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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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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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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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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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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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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