Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 1

ENO GAZE1TE JOURNAL TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 1993 TH iv nrinted usins recvded paper. fn tBasmm mm se i XV I 11 owned by Boomtown and Roski. The agreement calls for construction of the hotel-casino, a 496-space RV park, a supermarket and restaurant. Boomtown would manage the property, and it would have an option to acquire his interest in Blue Diamond for cash or Boomtown stock. "Expansion beyond Boom-town's original market outside Reno has been a part of our strategy for some time," Parrott said.

Looking at other markets, 6A going to get these approvals," Par-rott said. "It's a very positive transaction." Boomtown executives hope to begin construction within 60 days. The resort would open in the summer of 1994. Monday, they signed a memorandum of understanding with Edward P. Roski whose company, Commerce Construction, would build the resort.

The project would be carried out through a Nevada corporation, Blue Diamond Hotel Casino equally new resort in southern Nevada. The $60 million, 304-room Boomtown Blue Diamond Hotel Casino would be built at Interstate 15 and Blue Diamond Road, three miles from the Las Vegas Strip. "This is a made-to-order site for Boomtown," said Timothy Par-rott, Boomtown chairman and chief executive officer. The transaction is subject to approval by Boomtown shareholders, final permits and licensing by the Nevada Gaming Commission. "We're very comfortable we're Proposed JVuJ Boomtown -o-A Blue tyS-V Diamond Fiamingtr Hotel-Casino TroptcanT fi McCarran fntemational Airport Tfs Warm Spring New resort: Gamer to build 3 miles off Vegas Strip.

By Wayne R. Melton GAZETTE-JOURNAL Boomtown owner-operator of Boomtown Hotel-Casino, said Monday that it plans to build a i I LKl Station 111. Between 1 1 :20 p.m. I Between 11 :20 p.m. 1 Friday and 6 p.m.

Saturday, 20 traffic accidents occurred on I-80 west of Reno. Forty-four vehicles were involved, 37 people were injured and one woman was killed. Most of the crashes were centered in two areas: near the state line and Gold Ranch. -1 Rosenthal Performance artist: Rachel Rosenthal will appear Wednesday and Thursday at UNR. 1 Wrestling: Not many people would want to give Wooster's Jake Sellers a hard time about getting rides from his mom.

1 Sales taxes: January storms keep Washoe revenue growth to 0.7 percent. 6B Auto Catalog Classified Sports Lifestyle Prime Time TV Watch Comics Crossword Horoscope Dear Abby 1-8C 1-6D 1-6E 3E 4E 5E 5E 5E 6E New Opinion Lottery Weather Nevada Obituaries Business Markets I-10A 9A 10A 10A 1- 3B 2- 3B 4-6B 4B East Coast storm's cost $800 million The tab from the weekend East Coast blizzard was in the hundreds of millions of dollars Monday and growing as fast as the snowdrifts had, particularly in Sun Belt states unaccustomed to wintry blasts. A.M. Best the leading rating agency for the insurance industry, estimated that the storm caused upwards of $800 million in insured damages. That's more than the $650 million in damages caused by the northeaster that pounded the East Coast in December, senior vice president John Snyder said.

More on storm, 5A HIGH LOW fCSSv 6648yt Today's fcst: a bit of rain ffonjBhf: a bit more more ravLpojfeible. Mark NowlinGazette-Journal JOBS Helms' Tracy gravel pit reopens By Scott Thomsen GAZETTE-JOURNAL About 400 workers could be back on the job soon at the Helms Construction and Development Tracy gravel pit, 1 7 miles east of Reno. Helms shut down the plant in December when cold weather started to ice up operations. Some workers returned to their jobs Monday; others could be back to work within six weeks. "We're putting it back to work," owner Robert Helms said.

"Now, we're going to go full bore." That's good news for people like Robert Maasch, a general laborer from Stead, who hasn't worked on anything other than house chores since the plant shut down 1 0 weeks ago. "I'm waiting to be called back, I hope," Maasch said. "As of yet, we haven't heard anything about going back to work." Gravel pit operations and hiring have nothing to do with Helms Construction's Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, which gives the company a chance to pay back $30 million to $40 million in outstanding debts. "The reason we stopped was two things," Helms said. "Icy conditions made it dangerous for workers and severely cut production.

The major thing was safety." There is some additional good news for the company. Last Friday, Helms Construction was awarded a $6 million project to improve a stretch of U.S. Highway 50 between Fern-ley and Lovelock. Some of the gravel for that project could come trnrnttu re-opencd gravel p.t. Jean Dixon AriunGazette Joixnal no V- -sT Carson City "2-5l r-T-- -JL- 11:20 p.m.

Friday: Gold Ranch; 2 vehicles; no injuries. Officer notes: Driver lost control, slid into another vehicle. Road very slick. No driver error. 11:20 p.m.

Friday; Gold Ranch; 3 vehicles; 5 injuries. Officer notes: Road too slick for driver to stop for another car. Oily, very slick. No driver error. 11:20 p.m.

Friday; Gold Ranch; 1 vehicle; no injuries. Officer notes: Driver lost control, spun, struck wall. Lane shut down. Sand, oil put on roadway. 11:20 p.m.

Friday; Gold Ranch; 2 vehicles; 2 injuries. Officer notes: Driver unable to stop due to slick road, struck another car. No driver error. 11:20 p.m. Friday; Gold Ranch; 1 vehicle; 3 injunes.

Officer notes: Driver tapped brakes, went into broadside skid, rolled and ejected three occupants. Oil on roadway caused very slick surface. No driver error. Warflyn NewtonGazetteJoumat thn usrarkana nf hie rar nanr Vorrii Mark NowlinGazette-Journal 9:05 a.m. Saturday; Gold Ranch; 2 vehicles; 4 injuries.

Officer notes: Driver applied brakes, lost control, crossed into westbound lanes; hit another car head-on. 5:55 p.m. Saturday; Gold Ranch; 1 vehicle; 3 injuries; 1 killed. Officer notes: Driver lost control on slightly wet oiled pavement. Entered dirt median, overturned.

Speeding too fast for conditions. 6 p.m. Saturday; Gold Ranch; 2 vehicles; no injuries. Officer notes: Speeding too fast for conditions. Lost control trying to stop.

Wet, rainy conditions. 6 p.m. Saturday; Gold Ranch; 3 vehicles; 1 injury. Officer notes: Driver lost control trying to stop for another accident. Speeding too fast for conditions.

Raining. Wet, oil on pavement. 6 p.m. Saturday; Gold Ranch; 1 vehicle; 4 injuries. Officer notes: Raining, wet.

Driver speeding too fast for conditions. tion, said the slick roads definitely contributed to the accidents. Engineers are now investigating exactly what happened, he said. But motorists also may have been going too fast after warning signs were posted. Hill said.

If rain had been predicted, workers never would have laid the fog seal over the fresh patches on the freeway, he said. Driver wants more signs, 1 0A Got questions on repairs? 1 0A i IK I CATI IBn AY- Rocruore 11:20 p.m. Friday; Gold Ranch; 1 vehicle; 1 injury. Officer notes: Driver avoided striking another vehicle, lost control, went into a broadside slide. Slick surface due to oil, rain.

No driver error. 11:30 p.m. Friday; state line; 1 vehicle; no injuries. Officer notes: Driver tried to stop for accidents, applied brakes, spun, hit wall. Rain, oil on pavement.

No driver error. 11:30 p.m. Friday: state line; 2 vehicles; no injuries. Officer notes: Driver saw another car spin out of control, then slipped on oil-covered surface, hit another car. Roadway wet, very slippery.

11:30 p.m. Friday; state line; 6 vehicles; no injuries. Officer notes: Pileup after one car stopped for accident. Roadway very slippery. 11:30 p.m.

Friday; state line; 2 vehicles; no injuries. Officer notes: Driver saw another car spin out of control, then slipped on oil-covered surface, hit another car. Roadway wet, very slippery. and 37 people were injured on stretches of the freeway that had been patched and oiled on Friday. Officials have said it wasn't until after a 30-vchicle pileup shortly before midnight Friday that workers began sanding the roadway.

Nevada Highway Patrol officers repeatedly described rain and oil as creating very slick conditions in their reports. "It was worse than black ice," said Marilou Stone, who was uninjured in the pileup Friday EDUCATION SMITHRIDGE SCHOOL PROFILE Students: 760. English-as-a-second-language population: 120. Minorities: 40 percent. Student transiency rate: about 80 percent.

mentors are among the ingredients that make Smithridge a winner, according to experts who judged the schools. Smithridge was honored for overall excellence in the following categories: classroom innovation, parent and community involvement, extracurricular activities. Equipment grinds down pavement to improve traction ramnuo riauiH Ficher nf fiarramontn tmin 11:30 p.m. Friday; state line; 4 vehicles; 8 injunes. Officer notes: Driver braked, slid on oil roadway, struck another car.

Driver inattention. 11:45 p.m. Friday; Gold Ranch; 3 vehicles; no injuries. Officer notes: Driver stopped for accident. Very slick road surface.

Driver inattention. 11:45 p.m. Friday; Gold Ranch; 1 vehicle; no injuries. Officer notes: Driver tried to avoid accident; lost control on slick road, spun and hit guardrail. No driver error.

9 a.m. Saturday; state line; 2 vehicles; 1 injury. Officer notes: Driver lost control on extremely slippery, wet, oiled pavement. Struck another car. No driver error.

9 a.m. Saturday; state line; 4 vehicles; 5 injuries. Officer notes: Driver slowed for traffic, lost control due to slick roadway. Vehicle went on its side, ejecting both occupants. Vehicle hit by second car as it skidded into shoulder.

Roadway extremely slick when wet. No driver error. night. Highway Patrol clerks answered "tons of calls" Monday from attorneys and others requesting copies of all 20 accident reports. But it's far too early to assess the damage to the state.

The State Board of Examiners will individually review each claim. Motorists ho aren't satisfied could then take their cases to court. Ron Hill, deputy director of the Nevada Department of Transporta special needs programs and significant improvement in student performance and learning environment. Second-grade teacher Kathy Esau said cooperative physical education programs and peer mentoring have reduced fighting and bad language. "We've taught the kids what cooperation is." Esau said.

Student Steven Lanier agrees. "The school is like one team; we work together," he said. Test scores at Smithridge increased at each grade level assessed last year, with second-grade scores jumping 22 percent, Gronert said. However, the school's scores are still slightly below the national average, and Gronert said the staff is focused on increasing them. Reno school picked as one of nation's best By Susan Voyles GAZETTE-JOIRNAL State highway workers began peeling off oil-saturated patches on Interstate 80 near Verdi on Monday after the slick job contributed to 20 accidents over the weekend.

Equipment operators also ground up the top of the pothole-ridden roadway to provide traction and avoid a repeat of the accidents last weekend. One woman was killed TODATC TOPIC: educate kids. There are more than 59.000 elementary schools nationwide. Rep. Barbara Vucanovich, nominated Smithridge for the honor, which comes with a S2.000 prize.

"I've heard a lot of good things about them, particularly their innovative methods of teaching." Vucanovich said. Doris Isaeff. a foster grandparent at Smithridge, said the teachers and Principal June Gronert make every' effort to help the kids. "The teachers are extremely caring, and the principal is out there fighting for her children and the school all the time." Isaeff said. "We are making a difference ith the children." One-on-one help from foster tutors and business Magazine's choice: Smithridge Elementary honored.

By Veda Morgan GAZETTE-JOLRNAL Smithridge Elementary in southeast Reno was named one of America's best schools by a national magazine that hit newsstands Mondav. Redbook, published by Hearst magazines, lists Smithridge and 176 other schools nationwide as the top elementary schools in America because of their commitment to finding the best ways to 4-. SMITHRIDGE TEAMWORK: Fifth-grader Erica Perneau, left, and second-grader Elizabeth Tinson illustrate poems they wrote together. KidS helping kids: A top Smithridge teacher says one of the best ways for students to learn is from other students. 6 A 4 8.