Daily Archives: June 28, 2021

The Saga of Palm Tree Island – Port City Daily

Posted: June 28, 2021 at 10:34 pm

Known to its founders as the Diminishing Republic, and to legend as Palm Tree Island, this sandbar has been a cultural hub for 20 years. (Port City Daily/Preston Lennon)

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH Nancy Faye Craig walks from her townhouse in Wrightsville Beach down to a small shore in her private neighborhood that faces the mouth of Lees Cut Harbor Islands northern saltwater border through which small craft can cruise between the Intracoastal Waterway and Banks Channel.

Its a Saturday afternoon and the tide is dead low. Families who live in the townhomes that dot Wrightsville Beachs edge near the public boat ramp read magazines and watch their children play in the water.

Craigs attention is directed to the fully exposed sandbar across the cut. Marked by a synthetic tree, a parking meter and the American flag, the twice-a-day haven locally known as Palm Tree Island has been a cultural hub for two decades.

With a party schedule determined by the tides, Palm Tree Island exists in its full glory for brief windows of time, until the water rises once more and only the tips of the palm fronds are visible to passing vessels.

Everybody always migrates toward a focal point, said William Salling, an original pioneer of the island. Once the tree went up, we started noticing small groups, small gatherings that would go on over there. It was very low key and thats the way we always wanted it.

A woman in her 70s, Craig is a local watchdog. She serves on the Channel Walk homeowners board and has rung alarm bells to law enforcement agencies, calling attention to what she says is a debaucherous scene that came about during the previous decade.

According to beach-town lore, a group of locals installed a live palm tree on the sandbar around the year 2000. Salling, one of those founders, said the official name for the outpost is the Diminishing Republic.

We call ourselves Belongers amongst our tribe, Salling said. And were there to welcome people. It didnt matter where youre from. The whole idea was just to create a gathering space.

Twenty years later, a new crowd of boaters have asserted control over the islands culture. The focus is less kumbaya, more partying.

Craig calls it a nuisance. Young folk Uber into her neighborhood and then hop on a boat to cross Lees Cut. They return hours later, drunk and rowdy, she said.

There was one young woman, Craig recalled, who passed out on the neighborhoods community dock: She refused to be transported to the hospital. What can you do with someone like that?

Another incident in recent memory also caught her ire: A partygoer traversed across the water into the lawns of her neighbors and asked a couple who were sitting on their deck permission to use their restroom.

Now, that is gall, Craig commented, while peering toward the small group that had gathered that afternoon on the sandbar. Though tidal conditions were ripe for a large crowd with low tide hitting around 3:15 p.m. it was a relaxed atmosphere: frisbee-throwing, tube-floating, and light music.

They tackled Masonboro and got it under control, Craig said. Then all those people came here. So why cant they tackle this one too?

Wrightsville Beach police intermittently dock a patrol boat in the marina near Craigs neighborhood to deter loud music and other commotions. But Palm Tree Island itself lies in the jurisdiction of the New Hanover County Sheriffs Office, where its treated like any other unincorporated coastal territory.

Palm Tree Island is just a sandbar, so its technically not an official anything, said NHCSO spokesman Lt. Jerry Brewer. Its the equivalent of being at Masonboro.

Two years ago, the party culture became so extreme that a crackdown was required, Brewer said, but since the Covid era, the scene has been relatively tranquil.

The first time I went out there, I was like, Oh my god. The people were basically being held hostage at their home, Brewer said. It was so loud it sounded like you were at a concert.

For Salling, the Diminishing Republic that he and his compatriots cultivated in the early years of the 21st century has been subverted by something different.

People have a sense now, Salling said, that, You cant mess with me. This is our space. Were going to do whatever we want to do, and if you challenge us, were going to challenge you right back.

Its largely a generational gap, said Salling, who is now in his upper fifties.

Im not saying Im disappointed in it because everybody has a right. But I always try to say, if you respect your fellow man over there the younger culture should try to think about that a little more it would be a better place.

Coastal forces formed Palm Tree Island more than 20 years ago, where previously there was nothing but a waterway channel abutting a sea of tidal marsh grass.

As the tides ebb and flow and all that stuff, I guess the sands found a sweet spot where there was no current, Salling said. And it just started growing from there.

He and his buddies bought a live palm tree and stationed it on the emerging sandbar in the christening of the Diminishing Republic. Once it rotted, they replaced it with an artificial lookalike. Local media initially attributed the out-of-place palm to the work of UNCW fraternity brothers, a misconception that the Diminishing Republic trailblazers allowed to fester, Salling said.

At that time, a family in Channel Walk near where Craig lives was simultaneously grieving their lost son, Salling recalled.

They scattered his ashes the day that we put the palm tree in, he said. They didnt know it, and they woke up the next morning and were looking out there, and they said that was their son, reincarnated.

A few years later, the Town of Wrightsville Beach entered into its quest to monetize as many parking spaces on the island as possible, a new philosophical turn that prompted the Diminishing Republics next landscaping addition: the parking meter.

An individual over in Channel Walk put it out there. And we laughed. We thought it was the funniest thing, Salling said. It was a political jab.

Read More: Wrightsville Beach grants itself ability to tow cars on Lumina, more parking changes afoot

The final addition was the flagpole bearing the Stars and Stripes, put up by another individual, completing the trifecta of symbols that now define the enclave.

It started with just a spindly little tree, Salling said. We laid low. We never wanted to be focal points.

Then came the cultural tug-of-war. The energy envisioned by the Diminishing Republic founders was a coastal oasis, a micro-utopia, where participants help friends in need, share provisions and maintain an open door.

Its not the same now, Salling said. Its harder because theres different views. Whether its political, or way of life, or anything of that nature.

Younger adventurers now lay claim to the sandbar. Its commonplace for weekend low tides to attract dozens of boats filled with eager drinkers.That element has always been there, Salling said, just not with such force.

Lt. Brewer said during the wild times a few years ago, one of the new-generation social ringleaders endured a string of citations, which tampered down the vibe.

The major player who was a problem, we cited him enough to where hes tired of getting cited for having loud music, Brewer said. And its pretty much calmed down.

Salling thinks the new hard-core energy at Palm Tree Island arose in part due to a migration of boaters away from Masonboro, looking for new haunts. Even though the Diminishing Republic has lost its grip on the islands culture, he doesnt have the urge to intervene. Its not his role, he said.

We dont own the island, we dont control it, he said. Its just there, and thats what we wanted to do, was just create a space for people.

Timothy Vandenberg moved to Wilmington a few years before Salling and his troop installed the first tree on the newfound sandbar. Vandenberg is a video marketing coordinator at Cape Fear Community College, and said he saw potential for the Palm Tree Island symbolism to be the defining brand of Wrightsville Beach like South Carolinas crescent moon and palmetto tree, or Californias bear.

He trademarked Palm Tree Island as a brand and produces products adorned with the image of a palm tree accompanied by a parking meter.

We wanted to take something that had local significance, and tried to come up with a cool way to represent Wrightsville Beach, Vandenberg said.

Philanthropic partnerships are intertwined with the brand. The company makes a sun shirt along with Wilmington Dermatology, and sends proceeds to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Vandenberg said when formulating his business, he tried to make inroads with the Diminishing Republic crowd.

I want to pay respect to those guys, he said. Those guys are like the stewards of the island.

Messages werent returned. I kind of took that as, they werent necessarily cool with it, Vandenberg said.

The brand enjoyed strong growth throughout past years. Just recently, he made final touches on a kiosk at Wilmington International Airport that will carry Palm Tree Island gear.

His brand is now sold at numerous local surf shops, including Surf City Surf Shop. Vandenberg said the stores owner inquired about his relationship with the Diminishing Republic, and their reception to his commercial venture. To make things smoother, the Surf City owner connected the two parties and helped work up a gesture of goodwill, Vandenberg said. Proceeds from the lines Surf City sales are contributed to an upkeep fund for the Diminishing Republic, for when the palm fronds need replacing or if the parking meter ever makes a haywire escape.

Sallings said, personally, he is opposed to commercializing the island.

That was never our intention, he said. That symbol over there, of the parking meter and the tree and the flag, it represents a community.

Vandenberg added hes working on another initiative: donating additional proceeds to the Wrightsville Beach Museum.

Craig, wearing a pink visor and carrying a clipboard, surveys the view from her neighborhood shoreline. She tells a younger man that he needs to move his crab trap somewhere else other than his dock.

The Diminishing Republic, I like, she said, acknowledging that the islands founders are unaffiliated with her current adversaries, who party on across the water.

And I like it when it diminishes.

She helped broker a meeting between residents in her locale and nearby law enforcement agencies, but said she thinks the sheriffs hands could be tied.

Marine agents police for underage drinking and overly loud music, but for the most part, Palm Tree Island is still a good-time frontier, accepting of anyone with boat access.

Former Wrightsville Beach Police Chief Dan House told the StarNews in 2018, in reference to Palm Tree Island: If the problem is solely on the island, we really get into a gray area if we can do something or not.

Current chief David Squires confirmed to Port City Daily the territory is overseen by the sheriffs office.

Lt. Brewer said during recent weeks, the marine unit has been prepping for Independence Day, the only day of the year in which all five boats in the sheriffs fleet are deployed simultaneously.

For Craig, what appears to be a second sandbar forming further east within Lees Cut is causing even more headaches. She continues to vouch for a heavy-handed police presence near her home to deal with the voyagers who use her neighborhood as a loading dock for sandbar festivities.

Hopefully, going forward we wont have any problems there, Brewer said.

Despite losing the reins of the frontier that he helped establish, Salling said he and his crew continue to act as stewards, preserving the sandbars prominent symbols. (The flag is maintained by another individual, Salling said.)

We start new every single 12 hours, Salling said. Its covered up. And the only thing that sticks up is that tree. And as the tide starts to flow out, the sand rises out of the water, and its kind of like shes showing herself again. Its neat to watch.

Send tips, comments and criticisms to preston@localdailymedia.com

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Roberto Vaz missed the College World Series with an injury but now is watching his son play for Vanderbilt – Tuscaloosa Magazine

Posted: at 10:34 pm

Cecil Hurt| The Tuscaloosa News

The sun was bright, the way itshinesin Tuscaloosa as summer approaches. In that light, a pristine white baseball lay on an unsullied chalk baseline.

Alabama baseball star Roberto Vaz never saw it.

We were playing Southern Cal in the regional finals, Vaz recalled. The NCAA didnt have super regionals then so it was for a trip to Omaha. I was hitting second in the lineup, with (David) Tidwell hitting first, taking seven swings and then two bunts.

"We were hitting pearls (brand-new baseballs) and Tidwells second bunt rolled about 30 feet and stopped right on the baseline. I never saw it. I finished my swings and am headed down to first base and USC was coming into the stadium at the same time so I am kind of watching them and I step on the ball.

I knew right away I had broken my foot.

Vaz had a Jones fracture of a metatarsal.He was taken to DCH Regional Medical Center, a short drive from Alabamas stadium. There was some cursory talk of a brace or a special baseball spike, but the doctors werent optimistic.

It was discussed, but coach (Jim) Wells overruled all that talk, Vaz said. "He said, Youve had a great year, youre about to be drafted (by Major League Baseball) and we arent going to take the risk.

Tuscaloosa baseball players: Tuscaloosa baseball players ready to begin college careers at Alabama, Florida State

Chase Lee: Alabama baseball reliever Chase Lee named third team All-America

Alabama went on to defeat Southern Cal, 9-8, in one of the classic games ever at Sewell-Thomas Field, but the price was steep. Vazwas a Golden Spikes finalistwho hit .400 with 22 homers and 73 RBIs. He was also the Crimson Tides ace left-handed pitcher, going 4-1 with a team-best 3.40 earned run average. As a closer over the first half of the season, he had eight savesand opponents batted just .198 against him.

He watched his team in theCollege World Series with a cast on his right foot,

They did surgery before we left Tuscaloosa, Vaz said. I think they were afraid that when we got to Omaha, Id grab a bat and try to hit. We reached the finals. We lost twice, to Miami in the second game and then to LSU in the championship. I probably would have been the starting pitcher in both of those games. So it was frustrating.

It was also Vazs last trip to the College World Series for 24 years. He played a few games against the Omaha Royals in Triple-A but never came back for the CWS, even as a college assistant coach. (He is currently an assistant at NJCAA national champion LSU-Eunice.)

That was 1997. Now, Vazis back in Omahawatching his son, Javier, who is preparing to play for a national championship as a Vanderbilt Commodore.

Whatever emotions I might have had, whatever frustration, it doesnt compare, Vaz said. I cant even explain the joy of watching our child out there.

Vaz hasnt been to the old Rosenblatt Stadium site and says he is "the typical supportive dad in his first trip to TD Ameritrade Park.

I cheer for every kid, Vaz said. I do see the game differently as a former player and a coach, so I move around my seats a lot on defense and stand on the concourse when we are hitting. I dont want to get in conversations about what we should or should not have done in a situation. I cheer for every kid equally. I think his mom is a bit more emotional."

Im hoarse, Roberto's wife, Stephanie, said. Ive had to pinch myself. You think of the days when you took (Javier) to practice, when he changed high schools after the eighth grade, when he was playing in junior college on those long trips and I see the utopia hes in now, Ive had to pinch myself.

We were waiting when the team bus came the other day and I was cheering so much. Roberto was like, What are you doing? Youre his mother, youcan see him whenever you want. And I told him I am here to see my team and my favorite player.I was a total fan, like an out-of-body experience.

T.J. Reeves: Alabama baseball outfielder T.J. Reeves transferring to Jacksonville State

Vanderbilt will begin championship series play Monday after an NCAA decision cancelled a potential elimination game against North Carolina State due to COVID-19 protocols.

Anyone who knows Vanderbilt knows we wanted to play, the coaches wanted to play, the players wanted to play, Roberto Vaz said. You want to compete.

Perhaps no one knows that feeling better than Vaz, who reached an NCAA championship game as a player and had to watch from the dugout, a hundred feet or so away from the batters box where he will now watch his son perform.

Am I still frustrated about 1997? he said. Not now. Im a supportive dad. Theres no feeling like it, none that Ive experienced.

Reach Cecil Hurt at cecil@tidesports.com or via Twitter @cecilhurt

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The Real Truth Behind the Biden Budget Double-Talk – New York Sun

Posted: at 10:34 pm

To double-cross or not to double-cross. That is this evenings question. Ive already written about it once, but its a major moment. An hour after allegedly making a bipartisan infrastructure deal with ten senators, including five Republicans, Mr. Biden then walked away and threatened not to sign it.

That is, the President took the podium by himself (always tricky business with Mr. Biden) and basically said if he doesnt get his $4 trillion Green New Deal, high-taxed, entitlement state through a 51 vote reconciliation hes not going to sign the infrastructure deal. He said but if only one comes to me, Im not. This is only when it comes to me. Im not signing it. Its in tandem.

In other words, he would insist on linkage. He never really used the word veto, but linkage was clear. Now, despite what some prominent Republicans said on television yesterday, I dont think Uncle Joe Biden has walked anything back. He can walk back a veto because he never explicitly used the word veto.

No matter how much White House aides have tried to re-spin this, though (and Ive been there, done that), Im arguing nothing has changed. My Senate Republican friends had best wise-up to that.

On Friday, after Mr. Bidens supposed walk back, Madam Psaki said that Mr. Biden expected these initiatives would move forward on a dual track. Thats Psaki 1 Friday night. Additionally, well call it Psaki 1-a, Mr. Bidens press secretary said, the President will leave it to leaders in Congress to determine the timeline and the sequencing.

Reporter: Is he going to wait for both of them to land on his desk before signing the bipartisan package, waiting for the reconciliation package to come through?

Ms. Psaki: He fully expects, hopes, plans to sign both into law, and he will leave it to leaders in Congress to determine the timeline and the sequencing.

Today, Madam Psaki call her Psaki 2 said the President intends to sign both pieces of legislation into law. As you know, they are both moving forward in dual tracks... The leaders in Congress are ensuring that is happening.

So I dont see much difference between Psaki 1, Psaki 1-a, and Psaki 2. The key word here is dual tracks, as in you want a bipartisan infrastructure bill? I want the American family plan. Both.

In addition, on one of the Sunday talk shows, Mr. Bidens senior adviser, Cedric Richmond, when asked if the President would sign an infrastructure bill on its own without reconciliation, Mr. Richmond said, I dont think its a yes-or-no answer.

Then there was this:

Jake Tapper: If it happens, if the bipart infrastructure bill lands on his desk on its own, if that were to happen, he would sign it? Yes or no?

Mr. Richmond: I dont think its a yes-or-no question. We expect to have both bills in front of us to sign. And I expect that President Biden will sign the infrastructure bill, he will sign the families plan.

Now, heres one technical point. In regard to President Bidens original package of roughly $6 trillion in additional spending and up to $4 trillion in additional taxes, just to review the bidding, the first leg was the $2 trillion covid relief plan.

That, we now know given the booming economy and the rise of inflation shouldve been a non-starter. Most of the country now believes the federal plus-up in overly generous unemployment benefits was a detriment to the economy.

The second part of the Biden package, roughly estimated at $2.3 trillion dollars included a small piece called infrastructure and a very, very, large piece to implement the Green New Deal and to raise taxes across the board to finance it. Prominent in this tranche was hiking the corporate income tax, which now includes the Group of Seven global minimum tax as part of the Biden-Yellen tax surrender and also a domestic minimum tax.

The third piece of the Biden pre-Berlin wall coming down, Bulgarian Green Workers Paradise utopia consisting mainly of a wave of new entitlements and other income transfers to be made permanent. They would be financed by a series of brutal income tax increases and a doubling of the capital gains tax and a whopping increase in the inheritance tax by eliminating the step-up basis for capital gains at death.

So you have $1.9 trillion Covid plunge, a $2.3 trillion American worker plan, and $1.8 trillion American family scheme coming to a tidy $6 trillion and something like $4 trillion in tax hikes. Which will throw a wet blanket over the Trump boom were experiencing and yield massive lower tax revenues as a consequence of higher tax rates, per the Laffer Curve.

Stuck in there some place is this $80 billion in money on IRS agents, which is supposed to generate $700 billion from tax cheats like Warren Buffet, Jeff Bezos, George Soros, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill gates, and other liberal tax cheats. I feel their pain.

So at this point Im still in the camp that believes Uncle Joe double-crossed the GOP. It was bait and switch. All were hearing is blue smoking mirrors from not-so-clever White House aides who are frantically attempting to hide the truth.

Whats the truth? President Biden is still held hostage by the ultra-left, progressive wish list of Senator Bernie Sanders, House member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the Squad. If Republicans keep their wits about them, they can whoop this. Because the country is not behind it.

________

From Mr. Kudlows broadcast on Fox News.

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Your Las Vegas Fourth of July fireworks guide 2021 Las Vegas and surrounding suburbs and cities – Reno Gazette Journal

Posted: at 10:26 pm

Las Vegas rings in 2021 with fireworks and crowds

Fireworks brought spectators into the streets of Las Vegas as the city welcomed 2021. Earlier, tens of thousands walked on the casino-lined Strip, despite a plea from Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak that people reconsider their plans to go out. (Jan. 1)

AP

LAS VEGAS Fourth of July weekend ishere. Andthat means the searchfor a good place to watch fireworks has begun.

Las Vegasand surrounding suburbshave severalepic options available.Here's a listof Southern Nevada spots to celebrate Independence Dayin 2021.

Las Vegas Strip Fireworks

Where: Las Vegas will launch a themed, coordinated fireworks showfrom the rooftops of these hotel-casinos:

When: 11 p.m., July 4.

Cost: Free unless you park on The Strip.

Independence Day Weekend

Where: ThePlaza Hotel & Casino,1 N Main St, Las Vegas.

When:Nightly at 10 p.m., July 2-4.

Cost: Free.

For more information, go here.

Star-Spangled Sky 2021

Where: People near Henderson will be able to catch fireworks at four locations:

When: 9-10 p.m., July 4.

Cost: Free.

For more information, go here.

73rdAnnual Boulder City Damboree Celebration

Where:Veteran's Memorial Park,1650 Buchanan Blvd.,Boulder City, Nev.

When: 9 p.m., July 4.

Cost: Free but there's a$10 parking fee while spaces last.

For more information, gohere.

Fireworks Over Pahrump

Where: One mile west on Gamebird Road right off Highway 160.

When: July 1-4, 7 p.m.-midnight.

Cost: Free to watch. But if you want to launch your own fireworks, permits are $5. Visitors who want to launch their own fireworks must have a permit from one of five fireworks stores: Area 51, Phantom Fireworks, Red Apple Fireworks, Black Jack Fireworks, Outlaw Pyro. The site is first comefirst serve.

For more information, gohere.

Rockets Over The River

Where: Laughlin Riverwalk,Casino Drive, Laughlin.

When: 9 p.m., July 4.

Cost: Free.

For more information, go here.

Rockets Over The Red Mesa

Where:Eureka Casino Resort,275 Mesa Blvd, Mesquite.

When: 9 p.m., July 4.

Cost: Free.

For more information, go here.

Ed Komenda writes about Las Vegas for the Reno Gazette Journal and USA Today Network. Do you care about democracy?Then support local journalism by subscribing to the Reno Gazette Journal right here.

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‘Vegas is back’: More shows make their return to Las Vegas Strip – FOX5 Las Vegas

Posted: at 10:26 pm

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Come celebrate the Fourth of July weekend in style in Las Vegas – Lasvegasmagazine

Posted: at 10:26 pm

The party is popping off in Las Vegas for the July 4 holidayliterally. Guests celebrating in the neon city are in for a special treatfor the first time, the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority presents an epic firework show on the Fourth of July. Make sure to take to the streets of the Strip beginning at 11 p.m. to set eyes on a themed, coordinated light spectacular, as fireworks will be launched from the rooftops of Aria, Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood Resort, Resorts World, The STRAT, Treasure Island and The Venetian.

More firework displays are on tap on July 1 at 9 p.m. from the rooftop of Palace Station; and for some neighborhood flair, locals favorite casinos Red Rock Resort and Green Valley Ranch plan their own displays at 9 p.m. on July 4. Downtown Vegas gets in on the party action at The Plaza, where for three nights, from July 2-4, guests can snag a spot at the hotels awesome rooftop pool and watch a dazzling firework show staged from multiple locations on the propertys roofs and towers. In honor of the holiday, and in honor of the Plazas 50th anniversary celebration, guests can also celebrate with specials across the property, including $5 Sauza Gold margaritas and pool cabana rentals with bottle service starting at just $101.

Another downtown hot spot allows guests to get a birds-eye view of the citys fireworks spectacular on July 4 from the rooftop of Circa Resort & Casinos ber-cool lounge, Legacy Club. For $250 per person, guests can enjoy the show while taking advantage of an open bar with craft cocktails and select wines and whiskies. Nearby, the outdoor concert arena Downtown Las Vegas Events Center welcomes EDM heavy hitter Excision, along with a lineup of special guests, across two nights, July 2-3, for an audiovisual, bass-filled evening of music and dance.

Break out the kid in you for a sweet July 4 party at Area15 arts and entertainment district for its Happy Camper adult summer camp party beginning at 8 p.m. Offerings include old-school camp games, a talent show, arts and crafts and food and drink specials. Guests can also enjoy live music as DJs, including Tara Brooks, Doc Martin, Marques Wyatt and Diva Danielle, take the stage at the outdoor A-Lot.

Before heading outdoors for the Strips firework show, stop by The X Pot at The Grand Canal Shoppes for its July 4 holiday special. Inside the Asian fusion restaurants lounge, enjoy a live DJ and 30% off cocktails and 20% off all food orders.

If you really want to splurge, book the July 4 Stars & Stripes holiday flight with Maverick Helicopters. For $449 per person, guests get a round-trip flight above the Strip and descend to a private vista for nearly two hours of ground time and picturesque views of the massive Strip firework display, along with complimentary beverages and food.

Happy Independence Day, party people!

Click here for your free subscription to the weekly digital edition of Las Vegas Magazine, your guide to everything to do, hear, see and experience in Southern Nevada. In addition to the latest edition emailed to every week, youll find plenty of great, money-saving offers from some of the most exciting attractions, restaurants, properties and more! And Las Vegas Magazine is full of informative content such as restaurants to visit, cocktails to sip and attractions to enjoy.

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Ranking the 2021 AFC West RBs: Where do the Las Vegas Raiders rank – Just Blog Baby

Posted: at 10:26 pm

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Dec 13, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (28) runs the ball in the third quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders likely have the best RB in the AFC West but who has the best position group from top to bottom?

The Las Vegas Raiders have always had a history of great running backs, whether their peaks lasted 8-10 years, or if they were flashes in the pan with big seasons. From the likes of Marcus Allen and Mark van Eeghen, to more recent studs like Latavius Murray and Josh Jacobs, there is just something special about a great running back in Silver and Black.

The Raiders and Al Davis always loved having a group of talented backs in the backfield, ready to terrorize defenses on the ground and through the air. Jon Gruden is just the latest Raiders head coach that wants to keep that tradition alive in the modern era.

Gruden, much like Davis, values speed and versatility in his backs, and that is the name of the game in the modern NFL.

In a league that seems to be devaluing the position every year, the Raiders have taken a different approach and have prioritized the position instead. This had lead to some consternationfrom the critics that call Gruden old-fashioned but the talent the Raiders have in the backfield cant be denied.

With that in mind, lets see how they stack up to the AFC West competition at the storied running back position.

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Las Vegas tourism industry expected to surge back from pandemic plunge – Las Vegas Review-Journal

Posted: at 10:25 pm

Las Vegas tourism industry is expected to surge back this year from its steep plunge in 2020, but the valleys economic recovery could stall if it suffers another wave of coronavirus infections, a new report says.

UNLVs Center for Business and Economic Research predicts that visitor volume in Southern Nevada will climb 57 percent this year and 13.2 percent next year, following its 55.2 percent drop in 2020 after the pandemic kept people home and away from crowds for fear of getting infected.

The center also forecasts that Southern Nevada gambling revenue will rise 35.5percent this year and 10.7percent next year after it fell 36.8 percent in 2020, and that hotel and motel occupancy will climb 30.2percent this year and 12.1percent next year, following its 46.6 percent drop in 2020.

Overall, because the Las Vegas area relies so heavily on tourism to fuel its economy, its outlook is tied to the future path of the coronavirus, the center reported.

The pandemic-sparked recession hit Southern Nevada like a sledgehammer, though further progress on vaccinating people and the absence of a variant that can dodge those protections will make economic recovery much more likely, the center reported.

But a new wave of coronavirus cases could make that comeback stall, it added.

The pandemic sparked huge job losses nationwide last year. But its fallout was especially severe in casino-heavy Las Vegas, threatening the foundation of the local economy as a place people visit from around the country and world, often by airplane, to stay in huge hotels and eat, drink, gamble, party and network, all in close quarters with masses of others and often indoors.

Las Vegas jobless rate, just 3.6 percent in February 2020, skyrocketed to 33.3 percent last April after Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered casinos and other Nevada businesses closed to help contain the viruss spread.

Many people have since returned to work, and tourism has surged lately as vaccines roll out and daily life starts to return to normal. But some resorts remain closed more than a year after they were allowed to reopen from the state-ordered lockdown, and Las Vegas usually lucrative convention industry is only now beginning to re-emerge after the pandemic left groups holding formerly in-person gatherings online.

Las Vegas unemployment rate has shrunk considerably since the early chaos of the pandemic but remains elevated at 8.9 percent as of May, state officials reported.

Southern Nevada is exposed significantly to sectors that rely on in-person gatherings, and as a result, our economic recovery is really tied at the hip to the recovery from the pandemic, UNLV economics professor Stephen Miller said in a presentation Thursday.

Miller told the Review-Journal that he figures it will take another year before the convention industry is back to normal. Such gatherings normally take far longer to plan than a typical vacation to Las Vegas.

All told, the economy has not fully recovered but is moving in the right direction, he said.

Assuming Southern Nevada isnt hit with another surge of infections, he added, things look pretty good.

Contact Eli Segall at esegall@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0342. Follow @eli_segall on Twitter.

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Resorts World to Open in Las Vegas as Business Rebounds After Covid-19 – The Wall Street Journal

Posted: at 10:25 pm

LAS VEGASThe first new megacasino on the Strip in more than a decade, the $4.3 billion Resorts World, opens here this week as throngs of mostly maskless tourists indulge in the citys famous casinos once again.

Malaysias Genting Group developed the 3,500-room hotel with 117,000 square feet of gambling space, 250,000 square feet of meeting space, a 5,000-seat theater where Celine Dion and Katy Perry begin residencies later this year and seven swimming pools overlooking the north end of the Strip. It is one of the biggest resort projects ever on the famed boulevard, similar in scope to the Bellagio or the Venetian.

After a historic shutdown last year, Las Vegas casinos began to reopen cautiously one year ago, in early June 2020, with mask requirements, plexiglass barriers and limited offerings beyond gambling. Today, evidence of the global health crisis is fading as crowds of tourists pack casinos, pools, shows and restaurants.

Were so lucky that were opening at this time, said Scott Sibella, Resorts World Las Vegas president. We were going to open one way or another. We planned this a year and a half ago. We announced the date. But its clearly getting better in Las Vegas.

For April, using the most recent figures available, about 2.6 million people visited Las Vegas, about 73% of pre-pandemic visitation compared with April 2019 when the city welcomed 3.5 million visitors.

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Three key questions facing Golden Knights headed into the offseason – Las Vegas Sun

Posted: at 10:25 pm

John Locher/AP

Vegas Golden Knights Cody Glass, left, gets out of the way as Los Angeles Kings goaltender Calvin Petersen (40) blocks a shot during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Feb. 5, 2021, in LasVegas.

By Justin Emerson (contact)

Monday, June 28, 2021 | 2 a.m.

Last offseason, they signed Alex Pietrangelo. The one before that was consumed by clearing cap space in the aftermath of the Mark Stone trade that had just happened a few months earlier. Max Pacioretty came aboard three years ago.

The Vegas Golden Knights have never had a boring offseason, and this summer doesnt look like it will break the streak. Much of the team is under contract for next season with just three regulars eligible for unrestricted free agency and no restricted free agents.

But that doesnt mean the same team is coming back.

The Golden Knights were two wins away from the Stanley Cup Final, and if this front office has demonstrated anything in the past, its that it will do whatever it thinks is necessary to improve the teams chances of getting there next year.

So what do they need to do? The Golden Knights will almost surely be competitive next season, but before the puck drops on next season, theyll need to answer a few key questions.

Will the goalie tandem stay together?

The Golden Knights had one of the best goaltending tandems in the NHL last season and took home the Jennings Trophy for fewest goals scored against during the regular season because of it. Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner combined to lead the Golden Knights to best goals-against average in the league, and Fleury is a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, which will be announced Tuesday.

That kind of talent comes with a hefty price tag. They combine for a $12 million hit against the cap with Fleury accounting for $7 million next season and Lehner $5 million. Thats the second-highest total in the league.

Theres a strong argument that the salary of either one of them would make more sense elsewhere.

It would require a trade for either not to return. While Fleury turned in perhaps the best season of his career, he is 36 years old, makes more money than Lehner and would be easier to move with an expiring contract.

Lehner has four years remaining on a deal he signed before last season.

Those are all things that have to be discussed going into the offseason and into next year, general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. Well get to that in due course.

Moving one of them is almost a requirement if the Golden Knights were to make a big splash in the trade market or free agency, as they otherwise have only about $6 million in cap space and a few roster spots to fill.

They have their own free agents Alec Martinez, Tomas Nosek and Mattias Janmark to worry about, before even getting into the big names that have become a staple of the teams strategy, players like Buffalos Jack Eichel or Columbus Patrik Laine.

The two goalies, meanwhile, seem happy with their set-up. Lehner has been part of a tandem nearly his entire career and said playing with Fleury is a privilege. The two bonded over the year, Lehner said, to the point that Fleurys kids sent him a good-luck piece of artwork before his Game 6 start against Montreal.

Maybe $12 million is too much to spend on goalies, but its worth noting that the only team that spends more is the team that beat Vegas and is playing in the Stanley Cup Final. Maybe $5 million or $7 million can get Vegas the scoring threat it needs to get over the hump, but the possibility exists the Golden Knights run it back again with two top goalies.

I can tell you it was obviously an integral part of our success this year in the unique year we were in with the condensed scheduled, the number of games and everything that went on, coach Pete DeBoer said. It was obviously a blessing this year, but next years a different story. Were not in those unique circumstances anymore.

Can the power play improve?

Barring any major changes to the roster, the biggest thing Vegas needs to improve is the power play. The 0-for-15 run in the semifinal series against Montreal was terrible, but it wasnt good before that either, ranking 22nd in the regular season.

Thats at the top of the list to fix, DeBoer said. We shuffled some things, put a new set of eyes on it this year, and it stumbled again. Thats going to be the priority moving forward.

Theres no obvious answer for why the power play has struggled, especially considering the firepower it contains. On paper, a unit that runs through players like Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, Alex Pietrangelo and others should be more dangerous.

The Golden Knights tried shifting things around. They bounced Stone, Pacioretty and Alex Tuch to different spots. They attempted to leave out the Misfit Line of William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith.

But nothing seemed to work.

At times, feeding Alec Martinez for a one-timer was the only effective option and using him as a second defenseman on the first unit in lieu of a fourth forward.

Players like to say how a strong power play can bleed into 5-on-5 play. They mean it in a positive way, but when the power play was as silent as it was, the negativity seeps into other aspects of the game too.

Especially in the playoffs its so hard to create offense you have to rely on your power play to get, if youre not scoring, to at least get chances, feel the puck, Pacioretty said. I feel that it went the opposite way with our group, in fact made guys probably doubt themselves a little bit, lose a little bit of confidence.

We didnt make many plays on the power play and I think it had a negative impact on the guys who were out there and the team as a whole with momentum swings. So we have to figure it out.

Whether its acquiring a power-play specialist in the offseason or handing the keys to the system from one coach to another, the Golden Knights power play is the biggest reason theyre not prepping for a Stanley Cup Final game. It hasnt been good two playoffs in a row now, and something Vegas needs to fix this offseason.

How do the younger players fit in?

DeBoer started his first offseason news conference by praising the emergence of the Golden Knights younger players like Zach Whitecloud, Nicolas Hague and Nicolas Roy, all of whom established themselves as NHL regulars this season.

He also fired a warning shot to other younger players in the system, saying that high hopes for talented players wont automatically translate to a roster spot.

For a young franchise, its important to keep infusing that youth. At the same time it cant be not earned, and it cant be at the detriment of the group not winning a Stanley Cup, DeBoer said. They have to be able to pull their weight. Thats going to be the challenge for those young guys.

Without mentioning anyone by name, DeBoers comment raised speculation about Cody Glass future. The Golden Knights first-ever draft pick has yet to carve out a regular spot in the lineup with Vegas, playing in just under half the regular season games before a demotion to the AHL in March. He played with the Silver Knights in the postseason and appeared in one NHL playoff game before a relegation to the taxi squad.

His absence in the NHL was highlighted by the player Vegas selected seven picks later in 2017. Nick Suzuki was terrific for the Canadiens in the series against the Golden Knights and fulfilled the promise of an early first-rounder.

Considering Glass wasnt even skating with the team during the third round, its fair to ask if the Golden Knights still see him as a part of their future though McCrimmon said he was.

I think its important we still believe in him and sometimes these things take more time, McCrimmon said. Theres a long list of players that have been a little later finding their way and we still expect that Cody is going to do that.

The Golden Knights have some younger players expected to be part of next years lineup, most notably 2019 first-rounder Peyton Krebs, who appeared in four regular season games before a fractured jaw ended his season. Its possible he would have played in the postseason had he not been injured, but the 20-year-old will get every chance to break camp with the big club next season. With how close Vegas is expected to be against the salary cap next year, having young players on inexpensive entry-level contracts will be a major key.

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