O N S O R S H I P $10,000
GIVE.TUN.TOURO.EDU/GALA Selma
BARTLET T
STEPHEN CLOOBECK
Dr. Jaldeep Daulat THE
MARSHALL FA M I LY
874 American Pacific Drive, Henderson, Nevada 89014 | www.tun.touro.edu
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from the publisher “And even if we win … if we win, HAH! Even if we win! Even if we play so far above our heads that our noses bleed for a week to 10 days; even if God in Heaven above comes down and points his hand at our side of the field; even if every man, woman and child held hands together and prayed for us to win, it just wouldn’t matter. Because all the really good looking girls would still go out with the guys from Mohawk because they’ve got all the money! It just doesn’t matter if we win or we lose. IT JUST DOESN’T MATTER!” Bill Murray’s character Tripper in the 1979 summer camp comedy Meatballs launches into this epic rant to a bunch of awkward teens before their dreaded annual sporting loss to a rival summer camp. For a generation, the phrase “It just doesn’t matter!” provided salve for fragile teen sensitivities. The challenges that adolescents face as they chart the waters of their formative years are myriad, of course. And there’s just so much we (helicopter) parents can provide in the way of guidance. How did it work out for us with our parents? You get my point. Human development requires running with the pack. For generations (my kids included), camp has provided this opportunity. This “Lord of the Flies”-like experience in the mountains, away from the stress of the campers’ ordinary routines, allows our pubescent progeny to explore their inner selves, the opposite sex and the universe. When my family arrived in this neck of the woods some 23 years ago, we were perplexed by the lack of sleep-away summer options for our kids. This was particularly puzzling for a tribe of recent transplants from cool, coastal climes. It seemed cruel and unusual punishment to subject children to the furnace-like temperatures of high summer Sin City. Most of the families we consulted told us they were sending their kids to Camp McCarran. We followed suit, resulting in our happy offspring being enshrined in the pantheon of major “donors” to upstate New York’s ravenous mosquito community. This year, Las Vegas’ Jewish youth will have a much closer option. The Jewish Community Center of Southern Nevada is holding its second sleep-away camp on the tranquil shores of Jenks Lake in the conifercovered San Bernardino Mountains of nearby Southern California. The Adelson Educational Campus’ commitment to providing top notch K–12 educations is confirmed by its first-in-Nevada plans for a 5,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art inventor’s workspace. This startup incubator will offer students a challenging, next-generation learning and creating experience. I applaud the vision of the school’s leaders and the generosity of the project’s donors. We at DAVID Magazine enthusiastically await the generation of technology pioneers it promises to produce. As a native, writer Jaq Greenspon has a unique perspective on old Las Vegas; he knows a lot of interesting and colorful people. When the curtain came down recently on Jubilee at Bally’s, a 35-year Vegas institution came to an end. Goodbye, feathers and rhinestones; hello, strobe lights and DJ mixes. In Lost Vegas (pages 52-56), Jaq shares his nostalgia for the Vegas of yesteryear. From the universe of showgirls and summer camps I salute you, dear DAVID reader. Enjoy your spring and, as always, I’ll see you in the racks.
Max Friedland max@davidlv.com
10 MARCH 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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pulse explore @ 12 devour @ 19 desire @ 20 discover @ 22 ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK 3.19
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eXplore L A S
HUES OF EMOTION BY CHRISTINE BINNS: Through March 6, times vary, free. Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-507-3630. lvccld.org VINTAGE URBAN COLLECTION BY ALEXANDER P. HUERTA OF PEACENART STUDIO: Through March 8, times vary, free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3400. lvccld.org
V E G A S
SINATRA'S CENTENNIAL BY LAS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU: Through March 15, times vary, free. Windmill Library, 7060 W. Windmill Lane, Las Vegas. 702-507-6030. lvccld.org THE WORLD THROUGH MY EYES BY SHALINI SHAH: Through March 20, times vary, free. West Las Vegas Library, 951 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-507-4010. lvccld.org THE PHILOSOPHY OF FORM AND COLOR BY EYOB MERGIA: Through April 2, times vary, free. The Studio @ Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-507-3630. lvccld.org WHERE I LIVE STUDENT ART EXHIBIT BY NEVADA HOUSING DIVISION: Through March 29, times vary, free. Spring Valley Library, 4280 S. Jones, Blvd., Las Vegas. 702507-3820. lvccld.org THE HIT LIST BY FERNANDO REYES: Through April 17, times vary, free. Enterprise Library, 25 E. Shelbourne Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-507-3760. lvccld.org WEST FROM HOME BY VALENTIN YORDANOV: Through April 19, times vary, free. Summerlin Library, 1771 Inner Circle Drive, Las Vegas. 702-507-3860. lvccld.org
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RASCAL FLATTS RHYTHM AND ROOTS: Through March 5, 8 p.m., $39.95. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-6935000. hardrockhotel.com
USA SEVENS RUGBY: Through March 6, times vary, $15-$30. Sam Boyd Stadium, 7000 E. Russell Road, Las Vegas. 888-RUGBY-7S. usasevens.com
March 1
702-507-3459. lvccld.org
CSN FINE ART GALLERY EXHIBITION - JILL PARISI “WALLFLOWERS”: Through March 19, times vary, free. CSN Cheyenne Campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Avenue, North Las Vegas. 702651-4000. csn.edu
FRANKIE MORENO — UNDER THE INFLUENCE: Encore March 8, 8 p.m., $25. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
TUESDAY AFTERNOON AT THE BIJOU SPOTLIGHT ON HENRY FONDA: Tuesdays through March 29, 1 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas.
GALACTIC INTO THE DEEP TOUR WITH THE RECORD COMPANY: 9 p.m., $22. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas
PETER FLETCHER IN CONCERT: 2 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org
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MIKE TYSON UNDISPUTED TRUTH: Varying dates through June 26, 10 p.m., $54.95. MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-891-1111. mgmgrand.com LAS VEGAS STORIES - CHANGING THE GAME - WOMEN AT WORK IN LAS VEGAS: 7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org
12 MARCH 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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Matisyahu 3.3
STONEY CURTIS BAND: 10 p.m., free. Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-9427777. palms.com
MEET AUTHOR KATHRYN GIBBS DAVIS: 10:30 a.m., free. West Las Vegas Library, 951 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-507-3983. lvccld.org
MERCEDES IN THE MORNING’S “SPRING FLING CONCERT”: 8 p.m., $20-$40. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com
BAD JEWS: Through March 6, times vary, $35. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
RVLTN PRESENTS - GRAVITY FEAT. BINGO PLAYERS, HENRY FONG, + MORE: 9 p.m., $40. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas
LIVE AT STUBBS VOL. 3 - AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH MATISYAHU: 8:30 p.m., $30. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas
AN EVENING OF HOPE: Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada. 6:30 p.m. World Market Center, 475 S. Grand Central Parkway, Las Vegas. candlelightersnv. org/events/evening-of-hope-2/. 702-7371919 kwebb@candlelightersnv.org. csn.edu
USA SEVENS RUGBY: Through March 6, times vary, $15-$30. Sam Boyd Stadium, 7000 E. Russell Road, Las Vegas. 888-RUGBY-7S. usasevens.com
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DAVID PERRICO’S POP STRINGS ORCHESTRA: 8 p.m., $15. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
ATLANTIC CITY BOYS: Through March 6, 7:30 p.m., $30. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com
JOE ROGAN: 9 p.m., $29.99-$54. MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-891-7777. mgmgrand.com
52 FRIDAYS - GIN BLOSSOMS: 8 p.m., $19. Golden Nugget, 129 E. Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-385-7111. goldennugget.com/ lasvegas BILL ENGVALL: 9 p.m., $59.95. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-894-7111. treasureisland.com THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND: Through March 5, 8 p.m., $29.95. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleans.com
MAY YOU LIVE AS LONG AS YOU WANT, AND NEVER WANT AS LONG AS YOU LIVE. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 301 N. Buffalo Drive
JOE SATRIANI: 8 p.m., $43. Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-942-7777. palms.com
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255-3444 www.thebagelcafelv.com
CHAMPIONSHIP BULL RIDING “TUFF HEDEMAN VEGAS SHOOTOUT”: Time TBA, $20. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com
WhereTheLocalsEat.com
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JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE AGENCY TZEDAKAH BRUNCH: 11 a.m., cost TBA. Temple Beth Sholom, 10700 Havenwood Lane, Las Vegas. 702-379-1721, barbara.raben@ gmail.com, bethsholomlv.org J KIDS GOT TALENT! 2 p.m., $25. Location to be announced. For more information, contact Elizabeth Bricker at ebricker@jccsn.org. jccsn.org ACE FREHLEY WITH SPECIAL GUEST LITA FORD: 8 p.m., $35. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas LAS VEGAS BRASS BAND IN CONCERT - SOUNDS OF SPRING: 2 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org THE RONNIE FOSTER ORGAN TRIO: 2 p.m., $19. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
Ace Frehley 3.6
TOURO GALA: 5:30 p.m., $236. Four Seasons Hotel, 3960 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. .give.tun.touro.edu/gala
HAND MARBLING PAPER WORKSHOP: 11 a.m., $28. Paper Source at Tivoli Village, 440 S. Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-570-7400. tivolivillagelv.com SPECIAL OLYMPICS POLAR PLUNGE: 10 a.m., $125. Sunset Station, 1301 W. Sunset Road, Henderson. 702-547-7777. ipolarplunge.com SHEENA EASTON: Through March 6, 7:30 p.m., $24. Suncoast, 9090 Alta Drive, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. suncoast.com
STEVE MARTIN AND MARTIN SHORT: 7:30 p.m., $49.50-$179.50. Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 866-227-5938. caesarspalace.com
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A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER: Through March 13, times vary,
$29. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
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YEAR OF DIALOGUE - MATT BROOKS AND JEREMY BEN-AMI IN CONVERSATION: 7 p.m., cost TBA. Temple Beth Sholom, 10700 Havenwood Lane, Las Vegas. 702-869-2700, gkmintz@aol.com, israelvegasdialogue.com WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: Through March 12, times vary, $37-$97. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleans.com UNLV JAZZ CONCERT SERIES - JAZZ ENSEMBLE II AND THE CONTEMPORARY JAZZ ENSEMBLE: 7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org
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JEWISH FEDERATION WOMEN'S PHILANTHROPY SPRING OUTREACH: 10 a.m., cost TBA. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue. c.arielle@ jewishlasvegas.com. jewishlasvegas.com BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL WORLD TOUR: Through March 11, 7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org BECK: 9 p.m., $75. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 S. Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas
AMERICAN CRAFT WHISKEY REVIVAL: 7 p.m., $45-$49. Golden Nugget, 129 E. Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-385-7111. goldennugget.com/lasvegas 17,000FT - A STORY OF REBIRTH: 3 p.m., free. Summerlin Library, 1771 Inner Circle Drive, Las Vegas. 702-507-3861. lvccld.org LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC - CABRERA CONDUCTS MOZART: 7:30 p.m., $26. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com VANCE JOY WITH ELLE KING AND JAMIE LAWSON: 8:30 p.m., $39.50. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-8622695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas COLIN KANE: 7:30 & 10 p.m., $15. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702693-5000. hardrockhotel.com CONGREGATION NER TAMID GALA: 6 p.m., cost TBA. Congregation Ner Tamid, 55 N. Valle Verde Drive, Henderson. 702-733-6292 or runger@lvnertamid.org. lvnertamid.org
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder 3.8-13
14 MARCH 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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IYA TERRA: 8 p.m., $10. Backstage Bar and Billiards, 601 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702382-2227. backstagebarandbilliards.com
AUGUST BURNS RED / BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME WITH THE FACELESS AND GOOD TIGER: 6:30 p.m., $25. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-8622695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas BILLY IDOL - FOREVER: Through March 26, 8 p.m., $79.50. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777. mandalaybay.com
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ROSEANNE BARR: Through March 19, 7:30 p.m., $50. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com JO KOY: 9 p.m., $54.95. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-894-7111. treasureisland.com
Western Athletic Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament 3.9-12
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HERMAN'S HERMITS STARRING PETER NOONE: Through March 13, 7:30 p.m., $45. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com 52 FRIDAYS - AMERICA: 8 p.m., $19. Golden Nugget, 129 E. Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-385-7111. goldennugget.com/lasvegas CHEYENNE JACKSON - MUSIC OF THE MAD MEN ERA: Through March 12, times vary, $39. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
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WALK FOR WISHES: To benefit Make a Wish Foundation. 7 a.m., costs vary. Town Square Las Vegas, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S., snv.wish.org. csn.edu
View Blvd., Las Vegas. http://www.active. com/las-vegas-nv/running/distance-runningraces/run-away-with-cirque-du-soleil-at-thesprings-preserve-5k-run-and-1-mile-funwalk-2016 PITBULL: Through March 26, 9 p.m., $39-$169. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 877-333-9474. planethollywoodresort.com
MICHAEL FLATLEY: 7:30 p.m., $49.95-$125. Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 866-227-5938. caesarspalace.com
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SOLOMON SCHECHTER DAY SCHOOL ANNUAL GALA: 5 p.m., $150. Canyon Gate Country Club, 2001 Canyon Gate Dr., Las Vegas. 949-683-0014 dprepas@ssds-lv.org. ssds-lv.org THE NEVADA CHAMBER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA IN CONCERT - SPRING FORWARD - SINGING STRINGS: 3 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org
AMBROSIA: Through March 13, 7:30 p.m., $20. Suncoast, 9090 Alta Drive, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. suncoast.com
SILVERSTEIN: 6 p.m., $17-$35. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-6935000. hardrockhotel.com
RUN AWAY WITH CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: 8 a.m., $27-$37. Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley
HOOPS AND HOPS: Through March 19, 7:30 a.m., $375. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com
BILL MAHER: Through March 13, 8 & 10 p.m., $59.99. Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-791-7111. mirage.com
SATURDAY MOVIE MATINEE - BLACK MASS: 2 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org
GARY CLARK JR. THE STORY OF SONNY BOY SLIM TOUR: 9 p.m., $30. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-8622695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas
MOSH BEN ARI: 9 p.m., $40. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-8622695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas
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SILVER DOLLAR CIRCUIT QUARTER HORSE SHOW & WESTERN GIFT EXPO: Through March 20, times vary, free. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com
Pitbull 3.12-26 www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2016
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Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com ROD STEWART: Through March 29, 7:30 p.m., $49-$250. Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 866-227-5938. caesarspalace.com
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SPRING LOVE WITH ZIBA SHIRAZI: 3 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org
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NEW ORDER: 8 p.m., $30-$60. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-6987000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com YANNI: 7:30 p.m., $29. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-7492012. thesmithcenter.com
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52 FRIDAYS - EDDIE MONEY: 8 p.m., $19. Golden Nugget, 129 E. Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-385-7111. goldennugget.com/ lasvegas HOME IMPROVEMENT & BACKYARD EXPO: Through March 20, 10 a.m., free. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-7967111. southpointcasino.com
SPRING FLING BOOK FAIR: 11 a.m.-3 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK: 7:30 p.m., $29. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com LON BRONSON BAND: 8 p.m., $15. The
MONSTER ENERGY OUTBREAK TOUR 2016 PRESENTS ISSUES WITH CROWN THE EMPIRE, ONE OK ROCK AND NIGHT VERSES: 7 p.m., $22. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. hardrockhotel.com THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS: Ongoing until further notice, times vary, $39-$125. Harrah's, 3475 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 800-214-9110. harrahslasvegas.caesars.com SPRING BLOOD DRIVE: 1 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las
WIZARD WORLD COMIC CON: Through March 20, times vary, costs vary. For more on the 2016 Wizard World Comic Con Las Vegas, visit http://wizd.me/LasVegasPR. csn.edu ONE NIGHT FOR ONE DROP: 7 p.m., $109. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com THE STRING CHEESE INCIDENT: Through March 20, 9 p.m., $59.50. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-8622695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas NONPOINT: 9 p.m., $20. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. hardrockhotel.com
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SALSA HUB: 6 p.m., free. Tivoli Village, 440 S. Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-570-7400. tivolivillagelv.com
CREEDANCE CLEARWATER REVISITED: 8 p.m., $59.95. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleans.com
Wizard World Comic Con 3.18-20
16 MARCH 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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IL VOLO: 8 p.m., $43. Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-942-7777. palms.com
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EMO NIGHT BROOKLYN: 11:30 p.m., $8. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas ALAN PARSONS LIVE PROJECT: 8 p.m., $35. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com UNDEROATH - REBIRTH TOUR WITH CASPIAN: 7:30 p.m., $25. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-8622695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas JAY CUTLER DESERT CLASSIC: 10:30 a.m. & 6:30 p.m., $35.50-$100. Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-942-7777. palms.com SLAYER: 8 p.m., $39.50. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-6935000. hardrockhotel.com
Alan Parsons Live Project 3.26
Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org ALICE - A STEAMPUNK CONCERT FANTASY: 10 p.m., $15-$30. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas
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CRYSTAL TRIO - HARMONIC GLASS ENSEMBLE IN CONCERT: 7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459. lvccld.org
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THE LETTERMEN: Through March 27, 7:30 p.m., $35. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com
52 FRIDAYS - PAM TILLIS AND LORRIE MORGAN: 8 p.m., $19. Golden Nugget, 129 E. Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-385-7111. goldennugget.com/lasvegas OLDTIMERS - THE MUSICAL: Through March 26, times vary, free. West Las Vegas Library, 951 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-5073989. lvccld.org KRISTIN CHENOWETH: 7:30 p.m., $29. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com TONY DESARE - FROM SINATRA TO PRINCE: Through March 26, 7 p.m., $39. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com COHEED AND CAMBRIA WITH GLASSJAW, SILVER SNAKES AND I THE MIGHTY: 7:30 p.m., $27. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas RICHARD CHEESE AND LOUNGE AGAINST THE MACHINE: 8:30 p.m., $25-$60. Sunset Station, 1301 W. Sunset Road, Henderson. 702-547-7777. sunsetstation.sclv.com
Dion DiMucci 3.25
DION DIMUCCI: Through March 26, 8 p.m., $50. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleans.com
MASTERS OF PUPPETS - WORLD FAMOUS METALLICA TRIBUTE: 10 p.m., $10. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702693-5000. hardrockhotel.com X AMBASSADORS: Time TBA, $25. SLS Las Vegas, 2535 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-761-7000. slslasvegas.com
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NATIONAL REINED COW HORSE ASSOCIATION “STALLION STAKES” AND WESTERN GIFT SHOW: Through April 2, times vary, free. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com
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THE BLACK LILLIES: 9 p.m., $15. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-6935000. hardrockhotel.com
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CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG LIVE!: 6:30 p.m., $14.95. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-7492012. thesmithcenter.com
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GREENSKY BLUEGRASS: 8 p.m., $22. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas
To submit your event information, email calendar@ davidlv.com by the 15th of the month prior to the month in which the event is being held. www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2016
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Join us for the 21st Annual
Susan G. Komen Southern Nevada Race for the Cure®
We Live Here. We Race Here. We Save Lives Here.
SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2016 | FREMONT STREET EXPERIENCE Registration now open! Visit komensouthernnevada.org • 702.822.2324 11_22_pulse.indd 18
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devour “Eat Fish!” “I love fish,” says chef Geno Bernardo, “and the concept of only getting the best and using smaller (commercial fisheries) all over. It is a way of life for us,” he says, referring to Brian Malarkey’s recently opened, acclaimed ocean-to-table concept, Herringbone Las Vegas. Herringbone’s whole branzino is prepared the only way there is to eat fish: grilled, seasoned with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, fresh squeezed lemon and finished with extra virgin olive oil. “The flavor from the char and the crispy skin and buttery sweet meat of our branzino is amazing,” Bernardo says.
et Involved
re®
Herringbone Las Vegas inside Aria, 3730 Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-590-9898
Luchador Libre
Spud Cocktail
Libre Mexican Cantina has recently opened in the space previously occupied by Mercadito. Award-winning Chef Brian Massie and Chef Jesus “Chuy” have created a menu of traditional south of the border favorites including zesty guacamole, tasteful tacos, enormous enchiladas and more. The restaurant offers a plate for every palate that includes a diversified selection of both gluten free and vegan options, such as the Chili Rellanos, Grilled Portobello Tacos, Vegan nachos, Coconut and Shrimp Ceviche, and Street Tacos. This refreshing menu of classic Mexican dishes with a modern twist is bound to attract every appetite with the endless options of unique and delectable dishes. Featured below is their Crispy Dynamite Shrimp Taco.
Here’s a savory cocktail from STK, based on the celebrated “potato” by Jason Shullo and Chris Speirer. Available off-menu and exclusively at STK in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, STK & Potatoes pays tribute to the restaurant’s most popular menu items. Highlighted ingredients include French Chopin potato vodka, Ancho Reyes chili liqueur, Stella Artois Belgian lager, and (of course) housemade beef broth.
Libre Mexican Cantina inside the Red Rock Casino & Resort, 11011 W. Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas. 702-478-5118
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STK & Potatoes 1.5 ounces Chopin vodka 2.5 ounces beef broth half ounce of Ancho Reyes chili liqueur 1 bar spoon lemon juice 1 bar spoon Benedictine 1 dash Australian bitters Stella Artois Muddle one small red chili slice with lemon juice. Build other ingredients, except the Stella, in mixing glass. Add ice and stir. Strain over fresh ice in a salt- and pepperrimmed, 14-ounce high ball glass. Top with Stella Artois. STK, inside The Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7990. www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2016
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desire
Camp Checklist When cell service doesn’t work, Eton’s AM/FM shortwave radio receives nearly every radio wavelength and is specially designed for low background noise and even lower distortion, so you get outstanding sound clarity whether you tune into music or news during your outing. $129.95 LLbean.com.
From oral rehydration salts to a handy tick remover, the Adventure Medical Smart Travel first-aid kit has all the essentials to keep you comfortable and in good health during the trek. $49.95 adventuremedicalkits.com.
The close fitting TPU Guide Case for Smartphone has had an upgrade with the addition of a 3.5mm 3-channel jack, giving the same audio signals and controls as your phone’s built-in jack, while waterproofing your phone through splashy terrain. $39 Sport Chalet, 8825 W. Charleston Blvd. Las Vegas 702-255-7570.
The Pocket Shower is made of high quality, wear-resistant, waterproof fabric and features a roll-top closure with a built-in compact showerhead that operates with an easy-to-use on/off twist mechanism to adjust the flow of water. The black fabric soaks up sun during the day at basecamp for a warm shower. $32.95 REI Las Vegas 710 S. Rampart Blvd. Las Vegas. 702-951-4488. 20 MARCH 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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Environmentally-friendly Camp Stove by Kelly Kettle is the must-have Base Camp cooking set. It includes a large cook set, hobo stove, pot support, camp cups, and stainless steel plates. $157.99 kellykettleusa.com.
For temperate weather backpacking this tent weighs in at a scant 1 lb. 15 oz. The weatherproof 3-season Fly Creek HV UL2 Tent offers great livability for 2 backpackers. $ 389.95 REI, 2220 Village Walk Drive, Henderson. 702-876-7111.
Bio-ethanol Smartfuel burns clean and without soot, smoke or ashes. It emits no toxins, odor, or offensive fumes. It’s perfect for outdoor and indoor use. $45. Thegrommet.com.
This super-powered Petzl NAO rechargeable headlamp ups the outdoor illumination game with a reactive sensor that automatically adjusts the beam pattern and light output so you can stay focused on your task, like erecting your tent in the late hours of the night. $184.95 REI, Las Vegas 710 S. Rampart Blvd. Las Vegas. 702-951-4488. www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2016
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discover Run with the Cirque What could be more fun than running a 5K or 1 Mile fun walk with Cirque du Soleil artists? On Saturday, March 12, Cirque du Soleil takes over the Las Vegas Springs Preserve for its 15th annual “Run Away with Cirque du Soleil.” The special event will feature return appearances by Mayor Carolyn Goodman, who kicks off the race each year to show her continued support for the Las Vegas community, and Nevada Public Radio’s President/ General Manager Flo Rogers, emcee of the day’s activities. Registrations at Active.com
Sip your way across the globe Embark on a virtual journey from the coastal Mediterranean region of Languedoc, France, to Spain’s Rioja region along the Ebro River, then north to Barolo, Italy, as you explore the world through flights of wine. Available exclusively at Wine Spectator award-winning Morels, the program features sommelier selections from across the globe from the state-of-the-art European wine dispensing system. “They can enjoy a new glass they’ve never had at the bar,” says Morels wine director Alexandre Brard, “or on the patio with a cheese and charcuterie plate, or at dinner and pair with one of our steaks.” Guests who complete the “wine passport” (with all 24 stamps) by May 31 will turn in their books and be entered to win a magnum bottle of Bruno Paillard Champagne. Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro at The Palazzo. 702-607-6333.
African Savanna The Las Vegas Natural History Museum’s newly updated African Savanna Exhibit features donated pieces from the Gary and Matthew Primm Family Wildlife Collection. The collection highlights indigenous species from the continent’s lower region, including a lion, a Cape buffalo and a crocodile, leopard, rhinoceros and lechwe. The Las Vegas Natural History Museum. www.lvnhm.org 702-384–3466. 22 MARCH 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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Camp Hollywood I nspiration for this Movie G enre Comes from Memories of Summers Spent at Camp
■ Josh Bell
T
he typical summer camp’s compressed time frame, often just a week in duration, its range of activities and mix of strangers from various backgrounds provide an ideal movie setting. It’s an especially apt backdrop for coming of age films about youths away from home for the first time. he plots, often formulaic, can range from idyllic to horrific. Real Jewish summer camps have provided plenty
Scene from Wet Hot American Summer.
of onscreen inspiration for a raft of films such as Ivan Reitman’s Meatballs and David Wain’s Wet Hot American Summer. While the characters may have far different backgrounds, there’s often an identifiable strain e emplifying the Jewish e peri ence, not to mention Jewish humor, which provides plenty of grist for such icks. ere’s a rundown of some of the most in uential and memorable sum mer camp movies of the last four decades.
24 MARCH 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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Meatballs (1979) Although movie characters had certainly gone to summer camp before 1979, Reitman’s unassuming, low-key comedy starring Bill Murray essentially defined the CELEBRATING JEWISH CAMPING IN LAS VEGAS summer-camp genre as we now know it. The setting (the movie was shot in Canada’s Ontario province), the wealthier rival camp, the shy loner who blossoms away from 21 Specialty Camp Options home, the romances American Red Cross Certified Aquatics Program among horny teenagEarly Childhood Program ers, the clueless camp K-7th Grade Core Camp Program director, the climactic w Ne Teen Travel Camp athletic competition. Teen Leadership Program ying it all together is urray in his first ma or www.jccsn.org movie role, playing the sardonic head counselor Tripper, who delivers plenty of put-downs in sigJCC of nature deadpan, but ends up being surprisingly Southern Nevada sweet when it’s time to get real with campers. The movie works the same way, with its mix of sarcastic humor and nostalgic warmth. Its surprise Camp K'hilah 1/4 Page 03.16 .indd 1 success inspired several sequels, none of which captured the same charm (or featured Murray).
Friday the 13th (1980) his slasher classic is the ipside of Meatballs when it comes to in uencing the depiction of summer camp in movies. Friday the 13th shows the isolated rural location to be an ideal setting for a series of murders, as the counselors awaiting the arrival of kids at Camp Crystal Lake start getting picked off one by one by a mysterious assailant. Like a summer camp comedy, Friday the 13th features a wilderness setting, young lust among counselors and plenty of swimming, but it uses all of
New location in 2016 Big Bear, California San Bernadino National Forest
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For Campers Entering 2nd - 6th Grade August 8 - August 12 Register online @ jccsn.org
Archery • Arts & Crafts • Canoeing • Hiking • Fishing • Camp Fires Drama • Nature Lore • Swimming • Wall Climbing • Dance
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those for sinister purposes. The wilderness hides dangers, young lust makes people vulnerable, and killers may be lurking under the lake’s surface. The majority of the many, many Friday the 13th sequels also take place in and around Camp Crystal Lake. But only Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) was sadistic enough to put actual juvenile campers in the path of killer Jason Voorhees.
Little Darlings (1980) Although it looks like another goofy ’80s teen sex comedy on the surface, with two teenagers competing to see who can lose their virginity first over the course of a summer at camp, Little Darlings is surprisingly sophisticated and sensitive. The two teenagers, played by Tatum O’Neal (as a lonely rich girl) and Kristy McNichol (as a tough, but vulnerable tomboy), and their growing friendship is just as important as their fumbling quests to get laid. The movie treats both with uncommon grace, although it includes plenty of typical teenmovie antics.
Sleepaway Camp (1983) Along with Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp set the standard for summer-camp horror, with its off-kilter main character (withdrawn tween Angela) getting bullied and nearly molested even before a shadowy killer starts targeting campers. Unlike your typical slasher-movie heroines, Angela is disturbed and sexually confused, and her 26 MARCH 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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presence is nearly as unsettling as the gruesome murders. Sleepaway Camp is grittier and nastier than Friday the 13th, and it’s best known for its shocking twist ending, which has been parodied and referenced numerous times over the years. None of the four sequels captured the same successful mix of exploitation and exploration.
Ernest Goes to Camp (1987)
gym music art dance pre-school parties ...and more!
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No one would legitimately call any of the starCAMP KIDVILLE™ is an imaginatively active day camp for CAMP KIDVILLE is an imaginatively active day camp for children 18 months to 5 years old. Whether planning children 18 months to 4 years old. Whether planning around ring vehicles for Jim around family vacations or spending the full summer with family vacations or spending the full summer with us, flexible two us, flexible two week scheduling options from May to Varney’s Ernest P. week scheduling options from May 9th to August 26th allow you August allow you to customize your child’s experience. to customize your child’s experience. Learn more > Worrell character an actually good movie. COME EXPLORE THE GREAT INDOORS! INDOORS! ut the first big screen Ernest adventure is undoubtedly a touchstone for those who grew up watching it. The dim-witted but DAILY ACTIVITIES IN GYM, WEEKLY THEMES INSPIRE SMALL CAMPER TO MUSIC, ART AND MORE! CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION COUNSELOR RATIO enthusiastic Ernest takes on a group of ju420 S. Rampart Blvd, Suite 130 EXCLUSIVE Las Vegas, NV 89145 venile delinquents as OFFER FOR Buy 8702-233-9253 Weeks of CAMP and get HRP MAMAS 8kidville.com/tivolivillage Weeks of Classes for FREE* a summer camp counXX VALUE selor and eventually KIDVILLE FINANCIAL DISTRICT must rally them to 40 Gold Street (btwn. Fulton & John) Kidville ad.indd 1 2/18/16 phone 212.566.2020 • email mayor.fidi@mykidville.com save the camp, after Learn more at kidville.com/fidi his own ineptitude has placed it in the hands of an evil developer. ™
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Heavyweights (1995) For the generation that grew up in the ’90s, this Disney comedy produced and co-written by Judd Apatow might be the defining sum mer-camp movie. Ben Stiller steals the movie as demented fitness guru Tony Perkis, who takes over a placid weight-loss camp and turns it into a vehicle for his burgeoning business empire. Sick of being berated and tortured by Perkis, the kids decide to take their camp back, in the classic Disney mode of young people knowing better than clueless adults.
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info@nageelawest.org 801-613-1JEW facebook.com/nageelawest www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2016
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Weight-loss summer camps got another spotlight in the underrated TV series Huge, which ran for one season on ABC Family in 2010, and offered a less cartoonish take on the subject.
Wet Hot American Summer (2001) Any subgenre that develops enough popularity is likely to end up with a parody, but this comedy from members of the subversive sketchcomedy group The State is far more than just a send-up of summer camp movies. Creators David Wain and Michael Showalter put together a movie that combines their love for camp movies with their own childhood memories of summer camp and a healthy dose of surrealism. Although Wet Hot failed at the bo office in its initial release, it became a cult clas sic thanks in part to a cast filled with performers who would go on to become stars (Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd and Bradley Cooper). The movie is so beloved that 14 years later the entire cast (and many more) reunited for the even more bizarre et i pre uel series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp.
Camp (2003) TRANSFORM YOUR CHILD’S SUMMER FROM ORDINARY TO EXTRAORDINARY!
Learn more at campinvention.org or by calling 800.968.4332.
Sign up by March 21 to save $25! Multiple locations throughout the Las Vegas area! In partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office
Summer camp is a place to freely be yourself and explore your identity, and this celebration of self-expression at a performing-arts camp encapsulates that exhilaration. Best known for marking Anna Kendrick’s film debut, Camp features multiple musical numbers as part of the productions staged by campers, showcasing songs from a range of well-known Broadway
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shows. Many of the cast members (Kendrick included) were professional stage actors, and while the story is full of stock summer-camp elements, the songs demonstrate the prodigious talents of the characters and the actors playing them.
Keep the summer fun going, before and after camp.
Moonrise Kingdom (2012) Wes
nderson’s film is primarily about the search for two 12-year-olds who run away together, but young Sam Shakusky’s comrades from Camp Ivanhoe form a key component of the plot. Although Sam runs away from camp to be with his love Suzy Bishop, his fellow Khaki Scouts show ingenuity in tracking them down and later helping them when adults try to keep them apart. ypical for an nderson film, amp vanhoe is full of meticulous production design and oddball rituals, led by Edward Norton as the earnest, hyper-competent scoutmaster.
Scheduling summer childcare has never been easier or more convenient. So get excited, plan your summer and we’ll fill in the gaps.
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YOU ARE A SPECIAL AGENT OF SUMMER YOUR MISSION: CATCH THE SUSPECT AND PUT THEM BEHIND BARS THE MOB MUSEUM SUMMER CAMPS: Ages 11-13: June 6-10 and July 11-15 Ages 14-17: June 20-24 and July 25-29 For more details: 702.229.2734 or themobmuseum.org Scene from Meatballs. www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2016
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Camp K’helah Pines Moves to the Camp Nawakawa Facility in Southern California’s San Bernadino Mountains
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t was once said that religion’s function is to take the truths discovered in the wilderness and apply them to the everyday lives of the practitioner. Likewise, it’s the function of a resident camp to provide its young charges with the chance to make discoveries about themselves at a distance from their everyday lives, and then take those lessons back with them year after year.
Supervised canoeing on Jenks Lake.
It’s easy for children to become wrapped up in a schedule of organized activity, or to spend an inordinate amount of time hanging out with close-knit friends. It’s also true that a day has 24 hours, and some children often have a lot on their plates. Yet more and more studies suggest that unstructured time, spent outdoors, is also key for children, a tonic of sorts that leads to greater social, physical and emotional development.
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The climbing wall.
In its second year, Camp K’helah Pines, the Jewish Community Center of Southern Nevada’s sleep-away camp, will expand into a larger, more comprehensive facility at Camp Nawakawa in Southern California’s conifer-covered San Bernardino Mountains. “While we were satisfied with our previous location, the Big Bear location offers a lot more,” says Executive Director Jeff Metz. “By expanding to a campus providing more open, natural spaces, and a lake as well as a pool, we are able to provide unique opportunities for children to unplug and experience new challenges in a place where Judaism and the natural world around us come together: all this while still being close enough to come home for the Shabbat. “The new facility will provide enhanced possibilities for structured and creative play. We are now able to offer safe and supervised hiking in the beautiful California wilderness, as well as swimming, fishing and canoeing in the cool mountain waters of nearby Jenks Lake.
“It’s the mission of Camp K’helah Pines to provide opportunities for children to grow and own connections to nature and the Jewish community through safe and conditional independence,” Metz says. “When children are in an environment surrounded by the natural world, and filled with Jewish education and Jewish values, they are able to connect to both on their own terms, and are able to associate those values and experiences with their own growing senses of identity,” he adds. “Campers’ free time will be spent playing games in fields, where they can encounter birds and animals, and in a lake swimming (among) real fish and plants. Songs about Jewish identity and the wonders of creation take on a whole new meaning when sung in a forest next to a lake at sunset.” Camp Director Beth Falk attributes her organization’s success to the quality and training of its personnel. As she puts it, “Our greatest asset at Camp K’helah Pines is our hard-working, knowledgeable staff. As role models for youth, they create a healthy and safe community in which children can grow, learn and explore nature and their Jewish identity.” Camp staffers share a belief that it’s vital for the next generation of explorers, scientists, artists and mensches to have these experiences. They will, the staff believes, help shape the future of campers as Jews and human beings. This year’s summer session is from Aug. 8-12. Register online at jccsn.org or call the JCC at 702-794-0090.
Dining hall at Camp Nawakawa. www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2016
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Spencer Burton
live
Summer Dazed @ 34 Simple Elegance @ 38
SIMPLE ELEGANCE pg. 38
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Summer
Dazed
Reflections Upon Summers Past By Corey Levitan
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ummer camp was a magical time for me – and not because of the horses, the go-karts or even the sweet memory of New York summers, where you could walk outside without bursting into flames. Merrick Woods Summer Day Camp on Long Island represented my first guaranteed shot in life at repairing the school-shattered hull of my self-esteem. No longer would I be known as the boy stuffed into a locker by Charlie Greenvald, called a loser by Pamela Eaton and picked last for anything resembling a sport. (I know how difficult it must be for you to believe that I wasn’t a popular football
player during my school days, but it’s true.) For three months a year, on two wooded acres in the town that gifted both Lindsay Lohan and Debbie Gibson to the world, I would be granted the chance to start anew. To be the funny kid. Maybe even, perchance to dream, the cool one. What I didn’t count on was the persistence of survival of the fittest across all human populations. From the ages of 8 to 14, I resembled a fetus with hair and still wet my bed (which is why it had to be day camp for me and not sleep-away). Let’s just say it was not my time yet.
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COMING SOON!
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Merrick Woods Summer Day Camp, 1978. Corey is second from the right in the back row.
It took the kids at Merrick Woods a couple of weeks, but eventually they got their Lord of the Flies on, too. And so I became known as the boy who was stuffed into a swim locker by Steve Biancini, called a loser by Andrea Zitis and picked last for anything resembling a sport. But the horses and go-karts were cool. A school friend, Burt Magen, heard me gripe about my Merrick Woods misfortune and suggested that I switch to his camp the following summer. It was populated entirely by nerds. Well, he didn’t frame it like that. He told me just that it was cool. But Burt was a nerd, an undeniable one, and this was a camp he had a great time at. Therefore, I calculated, a higher degree of nerd acceptance was possible than I had ever known at summer camp. It was the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County, “HANC” for short, an Orthodox yeshiva day school that ran a camp on its grounds during the summers. The implications were immediately clear: In a camp full of nerdy Jewish kids, I was probably no nerdier than average. Take me down to the paradise city where the grass is green and girls are pretty/Take me home. Unfortunately, as a HANC counselor-in-training, it wasn’t all fun and games. I had responsibilities now. There was a troop of a dozen 12-year-old boys to referee, set up meals for and clean up after. I found this an untenable situation. Finally, I was hanging out with a group of boys who couldn’t all beat me up (only half could) and might not pick me last for basketball. And I wasn’t allowed to hang with them? Screw that noise. Not only did I play favorites – a HANC no-no – I singled out my very own 12-year-old best buddy. Holy crap, I just read that back and realized how Amber Alert that just sounded. But Michael was only two years younger than I was, 36 MARCH 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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an important two years because it forced him to look up to me. I never had a friend who did that. Michael and I ate together and, during softball, hung out by the fence, telling dirty jokes and discussing our favorite subject, girls, which I pretended to know something about. This did not go over well with the troop’s head counselor. At least that’s the impression I got when Rich – regarded as one of the sweetest staff members in HANC history – yelled obscenities at the top of his sweet lungs while pushing me up against a hallway wall and holding me there by my neck. The incident was witnessed by a camper who somehow interpreted it as “a fight,” and both Rich and I were summoned into the owner’s office to explain ourselves and then shake hands. Alas, the HANC counselor I was in training to become was not to be. On the last day of camp, the envelope containing my $200 paycheck plus tips came with a lecture. It was about the importance of following the rules. I was asked never to return to Camp HANC. Adding insult to injury, the envelope contained only $50 in tips and nothing from Michael’s mom, who complained to Rich that I contributed to her son’s delinquency. (Michael, if you’re somehow reading this now, I’m sorry for what I did to you and I hope you get out soon.) And so it was that I finally got what I wanted out of summer camp. The experience did wonders for my self-esteem, and even helped elevate my reputation back at school. “How does one get asked never to return to Camp HANC?” Burt Magen asked me. I still received the same treatment at school, but now it was a badass that Charlie Greenvald was stuffing into a locker, Pamela Eaton was calling a loser and nobody was picking for anything resembling a sport.
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taste
Simple Elegance Chef Sheridan Su’s Search for the Perfect Dish By Jason Harris Photography by Spencer Burton
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aybe it’s fate. Maybe Sheridan Su had to go through a journey so farfetched that it seems to be from a movie about a chef. Maybe Su and wife Jenny Wong had to meet in high school, date, break up and reconnect years later to have concocted two of the most unorthodox restaurants in Las Vegas. Maybe Su was supposed to be in Taiwan at that very moment, at that very eatery, eating that very plate. Maybe all of it had to have happened for Su to do what he’s done: create a perfect dish. Hainan chicken (also known as Hainanese chicken rice) is a Southeast Asian delicacy that originated in China’s Hainan prov-
ince. It’s a favorite in that country, and in Thailand and Vietnam. Today, it might be most associated with Singapore, as it is considered a national dish. And it’s one Su grew up eating in Monterey Park, a hotbed of Chinese cuisine just outside Los Angeles. As Su describes it, “In its most basic form it’s poached chicken: rice that’s cooked with that chicken fat and the broth that’s been used to cook the chicken and then sauce.” Rice, chicken, sauce. It sounds so straightforward. But for Su, 33, this represented the ultimate challenge, he says. “For me as a chef there’s so many things that I’ve done in my career. But some-
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Left: Roasted Spring Chicken with organic salad. Above: Hainanese Chicken Rice with the works.
thing as simple as chicken, rice and sauce. How do you make that so delicious?” Su always knew he wanted to be a chef. After high school, he landed in upstate New York and attended the Culinary Institute of America in the Hudson River Valley. From there, he worked with a who’s who of fine dining: Gabriel Cruder in New York; Tony Ambrose in Boston; David Myers in Los Angeles; Jet Tila in Las Vegas. And then the man often referred to as the world’s best chef: Joel Robuchon. The experience of opening the restaurant Joel Robuchon at The Mansion at MGM Grand in Las Vegas with the namesake chef cannot be overstated. It was a time when the master was in the kitchen nearly every day. Learning from Robuchon was a game-changer, according to Su. “The precision in that kitchen was insane. To work with the kind of ingredients that we worked with, the plates we plated on, everything was world class.” It was here that Su learned just what kind of detail goes into maximizing an ingredient’s potential. Su recalls: “Most places would peel an asparagus with a peeler. In his kitchen we took a paring knife and just shaved the outer membrane of the asparagus. Of course it took 10 times longer but when you cooked it and served it, it was the greenest of the green asparagus.” Yes, Su was on a roll. It wasn’t long before he became head chef of
another well-known restaurant on The Strip, the recently shuttered Comme Ça at The Cosmopolitan. This gig, one Su remembers giving his entire being to – he worked 14-hour days, seven days a week – did not end happily. Six months after taking the job, the restaurant’s brain trust decided to go in another direction. Su was let go. As with many of Su’s future endeavors, however, this stroke of misfortune was just what he needed to find himself. He vowed to take control of his career, to be his own boss. Su would survive or fail based solely on his own food, and doing things his way. “A kitchen is not meant to be on wheels,” Su says now, reflecting on his next failed venture, a food truck called Great Bao. His food – and this was really his food – was well received. But the truck kept breaking down, and it cost more money to maintain than it was bringing in. Su decided to take a different tack. He looked on Craigslist and rented a 75-square-foot “box’” inside a nail salon. Capturing the essence of his late-lamented food truck, he set up shop in one of the coolest “foodies in-the-know” spots in Vegas. And with that, Great Bao was off of wheels, juxtaposed against the world of beauty maintenance. Su cooked on two burners, but somehow made it work. He produced some of his better-known dishes of today, right there in the salon. The bao (Chinese steamed buns with assorted www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2016
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fillings) brought the customers in, so many that the salon eventually asked Su to leave. But those were some crave-worthy steamed buns. Roasted duck bao is Su’s take on Peking duck. Rather than ordering an entire duck, diners get one plate with two bao, featuring roasted duck with crispy skin, sliced cucumbers, green onions, hoisin sauce and sprouts. It’s all about the layering of flavors for Su, something he does as well as any Chef in Las Vegas. Su’s pork belly is memorable– as it should be for any Asian chef worth his salt. And while that’s another excellent bao choice, the vegetarian version is a great option. The tofu and mushroom bao contains seared-off tofu. This roasted medley includes oyster, portobello, shimeji, shiitake and maitake mushrooms, with spicy aioli and hoisin sauce. The tofu and mushrooms are so scrumptious you won’t miss the meat at all, and they marry well with the dish’s other complementary flavors. So where can you find these delightful, pillowy treats these days? Su had options of where to site his next venture. He’d been the subject of a New York Times article and had appeared on Food Network’s popular Chopped show. He had the chance to take over a major space downtown, with the backing of The Downtown Project and all that Tony Hsieh money. But the fit wasn’t right, he says. He and wife Jenny Wong, his full-time front of house partner, opted to take over the kitchen in the Eureka Casino, just east of the Strip on Sahara Avenue. In the process, they were turning down an up-and-coming venue for a spot smack in the middle of a somewhat sketchy neighborhood. But for the couple, who had bought a house nearby, locating in the only Asian-American-owned casino in Nevada made sense.
Tickets available at The Smith Center Box Office at 702.749.2000 or at lvphil.org Sterling Su, maybe the next great Su chef.
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Jessica Abo
Journalist by Day. Social Entrepreneur by Choice.
2nd Annual Women’s Spirituality Day Guest Speaker, Jessica Abo Sunday, April 3 9 AM-3PM @ Three Square $45 includes Breakfast & Lunch 20% JCC Member’s Discount
jccsn.org • 702.794.0090
JCC of 1 2/22/16 Southern Nevada
DAVID_WW_2.2016 copy.pdf
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Fat Choy burger JCC Women Ad.indd 1
“We said, ‘Why don’t we keep the diner and have an AsianAmerican restaurant in here?’ It’s very much reflective of the way we (Su and casino owner Greg Lee) grew up. On the same table you might have chow mein and a chicken sandwich. That’s how Fat Choy became Fat Choy.” Fat Choy is the kind of diner you’d see on old TV shows. With its red “pleather” booths and white tabletops, it could be Arnold’s from Happy Days or The Max from Saved By The Bell. It certainly seems out of place in the smoke-filled Eureka Casino. But there it sits, having attracted a loyal following — not just food snobs either, but neighborhood folks from all walks of life. Wong truly became the face of front of house here, and Su took his cuisine to greater heights. Besides the already mentioned bao, the menu is full of American classics, Asian delights and Asian-American mashups. The burger, which seems to find its way onto every Vegas top-ten list, is rich. It’s a half-pound of certified Angus beef on a nice La Brea Bakery bun. But the toppings make it luscious: melted cheddar; shredded beef short ribs; bacon; and a fried egg. Don’t count calories on this one. On the traditional Asian side of things, the wonton soup is as homey as you could desire. Broccoli, carrots, onions and a lot of herbs swim in a broth concentrated from chicken and duck bones simmering on the stove for 10 hours. Five delicious pork and shrimp wontons fill out the soup, a perfect sick-day meal. Perhaps no other dish exemplifies the fusion of cuisines better than the Fat Benedict. Pork belly is braised for four hours and then seared off, yielding a huge salty chunk of pork. On top are a poached egg and hollandaise sauce, sandwiched between the halves of a
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In photograph, left: pork belly bao (front), tofu and mushroom bao (back). In photograph, right: sesame noodles
grilled English muffin. It’s some next-level brunch food. The sesame noodles may be the best in Las Vegas. It’s Su’s take on a noodle salad: locally made, freshly pulled egg noodles, an assortment of veggies, herbs, sesame dressing, chiles and chile sauce make this offering a flavor bomb. It hits you with different tastes and textures constantly. Add a protein (fried tofu) to amp things up even more. That leads us to Taiwan – a restaurant called Boon Keng to be exact. It was here that chef Su sampled the Hainan chicken. “I had that dish and it just blew me away. It was the most perfect rice I’ve had. It was the most beautiful chicken I’ve ever eaten. And the sauce rounded everything out. After that trip, I thought about that dish every single day.” It was the inspiration, in fact, for Flock and Fowl, the second addition to Su’s burgeoning empire. It sits on the other side of Sahara Avenue, just west of Las Vegas Boulevard. Flock is cute, like a boutique restaurant. It’s the type of place (both in look and menu) you’d expect in New York or Los Angeles. To see a place so focused on different riffs on Hainan chicken take off so fast is a bit amazing. Its popularity reflects the quality of the cuisine Su and Wong are putting out there. Wong’s drink program there features top quality teas. She makes
Vietnamese coffee the old school way, with a slow drip. She calls it “a remnant in time.” Flock offers variations of the Hainan chicken: original, with the bird poached in broth and aromatics; a buttermilk-fried chicken tender iteration both kids and adults go crazy for; and a roasted spring chicken preparation so good you’ll have a tough time ordering anything else. The rice is flavored with the same broth. You could – you should – top it with goodies such as Chinese sausage, a fried egg and more broth. Pickled mustard greens and cucumbers add necessary crunch and acid. And the sauces play such an intricate part. Housemade ginger scallion sauce, sambal chile and two types of soy sauce are offered. All of these things combined yield tastes that differ with each bite, but with a continuity to them. It is Su’s way of maximizing every ingredient’s potential. Maybe Sheridan Su needed to learn that the most time-consuming way was also the best way to prepare asparagus. Maybe he needed to get fired from a fancy Strip restaurant. Maybe his tough luck with the truck was a necessity as well. Maybe all of this had to happen for him to reach his potential as a chef. Or maybe all of this had to happen so Su could take his place in the story of Hainan chicken as the guy who took the dish to new heights.
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Š TOMO Muscionico
think Teaching for Tomorrow @ 44 Shades of Spring @ 48 Lost Vegas @ 52
LOST VEGAS pg. 52
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Teaching for Tomorrow The Adelson Educational Campus Announces Plans for a 5,000 sq. ft. Technology Incubator By Lynn Wexler
“Make no mistake, this technology initiative is a game changer!” — Matt Boland, AEC marketing & communications director
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tartup education is a new frontier, and the Incubator School is one of its pioneers. The Adelson Educational Campus, in the Hills community of Summerlin, recently announced the design and construction of a 5,000-square-foot, state-of-theart inventors workspace – a Startup Incubator – offering a nextgeneration learning and creating experience. When it opens in September, following an August ribbon cutting, teachers and students will have access to a facility that enables project exploration, collaboration and implementation. Expect forays into green technologies, 3D-printed textiles for fashion,
entertainment engineering, architectural blueprints and models, mobile apps and websites, wearable/home electronics, claymation and animation, digital photography and video, and space and medical inventions. “The technology initiative is not about the gadgetry,” says Steve Mack, who with his wife Dawn is the primary benefactor and visionary behind the school. “It’s about providing the tools and opportunity for our children to create things that will change the world. Children from day one utilize technology, and we have the opportunity right now to provide an overwhelming impact on future innovators.
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“The Adelson Campus created this beautiful view of how the world should be,” he says, “encouraging social values and high-impact learning. The Startup Incubator integrates perfectly by showing children how the world is changing, and providing them with the platform to create and make a difference. To me the combination of both is magic.” Matt Boland, marketing and communications director, believes the cutting-edge addition places AEC among the most elite K-12 schools in the West, and provides a blueprint for other institutions to follow.
“Normally, technology incubators are found in major universities funded by Silicon Valley companies,” Boland says. “What we’re doing at AEC is unprecedented. One day an AEC student will create something that makes a difference, influences the way we think, and could even change the world.” Dr. Joyce Raynor, head of school, is committed to AEC’s mission to instruct and inspire new generations of students to draw from a rich Jewish heritage and use their knowledge, values and vision to fulfill their own potential, while building a better world. “This technology initiative aligns perfectly with our school’s
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mission,” she says. “It’s a compliment to our educational standards and provides our students with the best opportunity for success at the next level.” Tech-savvy himself, Mack grew up as a fourth generation member of the family’s Las Vegas pawnbroker business – SuperPawn – which he took over in 1981. He expanded the single-store pawnshop into the largest privately owned pawn chain in the country, with 41 stores and annual revenues topping $60 million. He sold it in 2004 to Cash America International for about $125 million. Mack attributes SuperPawn’s success to its proprietary software system, which he helped develop originally to enable an entry-level employee to use his expertise in pre-owned merchandise evaluation. “We saw an opportunity in eBay and created the zdrop software that was able to easily and cost-effectively sell our merchandise online,” Mack says. Four years ago, he approached Sheldon Adelson and AEC head of school Paul Schiffman, to ask that they consider incorporating advanced technology into the school’s curriculum. The rest is history in the making. Schiffman, head of school for nine years, retired in 2015. He spearheaded the 2008 opening of the new high school, along with then AEC board Chairman Victor Chaltiel, and Miriam and Sheldon Adelson. Together they introduced the community to a 171,000-square-foot, one-of-a-kind facility for children 18 months to 18 years, whose motto was education for life. “It was largely Victor’s vision to build a sustainable Jewish day school that would emerge as a forward-thinking, innovative, community-centered and values-focused institution, preparing students for the endless possibilities of the 21st century,” Schiffman says. The school, he says, was built with a tech-ready infrastructure, laying the foundation for future advancements. AEC was the first fully equipped Apple computer school in Nevada, with wireless capability throughout, and Smart Board Technology in every classroom. “The library was designed to one day not be a library but a computer thinking center,” Schiffman says. “We couldn’t know at that time exactly what new developments would emerge, but we knew enough to design a 5,000-square-foot space to accommodate it when it arrived.” Besides implementing the Startup Incubator, plans call for a New Coding and Making Curriculum that aligns with Israel’s national model, where students create physical and digital artifacts; and there’s a mobile computer for every student and teacher and intensive professional development for faculty. “We learned from our Israeli exchange students over the past few years that they speak in three different ‘languages’ – Hebrew, English and computer coding. They’re ahead of us in that regard. One of our parents from China, whose son attends AEC, told me that the reason his son is at our school is because he manufactures in China and Korea but his company’s ideas and business partners come out of Tel Aviv,” Schiffman says. He feels strongly that there is no better way for AEC students to progress than to partner and collaborate with the best of what Israeli tech incubators have to offer. Dr. Camille McCue is the AEC technology innovations director. With advanced degrees and credentials in computer science, curriculum and instruction, McCue was brought on board to monitor and keep stride with the rapidly evolving tech industry, and
the teachers/mentors who will engage students to design, engineer, create, code and develop real world projects. “Our goal is to innovate new and cutting-edge technological approaches to teaching and learning,” she says, “while integrating technology with the academic curriculum for the purpose of providing students the most relevant and progressive education in life.” When McCue began her career path there were few women in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, she says. McCue found working at IBM at age 20 to be challenging for a female. Years later, however, she found NASA and PBS supportive of women working in the tech sector. “I feel strongly about specific actions that must be taken in order to create better equity between women and men in STEM, especially in computer science,” she says. “Young women need more female role models – especially as teachers in the classroom – so that they have mentors in whom they can see themselves. We will address and accomplish this with our Startup Incubator.” Mack wants AEC students to become change agents and believes the timing for this initiative couldn’t be better. Schools should be the drivers of the future, he says, and provide a platform for student visions to feed into the startup world. “Technology provides the building blocks of iterative reasoning and creativity,” he adds. “By embracing and incorporating technology with our main curriculum, we will be providing our children with every advantage for the future. “President Obama recently announced a $5 billion initiative to bring computer science to all public school classrooms. But that will easily take another five to 10 years, and who knows how that money will get spent,” Mack says. Adelson students in all divisions will engage in coding and making, McCue says. K-3 students will participate in a weekly class in the Discovery Lab; fourth- and fifth-graders will have a weekly class in the Startup Incubator. And students in grades 6 to 8 will take a one-semester Startup Incubator course, while ninth-graders will be expected to complete a more advanced one-semester Startup Incubator course. Teachers across all areas of curriculum will be able to develop and execute projects in the Incubator, to further integration. An English teacher, for instance, may choose to have students bring Orwell’s 1984 to life through fabrication of a microcontroller-enabled model world that includes monitoring by Big Brother. And a PE teacher may have students build a super safe, seated scooter with 3D-printed, high-friction wheels and extra stability that preschoolers could use on the playground. A biology teacher may ask students to code an Age Prediction app to guess how long a person might live, based on whether the individual smokes, exercises a lot, what he or she eats and whether the person’s family has a history of longevity. “Design thinking brings together all areas of the curriculum from the humanities, arts, STEM, and even athletics,” McCue says. Much of the work done in the Incubator will be group-driven. Such collaboration, McCue believes, enables students to rely on each other for input and knowledge, while fostering peer-based project solutions and building. Human beings learn best by doing, according to social scientists. The Startup Incubator, Mack and others believe, combines this premise with the technological means to foster learning, solving and creating environments with real world impact. www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2016
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Shades of Spring
think
Pantone’s Colors that Celebrate the Changing Season By Marisa Finetti
“C
olors this season transport us to a happier, sunnier place where we feel free to express a wittier version of our real selves,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of Pantone Color Institute. If that’s true, we’ll take it! Pantone, provider of systems for the selection and communication of color across a variety of industries, including fashion, has come out with its vibrant 2016 spring palette. You’ll be seeing these fresh colors that were influenced by the world of art and a desire to unwind and disconnect from technology. Designers have gravitated toward a palette that’s first and foremost calming. In paying homage to the beauty of natural resources, colors emerging in the spring collections transport the wearer to more tranquil, mindful environs, encouraging relaxation first, followed by curiosity and exploration. Designers this season found inspiration in the contrast of urban design and lush vegetation, leading to unexpected color combinations and collections reminiscent of architecture, travel and nostalgia. By creating looks that truly represent the world we live in, both constructed and organic, spring collections seek to awaken a sense of reflection, followed by playful escapism. Artists like Matisse, Picasso and Frank Stella – known for bold color usage and strong shapes and lines – influence this season’s styles. With Cuba and destinations south of the border top of mind, designers are playing with courageous color statements eager to be vibrant, while combined with quieting, classic and more natural tones. “With our culture still surrounded by so much uncertainty,” Eiseman says, “we are continuing to yearn for those softer shades that offer a sense of calm and relaxation.” The soothing, calming nature of colors in the spring collections are led by Rose Quartz, a persuasive yet gentle tone that conveys compassion and a sense of composure. Quite reminiscent of a serene sunset, a blushing cheek or budding flower, Rose Quartz reminds us to reflect on our surroundings during the busy, but lighthearted spring and summer months. For designer TOSIA, spring 2016 was inspired by a recent journey to Morocco and the French influence that pervades the region. The color’s subdued palette was drawn primarily from the stunning, arid landscape of Ouarzazate, Morocco, from the multitude of Blues in the clear skies, the Taupe and Soft Blush of the desert sands, and the Ivory of sail cloth tents. Blush Pink is prominent through the collection, a perfect complement to so many other colors and capable of conveying lightness and intrigue. Weightless and airy, like the expanse of blue sky above, Serenity offers a calming effect and brings a feeling of respite even in turbu-
lent times. A transcendent blue, Serenity provides a naturally connected sense of space. The fashion and design communities, and consequently consumers, have been in love with orange for many seasons. Coming to the fore this spring is Peach Echo, a shade that evokes warmth and accessibility. It is an all-encompassing, tempered companion in the playful orange family. A seaside-inspired blue, Snorkel Blue plays in the navy family, but with a happier, more energetic context. The name alone implies a relaxing vacation and encourages escape. It’s striking, but with lots of activity bursting from its undertones. While the majority of the spring and summer palettes trend toward calmness, a few diversions from the theme provide contrast. With Buttercup, designers reveal a bright, shining beacon, transporting its wearer (and its admirers) to a happier, sunnier place. Iced Coffee, a transitional color that will take us through the year, manifests as another strong neutral for the season. Its natural earthy quality, coupled with softness and subtlety, creates a stable foundation when combined with the rest of this season’s palette. A shade of aqua that leans toward the green family, Limpet Shell is clear, clean and defined. Suggestive of clarity and freshness, its crisp and modern influences evoke a deliberate, mindful tranquility. As in most seasons, the need for neutrals arises. Essentially a basic, Lilac Gray’s undertone adds a distinctive edge to this classic shade. High energy Fiesta is a harbinger of excitement. It encourages free-spirited exploration to unknown but welcoming locales. This strong and fiery, yellow-based red, like a bright poppy, provides a stark contrast to the calming, softer nature of this season’s palette. Green Flash calls on the wearer to explore and escape the mundane, radiating an openness that combines with the rest of the palette in unexpected but serendipitous ways. The popularity of this brilliant hue reflects nature’s persistent influence even in urban environments, a trend that continues to inspire designers. Colors this season are vivid brights that summon excitement and optimism, though quiet stability prevails in this season’s palette. There are truly no perceivable distinctions in color choices between the men’s and women’s collections, both of which focus on a desire to breathe and reflect, then play. We’re ready for spring. The sketches shown are from a number of designers spring 2016 ranges. Each image is captioned with the designer’s name and has the associated Pantone swatch attached.
48 MARCH 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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Emilio Sosa
Rebecca Vallance
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Georgine
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Rebecca Minkoff
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Lost
Vegas By Jaq Greenspon
“W
hat’s it like growing up in Las Vegas?” It’s a question my overseas friends ask. They only know the city from its many varied depictions on TV and in the movies. Even though they live in places most Americans will never be able to visit, they are fascinated by the culture we present. “Is it really like they show it?” the girls all ask. The guys, though, have a different question: “Do you know any showgirls?” Sadly, as of the 11th of last month, I have to answer that second question with a melancholic “no.” I used to know showgirls, sure. It’s hard to live in Vegas and not. When I was growing up, the billboard face of one of the big production shows lived two doors down from us (and, yes, when she came out on weekends in her bikini to wash her car, every father in the neighborhood suddenly found the motivation to do much needed outdoor improvements). While I still know the
52 MARCH 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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Left: The Welcome to Las Vegas Sign circa 1960 Above: Jubilee rehersal 1981
girls, the “show” part, the “hundreds of thousands of rhinestones covering practically nothing” that were a part of the Jubilee show at Bally’s, the longest running (and last) production show in town, has now sunk into history — much like the Titanic that sunk on its stage every night for more than 34 years. For years, the showgirl was the iconic representation of Las Vegas. Every city has its thing and showgirls were ours. When Oscar Goodman, former mayor, went on official trips to promote the city, he appeared with showgirls on his arm. Even “Down Under” showgirls were the stuff that dreams were made of. “As an Australian, living on the other side of the world, you hear about dancers and shows from three places. Broadway dancers in New York, The Can Can in Paris and the Las Vegas Showgirl,” says former
Jubilee dancer Sarah Storey. “I specifically came to Las Vegas to become one of those iconic showgirls up there on that stage.” For Storey, the allure of wearing Bob Mackie-designed outfits and huge headdresses was enough to get her, and many like her, halfway around the world. “The Strip has lost some of its sparkle,” she says, “and the Jubilee showroom is one step closer to being turned into yet another mega club or convention space.” The showgirl is gone. And yet for Vegas being “gone” seems to be the new status quo. And yet … In a world where nostalgia is king, where we take snapshots of our food at the beginning of a meal to remember what we ate by the time we get to the end, and where pictures of last week constitute fodder for a ‘Throwback Thursday” post on social media, the “gone” www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2016
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Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu wedding at the Aladdin, 1967.
of Vegas isn’t really gone: It just moves from active to passive. Showgirls, for instance, aren’t gone. They may no longer be found in their natural environment, the Vegas showroom, but all of the artifacts still can be found in the Las Vegas Showgirl Museum. The home that now houses the labor of love for owner Grant Philipo boasts more than 20,000 original pieces from the history of Las Vegas. “We’re doing it to keep the image of the showgirl alive, and to keep all this history that is based in Las Vegas in the eyes of the public,” he told Channel 8 news back in January. Not only is he right, he’s not alone. There have been a number of “museums” popping up over the last decade or so, dedicated to preserving things younger than Betty White. Take, for instance, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, known colloquially as The Mob Museum. If you pick 1947, the year Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel’s Flamingo Hotel opened, arguably the start of modern Las Vegas, then the museum housed in the old Vegas Post Office and courthouse is showcasing a past that’s fewer than 70 years gone. I’m not saying this is a bad thing. Indeed, the museum features a number of exhibits aimed at showing what it was like when the mob ran Vegas, as well as important touchstones in the history of organized crime (check out the wall against which the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre took place, and the actual courtroom where the Kefauver Committee hearings
helped make life difficult for the “connected.”) It begs the question that all us old-timers ask and get asked: “Was it really better back when the mob ran Vegas?” Should we be fetishizing death by walking past a wall of graphic photographs from murder scenes, emblazoned beneath the sardonic heading “Mob’s Greatest Hits”? Really, organized crime’s influence ended with the coming of the corporations, which was no earlier than the late ’70s or into the ’80s. We’re celebrating and romanticizing an era most of us who have been here any length of time actually lived through. Then, again, maybe there are some things we should be mourning and looking to bring back. In 1972, architects Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown (with associate Steven Izenour and students) published Learning from Las Vegas. They defined new building terms and identified a new aesthetic that persists to this day. They were looking at the functionality of the design and how it corresponded with the façade’s representation, fairly unique at the time. In fact, next to showgirls and mobsters, Vegas is known for its ever present light show. Except … now the light bulb is giving way to LED screens. What used to be an artistic expression — it served to not only identify one hotel from another, but also to create a unique signature or atmosphere for where you were staying or playing — has been replaced by … TV.
54 MARCH 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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Sinatra dealing Baccarat at the Sands circa 1960
All the signs you see while driving along the fabled Strip are now nothing more than huge television sets, with no more iconic temerity than a wall at Best Buy. All the neon and signage from the past, all of those classic images we remember from montage sequences in Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra movies, are long gone. At least from active life. Some of the most famous signs are being preserved and rehung as part of a public art exhibit along the length of Fremont Street; the rest are being housed at the Neon Museum in an area known as “The Neon Boneyard.” The “Boneyard” proprietors have collected nearly 150 classic signs, dating from as far back as the 1930s, and offer hourlong guided tours for anyone interested in the history and stories behind each piece. This is the problem, though. We’ve reduced to encapsulated, hourlong tours the items that used to be part of our every day lives. The larger-than-life signs that once announced our city, enticing us as we drove down Las Vegas Boulevard (formerly U.S. 91, U.S. 466, Fifth Street or The Arrowhead Highway, among others) to stop in, get out of our cars and rest our weary asses in the showrooms, swimming pools and lounges have been shrunken to piled up masses of metal and wire and stripped of their former glory. Sure, you can take the tour at night but even then the signs are stacked on top of each other. Fremont Street is the closest visitors (and our
kids) will ever come to understanding how and why these signs were important to the growth of our city. It’s not just the signs that are missing from these new mega resorts that have been imploding and replacing the classic hotels for more than a quarter century (literally, as the pirates from Treasure Island blew up the Dunes to make way for the Bellagio). While they may still have the glitz, they lack the glamour. Back in the day, the lounges of all the Strip hotels were filled with the up-and-coming entertainers not yet able to draw the showroom crowds. They were still topnotch performers, though, with quality acts – and you could see them for nothing — if you could get in. Because, unlike today, Vegas had a dress code, official or no. If you were hitting the casino to play some cards or roll the dice, you dressed the part. Now, while you certainly won’t find the floor blanketed in a haze of cigarette smoke (a good thing), you also won’t see many jackets and ties. The thought of going from the pool to the restaurant to showroom is commonplace today; it used to be unthinkable. Recently, the only place you might see patrons getting dressed up to play is the Hard Rock, and they’re doing it strictly to emulate the cool factor of yesteryear Vegas. So while there’s no smoking anymore, there’s also no chance of being dealt a hand of blackjack by Dean Martin, and that’s kind of sad. Even walking out with a bucket of quarters is a thing of the www.davidlv.com | MARCH 2016
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Items from the Neon Boneyard
past. Everything has gone so high-tech and impersonal and, well, corporate, that the fun of slipping a folded-up bill into the contorted hand of the showroom maître d’ no longer means anything. And the average person is playing for points, so the fabled “comps” of meals, rooms and shows are quantified and paid for in kind. It’s not surprising then that in 2015, for the first time, gaming slipped from the number one revenue slot, replaced by clubs and pools. Are we heading for a gaming-less Vegas? We’ve already lost so much of what tourists used to come to our city for. What’s another thing, more or less? The fabled, 24-hour town, where you could get anything, anytime, now closes at 10 p.m. (unless it’s in a casino). Growing up in the ’80s, we had Odyssey Records for 3 a.m. music runs, and Video Park for late night home videos. But now there’s no reason to leave the house. Even the legendary 99¢ breakfasts are closer to five bucks, and the “It’s cheaper to eat out” billboards haven’t been seen in decades. Even the free stuff has been commodified. Sure, it was dangerous to park illegally in the lot across the street from the famed “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign and high-tail it across the highway to snap a picture and run back before getting threatened with towing. But it was more fun than pulling into a proprietary parking area and being hit up by Elvis impersonators to “donate” so they’d be in the picture with you, and you could easily check something else off your “things we did in Vegas” list.
The Horseshoe’s free picture with a million dollars, while back after a lengthy absence, is now just a stack of Franklins instead of the ultracool display of 100 $10,000 bills. Seriously, when was the last time you saw a $10,000 bill? Never! They were never in regular circulation and, besides, who has 10 grand hanging around? Even parking, which has always been an easy gimme is changing. MGM Properties is eliminating free parking, which means they’ll also start charging excessive fees for valet. Yes, these are all little things. All these little things add up, though. It becomes self-destructive. Vegas is a self-immolating ouroboros, eating itself up and burning itself out at the same time. Sure, there are small attempts to revive what once was. Wes Isbutt, former owner of the Arts Factory, a First Friday mainstay, recently has purchased the Aruba and plans to restore it back to Old Vegas glory, including returning its original name, the Thunderbird. Or maybe that’s what Vegas is, a place where nothing is permanent because reinvention has always been the name of the game. If we were to sink a time capsule today, what would we find when opening it 100 years from now? Maybe it would be empty because the allure of Vegas has never been merely the showgirls or the casinos or the neon signs. Maybe Vegas has always been about the anonymity that change provides? Or maybe that capsule will contain a feather and a rhinestone … and some good memories.
56 MARCH 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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grill
Jessica Abo
Journalist, Entrepreneur & Social Activist
Jessica Abo
Jessica Abo is a ChangeMaker. At 35, this award-winning TV journalist, entrepreneur, social activist, YouTube channel creator, motivational speaker and philanthropist has used life lessons, ambition, a work ethic, a commitment to integrity, openness and gratitude, and Jewish and family values to pioneer her own industry for change and good. Abo was 9 when she watched talk show host Phil Donahue report on and console a guest in need. Abo found inspiration in Donahue’s compassionate mien and decided she wanted to do the same some day. After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwestern University’s renowned Medill School of Journalism, she joined the NY1 News team in 2007 as an on-air anchor and reporter. She covered everything from breaking news and sports to food and fashion. Her New York’s Fashion Week reports have aired on CNN, CBS, FOX and the Fusion Network. She has played herself on TV and in the movies. Abo launched the YouTube channel – JaboTV – in 2014 to help kids, teenagers and college students become ChangeMakers wherever they live. Her program’s content drew the attention of Forbes magazine, and was spotlighted at a United Nations conference on international youth. She has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for a variety of global causes through marathons and charity events. Her most recent effort supported the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation. Abo’s Marrow Match Gala has facilitated more than a dozen matches and three transplants. The granddaughter of Holocaust survivors and grandparents who lived through the Great Depression produced a documentary on the 60th anniversary of the Auschwitz liberation. She will be the keynote speaker at BEE The Change at the Jewish Community Center’s second annual Women’s Spirituality Retreat on Sunday, April 3, at the Three Square Food Bank. For information and tickets, go to www.jccsn.org or call 702-794-0090. DAVID: What do you mean by BEE the change? ABO: Bees remind us that we can change the future for the good. A bee stings in self-defense, but its job is to make honey — something sweet, nutritious and valuable for others. When we are stung by life – and I’ve been stung too many times to keep count – we can choose to use our time to sting back or we can choose to make honey; choose to learn from the experience of the sting and turn it into something good and productive by bee-ing the change that makes the
world a better place for ourselves and others. DAVID: Did you ever meet Phil Donahue? ABO: No, though I would love to! But I did get to meet Oprah. Like Phil, I was also impressed by Oprah. I sent her a letter when I was in the third grade, asking if we could trade places for a day. The letter was decorated with a large lollipop arch. When I met her years later at a dinner, I mentioned the letter and she put her hands together in the shape of an arch. She actually read and remembered my letter! DAVID: I understand you have a first book in the works. What’s it about? ABO: It’s geared towards high school and college students. I frequently speak before teenage audiences, sharing the many challenges I’ve overcome. I tell them that the perfectlooking life isn’t always perfect. They ask me questions afterwards, and the book aims to answer those questions, like was I ever bullied? Did I ever have a broken heart? Have I been rejected? Did I try for something and lose? How did I handle it? I also advise on how to be a successful ChangeMaker. DAVID: As someone who stands up for herself as an entrepreneurial businesswoman, do you consider yourself a feminist? ABO: I’m an equal rights humanitarian and activist. I want all people to have the opportunities they need to succeed in love, in work, in whatever it is they want for themselves. My work is not gender- or age- or ethnicspecific. I care about all people. I understand none of us has been charged with the task of doing everything to make the world a better place; however, I do think we are all responsible for doing something. DAVID: Does being Jewish inform your work? ABO: Without a doubt. I’m the product of a loving Jewish home, Jewish Day School and Jewish summer camp. I’m a veteran of (United Synagogue Youth). I speak nationally for the Jewish National Fund. I’m inextricably connected to my Jewish roots, history and family values. DAVID: Do you view it as your job to make the world a better place? ABO: Not my job, but my responsibility. It says in the book Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) that ‘It is not your responsibility to finish the work of perfecting the world, but you are not free to desist from it either (2:16).’ We can, and we must, each work in some way to make a difference. — Lynn Wexler
58 MARCH 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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