Kenneth Fong reflects on growing up in Las Vegas and being the son of two successful and philanthropic community members, Wing and Lilly Fong. When Ken was born the family live in a modest home on 20th and Stewart. It was a close-knit neighborhood and era, kids played tag and roamed freely. When he entered third-grade, his parents moved their family to a newer subdivision near Rancho and West Charleston Avenue: the Scotch 80s. Their new custom home on Silver Avenue reflected Asian architecture and the family’s Chinese cultural heritage; it also included a pool and a small basketball court. Memories of the neighborhoods are distinct. He learned to be comfortable with his sister and he being the only Asian Americans in school at the time. He kept busy with community volunteering at Sunrise Hospital and tutoring younger children on the Westside among other high school activities. Ken speaks lovingly of his parents and their achievements, family outings to local venues such as Mount Charleston and Red Rock and to California, where they bought Chinese baked goods. His mother, Lilly was born into a large Chinese American family of ten children, each of whom achieved a college education. After her marriage to Wing, she moved to Las Vegas with plans to work as a teacher. Ken retells the story of her encounter with discrimination and overcoming that, and her trajectory to be the first Asian American elected the Nevada Board of Regents. His orphaned father, Wing, immigrated to the United Sates in 1939 to live with uncles. They worked as cooks in Las Vegas and established the first Las Vegas Chinese restaurant, Silver Café. Wing was merely thirteen years old and spoke no English. These were not to be obstacles. He would go on to graduate from Las Vegas High School, earn a college degree in business, have a successful career in commercial real estate and banking, building the notable Fong’s Garden. Ken calls his father his most influential mentor. Today Ken is also a successful in real estate management, active at Grace Presbyterian Church, involved in Rotary Club, and a proud father of two daughters.

Information about the Kings Row Trailer Park sign that sits at 3660 Boulder Hwy.
Site address: 3660 Boulder Hwy
Sign owner: Kings Row Trlr Pk Inc
Sign details: This property is still functioning as a mobile home park along Boulder Highway. They are one of the largest RV parks in Southern Nevada and within a close distance to downtown and Boulder Station Casino. They advertise that they have some of the best deals in town as well as about 200 spaces available. They have been operating in Las Vegas for more than 60 years.
Sign condition: 5 - in great condition, well maintained
Sign form: Roadside pole with a message center and directional elements
Sign-specific description: This sign is made up of many different small cabinets. The top is a painted crown that is plastic and backlit. This sits on top of a red minimal arrow sign that points to the direction of the trailer park. This sign has yellow incandescent light bulbs lining the edge with "Kings Row" painted in white paint on the top of the sign, "Trailer Park" painted in bold yellow text in the center, and the text is outlined with neon tubes. The cabinet under this is a long, red trapezoid with "OVERNITES" painted on it in bold white text that is also outlined with neon tubes. Under this is what appears to be an iron flourish on top of another plastic backlit sign. This sign as "RV SPACES" painted on it in bold red text over yellow paint, "INDOOR HOMES TRAILERS CAMPING" in bold red text against a white background, and "MOBILE HOME SPACES POOL REC HALL" in bold red text against a yellow background. Under this is another iron flourish. Following that sign is a plastic backlit reader board. Under that is a plastic backlit sign with "CAMPERS" in white text and underlined against a red background. Finally, there is another plastic sign in the shape of an arrow with "Kings Row" in a light blue script, "ENTRANCE " in red, and "TRAILER PARK" in black inscribed on it.
Sign - type of display: Neon, incandescent, backlit
Sign - media: Steel and Plastic
Sign - non-neon treatments: Paint
Sign environment: This property sits along Boulder High way and near many other RV rental businesses. It is also down the street from Boulder Station Hotel & Casino.
Sign - date of installation: Possibly c. 1962
Sign - date of redesign/move: Current sign not the original, which was a long rectangular shape cabinet
Sign - thematic influences: This sign is very unique to the RV park. To emphasize the "Kings Row" theme, the crown perched on the top of the sign is designed to help with this. Much of this sign is used to tell motorists and pedestrians what the property has.
Sign - artistic significance: This sign is elaborate. There are many different elements to this sign overall. This sign is that there is a crown to signify the royal theme of this property, possibly as a way to differentiate from other RV park signs around town.
Survey - research locations: Kings Row website, assessor's website
Surveyor: Lauren Vaccaro
Survey - date completed: 2017-09-14
Sign keywords: Neon; Incandescent; Backlit; Steel; Plastic; Paint; Pole sign; Roadside; Directional; Reader board