Thursday nite's Untold Stories: Las Vegas High School, the Wildcat Lair and the Rhythmettes

Don't miss this wonderful look back at the history of Las Vegas High School with stories by the alumni.  It's a great way to hear history from the people who were there:

During the formative years of the city of Las Vegas, there was only one high school, Las Vegas High.  The school was built because of the determination of one woman, Maude Frazier.  Located on 8th Street, many townspeople believed it was too far out of town and was too large.  Maude and history proved them wrong.

It became a beacon of education for school-age kids not only in Las Vegas but all across the valley.  Students were bussed in from Boulder City and other small towns.

The students had their rituals as all high schools do.  The Wildcat Lair was the teen club where dances were held and in the years following World War II, performers from the Strip would stop by and sing a few tunes or tell a few jokes before heading back to the showrooms.

The Rhythmettes were the idea of Evelyn Stuckey.  A precision drill team made up of young girls to help rally school spirit at athletic games, assemblies, Helldorado Parades and more, she made the name Rhythmettes synonymous with excellence.  Under her tutelage, the drill team performed on the Ed Sullivan Show in the early 1960s.

Join us on Thursday, March 4th for "Untold Stories" as we look back at this wonderful, colorful and lively history. 

Our panelists will include a

Rhythmette Cheryl Purdue and other Las Vegas alumni such as John Ullom, Rollie Gibbs, and that delightful couple, Gail and Donna Andress.

Dennis McBride and Paul Carson from the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas have graciously agreed to bring a number of items related to the school as well.

Thursday, March 4th

Untold Stories

Las Vegas Springs Preserve

Desert Learning Center

6:30 pm

$10

We hope to see you there!



Springs Preserve Celebrates Black History Month

Looking for the UPDATED info on the upcoming Las Vegas High School program?  Click here

To commemorate the contributions of African-Americans to Southern Nevada's history and culture, the Springs Preserve and Las Vegas Black Image magazine will host a Black History Month Festival at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd., on Sunday.

The festival will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 5-17, and free for children 4 and younger. Advance tickets are available at Sight and Sound Center, 1000 N. Martin Luther King Blvd.

Visitors will be able to view a special "Historic Black Vegas" photo exhibit.

Entertainment will include a Children's Film Festival, a Greek Step Show, a Children's Hair and Fashion Show, music by 6-year-old DJ "Baby Chino," and other music and dance performances. The event also will feature food sales and access to the preserve's museums and galleries.



Upcoming Cultural Events in Las Vegas this week and one that's not!

Looking for the UPDATED info on the upcoming Las Vegas High School program?  Click here

Yes, Las Vegas has culture.  You know that.  I know that.  It's not a myth.

Here's some of the cultural events happening in the Las Vegas Valley this week:

“The Wall That Heals,” a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., will return to Mesquite, Nevada, Feb. 25 – March 1. The City of Mesquite first hosted the wall nearly five years ago.

Located on the grounds of the City of Mesquite Recreation Center, the exhibit will feature the replica wall, stretching nearly 250 feet in length and containing the names of more than 58,000 men and women who died while serving the U.S. Armed Forces in the Vietnam War.  The exhibit also includes a museum and information center, providing a comprehensive educational component to enrich and complete the visitor experience.

“We are honored to have been asked by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund to host “The Wall That Heals” once again,” said Mesquite Mayor Susan Holecheck. “Mesquite is home to more than a thousand veterans. It’s a very moving experience to be able to bring this message of healing to many who would not otherwise have the opportunity to experience the power of the memorial in Washington, D.C.”

Since its dedication in 1996, “The Wall That Heals” has visited more than 300 cities and towns throughout the nation, spreading the memorial’s healing legacy to millions and educating young people about the Vietnam War.

On Wednesday, Feb. 24, a motorcycle escort from the Patriot Guard of Nevada will accompany the truck containing the replica wall from St. George, Utah to Mesquite. The Wall will be available for visitors 24 hours a day from 7 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25 through 6 a.m. on Monday, March 1. Each evening at 5 p.m. names will be read from the wall. The names selected are those who began their military service from Southern Nevada and Southern Utah, and those who have relatives currently living in the Virgin and Moapa Valleys. Daily formal ceremonies are free and open to the public:

·         Opening Ceremony – Thursday, Feb. 25 at 10 a.m.

·         Service of Prayer and Reconciliation – Friday, Feb. 26 at 10 a.m.

·         Southern Paiute Veterans Ceremony – Saturday, Feb. 27 at 1 p.m.

·         Closing Ceremony – Sunday, Feb. 28 at 3 p.m.

The 2010 visit of “The Wall That Heals” is sponsored by Greg Lee of the Eureka Hotel & Casino with the assistance of the City of Mesquite, the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 993, local volunteers, the Traveling Wall committee and the local business community.

ATOMIC TESTING MUSEUM

Greetings!

On February 27, 2010 at 1:00 p.m., the Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation (NTSHF) will mark the Fifth Anniversary of the Atomic Testing Museum (ATM).

On this day, we will be dedicating two artifacts from the World Trade Center, which is one of the biggest events the Foundation has ever planned. To date, we are still seeking sponsors to meet our goal of raising $50,000 for these events.

Thus far, we have raised $38,000. As your support in the past has helped sustain the many events and projects the NTSHF/ATM has offered its members and the public, once again, we are appealing to your generous support, especially for the dedication of the WTC artifacts and the development of the permanent exhibits for these pieces.

To donate contact Dawn Barlow at 702-794-5147 or
 Donate to the Museum online.

To make a reservation to witness a memorable event honoring our fellow citizens and heroes who lost their lives during the World Trade Center attack, click Reserve.

We look forward to seeing you on February 27th at the Museum.

Thank you in advance for your support.

THE SMITH CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS TOPPING OFF CEREMONY:

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts gets one step closer to opening its doors as it celebrates the “topping out” of Reynolds Hall, reaching its highest point of 170 feet. The ceremony will begin with a live performance down City Parkway by Clark High School Marching Band and will culminate with the raising of the final steel beam, topping out construction for this monumental project. 

Guests in attendance will have the opportunity to sign the final steel beam before it is put in place, becoming a part of The Smith Center’s history. Immediately following the ceremony, tours of The Smith Center will be available. 

WHO:             Myron G. Martin, President & CEO

Donald D. Snyder, Chairman of the Board

Oscar B. Goodman, Mayor of Las Vegas

Mr. Fred W. Smith, Chairman of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation

Clark High School Marching Band

WHEN:           Thursday, February 25, 2010

                         2:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

WHERE:        The Smith Center for the Performing Arts Construction Site

Entrance to the construction site is available from Clark Avenue, located on Grand Central Parkway, just north of Bonneville Avenue.

Hi,

If you have any footage that you have shot of UFOs, aliens, mysterious creatures or other unexplained phenomena, please contact me immediately. We have a budget so WE CAN PAY YOU, and the better the clip the better the $.

Thanks in advance for your help and look forward to seeing your clips ASAP!

Sincerely,

David Ballard
Producer
PARANORMAL INVESTIGATORS
SyFy

P.S. -- Even if you're not sure what is on the footage, we want to see it! (Part of show is debunking hoaxed/fake clips.)

Email me here if you want Mr. Ballard's contact info.

Dennis McBride talks Las Vegas History and More!

Looking for info on the upcoming Las Vegas High School program?  Click here

Aside from being one of the early inspirations for the Classic Las Vegas Historic Collection, Dennis McBride is one of the leading authorities on the history of Southern Nevada, especially the history of the building of Boulder (Hoover) Dam and Boulder City.

He has spent his life collecting stories and memories of Southern Nevada in the 20th Century.  As a native Nevadan, he has had a front row seat to the changing landscape of the Valley over the course of his life.

He is the Curator of History at the Nevada State Museum in Lorenzi Park and he was kind enough to share his thoughts on the history he has collected and much more:

As a native of Southern Nevada, how has Las Vegas changed since you were younger?  How do you feel about the changes.

Of course, the most noticeable change in Las Vegas has been the explosive growth of its population--it's hard to believe that 2 million people live in Clark County, and most of those live in Las Vegas. I feel two ways about this.

On the one hand, I hate the traffic, the crowds, the inflation in our cost of living, the disregard for our environment, and the endless blocks of boring, overpriced houses and elitist high-rises.

On the other hand, I can remember when B. Dalton Bookseller was the only bookstore in town, and the cultural and social resources were few and far between. I like the great variety of restaurants, nightclubs, arts events and art galleries we have now. What I dislike the most--and I think this is at the very bottom of our problems--is the complete corporate control of state and local government that long ago separated Las Vegas citizens from their city.

 

You conducted a number of interviews with men who worked on Boulder (Hoover) Dam and many of the people who helped establish Boulder City.  How did you get interested in preserving their stories and their history?

Growing up in Boulder City, I listened intently to the stories told about construction of Hoover Dam told by the men and women who were there. It's not often someone young has the opportunity to hear first-hand accounts of a transformative historical event. I didn't waste that opportunity; when I was old enough to know what's what and what to do about it, I started recording the stories and collecting the material to document construction of the dam, of Boulder City, and of lower Colorado River development that made such places as Las Vegas viable. I just always knew that this was the niche I had to fill.

 

What was the biggest obstacle to starting the collection that became the basis for the Boulder Dam Museum?

One of the greatest opportunities I had in my "career" as a Hoover Dam historian was helping build the library and archive for the Boulder City Museum and Historical Association. As I noted earlier, I'd begun recording and collecting around the time I was a teenager, and in college began doing research and writing on the subject in earnest.

But I have to admit there really were no obstacles in my pursuit. Having been born in Boulder City and raised there, I was friends with all the people who told me their stories and gave me their stuff--I had a significant role in the tribe, so to speak. I was trusted and I worked very hard to impress on these people how important their lives were, how important it was that their stories be saved, and how important it was that their artifacts be preserved and made available.

So, by the time the Association asked me to work for them in June 1997, everything was in place to make the archive happen. I donated everything I'd collected, and obtained many large and important collections from such Boulder City/Hoover Dam boosters as Elton Garrett, Teddy Fenton, Esther Shipp, descendents of Hoover Dam medic "Doc" Jensen and Bureau of Reclamation office engineer John Page, and many, many others. I gave them all a sense they were themselves helping to build this important archive, that it was a joint project, and not just something I was doing myself.

Eventually, the library and archive at the Boulder City Museum and Historical Association, became the go-to resource for anything to do with construction of Hoover Dam and Boulder City, and development activities on the lower Colorado River. The Bureau of Reclamation and the National Park Service came to us; researchers, documentary filmmakers, students, people looking for ancestors who worked on the dam came to us. I was very proud of what we did and that we were able to help so many people with their work.

 

As the current Curator of History at the Nevada State Museum, what do you find most interesting in the collection?

I left Boulder City in 2007 to assume a new job as Curator of History and Collections at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas [NSMLV]. The collections here are focused more widely than the collections in Boulder City.

What interests me most is the photograph collection. When I was negotiating for this job, working with the photo collection was an issue I was adamant about; in fact, if I had not been assured of my work with the photographs, I likely would not have taken the job. NSMLV's photo collection has not been very accessible and needs a tremendous amount of work in making it available and publicizing it. There's some absolutely amazing stuff in there.

One collection in particular comes from photographer Jay Florian Mitchell. There are thousands of images that document every aspect of life in Las Vegas from the mid-1950s through the early 1970s. I've been working to publicize that collection and am getting more successful as public interest increases. An upcoming documentary on the history of the Moulin Rouge Hotel and Casino is using dozens of images from the Mitchell Collection. Mitchell's photos have been used in a couple of museum events on Mid-Century Modern Las Vegas, and I'm working toward getting these photos out there in several other venues.

We also have Cliff Segerblom's collection here--another couple of thousand images of Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, the Colorado River, and other sites throughout the state. Cliff was best known as an artist--many are familiar with his painting, his "fine art," but not his photography. There are some gorgeous images in that collection; there's an upcoming event at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve--March 15, I think, but check--to exhibit Cliff's photos, all of which are taken from the collection at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas.

Aside from those two large collections, we're quietly building an impressive archive of photographs of Helen J. Stewart and her family, of the Las Vegas Ranch, etc. Reaching out to descendents, making them feel they're helping to build something important for the future. It's so important to make people feel welcome and involved, and to convince them that before they toss something in the garbage because they don't believe it's important--PLEASE!--give us a chance to save it. Call me! 1-702-486-5205, x224

 

What part of Southern Nevada history intriques you the most?

 

These days, the part of Southern Nevada history that intrigues me most is the development of the gay community. I've been working in that field since about 1975, have built a solid archive [deposited in the Special Collections Department of the UNLV library], conducted dozens of oral history interviews, and have been producing articles for many years, nearly all of them in the state's gay press.

BUT--the Nevada Historical Society Quarterly [Summer 2009 issue, just released] has published "Stonewall Park," an article I wrote about efforts in the 1980s to establish a gay town in Nevada. Gay studies has been a "legitimate" field of scholarly research for decades, eveywhere--except in Nevada. This article in the Quarterly breaks that barrier, so it will be interesting to see where it leads.

When will you begin moving over to the new building at the Springs?  When do you expect it to open?  Will the exhibits be different and if so, how?

When will we be moving over to our new building at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve? The new building--and it's beautiful!--has been finished for several months, and construction of the permanent exhibits should commence in February.

That ought to take about another year, during which we'll be moving collections over from the Lorenzi Park building into the new place. It's hard to say at this point whether there will be staff and funds to run the new museum, or to operate and maintain the building.

The Division of Museums and History took a 20% cut during the last legislative session, and with a special session looming in February during which deeper cuts to state budgets will be made, none of us knows what might happen. The new state museum in Las Vegas has the potential to become a cultural jewel--but whether there's the political will and economic means to make that happen remains to be seen.