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Transcript of interview with Yorgo Kagafas by Claytee White, January 14, 2010

Date

2010-01-14

Archival Collection

Description

Yorgo Kagafas is a self-described "urban guy." He became an Urban Planner for the City of Las Vegas in 1999. A farm boy from Ohio, he was educated at The Ohio State University, served in the US Navy and earned a M.A. in Environmental Planning from Arizona State University. He came to Las Vegas with a successful grassroots experience from living in a historic Phoenix neighborhood. His unique background complemented his new job which was to implement the Neighborhood Planning Process, a proactive system for Las Vegas communities to express their neighborhood desires prior to a developer coming in with their own agenda. In this interview he explains the criteria that must be met in this process. By coincidence, Yorgo moved into the John S. Park Neighborhood. He was attracted to its central location, intact residential neighborhood, and homes with character at affordable prices. While walking his dog one day, he met neighborhood leader, Bob Bellis, and became aware of neighborhood activism that could use his expertise. Yorgo points out that the good-old-boy mentality that still existed in Las Vegas was a potential obstacle. However he, Bob, and others were able to rally the homeowners and became a textbook example of how the Neighborhood Planning Process should work. He helped them identify their main issues: 1) Mary Dutton Park rehabilitation; 2) code enforcement of property maintenance; 3) attaining historic designation; 4) halting commercial encroachment. That was the first battle, according to Yorgo. With that done, they could next devise and implement a plan, which he describes. The process officially began March 14 2000. In June 2001, the Las Vegas City Council approved the final document.

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Transcript of interview with Dolly Kelepecz by Claytee D. White, April 29, 2009

Date

2009-04-29

Description

Dolly Kelepecz loves dance. Her entire life has been filled with the joy of movement. In this interview, Dolly begins with her life growing up in Covina, California and traveling with the Los Angeles Ballet Society as a young dancer. Eventually her career opportunities would have her traverse the globe as a dancer and as a circus entertainer. Her Las Vegas roots took hold in the mid-1970s when she was hired as a dancer in the Bluebells at a 19-year-old. She provides details of being a Las Vegas showgirl, crossing paths with Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal, working with Fluff LeCoque, and becoming a dancer in Stardust's Lido show. Today Dolly is an instructor at UNLV, an important part of her legacy is working with young people. She also explains how she was integral in bringing Pilates to the valley, which continues to be a thriving studio here.

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Transcript of interview with Virginia Beckly Richardson by Claytee D. White and Carole C. Terry, November 5, 2009

Date

2009-11-05

Description

Through her oral interview and the materials she provided, Virginia Beckley Richardson gives us a unique and fascinating look at both a pioneer family of Las Vegas and the early activities of the Service League, the forerunner of the Junior League of Las Vegas. Her personal recollections are an insight into life in the city's early years, and the biography of her father written by her brother, Bruce, humanizes a prominent figure in Las Vegas' history. The newspaper articles she made available enhance her descriptions of the Service League's activities. In addition, the article, "Merchant's Home Becomes Monument," describes her family home originally located on Fourth Street and relocated by the Junior League of Las Vegas in 1979. Her recollections clearly demonstrate her enthusiasm about her family's accomplishments and her involvement in the Service League

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Transcript of interview with Judge Lee Koury by Claytee White, February 6, 2013

Date

2013-02-06

Description

Born in 1932 and raised in Los Angeles; mother was a housewife and later became a painter; mention of Olvera Street; Pio Pico first Mexican governor of California; Pico House; member of the Army; Deputy Sheriff; Mother Pauline Brown and father Lee Koury; Los Angeles County Sharon Tate; LaBiancas; Spahn Ranch; "the three girls on the comer" - Lynette Fromme, Sandra Good, and Nancy Pitman; Family - referring to the Manson case - Charles Mason, Robert Beausoleil, Susan Atkins, Steve Dennis Grogan, Patricia Kernwinkle, Mary Theresa Brunner, Bruce McGregor Davis, and Leslie VanHawten; Shorty Shay the person in charge at Spahn Ranch; mention of Polaroids mailed to prisoners that ended up being an important part of the Manson case.

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Transcript of interview with Bruce Layne by Claytee D. White, June 18, 2004

Date

2004-06-18

Description

Bruce Layne came to Las Vegas in March of 1955 when he was 10 years of age. He attended High school at Bishop Gorman and college at the University of Nevada Las Vegas where he received a B.S. in Economics. In college, he played baseball for three years and was named All Conference Player in 1966. Growing up in Las Vegas, two of his closest long time friends are Governor Bob Miller and Tito Tiberti. Bruce later went on to become the President of Layne & Associates Insurance which was the largest Insurance Agency in Nevada. Bruce tells fabulous stories of his 40-year experience in the Las Vegas community. When he first arrived there were only about 25,000 people living here. Since then, Bruce has been witness to the enormous growth the city has undergone. Throughout the interview, he discusses his book, My Gift, which he wrote after he discovered he had Parkinson's disease in 1999. The book contains valuable advice on life and it has touched the lives of many people who have read it. Today Bruce Layne is relentlessly fighting his battle with Parkinson's disease both for himself and for thousands of others. He continues to have a positive attitude and is supported by his wife, Sherry Layne, and his two sons, Chad and Trevor. VI

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Louis Richardson interview, July 29, 2016: transcript

Date

2016-07-29

Description

As a youth, contractor Louis Richardson followed opportunities that would take him across the U.S. and to Sierra Leone, Africa. Originally from Charleston, South Carolina, Richardson attend Hampton Institute, in Hampton, Virginia, a historically black college/university (HBCU); there, he majored in construction and engineering and joined the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). After graduation and U.S. Army service in Vietnam, he received an offer from U.S. State Department to teach young adults math and construction in West Africa. That experience led him to work for various Housing Authorities in New Jersey, Los Angeles, and finally, in 1978, to Las Vegas. In this interview, Richardson talks about how his early experiences shaped his vision of the types of projects he would undertake. He speaks about his focus on engineering how he came to Las Vegas and of the public works projects in schools, parks, and libraries that came to define his body of work. He explains the bid proces

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Transcript of interivew with Elmer Curley by Claytee D. White, November 1, 2011

Date

2011-11-01

Description

Elmer Curley is known simply as Curley. He came to Las Vegas to work in the area of public service for the UNLV library in August 1967. Thus he launched a lifelong move from a smaller community north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Las Vegas. He only imagined it would be a four to five year move. To his amazement he continue to live here and retired shortly before this interview after a successful career at the library. During this narrative he talks about moving into the University Park Apartments, working with a small budget in the earlier years of the "round building" library, and the humor of receiving book donations that could result in multiple copies of a title. Over the years since 1967, Curley worked with a long list of the various directors observed many changes to the city and experienced the inspiring growth of UNLV.

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Transcript of interview with Helen Daseler by Claytee White, October 9, 2007

Date

2007-10-09

Description

In this interview, Helen Daseler shared memories of mining work in Colorado, living in Europe, and working for the U.S. government, in addition to opening the "Las Vegas Day School". Helen was born in 1929 in Newton, Iowa. She matriculated at George Washington University but earned her degree from the University of California Santa Barbara. After graduation Helen married Jack Daseler who joined the "Lighter-Than- Air Program with the Navy and flew blimps along the Pacific Coast, Atlantic Coast and South America. Later, Jack worked as a teaching principal in France and Germany where their three children were born. Helen and Jack, both certified teachers, moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, 47 years ago and started the Las Vegas Day School in a Unitarian Fellowship building on Bond Road (Tropicana). The initial class started with 14 students. Helen taught kindergarten the first year, and Jack assumed the administrative and management duties. As the nineteen seventies approached, they played a major role with school integration in Las Vegas. Since Jack, the daily operations of the school are performed by the three sons, Neil, Jack, and Frank. Helen is retired and lives in Las Vegas.

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Transcript of interview with Peggy Casey by Claytee D. White, January 13, 2005

Date

2005-01-13

Description

Margaret "Peggy" Casey was born in Louisville, Kentucky where her father was the city editor of the local newspaper. She grew up amidst all the excitement of the Kentucky Derby, which she recalls in the interview. Peggy attended college at the University of Wisconsin during World War II. She describes the atmosphere and what it was like during her years in college. After graduating, she worked for an aeronautical company, Curtiss-Wright, where she helped build planes for the war. By 1952 Peggy was married to Walt Casey, whom she met through her sister, and they had moved to Las Vegas. In the interview, Peggy discusses what the environment was like in Las Vegas for a woman raising children. She describes what grocery shopping was available, and how she sewed most of her children's clothing. Peggy's children got involved in different activities. Mike had asthma, and he started swimming at the Paradise Park pool, which was built around 1960. The aerobic effects of competitive swimming developed his lungs. Steve was into horses and actually delivered newspapers on his horse. Her daughter loved horses also, and owns them to this day. In 1959, Peggy joined the Mesquite Club, which is the oldest federated women's club in Las Vegas. The club planted trees, started the public library, and was involved in many worthy causes. She also became a Master Gardner and has helped in many gardening projects around the valley. Peggy gives a great account of her life in Las Vegas, and that of her family and friends. At the end of the interview Peggy gives her thoughts on Las Vegas today, comparing them to her memories of Vegas back in the 1950's and 1960's.

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Transcript of interview with Walter P. Casey, Jr. by Claytee D. White, November 15, 2004 and January 13, 2005

Date

2004-11-15
2005-01-13

Description

Walter P. Casey Jr. was born in Plandora, California, which is located in the Imperial Valley at the Southeastern tip of the California Mexico border. Walter grew up living on the farm where his father grew crops like wheat and alfalfa. In 1942 Walter graduated from the University of California Brawly, and then went on to attend Berkeley for four years. Upon completion, he went on to become a flight navigator for Pan American World Airways during World War II. During the war, the U.S. Navy contracted flight navigators for transporting services. Once Walter was finished with the Navy, he went on to work for United Airlines where he was to find business for their air freight service. In 1951, after doing that for a few years, Walter decided to move his family to Las Vegas. Walter describes Las Vegas back when there were only 50,000 people. He tells of the vibrant environment in the valley and describes some of the casinos that were around in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1954 Walter started his own business with a $6,000 loan from the Bank of Las Vegas. He personally ran the water softening business for almost forty-five years before handing it down to his son. Walter also talks about his involvement in politics. He was the chair of the Republican Party in the state of Nevada, and he also did some lobbying for the National Association of Manufactures. Towards the end of the interview Walter reflects on his marvelous life in Las Vegas and comments on the water situation in the valley today.

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