Elko Daily Free Press from Elko, Nevada • 12

12 ELKO DAILY FREE PRESS, Elfco, Nevada Saturday, September 23, 1995 Vegas-watchers are taking second News Capsules ook at the Stratosphere Tower LAS VEGAS LAP) Picture if you XLOOO-square-foot aquarium on site He said fire protection was one of will King Kong look alike sii stories U1L scaling a 1,14 foot spire, 30 paying passengers tagging along in the belly of the beast Or a roller coaster where your Journey begins nearly 100 stories shaw said! The 12-year-old, who was charged with being a juvenile delinquent, faces up to five years in a juvenile detention center if convicted. Under state law, anyone younger than 13 cannot be charged with murder. Train hits truck ZAN Fla. CAP) An Amtrak passenger train rammed a sewage truck at a rural crossing in South Florida on Thursday, killing a train crew member. Two other crew members and three passengers suffered minor injuries when the Silver Star hit the trailer of the 18-wheeler near Lake Okeechobee.

The force of the impact peeled the metal frame of the train engine open "like a tin can," said Detective San-ford Shirk. "It wrapped the trailer around both sides and dragged it a half-mile." The truck's driver was not injured. The dead crewman was identified as assistant engineer Randall Moses, The train, carrying 127 passengers and 11 crew members, originated in New York and was bound for Miami. The accident happened about 50 miles northwest of West Palm Beach, the train's next stop. The Amtrak Silver Star was traveling at 79 mph.

School stabbing ROCHESTER, NY. CAP) A 13-year-old girl was stabbed to death in Grant of her school Thursday during an argument with another student over a boy. Stephany Givens died within 40 minutes of being stabbed in the neck outside Jefferson Middle School, police said. A 12-year-old student was arrested. There was nothing I could do," said a weeping Taccara Thomas, 12, who described herself as Stephany's best friend.

"No one tried to stop it She pulled out a knife and everyone started backing up." The killing was believed to be the first student slaying at a public school in Rochester's history. A teacher was stabbed to death by a 16-year-old student in 1983. Witnesses said the girls began arguing on the sidewalk before classes. The younger girl then pulled a steak knife from her backpack and stabbed Stephany, police Chief Robert War- the top of the pod "It's the highest roller coaster in the world, and I dare say, one of the scariest," promises Stratosphere Executive Vice President Andy Bluroen. For those who consider the roller-coaster too tame, there's the Space Shot, a capsule that shoots riders straight up 180 feet, to the level of the tower, followed by a free fall back to the launching pad at the 821-foot level "If I was a roller coaster rider, I'd ride it with no concerns," said Paul Wilkins, director of the city's building inspection department Berman's eyes gleam as he talks of plans for a mechanical gorilla 60 feet tall that will scale the tower.

"Each night the gorilla will crawl out of its cage at the base of the tower, climb up, then slide down in a trail of smoke," Berman said. Berman envisions another wrinkle providing space where 30 paying passengers can tag along in a "belly of the beast ride." Adjoining the tower will be a hotel with a showroom, and a shopping complex by developers Melvin Simon and Sheldon Gordon, who also developed The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. The tower is accessible only through you guessed it a casino. A ride to the two observation platforms 866 feet above the skyline will cost $6.95. The trip, via one of four double-deck elevators, will take less than one minute, according to Stratosphere spokesman Tom Wilier.

And plans are under way for a that will include sharks and "petting ponds" where visitors can touch the inhabitants. The price tag for the Stratosphere project is currently $315 million but Berman feels it may hit $400 million with add-ons. The project's master plan calls for eventually adding another 200 hotel rooms. Las Vegas city officials see Stratosphere as providing a renaissance for what has been one of the seedier sections of town. Built on the site of the old Vegas World Hotel which bordered a crime-ridden section known as the Naked City, Stratosphere bought up much of the surrounding property in hopes the project will rejuvenate the area.

The genesis of the "Eighth Blunder" tag? The tower was conceived by maverick casino owner Bob Stupak. He battled the Federal Aviation Administration over whether the towering edifice would impede air traffic at McCarran International Airport two miles away. The city, mindful of tax revenues and redevelopment the project could generate, ignored FAA pleas and gave Stupak the green light in 1990. A three-alarm fire in 1993 turned the half-finished tower into a giant roman candle as flames raced through wooden support structures at the 500-foot level. The blaze left portions of the concrete-and-steel tower blackened but structurally undamaged.

Wilkins said the fire was spectacular to watch but caused little structural damage to the tower. the major topics of discussion as the tower was built and the public areas are well protected with fire sprinklers. Wilkins also said there were "three or four layers of architectural and engineering firms involved" throughout the construction of the tower, "The tower is very structurally sound," he said. "I have no concerns in that area at all We had many firms involved in the inspection process. We wanted to make sure there were a lot of hands in the pot" Stupak went to capital markets to help raise the cash to finish the project, then ended up turning to Grand Casinos to raise the money.

Today Grand Casinos owns 61.4 percent of Stratosphere Corporation, Stupak 17 percent Grand Casinos currently owns, manages or is developing nine casinos in Minnesota, Mississippi, Louisiana and Nevada. An adequate bankroll did not end the problems for the project Earlier this year the courts sided with neighboring property owners in eminent domain lawsuits, forcing Stratosphere to pay a premium price for the remaining property needed rather than wait out lengthy lawsuits. And in March, Stupak nearly died when he suffered critical head injuries in a motorcycle accident Berman said once the finances were in place, the biggest challenge became the engineering and coordination of the new features. The two existing Vegas World towers are being rebuilt inside-out, and a third, new tower is being added. high.

1 For a city that boasts a 30-story pyramid, pirate battles, a volcano and rare white tigers, nothing would i seem implausible. Next on the gee-whiz list the Stra-i tosphere Tower. Skeptics dubbed the tower the "Eighth Blunder of the World" as it inched its way upward over the past four years, fraught with problems and controversy. Now, with the tower headed for an April 1996 opening, Vegas-watchers are taking a second look at the needle-shaped spire and attendant amenities shaping up midway between the Strip and downtown. Lyle Berman, CEO and Chairman of Minneapolis-based Grand Casinos, Inc, grins when reminded of the "Eighth Blunder" label once attached to the project Then he leans forward in his chair and ticks off a laundry list of Stratosphere features: The tallest observation tower in the United States; The Stb-tallest building in the VSa A 12-story pod at the 900-foot level that will include four wedding chapels, a revolving restaurant, conference rooms, a cocktail lounge, two observation decks and administrative offices; A roller coaster dubbed the High Roller that begins at the 909-foot level and whips hardy souls around Group readies court challenge to state 75 mp speed limit on engineering studies, and the state should shift its speed control efforts away from ticket-writing and toward driver education and road safety features like acceleration lanes.

Dornsife, of Zephyr Cove, said the 55 mph limit did nothing to hold down fatalities and actually increased the possibility of driver fatigue by adding to travel time. Dornsife who has equipped his car with a CB radio, a police scanner and radar detector to avoid getting tickets said that in Nevada the speed limit "is irrelevant because every person is driving at speeds they're comfortable with," "I generally drive in the mid- to low-80s. The other day, I put it on cruise control at 80, and in 20 miles I got passed by six vehicles," he said. He added that he'll drive faster if it's safe to do so which is often the case on outlying Nevada highways. "Unless you've experienced it, you cant describe this nothingness.

It's almost a hopeless feeling," he said. The horizons are so far away, and when you get to them there's another one on the other, And early, in the morning and some evenings, there's cot. another, car1 In'. sight'; It just goes on and bh like the Enef-gizer bunny." CARSON CITY CAP) Now that Congress is about to cancel the federal 55 mph speed limit, a group that fought it for years is preparing a court challenge of a new state law that sets a 75 mph cap in Nevada. The 75 mile-per-hour limit was written into a bill only a few days before the 1995 legislature adjourned, and Chad Dornsife of the National Motorist Association said Friday there was no basis for the move.

"That was done without any kind of public hearing," Dornsife said. "It was an amendment attached to a bill that already had passed both houses. And we're going to file a lawsuit against the state because the proposed 75 mph speed limit is arbitrary and capricious and not legal." "We want to make sure if a speed limit is imposed that it be based on scientific fact," he said. "Our position is that the state cant adopt an arbitrary limit even though some may think 75 mph is justified." Nevada was the last state with no speed limit on rural routes when the federal 55 mph limit was imposed in 1974, and Dornsife wants a return to driving at speeds suitable for existing conditions. He said any limits should be based mil, r-i) 1 I I 1 "Accent on Kome" dooming School Wednesday, October 4tn Elko Convention Center Fashion Show Courtesy of Lisa's Fashions Cooking Appliance Demonstrations 350 Free Gift Bags Door Prizes More New panel to study state welfare changes BOOTH DISPLAYS ing would help get them off public assistance.

They could lose benefits after two years if they didnt have a job. Critics of the proposal also are on the task force, including Jon Sasser of Nevada Legal Services and Assemblyman Jan Evans, D-Sparks. The panel will hold its first meeting Sept 29 in Reno. Other members include Carol Jackson, head of the state Department of Employment Training and Rehabilitation; Denell Hahn, director of Clark County Social Services; state Human Resources Director Charlotte Crawford; and state Sen. Bernice Mathews, D-Sparks.

Other task force members include Assemblyman Jan Monaghan, R-North Las Vegas; Kris Dondero re-rpesenting eligibility workers; Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce lobbyist Punam Mathur; United Way executive Brian Bowden; Rev. Ron Re-ntner of the Lutheran Church in Sparks; Jean Baecher-Brown of the state Department of Education; Fern David of the League of Women Voters; and Helen Byrd Boyer representing social workers. CARSON CITY (AP) With Congress moving toward a historic welfare reform package, a 15-member state task force has been named to develop recommendations on how Nevada should handle the changes. State Welfare Administrator Myla Florence says the panel will advise her agency in implementing Gov. Bob Miller's welfare plans that were approved by the 1995 legislature.

She said the group also could make further recommendations to the 1997 legislature on public assistance standards and eligibility, depending on what happens in Congress. Miller's 1995 program, taking effect in January, provides for increased work and job training opportunities for welfare recipients. No sanctions are included. Task force members include Sen. Maurice Washington, R-Sparks, who tried unsuccessfully to push through a bill imposing penalties on recipients while at the same time providing for more job training.

Washington's bill called for skill assessments of welfare mothers to see what type of training or school Elko Clinic, Red Lion Inn Casino, Smith's Food King, D'Orazio's IGA, Cowboy Joe, Produce Barn, Washoe Homes, Jaf ra, Connect One, Regency Jewelry, Silver State Kirby, Homo Interiors, Albertson's, The Tile Company, Pampered Chef, Candlelight Bridal, Mary Kay Cosmetics, E-Z Shape Tone, Knight's Cabinets, Kimberly Nurseries, Pinion Homes, Cedar Creek Clothing, CommercialStockmen's, NutriSysterns, Nevada Door, Creative Catering, Tupperware Hammargren sued over surgery mistake Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Cooking show starts at 6:00 p.m. Canned food donation or $1.00 entry fee. Door proceeds donated to local charities. Plan to attend the ELKO DAILY FREE PRESS Cooking School Sponsored by: Homemakers Schools Builders Mart, Humboldt Lumber, Western Auto, and Jan Ev's Co-Sponsored by: Bodily's, Raley's, Osco Drug, Penrod Plumbing, General Sales, and Shear Perfection LAS VEGAS CAP) A motion filed in state District Court claims that Lt Gov.

Lonnie Hammargren, who is also a Las Vegas neurosurgeon, botched a 1990 surgery, then tried to cover up his mistake. The motion stems from a 1993 lawsuit that accuses Hammargren of leaving a sponge in a Bullhead City, Ariz, woman's throat during a September 1990 operation at Sunrise Hospital then injuring her when he tried to take it out four months later. An X-ray of 63-year-old Juliet Ma-gann was taken a month after the initial surgery showed the presence of the sponge. But the lawsuit contends Hammargren said he never saw the X-ray and relied on the radiologist's report In a motion filed Thursday, lawyers for Magann said Hammargren had a copy of the X-ray in his office and also ordered three subsequent X-rays for the woman, all of which showed the presence of the sponge. Hammargren's office said he was in surgery this morning and not available for comment "Once the existence of these X- rays was determined, Dr.

Hammargren initially denied any recollection of the X-rays and denied having the X-rays at all Then after being pressed, Dr. Hammargren finally claims he found the X-rays," the motion alleges. Magann had difficulty swallowing and eating, had a burning sensation in her neck and experienced nausea and weight loss for four months but was told her problems were "in her head," the lawsuit claims. After being admitted to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, Calif, for psychiatric counseling in January 1991, Magann learned there was a sponge lodged in her throat When she went back to Hammargren to have it removed, the lawsuit claims, her esophagus was punctured and a nerve was damaged. Magann is suing Hammargren, Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, the Las Vegas-based Radiology Specialists IM, and Dr.

Roger Wilson, claiming negligence. The motion filed Thursday asks for a mandatory settlement conference..