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Roundtable discussion with Bob Bellis, Courtney Mooney, Yorgo Kagafas, and Keny Stewart conducted by Claytee D. White on December 12, 2009 for the Voices of the Historic John S. Park Neighborhood Oral History Project. In this roundtable discussion, participants talk about the Historic John S. Park Neighborhood Plan. Kagafas describes his role as project manager for the Plan and the process for obtaining a historic designation. Bellis talks about working with the City of Las Vegas, drafting the Plan, and the community’s input on the contents of the Plan. Stewart explains why many neighbors were hesitant with the historic designation. Later, Mooney describes the home survey process and changes in homes since the 1930s. Lastly, the group discussed other neighborhood plans in Las Vegas, and the importance of having a historic designation in the city.
Archival Collection
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On March 3, 1979, William Hawley interviewed Oliver Crickman (born 1933 in Apex, North Carolina) about his experiences from living in Nevada and working in restaurants. Crickman first describes his background and his first occupations prior to starting as a cook in Las Vegas restaurants. He then explains how he gradually moved from the position of cook’s helper to sous chef and his then-current position of executive chef at the Royal Inn. Crickman goes into detail about the operation of those restaurants and other Las Vegas Strip and Downtown Las Vegas properties, and he describes the demographics of cooks as well as how the hospitality industry has changed over time. The latter part of the interview involves a discussion of Crickman’s various residences in Las Vegas over time, the extent of crime, the first places to shop, and a brief discussion on mobile homes.
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On February 27, 1980, Rafael Reyes-Spindola interviewed Mary Leo (b. Mary Susanne Kaime Leo in 1949 in Santa Barbara, California) about her life growing up in the Las Vegas Valley and her varied career path. Leo, having moved to Las Vegas as a toddler, talks about what the city was like when she arrived, the landscape, schooling and local life in general. She remembers the construction of the University of Las Vegas, Nevada and the growth of the city and population. Through her anecdotes, Leo shares the local attitude towards the Strip that Las Vegans develop as a result of being raised in the city and focuses the beginning half of her interview on life outside of the Strip. The interviewer and Leo move their conversation towards her career path, beginning in a coffee shop at the Riviera Hotel & Casino, her time in the travel industry, as a Las Vegas showgirl in the famed Folies Bergere show, her return to the Riviera as the director of sales and catering, and the legacy she hopes to leave behind with her career.
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