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Amber Diskin oral history interview: transcript
Oral history interview with Amber Diskin conducted by Barbara Tabach on January 5, 2018 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, Amber Diskin discusses her experience at the Route 91 Harvest music festival during the October 1, 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. Diskin talks about finding her way home after escaping the crowds and letting her family and friends know she was not hurt. She speaks of the aftermath of the shooting, including how her children were affected, the post-traumatic stress disorder she developed, and how the shooting has affected her love of concerts. As a native Nevadan, she shares her views of Las Vegas and how her sense of community deepened after this event. Diskin ends the interview by discussing her appreciation for the first responders and the gift baskets she helped distribute to hospitals, police stations, and the fire department.
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Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Theta Theta Omega Chapter meeting minutes (redacted)
From the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Theta Theta Omega Chapter Records (MS-01014) -- Chapter records file.
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Jean Munson oral history interview: transcript
Oral history interview with Jean Munson conducted by Vanessa Concepcion, Cecilia Winchell, and Stefani Evans on November 30, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. Jean discusses her childhood growing up in Guam, the nursing career path of her parents, and her decision to pursue an "unconventional path" as a comic book artist. She talks about her education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, her passion for the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community within Las Vegas, and her roles in community activism and leadership. Jean also shares her current pursuits as a podcaster of Bruha Baddies, co-owner and printer of Plot Twist Publishing, and co-founder of the Comic and Zines Festival.
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Transcript of interview with Sandra Peña by Lada Mead and Stefani Evans, March 27, 2017
Sandra Peña’s story begins in East Los Angeles, where she spent her first fifteen years with her parents (both from Michoacán, Mexico), and her younger sister. The father's managerial position at Master Products allowed the family to live rent-free in a company-owned house behind the main factory, because he collected the rents for the company's two other dwellings. In this interview, Peña recalls the family move to Porterville, in California's Central Valley, her return to Los Angeles at nineteen, and her work with Parson’s Dillingham, a contractor for the Metrolink rail system. She draws the link between the Los Angeles and Las Vegas construction communities by describing her husband's move to Las Vegas to find work; a chance Las Vegas encounter with a friend from Chino, California; her ability to gain employment in Las Vegas at Parson’s, a company that had joint ventured with Parson’s Dillingham, and her move from there to Richardson Construction, a local minority-owned company. As Peña says, "It's kind of all intermingled. Even if you go here and you go there, it's like everybody knows everybody." Throughout, Peña weaves her family story into the narrative as she describes her youth, the birth of her son, the illness and death of her father, and her family's participation in her current employment with Richardson. As she remembers the people, places, and events of her life, Peña speaks to the ways one woman of color built on her interstate construction connections and rose in a male-dominated industry.
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Jessica Hutchings oral history interview: transcript
Oral history interview with Jessica Hutchings conducted by Barbara Tabach on March 21, 2018 for the Remembering 1 October Oral History Project. In this interview, Jessica Hutchings discusses her experience flying to Las Vegas, Nevada on the night of the October 1, 2017 mass shooting. She speaks of her flight's detour to Phoenix, Arizona, and her discovery of the shooting. Hutchings explains how Congregation Ner Tamid, where she is a cantor, contributed to the community healing after the tragedy, including their organization of vigils, a music fundraiser called "Vegas Strong in Song," and discussing the event with teenage Hebrew School students who had questions and concerns about the shooting.
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Photograph of Beauty Bar sign, Las Vegas (Nev.), June 28, 2017
Site address: 517 Fremont St
Sign owner: Darin Feinstein and Corey Harrison (From Pawn Stars)
Sign details: Building originally constructed in 1988 for a retail store. The Beauty Bar franchise was founded in 2004 in New York City. The bar in Las Vegas used to be owned by Paul Devitt, but in 2014 is when Darin and Corey bought it and did some renovations. During the day they offer manicures/pedicures while serving cocktails, but at night function as a bar and concert venue with cool retro 1950s/60s salon style chairs and colors.
Sign condition: 3-4 During the day the sign looks faded and rusted over. At night the light does not beam as if it is a new sign either.
Sign form: Cabinet mounted to building
Sign-specific description: On the building there is a white oval shaped plastic sign saying Beauty Bar. Right above the doors there is a Salon of Beauty in channeled white block type letters. Both signs illuminate pink.
Sign - type of display: Neon and backlit sign
Sign - media: Steel and plastic
Sign - non-neon treatments: Backlit sign in plastic
Sign environment: Located in the Fremont Street East District surrounded by other bars and restaurants.
Sign - date of redesign/move: c. 2014
Sign - thematic influences: The bubbly pink backlit sign almost is the same shape as a painters pallet, so it shows an artsy theme since some consider doing hair and manicures as artwork as well
Sign - artistic significance: The "Salon of beauty" letters each have their illumination contained due to the metal channeling for each letter. The sign does have a retro aspect with their sign not looking totally brand new which extenuates the theme of an old beauty salon that you would see in the 50s or 60s.
Survey - research locations: Beauty Bar Website, accessor's office
Survey - research notes: Paul Devitt, the previous owner, actually started the chain of Beauty Bars in New York in 1995. He still has a part in the ownership in the other location he opened in N.Y., L.A., San Francisco and Chicago.
Surveyor: Emily Fellmer
Survey - date completed: 2017-08-14
Sign keywords: Backlit; Plastic; Steel; Neon; Fascia; Cabinet; Building-front design
Mixed Content
Photograph of Evel Pie sign, Las Vegas (Nev.), June 28, 2017
Site address: 508 Fremont St
Sign owner: High Horse Group
Sign details: Original construction year of the building was 1949. Previous to this property being Evel pie it house the short lived F. Pigalle fondue restaurant, and the Radio City Pizza. This 1979 Evel Knievel themed pizza restaurant and bar opened in late 2016. Their motto is Live Hard, Ride Fast, Eat Pizza. In the restaurant there is an Evel Knievel Pinball machine and a Stunt Cycle Game.
Sign condition: 5 - new sign, just over a year old
Sign form: Sign above the entrance
Sign-specific description: Above the entrance there are red channeled cursive letters Evel Pie filled with neon tubes that illuminate red at night. To the left and right of the letters there are little white wings that are plastic but are illuminated with neon tubes I behind it.
Sign - type of display: Neon
Sign - media: Steel and Plastic
Sign - non-neon treatments: Plastic for "wings" of sign
Sign environment: Located in the East Fremont District
Sign manufacturer: Diamond Head Signs
Sign - date of installation: Late 2016
Sign - artistic significance: The logo is the same font as Evel Knievels old advertisements. This font this was a close representation of his signature but more of a bubble font cursive letters rather than the flat signature that would have been done with a pen/pencil. Also the wings on the sign represent the theme since he was known for jumping such long distances that they said he would fly.
Survey - research locations: Assessor's website
Survey - research notes: Eater Vegas https://vegas.eater.com/2016/12/16/13979544/evel-knievel- evel-pie- pizza-las- vegas, Las Vegas weekly https://lasvegasweekly.com/dining/dining-news/2016/sep/28/evel- pie-fremont- east-downtown-las- vegas/
Survey - other remarks: The High Horse ownership group that owns this property is comprised of Barden Powers, Jeff Fine, Seth Schorr and Kelly Knievel.
Surveyor: Emily Fellmer
Survey - date completed: 2017-08-22
Sign keywords: Plastic; Steel; Neon; Fascia; Building-front design
Mixed Content
Kiel Family Photographs
The Kiel Family Photographs (approximately 1854-1989) contains glass plate negatives of members of the Kiel and George families, as well as neighbors from the Stewart and Wilson ranches and ranch workers. The majority of the photographs were taken at the Kiel Ranch site in North Las Vegas, Nevada. The collection consists of the original glass plate negatives, as well as photographic print and negative duplicates made using the originals.
Archival Collection