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Newkirk’s Notes – comments on Las Vegas from AccessVegas.Com publisher Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! Our best wishes to Celine Dion who is taking some unscheduled time off to recover from a severe respiratory virus. She’s taking the time needed to heal and rest in anticipation of her 2007 gigs at Caesars. We have Celine tickets on sale through June of 2007, and her replacements (Cher and Bette Midler) have already been signed. If you have been putting off seeing Celine or want to catch the show again, do not delay in getting tickets now. Celine Dion Tickets

The rumble for New Year’s Eve is heating up in a huge way and as now is the norm, $500,000 worth of fireworks will be shot off from hotels all the way up and down The Strip. If being inside at what are sure to be the hottest club parties on the planet, you need to be snapping up tickets or making your bottle/table reservations now. ASAP.

The huge party is the Nightclubs.com Party at the Empire Ballroom and we have that and information on all the New Years Eve Las Vegas Nightclub Parties or we’ll have people on hand to personally help you with the 411 if you call 800-696-5721.

We have a new section for links to stories about the smoking ban at the end of our usual news story links section later in this issue. For those who just want an executive summary:

A judge has temporarily halted enforcement of the new rules until a hearing on the constitutionality of the law has been heard. The anti-smoking forces who wrote the law exempted casinos (nobody would want to take on that fight). But in doing so, the law may unfairly discriminate against the local bar and grills all over Las Vegas (which are essentially min-casinos).

Mayor Oscar Goodman makes it no secret that he loves his martinis. So much that he’s going to teach a one-credit class at Community College of Southern Nevada this February on how to make the perfect martini. (No, this isn’t a joke). Gotta love Vegas!

If you are thinking of coming for New Year’s Eve, it’s time go book. Now. Room prices will only rise, and tickets to the hottest events are already starting to get very tight. We have a ton of links and information in this issue, and as always, your best bet for hotel reservations is Las Vegas Hotel Deals.

Enjoy This Issue!

Summer Ferguson Of ‘Crazy Girls’ In Ballet Number ‘The Heart’ – Summer Ferguson of “Crazy Girls” does “The Heart” the only ballet number in the revamped show that is in its 20th year at the Riviera Hotel & Casino. The 5-foot-9-inch statuesque dancer says, “Performing runs in my family. My mom and aunt were both Lakers’ cheerleaders with Paula Abdul.” I began my dance lessons at age two. I’d like to be a Victoria’s Secret model. After “Crazy Girls” I stay up all night.” With the recent press about the phasing out of shoeshine workers, Summer reports that she used to earn a good living when she was only 16 years old working at the hotels and once got a $2,500 tip. Click to Read The Full Story and Purchase Tickets …

Christina Aguilera At Mandalay Bay – Pop-music star Christina Aguilera launches her 41-city “Back to Basics” 2007 North American tour in February and will bring her high-energy show to the Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, March 3. Special guests The Pussycat Dolls, as well as Danity Kane, are scheduled as the opening acts for the evening set to begin at 8 p.m. Click to Read The Full Story and Purchase Tickets …

The Cannery Celebrates Elvis Presley’s Birthday on January 5 and 6 – Friends of Elvis to Make Special Appearance – The Cannery Casino & Hotel celebrates Elvis Presley’s life with a 72nd birthday celebration on January 5 and 6, 2007 hosted by Elvis expert Steve Christopher with special performances by Johnny Fortuno and The Stamps Quartet as well as a meet and greet with friends and co-stars of Elvis Presley. Tickets are $10 at the door and the celebration begins at 8 p.m. Click to Read The Full Story …

Barry Manilow tickets for his long-term engagement at the Las Vegas Hilton are available for his May-through-December 2007 schedule. Click for Barry Manilow Tickets

Dr. Scott Lewis Takes Advantage – Las Vegas will be packed with holiday revelers and a packed town means packed Box Office. Riviera headliner Dr. Scott Lewis reminds, “while most shows are on vacation, I’ll be performing four extra shows between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, each night at 7 p.m. I hope I can mesmerize my holiday visitors on Wednesday through Saturday, December 27, 28, 29 & 30. I meet and greet every audience member after the show. Maybe one day, they’ll be an on-stage participant in my show!” Click to Read The Full Story and Purchase Tickets …

Music Legend Eric Clapton At MGM Grand – Music legend Eric Clapton will return to the United States for the second leg of his 2006-2007 U.S. Tour following a number of sold-out shows overseas. The MGM Grand Garden Arena will host Clapton’s performance Saturday, March 10 at 8 p.m., which will feature Robert Cray as the opening act. Click to Read The Full Story and Purchase Tickets …

One-of-a-Kind Baldwin Piano Painted By Peter Max Available To Highest Bidder For Charity – World-renowned artist Peter Max unveiled a one-of-a-kind Baldwin Baby 5’2″ Grand piano during Thanksgiving weekend at The Art of Peter Max Gallery in the Forum Shops in Las Vegas as part of a charity campaign to raise funds for The Gibson Foundation and Max’s Global Works Foundation. The piano is on display between the hours of 10am and 11pm PT daily. Click to Read The Full Story …

3121 Jazz Cuisine Expands Hours – 3121 Jazz Cuisine and Chef Lena Morgan invite guests to continue the party after experiencing a night on the dance floor in 3121 with a new late nite menu. The new menu will be offered from midnight until 5 am every Friday and Saturday night with Late Nite Snax including crispy plantains with seared diver scallops, Jamaican jerk jam and mango coulis; petite Kobe burgers with Vidalia onions, melted brie cheese and sweet potato fries; Creole spiced seared shrimp with avocado salsa in a tortilla cup; a selection of flat bread pizzas; and much more. Click to Read The Full Story …

Gambling Talk: Playing Big Pairs in Tournaments — Part One – with Victor H. Royer. Over the next series of articles, I am going to ask you to consider some of the big pairs in Poker and how you should (could) play them in poker tournaments. As odd as this may seem, there are many different ways in which you can (or should) play big pairs, including pocket Aces. This also includes hands like Ace-King.

Many players think (feel) that these are the kinds of hands that play themselves. While it may be OK for you to play like that at home, that’s not what you should (ought) to do in poker tournaments. Even big pairs like Aces aren’t always candidates for the same kind of consideration, and most certainly so for poker tournaments. So, here we are going to explore some of the possibilities, and some of the reasons for them. Click to Read Complete Article

Vegas Photo Set Of The Week: Sirens of TI Pirate Show – The Sirens recently celebrated the third anniversary of their free show in from of Treasure Island (TI) Las Vegas. They are taking a couple of weeks but will return strong in time for New Years Eve. In the meantime, enjoy great photos from this popular show.

• Sirens of TI Pirate Show Las Vegas Photos

Vegas Streaming Video Of The Week – Jet Nightclub Grand Opening Preview (December 2005) – One year ago, Jet Nightclub at The Mirage opened to the public with Kid Rock at the turntables. This is Las Vegas and too much of a good thing is never enough, so Kid Rock is back fresh off of his split from Pamela Anderson and he’ll again be hosting the New Year’s Eve party at Jet! Jet Reservations, VIP Tickets and Bottle Service/Table Reservations call 800-696-5721.

• Click To View Jet Nightclub Grand Opening Preview (December 2005): Broadband (only)

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

Readers Write:

The thing that bothers me, is, all the old names are dying. The Dunes, Sands and Hacienda have all been razed and the property rebuilt upon with the new properties having new names (not a bad idea when it comes to the Hacienda).

Ted Responds:

Having lived here since 1993 (long enough to get used to the actual hotels you are referencing), I couldn’t agree more. In a few more years, most newer visitors and new residents will probably think the street names “Sands” and “Desert Inn” were some cute street names thought up by home developers.

I am pleased to see that Tropicana Ave. will continue to lead to The Tropicana for now (the upgrade of the property by new owners at this time doesn’t appear to involve a name change).

However, I do wish that Venetian owner Sheldon Anderson had done something more to let The Sands name live on (outside of keeping the convention center so named). It would be nice if the Encore addition to Wynn Las Vegas had a “Desert Inn Lounge” and similar with Stardust.

Couple of interesting quick notes:

• I was among the first to note what a lousy, stupid name Echelon Place is, a comment that is echoed by many local pundits. They still have time to change it and I hope they do.
  
• Of all the names you mentioned, The Hacienda actually lives on. A small hotel/casino between Boulder City and Hoover Dam now has the name, as a result of some of the former Hacienda parent company owners being involved the hotel by Hoover Dam.

Bottom line: The new Vegas is exciting, but some connections to the past would be welcome. If anything, the vibe people of all ages come here for is the swinging times that were originally made famous by the Rat Pack.

Ted Responds:

Harrah’s has “cranked things up a few notches” over the past few years to achieve a party atmosphere to attract a younger crowd. But that does raise some interesting questions to our readers near or in their retirement years:

1. With so many hotels wanting to be “hip” and cater to people barely old enough to drink, what hotels do you no longer visit, and more importantly, which hotels do you love and feel very comfortable at?

2. Now that are are at (or near) retirement, do you come to Las Vegas as much as you used to, more often, or do you feel that Las Vegas isn’t so much your cup of tea and don’t visit so much? If not so much, where else are you going on vacation (gambling city or otherwise)?

We have set up an area of our message boards for you to weigh in:
Is Las Vegas Still OK If You Aren’t 21?

Please remember: Our message boards are sometimes running slow during peak times. Please be patient: The pages will appear and you will be able to read and post after a few seconds.

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

• Post a trip report to our brand new Trip Report Message Board section! (Simply click on the New Thread option. You may be prompted to register if a fist time user. That keeps our boards safe and spam-free)!
• Post a comment, Vegas suggestion, or question to the appropriate category of our Message Boards.
• Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call, and use some of them on our Radio.AccessVegas.com Streaming Broadcast! (Don’t worry … we never broadcast your personal information. All calls used are edited to insure caller privacy).
• Drop us an email at allvegastv@aol.com – We read them all!

More Las Vegas News – Concerts – Events

Important Note: During peak times, some of our news and event story links may take extra time to load. We are working on significant upgrades to handle this increased demand. In the meantime, we appreciate your patience during the extra few seconds a story may take to appear when you click on it.

• Hootie And The Blowfish ‘Only Want To Be With You’ This New Year’s Eve At The Silverton Casino Lodge

• New Year’s Eve Is Bubbling With Excitement At Boa Steakhouse And Sushi Roku With Unparallelled Dishes And A Breathtaking View Of The Strip

• Wake Up And Smell The Coffee

• Grand Canyon West Announces March 28, 2007 As The Official Public Opening Of The Skywalk – Rollout And “First Walk” Events Also Scheduled

• O’Brien & Valdez Headline The Award-Winning Riviera Comedy Club Christmas Week

• Jim Gaffigan Brings His Comedy Act To Mandalay Bay

• Makino Gourmet Sushi And Seafood Buffet Opens Summerlin Location – High-End Japanese Buffet Expands To Three Locations In Las Vegas

• Toys “R” Us And Nick Jr. Family Magazine Name Blue Man Group Percussion Tubes One Of The Hottest Holiday Toys Of The YearBlue Man Group Tickets and Info

• Xperience Club Azucar Featuring Grupo Fantasma and the 3121 Salsa Dancers Every Thursday Night

• “CBS’ Oldest Living TV Usher” Johnny Dark Headlines Riviera, December 18-24

• Rampart Casino at The Resort at Summerlin Features Holiday Dining Specials

• Cavalia Extends Engagement In Las Vegas – Now Playing Until December 22, 2006 Under The White Big Top At The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino

• Joan Jett And The Blackhearts To Perform At Tiffany Theater

• Cannery Casino & Hotel Features Holiday Dining Specials

• The Ultimate Comeback Kidder, Comedian David Brenner Makes His Debut Appearance At The Cannery Casino & Hotel on February 17

• Palms Casino Resort Unveils Plans For State-of-the-Art Concert Theater – Construction Progressing As Venue Prepares For Spring 2007 Grand OpeningPalms Hotel Casino Info and Reservations

• Mi Casa Grill Cantina – Brings A Taste Of Mexico To The Silverton Casino Hotel Lodge

• New Hours Of Operation At Buffet Bellagio

• New Reality TV: ‘Missing: Las Vegas’

• Bucking the trend – Five eye-opening days at the National Finals Rodeo

• Monorail given permit to extend to McCarran Airport

• Dealers will still have to share tips at the Wynn

• Vegas water authority increases cash for grass payments

• Turnover Talk Surrounds Las Vegas Bowl

• Temporary regulations taking shape amid minimum wage confusion

• Water Authority Ups Ante

• Some In Pahrump Want To Charge Immigrants A Fee

• Las Vegas Water Authority Buys Rural Ranches for Pipeline

• 10 most expensive restaurants in Las Vegas – Look out New York — Sin City is stealing your cooks

• Las Vegas Bowl preview: BYU vs. Oregon

• Las Vegas rolls out bowl matLas Vegas Bowl Tickets

• Newlyweds hit up Vegas for honeymoon – 4 days on the town certainly fun, different

• Betting on the Stork – Couples trying for a baby vote Las Vegas as favorite city to attempt to conceive

• ‘Rocky’ to have Vegas premiere

• National Finals Rodeo brings out cowboy shopper in many visitors

• Goodman sees county’s stance on sports arena as ‘silliness’

• Hold ’em tables adding a wrinkle – Some casinos giving side bet created by Las Vegan a try

• ‘Fashionistas’ to be on the move in FebruaryThe Fashionistas Tickets and Info or call 800-696-5721

• A Silver ‘JUBILEE!’ – Long-running Bally’s show celebrates 25 yearsJubilee! Tickets and Info or call 800-696-5721

• Chefs honored at annual Food & Wine Grand Tasting

• The Mind of Frank Gehry – Las Vegas Art Museum displaying architect’s designs for Lou Ruvo Brain Institute

• Nothing Compares 2 Prince: Singer throws out most of the Vegas rules during his new free-form show at the RioPrince Tickets and Info

• Businesses leery of land costs – Affordable parcels scarce in Las Vegas

• Vegas, baby – Kings still gambling on move to Sin City

• ENVY Gets New Executive Chef

• Loews Hotels Debutes Lake Las Vegas Resort

• Caesar’s 1 Billion Expansion: New Tower, Shops & Restaurants

• The Best Spa in the World might be at Caesars PalaceCaesars Palace Reservations and Info

• Fourth teen pleads guilty in videotaped Las Vegas Strip attack

• Casino win up slightly in October – State’s share misses forecasts again

• Las Vegas visitation continues climb toward new annual record

• Riviera Casino Bidders Withdraw Offer

• Teens accused in MGM mob beating won’t face jury

• Downtown arena – Why are taxpayer subsidies a foregone conclusion?

• Vegas kitsch flavors race – Event includes mass of Elvises, weddings on run

• Vegas kicks small revues to the curb

• Cottonwood Cove offers plenty of recreation choices

• Strip start thrills marathon official – Course enhances race’s popularity, Buzil says

Special Section: New Year’s Eve 2006-2007
Parties, Events, Dining

• New Year’s Eve At Light Nightclub

• New Year’s Eve At Caramel Bar & Lounge

• New Year’s Eve At Studio 54

• New Year’s Eve At Tabu Ultra Lounge

• New Year’s Eve At Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce

• New Year’s Eve At Mix in Las Vegas Restaurant and Lounge

• New Year’s Eve At JET Nightclub With Kid Rock

• New Year’s Eve At Coyote Ugly

• New Year’s Eve At MIST Bar & Lounge

• New Year’s Eve At Tangerine

• Pamela Anderson Hosts New Year’s At Tao

• Las Vegas Celebrates Grammy Season With Star-Studded Kick-Off Party

• Special New Years Eve Restaurant Dinners

• Stratosphere Casino Hotel and Tower Announces Line Up of New Year’s Eve Parties and Festivities

Special Section: Nevada Smoking Ban Stories Updated

• Compromise smoking regulation could prevent a deluge of litigation

• Smoking Ban Foes Charge Forward

• Courts have to kill Question 5

• Smoking ban challenge: Don’t hold your breath – Not even permanent injunction can stave off Californication

• Court grants 15 day delay on Nevada smoking ban

• Customers cheer judge’s decision to delay enactment of smoking ban

• Not All Clark County Businesses Exempt From Smoking Ban

• Tavern Owners Scramble To Stop Ban

• Nye County not enforcing smoking law

• One Less Sin in Sin City? Maybe Not Just Yet…

• Nye County not enforcing smoking law

• Court grants 15 day delay on Nevada smoking ban

Coming Hot Holidays – The following dates are huge times to be in Las Vegas, and rooms are in high demand. Booking in advance is the best way to save. Visit our friends at Las Vegas Hotel Deals and spend one of the following hot dates having fun in Las Vegas:

• 2006

• Christmas December 22-25 (3 day weekend – Christmas on Monday)
• New Year’s Eve-Day December 29 – January 1 (3 day weekend – New Years on Monday)

• 2007

• Martin Luther King Day January 13-15 (3 day weekend)
• Presidents Day February 17-19 (3 day weekend)
• Christmas December 22-25 (3 day weekend)
• St. Patricks Day March 17 (Falls on a Saturday)
• March Madness (NCAA Basketball Playoffs) March 15-18, March 22-25, Final Four March 31-April 2
• Victoria Day (Canada) May 19-21 (3 day weekend)
• Memorial Day May 26-28 (3 day weekend)
• Mothers Day May 13
• Fathers Day June 17
• Independence Day July 4
• Civic Holiday (Canada) August 6 (3 day weekend)
• Labor Day September 1-3 (3 day weekend)
• Columbus Day (USA), Thanksgiving Day (Canada) September 6-8 (3 day weekend)
• Christmas December 25 (4 day weekend – Christmas on Tuesday)
• New Year’s Eve-Day December 29 – January 1 (4 day weekend – New Years on Tuesday)

Link To Us! – Have a home page, web page, or blog? Link to us, and give yourself and your friends a quick link to find us from your site. Simply link to http://www.accessvegas.com and name the link Access Vegas!

RSS Feed – We now have an RSS/XML feed! Most RSS programs let you visit AccessVegas.com and automatically pull the feed. For those who want to enter it manually, the feed is:
http://www.accessvegas.com/xml/whats-hot.xml

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All contents copyright 2006 Ted Newkirk. All Rights Reserved.

December 13, 2006 ISSN: 1529-2770 About Us

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