Cheri DeCastro has passed away

The last remaining DeCastro Sister has passed.  The DeCastro Sisters were a well-known and beloved act during the heyday of the Classic Las Vegas Strip.  Two years ago, Cheri was a panel I put together for the Clark County Museum.  The focus was on Hispanic Entertainers and she kept the audience entranced with her stories, some of the slightly ribald, and her memories.

From the R-J obit:

CHERI DECASTRO Cheri DeCastro, 87, a retired singer, of Las Vegas, passed away March 14, 2010. She was born Sept. 1, 1922, in New York, N.Y., and was a 55-year resident of Nevada.

Cheri was the middle sister of the famous Latin singing group, the DeCastro Sisters. The group consisted of Cheri and her sister, Peggy and Babette. They first gained attention in Cuba for their flamboyant nightclub act. The group moved to Miami in 1945.

The sisters became proteges of Brazilian singer, Carmen Miranda, who put them in the film "Copacabana." The DeCastro sisters performed their three-part harmony on the first live broadcast of the Los Angeles television station, KTLA, following an introduction by Bob Hope.

They hit the big time when their 1954 song, "Teach Me Tonight" sold more than five million copies. Over the years, the "Cuban Andrews Sisters" appeared on the Ed Sullivan and Perry Como shows. They built a library of songs including, "Boom Boom Boomerang," "Too Late Now," "Snowbound for Christmas" and Cowboys Don't Cry."

The DeCastros provided many of the bird and animal voices for Walt Disney's, "Song of the South" and became a popular singing act in Las Vegas nightclubs and hotels.

In 1997, the trio performed on KTLA's 50th anniversary show, although Babette (who passed away in 1992) was replaced by their cousin, Olgita DeCastro Marino. Three years later, the DeCastro sisters were inducted into the Casino Legends Hall of Fame as "Las Vegas Living Legends." Cheri DeCastro was known for her great beauty and her uncanny resemblance to Elizabeth Taylor.

She adored her many cats, whom she considered her children. She was known for never turning away a stray. Cheri was preceded in death by her sisters, Peggy DeCastro Carricaburro and Babette DeCastro Cammack. Cheri is survived by her nieces, Kathy Black of Las Vegas, Jackie Karnavas of San Diego; nephew, Jimmy Carricaburro of Los Olivos, Calif.; longtime partner, Trevor Young; and several great-nieces and nephews. Services were privately held. Donations can be made to The Animal Foundation. For more information, please call (702) 384-3333.

Fire at Gilcrease Sanctuary

There was a major fire early this morning at the Gilcrease Sanctuary.  Due to high winds, firefighters had a difficult time getting the blaze under control but we understand they have.

Hundreds of birds -- including at least 60 that are considered rare -- were killed in the early morning two-alarm fire at the Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary near Durango and Grand Teton in the northwest area of the valley.

Las Vegas firefighters extinguished the blaze before 7 a.m., but not before hundreds of exotic birds perished, according to sanctuary employees at the scene.

The sanctuary is home to about 1,500 birds, according to the staff.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

Article on the Disney Museum

My good friend, Jane Ann Morrison, over at the R-J wrote this wonderful column today.  Thank-you, Jane Ann!

Since I take joy in sharing undiscovered places, here's my latest discovery, a discovery I owe entirely to historian and preservationist Lynn Zook.

Somehow I mentioned (OK, I was telling anyone who would listen.) I was going to San Francisco to see "Wicked."

Lynn  told me I had to, absolutely had to, go see the Walt Disney Family Museum there. She raved about the quality of the museum and convinced me and my friend this was a must-see.

Lynn was adamant … and she was right.

The museum tells Walt Disney's life story, but it is also part of the life story of just about every 20th century American.

Who hasn't seen a Disney cartoon or movie or been to Disneyland? "Snow White" was made in 1938 but like so many other Disney creations, it remains a significant part of American culture.

Going through the museum, located at the Presidio in San Francisco, was a personal experience as well as a time to learn more about Disney the man, rather than the corporation.

There were surprises galore.

Did you know Mickey Mouse was Disney's second choice as a cartoon star? He created a series called "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit," but lost the rights to his distributor, making Disney a lifelong stickler for copyright.

In 1928, he created this mouse called Mortimer. Except his wife, Lillian, didn't like that name. Mortimer became Mickey and mouse history was changed forever. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit could have a been a contender, but instead, is a footnote.

Did you know Disney said "the toughest period in my whole life" was in 1941 when he had union problems with the animators?

Did you know that for "Steamboat Willie," it took 348 cartoon drawings to create less than one minute of film?

The museum works on many levels. Since it's in a refurbished barracks on the grounds of the Presidio, the parking is on what was once a military parade ground. The setting is one of military history and preservation while the museum tells the life story of a natural storyteller.

I saw more adults than kids this past Saturday afternoon, but it's designed to appeal to both, just on different levels.

Lynn learned about the museum from a newspaper article published around the time the $110 million museum opened Oct 1.

Just before Christmas, she and her husband went to San Francisco to see the museum and relish the wonderful memories it provoked. "It was reliving my childhood," she said. "The animation room brought back memories of seeing 'Bambi' at the Huntridge Theater. We watched it from the crying room because my brother was a baby." Her husband, Jon Stromp, a video engineer for extreme sports, focused on the development of the technology, starting with the rough beginnings of cartoons, then the revolution of animation. The museum doesn't explain today's animation technology because it ends with Disney's death in 1966 and it's a stirring closure, including newspaper cartoonists honoring a fellow cartoonist.

Sometime later Zook spotted a job listing -- the museum was looking for a digital archivist. She applied.

In the meantime, she was told that "Untold Stories," the monthly panel about Southern Nevada history she first organized in September 2007, was being canceled by the Springs Preserve. Officials are rethinking the educational programs and cutting costs. Lynn would no longer be commuting from Southern California to Las Vegas each month.

Three days later, she was offered the job at the Walt Disney Family Museum. She's moving to San Francisco this weekend for another job and another commute. Lynn starts work there Monday.

Next time you're in San Francisco, see the Walt Disney Family Museum. Tell them Lynn Zook sent you, because indirectly, she did.

Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary turns 40!

Anyone who loves the outdoors, loves nature and loves fresh fruit is familar with the Gilcrease family.  Their family farm provided fresh fruit and veggies to a growing city in the 20th century. 

Today, that farm is a nature sanctuary and has been for 40 years.  They are celebrating their anniversary and are inviting all of us to join them.

From the R-J:

Love is in the air at Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary these days.

John the ostrich and his "girlfriends" are in mating season.

One pen over, a donkey mama tends to her foal, born the day after Valentine's Day. Sanctuary staff says you can call the baby Valentino.

A few paces away, you can find the ultimate love story.

A widowed orange-bill mute swan has found love in a black swan. The mute swan lost his mate -- the birds mate for life -- but has found himself a companion.

To witness all the drama for yourself, visit Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary at 8103 Racel St., which is gearing up for site upgrades.

About 1,500 abandoned birds and barnyard animals call the sanctuary home, although some migratory birds come and go. Bill Gilcrease started collecting and taking in abandoned birds in 1970. The sanctuary didn't become a nonprofit entity until 1991.

Although the sanctuary will turn 40 this year, it has been in the Gilcrease family since the 1920s and has seen a lot of changes to the property. An orchard neighbors the sanctuary and, at one point, a wildlife park with exotic animals was on the land. A former giraffe pen now houses a mule deer.

"All these years, it's been a preserve for birds, but it's so much more," Executive Director Sandra Salinas said.

But after decades of opening their wings to abandoned and rescue birds, staff has had to stop accepting new animals.

"It's not fair to the birds to take on any expansion at this time," Salinas said.

But a change is about to come.

The center recently received a grant for $500,000 from an anonymous donor and has begun eyeing plans to enhance cages and facilities and use more space on the 8-acre lot.

The sanctuary partners with the Nevada Department of Wildlife, and, each year, about 5,000 students come to the sanctuary for hands-on education programs. Salinas said the sanctuary will be able to rebuild cages and bird averies and explore green approaches to maintaining the grounds.

Other funds will go to educational programs, Salinas said. The sanctuary has opportunities for education in ornithology, paleontology, archaeology, agriculture and horticulture, she listed.

"We have things for (those in) preschool on up to college," she said. "Isn't that cool?"

Through on-site classes on animal wellness, presentations and tours, the facility encourages the thoughtful adoption of pets so the sanctuary doesn't become a dumping place for the abandoned animals.

Salinas grows excited when showing preliminary renderings of the future of Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary.

Historical landmarks will be honored, and educational gardens will find a new home, but new features such as a hummingbird and butterfly plaza are possible. Staff members and the sanctuary's board of trustees currently are taking proposals from architects and planners.

"It has so much potential," Salinas said.

The sanctuary will be holding an arts and crafts festival from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 24 and 25. Vendors, entertainment and carriage rides will be available for attendees.

Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Admission is $5 for adults, $1 for children under 12 years of age, and $4 for seniors ages 65 and over and military personnel. Special rates for class tours and large groups also are available.

For more information, visit www. naturesanctuarygilcrease.org, call 645-4224 or e-mail info@naturesanctuary gilcrease.org.