Helicopter Ride over Hoover Dam

Smashburger Opens New Fort Apache Store

Magical Forest Full of Ghouls & Goblins

Photos by Nikki Artale

Helicopter Ride over Hoover Dam

It is called the Best Dam Ride by the Dam Helicopter Company in Boulder City, Nevada. The helicopter flies 500 feet above the Hoover Dam and the new bypass bridge and the view is awesome. I sat in the front seat next to the Pilot and not only did I have a great front view, I also could look down at the glass bottom floor and see the view.

 

 

It was interesting to see the walking trails that once were used by the railroad to bring in all the building supplies to build the Hoover Dam. Lake Mead looked beautiful with the many boats docked in the slips.

 

 

 

 

 

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The workers at Dam Helicopter were very helpful, courteous and very welcoming. Operation hours: 8:00am to 3:30pm, 7 days a week including Holidays. Call the heliport at 702 294-2200

 

 

 

Smashburger Opens New Fort Apache Store

A media preview dinner was held on October 2, 2013 at the new Smashburger at the Fort Apache and Tropicana store in Las Vegas.  Founder Tom Ryan was on hand to unveil their new burger and beer pairing menu. Tom Ryan educated the media on the process of the pairings.

Tom Ryan

 

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The new menu pairs seven Smashburgers with seven craft brews by the Joseph James Brewing Company. The menu includes: Classic Smash with Craft American Lager, Truffle Mushroom Swiss Burger with Red Fox Russian Imperial Stout, BBQ Bacon & Cheddar Burger with Citra Rye Pale Ale, Sin City Burger with Weize Guy Hefeweizen, Spicy Veggie Black Bean Burger with Citra Rye Pale Ale, Classic Chicken with Fox Tail Gluten Free Pale Ale, Avocado Club Chicken with Hop Box Imperial IPA.

 

The food was delicious, the beer tasty, the staff friendly and the service was excellent. There were a lot of happy faces in the kitchen smashing up our Smashburger dinners. www.smashburger.com 

 

 

Magical Forest Full of Ghouls and Goblins

 

Opportunity Village transformed the Magical Forest into a haunted adventure with fun games, nightly parades and movies. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in October from 5-9 pm, the Magical Forest will feature the Haunted Adventure by Santino and Rocco Panaro, the Spooktackular Forest Express Train and the Enchanted Carousel.

 

This is a family friendly event that include the Candy Cabin and storytelling on Fridays. The Magical Forest is located at 6300 W. Oakey Blvd.

 

Kevin Janison of the Channel 3 T.V. News was on hand opening night to film the events that were in store for the courageous young children who attended.

 

 

 

 

 

Las Vegas Comic Expo Featured Many Stars

 

 

Photos by Nikki Artale

The Las Vegas Comic Expo drew lots of fans to the Riviera Hotel & Casino on September 28-29, 2013. There were major comic book creators, artists and writers to signing their books and photographs. People from all walks of life, from infants to the elderly were there to meet their favorite artists. Most of the attendees were dressed in their favorite characters and enjoyed being stopped to take photographs. www.lasvegasexpo.com

 

 

I was excited to meet and talk to Giancarlo Esposito from Breaking Bad and Revolution. Giancarlo is Gustavo “Gus” Fring, who was riveting as a deadly drug king pin, winning him the 2012 Critics Choice Award for his role. I loved “Breaking Bad” and sad to have it end. I will however be able to watch Giancarlo in Revolution where he plays the character Capt. Tom Neville a militia leader.

Giancarlo Esposito

A major comic book legend in the world of comic book creations, Neal Adams, was a special featured guest. He has been called the greatest living comic book artist of our time, known for Batman, X-men, Green Lantern, Green Arrow and Deadman.

Neil Adams

 

Sylvester McCoy met with lots of fans and answered a lot of questions about Dr. Who and The Hobbit.  It is heartwarming to see how wonderful the artists are with their fans.

Sylvester McCoy

 

I met Camden Toy, from “Buffy the Vampire Killer” and was very impressed with the photos of his many grotesque faces that he used in the many films he had been in. Camden wears the many hats of actor, writer and film editor.

Camden Toy

 

Artist Alley was filled with many gifted artists who were busy drawing new artwork and I stopped to watch Arnel Baluyot and his Geeky Nerdy Artsy Prints.

Arnel Baluyot

 

Another outstanding artist is Lonnie Millsap who had the most cleaver cartoons and books that told a funny story. I love his humor and his cartoons are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. He is a joy to talk to and a most interesting lovable man that everyone would be proud to know and call him a friend. I would love to have a friend like him in my life to talk to everyday so I can stay smiling and laugh out loud. His newest book is “I Stepped on a Duck”. www.lonniemillsap.com

Lonnie Millsap

Juan Muniz is a local artist known for his “Felipe” character who is the bunny that can show up anywhere in Las Vegas, mainly at the Venetian Hotel & Casino, in the Goddard Gallery at Planet Hollywood, The Cosmopolitan and the Paris Hotel & Casino.

 

The Las Vegas Comic Expo was another successful event and we look forward to the next one.

 

Nikki Artale

 

Rob Garrett’s “Hot August Nights” at the Cannery

Photos by Nikki Artale

On August 17, 2013 Rob Garrett appeared at the Cannery Hotel & Casino to perform his annual “Hot August Nights” Show to a packed house. Long lines were forming hours before the show by his many fans who wanted to make sure they got their tickets to see him. Everyone was in for a great evening of music with the talented musicians of the King of Diamonds Band.

 

Rob has the voice, the looks and the mannerisms as he sings with feelings some of the favorite songs of Neil Diamond. He includes some women in the audience to sing the love songs and by the look on their faces they love every minute of it.

 

 

 

 

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The backup singers Elisia Tutt, daughter of Neil Diamond’s legendary drummer Ron Tutt and Rosanna Telford added so much to the show. They were a non-stop bundle of energy with fantastic voices.

A special moment of the night was Rob Garrett and Elisia Tutt singing You Don’t Bring Me Flowers Anymore. It was very beautiful and touching.

 

 

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Rob Garrett has recently been awarded the “Tribute Act of the Year”/Award of Excellence and on October 24 he will be honored by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as one of “Nevada’s Finest” in the field of Entertainment. This is the first time that these awards have been given to a tribute act.

 

 

 

Many celebrities and fellow entertainers were in the audience enjoying his show and they all met outside the showroom after the show.

Mickey Silver Dondino Rob Garrett Tony Sacca

Upcoming shows are scheduled on November 8-South Point Hotel & Casino, November 22-Freedom Hall at Sun City Anthem, Henderson, December 31-Italian American Club, Las Vegas.

See you at the shows.

The Paintings of Karipbek Kuyukov an Extraordinary Man

 

Karipbek Kuyukov

Photos by Nikki Artale

The paintings of Karipbek Kuyukov express the pain that nuclear weapons bring. At a young age he began painting using his mouth and legs to tell the story of his opposition of nuclear testing and also his love of nature.

 

Karipbek Kuyukov is a renowned painter working in Karaganda, Kazakhstan and a global anti-nuclear weapons activist. He is the honorary Ambasssador of the Atom Project. The Atom project (Abolish Testing. Our Mission) is an international petition campaign to mobilize global public opinion against nuclear weapons. www.theatomproject.org Mr. Kuyukov is a victim of decades of nuclear weapons testing by the Soviet Union in Eastern Kazakhsta. He was born in 1968 in the Karaganda region, 54 miles from the test site, and he was born without arms.

Salwa Kader Karipbek Kuyukov Nikki Artale

This nuclear evil destroyed the lives and health of more than 1.5 million people between 1949 and 1991, in the area of the test sites, and are still being felt today. On 9/16/13 I was invited to attend the reception at the United Nations by Salwa Sally Kader, President of the US Federation for Middle East Peace USFMEP, to hear Mr. Kuyukov speak and view his paintings which were inspirational.

United Nations New York

I leave you with a quote from the Honorable Atom Project Ambassador Karipbek Kuyukov “Many of the people in my life have died from the radiation from the nuclear tests. In one family, first the father then the mother then all the children passed away-the whole family of 10. I myself have no arms to hug you, but I have a heart as big as the open space of Kazakhstan ready to embrace the world for peace and nuclear disarmament”

 

We must take actions to end nuclear weapons.