Despite a storm damaging 30 booths and lower spending amid a nationwide economic crisis, Art in the Park made much more money this year than last year, Boulder City Hospital officials said.

Though revenue tallies hadn't been finalized Monday, Wendy Christ-Kyser, the Boulder City Hospital Foundation director and fair organizer, and Yvonne Waggner, the hospital's chief financial officer, said the event brought in more than last year's $143,000.

The 46th annual Art in the Park, a two-day show benefiting the Boulder City Hospital Foundation, drew about 100,000 people to browse 360 artists, food booth and bands throughout downtown parks.

The event Saturday and Sunday overcame more than the weather and the timing of the presidential campaigns, always a less fruitful period for art shows, Christ-Kyser said.

Neither she nor Waggner heard any complaints about the cost of shuttles to downtown parks from overflow parking at the old airport hangar on Nevada Highway, they said. The rides cost $1.25 each way.

This year, because of federal charter laws, the Regional Transportation Commission couldn't provide the bus rides for free as it had for seven years.

Also, ArtEve, the inaugural pre-festival reception at Boulder Dam Hotel on Friday, drew about 200 people, and raised extra money for the Boulder City Hospital Foundation.

Storms Saturday night had Christ-Kyser and company up until 2:30 a.m. Sunday calling artists whose booths had been toppled, she said.

Rain and wind destroyed some artist's collections, forcing them to pack up that night and ditch the second day of the show, she said.

Others reported decent sales this year, though as Christ-Kyser noted, "People are leery of spending $2,000 or $3,000 on a painting this year."

Bob Wilfong, who brought his work to Art in the Park for the third year, said his bronze pieces survived the storm, and he even sold a couple.

The Las Vegas banker-turned-sculptor with a background in biology said, considering the current political and economic situation, he was content with the show.

"People can justify buying functional art," he said, motioning to next door booths selling pottery and jewelry boxes. "My work is functional, but it performs at a different level."

Wilfong said his figures and shapes are healing and allude to a different consciousness. "But people don't see that when they're hungry."

Even if he hadn't sold a thing, he said, his goal as an artist was realized if his sculptures had a positive effect on people.

"There are places, like this festival, to go to enjoy art," he said. "Because of what art gives (artists,) we have a responsibility to give back in a public place."

Cassie Tomlin can be reached at 948-2073 or cassie.tomlin@hbcpub.com.

source: lasvegassun.com

The students in Boulder City High School's Club 328 are proving themselves to be movers and shakers — literally.

Club 328 students are members of the special education program at the school. They've renamed themselves to get away from any stereotype that normally comes with being special education, Jackie DeSilva, program teacher, said.

With a few students showing off their moves on the dance floor Sept. 26 during a Southeast Region special programs get-together at Foothill High School, they demonstrated some of the enthusiasm they pour into all aspects of their lives.

"It's to promote as much normalcy as possible," Pam Charles, Foothill teacher, said. "Our kids enjoy seeing each other. They like going to dances, and they want to be social."

The students go on weekly outings to various places. Some of the trips have included such practical destinations as Jack in the Box to learn how to fill out job applications and Albertsons to shop for supplies.

"We do a trip a week, even if we have to beg, borrow and steal to do it," DeSilva said.

The students have shown themselves to be pretty good at making money. The five students in the program run the student store before school and in the afternoons, making $20,000 for the school each year.

Foothill acted as their weekly outing on Sept. 26, where a dance provided fun for the students.

It was themed "Back to Rydell," and several students and teachers showed up in "Grease"-appropriate costumes, including a few Pink Ladies jackets and a lot of poodle skirts, jeans and leather.

"I actually think it's really cool," Maegan Leggett, 14, said.

Leggett said she enjoys the movie, especially the main male lead, Danny Zucko, played by John Travolta.

"It would be nice to meet him," she said. "He's so hot."

Other activities were available for the students, including bingo, hoop tosses, face painting and fishing.

Beyond playing the games, Leggett enjoyed being able to see old friends, including one boy who used to attend her school but moved to Henderson during the summer.

Tieler Wells, 16, the club historian, brought his camera to the event to take pictures of his friends and teacher enjoying the activities.

Photography is one of his hobbies, he said, and he makes sure to take his camera everywhere so he can capture all of the fun things they do.

He had a smile on his face each time he pulled the camera out of his pocket to capture another moment.

Frances Vanderploeg can be reached at 990-2660 or frances.vanderploeg@hbcpub.com.

source: lasvegassun.com

Two Gals, a longtime popular Nevada Highway breakfast and lunch joint, closed this month after its owner was served an eviction notice.

The shuttered cafe and adjoining Two Gals Too Lounge leave behind a loyal following of morning feasters and afternoon drinkers who say there was no place quite like it.

Elmer Marshall, the landlord, said he plans to rent the place to a new owner for a new restaurant later this year.

Marshall said the new Two Gals owner, Donald Douffrant, was four months behind on rent payments and owed $11,000 when a constable was sent earlier this month with a notice to vacate.

On Sept. 3, Douffrant didn't show up to work, canceled his business license, and the restaurant has been closed since, Marshall and city officials said.

Efforts to contact Douffrant were unsuccessful. He is not listed in the phone book and had no phone number on file with the city or the Chamber of Commerce.

Douffrant took over the business from John and Vicki Harr in May 2007, but the place opened in the 1970s as Two Gals from Cal.

Dib Campbell was a ringleader of a group of friends who met weekly at Two Gals for breakfast. For seven years, every Tuesday at 7 a.m., ROMEO — short for Real Old Men Eating Out — assembled in the lounge.

It was the kind of thing small town cafes are made of: same time, same place, no agenda and a full house of regulars.

"We had an outstanding lady that was our own waitress sort of, and it was a come and go thing," he said.

But Campbell said he was as shocked as anybody to learn the restaurant had closed, and now the ROMEOs are without a hub.

Two Gals was quiet and private and would accommodate the group of a dozen to 20 regulars, he said.

"We're treading water now. We don't have a place that meets our needs that we can find," he said.

Cassie Tomlin can be reached at 948-2073 or cassie.tomlin@hbcpub.com.

source: lvrj.com

Former Gov. Mitt Romney made a swing through Boulder City Oct. 2, saying he supported Rep. Jon Porter’s vote for the $700 billion bailout package for failed financial institutions.

He called the Nevada Republican’s decision a “very courageous vote,” and said, as Americans over time more deeply inspect the financial crisis, “they’ll recognize it was the right thing.”

Romney drew a crowd of about 130 people to the Boulder City High School theater, where he generated support for Porter and Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain.

Porter is facing a tough reelection challenge from Democratic state Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes Boulder City.

The former presidential candidate joined local elected officials in the high school theater to speak about Porter, who was in Washington, D.C., for another bailout vote. Romney’s next stop was Elko to stump for McCain.

Mayor Roger Tobler, state Sen. Warren Hardy, Assemblyman Joe Hardy and Clark County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury, all Republicans, praised Porter’s local, state and national accomplishments.

Porter fans Shirley and David Buck said they came to hear Romney.

“We love him,” Shirley Buck said. “He should have been the vice presidential nominee.”

The Bucks came to Boulder City in 1973 and said they’ve known Porter since he arrived in 1978. They have supported him since his first City Council term in 1983, they said.

Michael Traasdahl said his father worked with Porter in the electrical industry when Porter came to town and said he supported him as mayor for “keeping the city conservative.”

Traasdahl said he’s a registered Democrat, but this year would vote for McCain.

Cassie Tomlin can be reached at 948-2073 or cassie.tomlin@hbcpub.com.

source: lasvegassun.com