Southern California native and lifetime resident, landscape architect Chuck Degarmo evokes the Golden State's iconic theme park as he reflects on forty years in the landscape industry and the ways his work has shaped the way Southern Nevada looks and works. It is fitting he would do so. Degarmo forged his professional ties to Las Vegas in 1993, during the heyday of the Las Vegas Strip's "family-friendly" era, when Kirk Kerkorian's MGM Grand Hotel and Casino hired Degarmo's firm, Coast Landscape Construction, to design and landscape their planned 33-acre MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park. In this interview, Degarmo outlines his work history, which draws upon the combined skills of a salesman, an artisan, a problem-solver, and an entrepreneur. Having owned his own firms and worked for industry giants Valley Crest Companies and BrightView Landscape Development, he discusses an array of topics from running union and non-union crews; Tony Marnell and design-build projects; importing plant material into Nevada; the Neon Museum and Boneyard; The Smith Center for the Performing Arts and Symphony Park; Steve Wynn, the mountain at Wynn Las Vegas, and Lifescapes International; the Lucky Dragon; Cosmopolitan, CityCenter, and the Vdara "death ray", and the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA). Throughout, Degarmo articulates his work through the lens of a lifetime Southern Californian whose talent has contributed much to the Southern Nevada landscape.
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Oral history interview with Isaac Barrón conducted by Maribel Estrada Calderón and Claytee D. White on March 27, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. Isaac Barrón was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. His father entered the United States as a Bracero. Barrón attended Rancho High School and earned his bachelor's degree in secondary education from UNLV. He currently teaches history at Rancho High School and serves as North Las Vegas' Councilman. In this oral history, Barrón recalls his youth in North Las Vegas, navigating the presence of gangs, and his path to being a community activist and advocate for North Las Vegas youth. He has led volunteer efforts for community improvement projects, including the plans for a new public library. He holds the distinction of being the first Latinx member of the North Las Vegas City Council and Southern Nevada's first Hispanic Mayor Pro Tempore. In 2013, he was elected to represent Ward 1 and was reelected for a second term in April 2017. He discusses being Mexican American, the Coalition of Pan American Organizations, the Hispanic Student Union, the Bracero Program, and Rancho High School.
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Starts with a KVBC Channel 3 opening followed by "A Chorus Line" advertisement, and gold watch advertisement. Next segment starts with a packaged opening for KVBC Channel 3, a news story on the proposed national gas tax, a story on the secret Area 10 military base near Tonopah, Nevada, a woman who was hit by a street light, followed by more commercials by Nevada Savings, the Holiday Casino's gaming, entertainment, and buffet offers. The next segment starts with an economic study story. Anchor Gwen Castaldi introduces a story on Vegas World, Stupak and the new show "Outrageous Vegas," which was performed in a room used during the day as the casino's race and sports book. The commercial set following includes pieces on the Inperial Palace Auto Show, a spot for the Associated Podiatry Group, and a Chevron credit card commercial. The sports segment features stories on football coach John Robinson leaving USC, boxing in Las Vegas, the UNLV Running Rebels featuring Sidney Green, the NFL, Steve Garvey, a construction update on Cashman Field, skiing report, and a fishing report. Commercials in the next segment feature ads by the Las Vegas Sun, Stanwell Mortgage, and Fairway Chevrolet. The weather segment is followed by commercials by Royal Transmission, and the Las Vegas Hilton presents the Moulin Rouge du Paris production show. The show continues with a travel segment featuring b-roll from McCarran International Airport before ending. The tape continues with more news segments and a replay of the earlier show including the Stupak interview. Different segments and commercials include, Follies Bregere at the Tropicana, Gordon's Jewlers, Mineral Bank, news segments, American Denture Service, the announcement of the "Las Vegas Stars" as the new name for the AAA baseball team, NBA coverage, Las Vegas Dodge, Vons, Tom Jones at Caesars Palace, Nevada State Bank, and La Mesa RV. The tape continues with News 13 newscast. Stories include the shooting of Metro officer James McClarren and the preliminary hearing of his alleged shooter, 15-year-old Hector Vento, various other court cases, a story on rent increases at Bonanza Village, coverage of COMDEX Computer Convention, a story in the Gaurdian Angles security group pulling back services on the Las Vegas Strip, and a story on a cheating ring centered around Vegas World. The segment discusses Vegas World cooperation, security upgrades including cameras and video recorders, Metro's anti-cheating detail headed by Sgt. Dennis Caputo, and various cheating scams. The sports segment features a story on the UNLV Rebels football team and sophomore quarterback Randall Cunningham. Includes Channel 8's wrap up of the cheating scams at Vegas World as reported by Steve Shorr. Original media VHS, color, aspect ratio 4 x 3, frame size 720 x 486.
Archival Component
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Oral history interview with Yeon-Kyung (Mar) Chung conducted by Emilee Caivin on November 10, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. In this interview, Yeon-Kyung (Mar) Chung talks about her upbringing in Korea and her educational history, studying Spanish abroad in Spain and Italy before earning her graduate degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas, Austin. Mar Chung talks about her move to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1999 to enroll at the College of Southern Nevada and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to pursue pharmaceutical studies like her parents. She talks about her experience as a single mother, her path to citizenship in the United States, and the Las Vegas Asian American community. Mar Chung also reflects on differences between how she was raised compared to the upbringing of her two children.
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Oral history interview with Hattie Canty conducted by Claytee White on February 27 and June 17, 1998 for the Las Vegas Women Oral History Project. In this interview, Hattie Canty recalls moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in the late 1960s and working as a maid for the Thunderbird Hotel and Casino and later the Maxim Hotel and Casino. Canty discusses her tenure as the Culinary Union Local 226 President during which she faced several labor challenges and went to jail at least six times while striking. Hattie also recalls how she influenced contract negotiations for the downtown hotels, improved race relations among workers, involved more members in union operations, and implemented the Culinary Training School.
Archival Collection
On February 16, 1978, Steven Knowles interviewed Betty Joyce Clark (born 1940 in Cartersville, Georgia) about her experiences living in Las Vegas, Nevada. Clark first talks about her early places of residence, the schools she attended, and some of the businesses she remembered from the time. She also discusses bus transportation, the first hospitals in town, and the early development of the Las Vegas Strip. Additional topics include the development of utility services for homes, early railroad activity, the development of North Las Vegas, and the first airport and airline services. The latter part of the interview includes discussion of the first department stores, the tourist population, the racial makeup of the city, the police department, and the extent of crime in Las Vegas. The interview finalizes with Clark’s thoughts on the growth of Las Vegas.
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