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Urban Wildlife | Vegas Seven Magazine | March 17-23 2016

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Where the Wild Things Are - Some of the Valley’s furry and feathered critters are nesting closer than you think. Plus: New Order in 10 songs, Mack scion rocks sake at The Park and Betting Tips for March Madness.

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    THE LATEST

    1 2 A Strong Start School breakfast program leads to success in the classroom. By EMMILY BRISTOL

    1 4 How to Spot This Years Cinderella Getting rebounds, creating turnovers

    keys to advancing. By SAL DEFILIPPO

    1 6 Betting on the Future How to prepare for emerging gaming today. Green Felt Journal by DAVID G. SCHWARTZ

    Plus Bundys await day in court, Style, Seven Days, Ask a Native and The Deal.

    NIGHTLIFE

    2 5 Lucky No. 7 XS senior exec Yannick Mugnier is driving the megaclub to its next milestone. By MELINDA SHECKELLS

    Plus The Minus Zero Festivals not-so-silent local connection and Seven Nights.

    DINING

    4 9 Were Bowled Over Rice is just the beginning at The Rice Shop. By AL MANCINI

    Plus Albert Mack carries on family traditions with Sake Rok, Dishing With Grace and Drinking.

    A&E

    5 5 New Order for Beginners Dont get the influential postpunk/dance music band? These 10 songs are your way in. By GEOFF CARTER

    Plus Sevens 14, what Irish eyes are streaming for St. Patricks Day and a look back at Neon Reverb..

    6 0 Its a Wizard World We just live in itand dress accordingly. The Most Fabulous Thing by

    CHARLIE STARLING

    SEVEN QUESTIONS

    7 0 Lake Mead National Recreation Area Superintendent Lizette Richardson on the Wests wide-open spaces, 100 years of the park service and how the drought makes each visit unique.

    FEATURE

    They Live Among UsThe Las Vegas Valley is teeming with desert wildlife, and their homes are closer than you think. By THOMAS MOORE

    M A R C H 1 7 2 3 , 2 0 1 6C O N T E N T S

    Cover illustration by Kari Gnther.20

    Caption.

  • PUBLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE OBSERVER MEDIA GROUP

    Vegas Seven, 702-798-7000, 302 E. Carson Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89101

    Vegas Seven is distributed each Thursday throughout Southern Nevada

    c 2016 Vegas Seven, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of Vegas Seven, LLC is prohibited.

    LETTERS AND STORY IDEAS [email protected]

    ADVERTISING [email protected]

    DISTRIBUTION [email protected]

    P U B L I S H E RMichael Skenandore

    E D I T O R I A LEDITORIAL DIRECTOR Nicole Ely

    MANAGING EDITOR Genevie Durano

    SENIOR EDITORS Paul Szydelko, Xania Woodman

    SENIOR EDITOR, A&E Geoff Carter

    ASSOCIATE EDITOR Hubble Ray Smith

    SENIOR WRITER Lissa Townsend Rodgers

    STAFF WRITER Emmily Bristol

    CALENDAR COORDINATOR Ian Caramanzana

    S E N I O R C O N T R I B U T I N G E D I T O RMelinda Sheckells (style)

    C O N T R I B U T I N G E D I T O R SMichael Green (politics), Al Mancini (dining),

    David G. Schwartz (gaming/hospitality)

    A R TCREATIVE DIRECTOR Ryan Olbrysh

    GRAPHIC DESIGNER Cierra Pedro

    STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Krystal Ramirez

    V E G A S S E V E N . C O MTECHNICAL DIRECTOR Herbert Akinyele

    ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Zoneil Maharaj

    SENIOR WRITER, RUNREBS.COM Mike Grimala

    WEB PRODUCER Jessie OBrien

    ASSISTANT WEB PRODUCER Amber Sampson

    P R O D U C T I O N / D I S T R I B U T I O NDIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION/DISTRIBUTION Marc Barrington

    ADVERTISING MANAGER Jimmy Bearse

    S A L E SBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Christy Corda

    DIGITAL SALES MANAGER Nicole Scherer

    ACCOUNT MANAGERS Brittany Quintana, Steven Kennedy, John Tobin

    ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Robyn Weiss

    I N T E R N SMichaela Chesin, Scott Luehring, Soni Richards

    Ryan T. Doherty | Justin WenigerPRESIDENT Michael Skenandore

    VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING AND EVENTS Keith White

    CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sherwin Yumul

    CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Sim Salzman

    CONTROLLER Jane Weigel

    LAS VEGAS WEEKLY CITY MAGAZINE | FOUNDED FEBRUARY 2010

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    AS PART OF National School Breakfast Week, Nevada First Lady Kathleen Sandoval stopped by K.O. Knudson Middle School on March 8. The message of the day was to highlight the success of the Break-fast After the Bell program, which offers free breakfast at schools across the Valley.School breakfast is a key part of how we are going to end childhood hunger, Sandoval says. Knudsons success is exactly the kind of suc-cess we envisioned when we passed the Breakfast After the Bell law.The school breakfast bill was

    signed into law in June. The law brought in federal funding to feed more than 93,000 eligible students across the state. Locally, Three Square food bank and Share Our Strength, a national childhood hunger nonproft, have partnered with the Clark County School District, the Nevada Department of Agriculture and the Governor's Council on Food Insecurity to ad-minister the program.According to Jodi Tyson, director

    of government affairs for Three Square, an additional 16,000 kids will be fed through the Breakfast After the Bell program this year. Their goal is to reach 33,000 ad-ditional kids in the next three years.Parents encourage breakfast on testing days, Tyson says. But we feel [breakfast] needs to be every day.Knudson principal Monica

    Cortez says theres been a notice-able difference since the breakfast program debuted. Teachers, par-ticularly in math and science, are reporting better grades and better engagement from students, she says. Trips to the nurses offce have also gone down.The students are more alert. Even the students who eat breakfast at home, its helping them, too, Cortez says. Our health offce vis-itsfor headaches because theyre hungryhave gone down.A big factor in the programs

    success has been that any kid can get breakfast, which is served in the classroom, so nobody is feeling singled out because they are differ-ent or cant afford food, Cortez says. Knudson is a magnet school for

    the arts and technology, and there is a mix of students from around

    the Valley with a variety of back-grounds. This means some students start their day as early as 5:30 a.m. on a bus to school. Meanwhile, other students are showing up to school every day because they can get breakfast and lunch through different programs. Those students, Cortez says, might otherwise fall through the cracks. At Knudson, 76 percent of students qualify for free or reduced cost lunch and 68 percent of students participate in the breakfast program.According to the CCSD, 210,000

    kidsmore than half of the nations ffth-largest school districts stu-dentsqualify for a free or reduced-cost lunch. To qualify for the

    federally funded free and reduced-cost lunch program, a familys income must be below 130 percent of the poverty line. Fifty-one local schools have 90 percent of students participating in the program, CCSD spokeswoman Michelle Booth says.Studies show that students who

    miss breakfast have lower memory recall, lower test scores and more frequent tardiness and absences, according to No Kid Hungry, a campaign sponsored by nonproft Share Our Strength.I just think [the program is] great, Cortez says. Even if theyre late, the students are getting a breakfast. Thats huge. [They know] that theyre always getting taken care of.

    THU 17 If you dont like monster trucks, were just not sure

    theres a place for you in America. The

    rest of us will be at Sam Boyd Stadium,

    11 a.m. today through Saturday, for the

    Monster Jam XVII World Finals, featur-

    ing 32 of the worlds top monster trucks.

    Bring your earplugs. UNLVTickets.com.

    FRI 18 Everyone deserves access to clean water. Everyone likes to

    be entertained. Combine these and you

    get One Night for One Drop, a fundrais-

    er for the nonprofit that works on water

    access and education. Artists from

    Cirque du Soleil are performing, which

    should help convince you. 7 p.m. at The

    Smith Center. TheSmithCenter.com.

    SAT 19 Latest sign that scorching summer days are on the way:

    Cowabunga Bay Water Park opens for

    the season, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Get your fill

    of Surfin USA, Rock-A-Hoola, Point

    Panic and other hydro thrills before the

    heat turns on and the crowds turn up.

    CowabungaBayVegas.com.

    SUN 20 Wizard World Comic Con is in town, Friday through today at

    the Las Vegas Convention Center, and that

    means no shortage of comics and fantasy,

    cosplay sessions, light sabre training,

    seminars, etc. WizardWorld.com.

    MON 21 Woo-hoo, spring break! Unless you have young kids, then Im

    bored is probably more common. The

    Las Vegas Natural History Museum has

    your fix: a week of activities for kids with

    Camouflaged Creations at 11 a.m., wherein

    the tots will build a LEGO animal that

    blends into backgrounds. LVNHM.org.

    TUE 22 Put your John Hancock at the Thomas & Mack steel topping-

    off ceremony by 10:45 a.m., when the

    last beam goes in the new west wing

    addition. Score some barbecue and a tour

    while youre there. Youll need to RSVP by

    March 21 if you want to attend. UNLV.edu.

    WED 23 You love homegrown toma-toes. You live in the desert.

    You have a problem. We have the answer:

    Growing Tomatoes in Terrible Dirt and

    Desert Heat, a seminar by master gar-

    dener Leslie Doyle, 6 p.m. at the Centen-

    nial Hills Library. LVCCLD.org.

    News, deals and the best

    places to catch March Madness.THE LATEST

    Seven DaysA curated guide to this week in your cityBy B O B W H I T B Y

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    First Lady Kathleen Sandoval with students

    from K.O. KnudsonMiddle School.

    A Strong StartSchool breakfast program leads to success in the classroom By Emmily Bristol

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    Tariq Ali, 42Restaurant owner

    Describe your personal style.

    It depends on where I am and what Im doing, but I am defnitely all about comfort while still having style. I am not much of a suit man, although I will wear one when the occasion calls for it. My regular daytime attire is gym clothes, be-cause I am constantly on the go.

    Who has been a style inspiration

    for you? My father. My dad is, and always has been, a really sharp dresser. My dad was a musician in New York and he always dressed very dapper from head to toe. Now that he is older, he is more casual but is still very stylish.

    What is your typical daily uniform?

    My uniform for Marrakech is my Marrakech button-up and black slacks. I always feel I should repre-sent the restaurant and my brand.

    Marrakech is beautifully decorated.

    Does the aesthetic flow into other

    parts of your life? Of course! It is my culture. If you come into our homes, you will fnd Moroccan-inspired decorations and similar cultural pieces. For example, you will fnd a Khamsa in my home and in my car. It wards off the evil eye. [The city of Marrakechs] cul-ture and aesthetic has been an in-spiration my entire lifebut also for the last 20 years of being at the restaurant every single day.

    What is your favorite thing about

    Marrakech? Its history by far is my favorite thing. We have been around for generations now, and to have grown people come in and reminisce about memories from their childhood is priceless. It is those moments that are so touch-ing to me. The food is awesome and the dcor is beautiful, but it is the history that is my favorite part.

    Do you have a favorite dish the

    restaurant serves? I live on the kabobs. Chicken, beef, shrimp, veggie. They are all amazing. Liz Powell

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    Pal Zileri blazer; Giorgio Armani shirt;

    Levis jeans; Converse shoes;

    Dior glasses; Rolex President watch.

  • THEY LIVE

  • The Las Vegas Valley is teeming with desert wildlife,

    and their homes are closer than you think

    B Y T H O M A S M O O R E / I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y C I E R R A P E D R O

    AMONG US

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    Lucky No. 7

    XS senior exec

    Yannick Mugnier

    is driving the megaclub

    to its next milestone

    By Melinda Sheckells

    Your city after dark and photos from the weeks hottest parties

    NIGHTLIFE

    NEWEST. BIGGEST. BEST. These are the superlatives that propel the inquiries we face when out-of-town friends ask about Las Vegas nightclubs. Since 2009, one of the top recommendations for those in the know has been XS in Encore, which is about to turn seven.When we last rountabled with XS

    team for the clubs ffth anniversary, the talk was all electronic dance music and unforgettable moments. Now, approaching another mile-stone birthday, Yannick Mugnier, senior executive director of night-club operations, says XS still focuses on talent, but its time for the DJ to share the spotlight. [Around town], we see different

    trends happening. [Some venues] have live performances, and thats a niche that works well for them. For us, we want to stay with the DJs and what we can offer to set us apart from our competition. The DJ was the kingand thats still the style [in terms of talent]but there needs to be a refocus on the guest experience and making the guest the king again.One major stride was the $10 mil-

    lion technology revamp that the club underwent last year. In the U.S., everything is a trend, says Mugnier, who is originally from France. And every trend comes to an end. So you have to go in and think of the next [thing]. We spent a lot of money on bringing in technology that amplifes the experience of the customer, and that was a good part of our success.Some of the best nights Mugnier

    can remember, though, are when that technology is used to its fullest by performers such as Diplo, Kaskade and Major Lazer, whom he recounts as being his favorites from the roster.

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    T I C K E T S & V I P R E S E R V A T I O N S | O M N I A N I G H T C L U B . C O M | 7 0 2 . 7 8 5 . 6 2 0 0 |

  • PARTIES

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    NIGHTLIFE

    See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com

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    HYDEBellagio

    [ UPCOMING ]

    March 18 Hyde Fridays with Konflikt

    March 19 Joe Jonas spins

    March 22 Industry Tuesday with DJ Five

    SILENT PARTNERS ZANDI AND LINCK TO CREATE A WINTER WONDERLAND DANCE PARTY Music festivals are so much more than just

    music. SXSW attracts

    the media, tech and film

    industries to its confer-

    ences. Coachella draws

    desert revelers to its

    outrageous afterparties.

    Bonnaroo relishes in its

    camping-centric vibe.

    And now the multi-date

    and multi-location Minus

    Zero Festival (Minus-

    ZeroFestival.com) will

    take the fun to a higher

    altitude, interlacing win-

    ter sports between sets

    from major names in

    electronic dance music.

    Las Vegas-based Silent

    Partner Entertainment,

    headed by Zee Zandi and

    Lauren Linck, will handle

    all booking and marketing

    for the event, which kicks

    off April 2-3 at Winter

    Park Resort in Colorado.

    Currently, there isnt

    a winter music festival

    series that has made a

    large impact in the U.S.,

    Zandi says. [Minus

    Zero] is offering world-

    class ski and snowboard

    accommodations in ad-

    dition to a phenomenal

    lineup. Fans of this type

    of music from Vegas

    should come experience

    the festival. Sure, these

    DJs play here often, but

    the atmosphere of be-

    ing on top of a mountain

    and surrounded by snow

    makes it unique.

    After a first-year ef-

    fort that featured Jamie

    Jones and Capital Cities

    at Californias Mountain

    High Resort in 2015,

    Minus Zero returns

    with Diplo and Kaskade

    headlining Winter Park,

    in addition to 15 DJs

    across two stages, as

    well as local supporting

    acts, according to a line-

    up developed by Zandi.

    All ski lifts and slopes

    will be open, and snow

    buck/bunny gear is sug-

    gested. Linck will lead

    the marketing efforts,

    which include rebrand-

    ing the festival.

    After Colorado, the

    event heads east to

    Vermonts Stratton

    Mountain Resort, where

    Deadmau5 and Kaskade

    are on the marquee

    April 9-10, along with a

    full roster of talent. The

    year culminates in a re-

    turn to Mountain High on

    December 10-11.

    We were both excited

    to land all three headlin-

    ersDiplo, Kaskade and

    Deadmau5as it was

    not easy to do with a

    new [festival] brand,

    Zandi says. Diplo just

    won a Grammy and

    has the perfect sound

    for this type of party.

    Kaskade, who is an

    avid snowboarder, was

    one of the first names

    brought up in our initial

    meetings. His fans are

    willing to travel to see

    him. Deadmau5 has a

    ton of new music in the

    pipeline, and has not

    been playing the festival

    circuit. His addition to

    the lineup adds an ele-

    ment of surprise. We are

    hoping his fans will be

    able to hear new music

    at our festival.

    In addition to Minus

    Zero, Silent Partner is

    now working with Es-

    sence Vegaswhich

    has three cannabis dis-

    pensarieson its digital

    marketing. According

    to Zandi and Linck, they

    are also in initial nego-

    tiations on signing their

    first management con-

    tract with talent.

    Melinda Sheckells

    Pricing varies by event:

    Denver, $95 day pass

    ($179 with lift ticket);

    $99 weekend pass ($339

    with lift ticket). Stratton,

    $85 day pass ($179 VIP);

    early-bird $99 weekend

    pass ($295 VIP).

  • PARTIES

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    TAOThe Venetian

    [ UPCOMING ]

    March 17 OG Maco and TWRK perform

    March 18 DJ Daddy Kat spins

    March 19 Machine Gun Kelly performs

  • TAKIN IT BACK TO THE OLD SCHOOL

    FOR RESERVATIONS CALL, 702.262.4529 OR VISIT LUXOR.COM/NIGHTLIFE

    MARCH 24 DOORS OPEN AT10:30PM

    KID N PLAYPAJAMA JAM

    Must be 21+ with valid ID. Subject to capacity. Dress code strictly enforced.

    Management reserves all rights.

    Wear your favorite pajamas and party all night long!

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    OUR FIVE BIG TAKEAWAYS FROM A FIVE-STAR NEON REVERBVarious Downtown venues, March 10-13

    Last weekend, Neon Reverbour citys

    homegrown music festivalcame back

    from the dead. But not in the lifeless

    zombie kind of way; more like Iggy

    Pops Zombie Birdhouse kind of way.

    Dirty garage rockers Ty Segall and the

    Muggers, rapper/comedian Open Mike

    Eagle, synthpop throwback Neon Indian,

    local punks Mercy Music, eccentric

    hip-hop trio Wheelchair Sports Camp

    and many more graced DTLVs stages,

    playing to enthusiastic crowds. Our

    ears are still ringing from Ty Segalls

    glorious wall of fuzz, but nevertheless,

    heres what we took away from those

    four vibrant nights:

    Local acts were just as important as

    national acts. Same Sex Marys eclectic

    rock was the perfect precursor to Ty

    Segall and the Muggers wild antics,

    while Illicitor and God's Americas

    hardcore punk warmed the crowd up

    for the Melvins abrasive experimental

    rock. Rusty Maples followed La Sera at

    Bunkhouse, while Colleen Green hit the

    stage before Black Camaroand in both

    cases, crowds stuck around to enjoy the

    locals. And several touring acts voiced

    their appreciation for locals onstage,

    even if the locals were headlining.

    Touring artists brought their A-game.

    Several bands, including Beach Slang

    and Tijuana Panthers, were en route to

    Austin for SXSW, so we were able to

    see grade-A performances for a measly

    $15 per show (or on a $50 all-festival

    passa great deal).

    Navigating the venues was a breeze.

    Foot traffic remained light for the

    majority of the weekend, and there

    were several instances where we were

    able to catch bands during close-call

    scheduling conflicts. We didnt break a

    sweat finding a parking spot, either.

    It was logistically sound. Fans were

    able to walk in and out of shows at their

    leisure as long as they flashed their

    trusty wristbands. With the exception of

    some door troubles at Fremont Country

    Club during the Melvins set, everything

    went smoothly.

    Reverb was good news for both

    DTLV and the Las Vegas music scene.

    It wasnt unusual to see Beach Slang

    guitarist Ruben Gallego mingling with

    fans during Ty Segalls soundcheck at

    Bunkhouse, Neon Indians Alan Palomo

    shuffling to Depeche Mode records at

    Oddfellows or the guys from Moving

    Units doing some record shopping at

    11th Street. Its these kind of first-hand

    interactions thatll boost local busi-

    nesses, inspire local musicians to write

    more music or get that loner punk in the

    corner to start a band. Welcome back,

    Neon Reverb. See you next year.

    Ian Caramanzana

    NEON REVERB

    Clockwise from top: La Sera's Katy Goodman, Ty Segall, Tijuana Panthers' Daniel Michicoff, Beach Slang's James Alex and Neon Indian's Alan Palomo.

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    You were chief of maintenance

    and engineering for the Lake Mead

    National Recreation Area from

    2004-2013, and after a short

    stay as chief of the Construction

    Program Management Division

    in the National Park Services

    national office in Denver, you

    returned here in 2015 to be

    superintendent. How did your

    previous stint at Lake Mead inform

    your decision-making today?

    That position manages all of the park infrastructure and operationsnot only the day-to-day but also the capital improvements. At any given time, youre dealing with the entire lake, the land, all the visitors, because we want to make sure the facilities are clean. Maintenance touches

    every part of the park, so its nonstop 24/7, really high-profle. The typical day could be dealing with park hous-ing, budgets and resource management. It got involved with everything.

    What drew you to engineering

    in the first place?

    When I went to college, I was going to be a math major. But I realized that teaching wasnt going to be in my future, and a lot of people who went into math would go on to be doc-tors. Midstream, since I really liked math, I chose to go into engineering because I liked the science part of it. I liked fguring out formulas and solving things.

    You were born in New York and

    spent your childhood in the Bronx.

    In your wildest dreams, did you

    think about the wide-open spaces

    of the West?

    It seems the two wouldnt be connected. I thought I would stay in a large city, but I moved out here for personal reasons in the early 80s and once I did, I really liked the openness. You had a lot of room to do what-ever you wanted. I loved the climate and the landscape. At frst I thought theres a

    lot of space that you can still build things. In New York City, theres nothing but buildings and skyscrapers. But then I thought, this is really nice, you can go outdoors and its a little different pacenot as

    hurry, hurry, hurry. You can sit back and enjoy things.

    The park is ranked fifth of 410

    national parks in annual visitors,

    with seven million. How do you

    know its a good day?

    Its a good day when theres not a safety incident. We have a law-enforcement component, and sometimes people come out and they may get hurt or do some things that we wouldnt fnd acceptable or appropriate for a recreation area. Its a good day when we know its quiet from that side of the house.

    Is the biggest problem drinking,

    and the recklessness associated

    with that?

    A lot of the drowning is just

    from not wearing a life jacket. Its not that they have too much to drink or are recklessits just maybe theyre unaware the lakes conditions can change. You can think its really nice and calm and clear, and you get out there and the wind kicks up. Or its deep; its not a pool. While you might think youre an expert swimmer or a really experienced swimmer, you [still] need to put a life jacket on. But theres defnitely also an aspect of that: Too much alcohol and riding a fast boat is not a good combination, and we get accidents.

    How are you celebrating 100 years

    of the National Park Service?

    At the national level, the campaign is Find Your Park. At Lake Mead, we launched Find Your Park From Vegas (FindYourPark.Vegas) on March 3. Were trying to [in-still] a broader sensegetting outdoors, connecting with nature. Find whatever park and whatever activity you want to do. Were working with the City of Las Vegas and Fremont Street Experience, and were developing a video which will be shown on the canopy dur-ing National Park Week, April 16-24, and also on the actual 100th birthday, August 25. In April, we will have volunteer cleanups, a Junior Ranger Day, a Find Your Park Day and a Ju-nior Scientist Day. All of this is to connect and create that next generation of visitors.

    Although its a challenge youd

    rather not face, how has the

    drought added intrigue for visitors?

    Its a different lake each year. In some ways you dont know what youre going to encounter, which is exciting. We hear from boaters who have been [coming] here for a long time, because [the water level] is down another 10-15 feet, maybe something else got exposed, or theyre see-ing it a little bit differently. It provides a [unique] experi-ence that other parks dont get from that standpoint. With the B-29 wreckage, for ex-ample, before you had to have the more experienced divers and now we can get more of the recreational divers. Even the hikers, visually, have a dif-ferent experience. The majority of the park is

    land-based. Across all parks, there are picnic areas, camp-grounds, ranger stations and amphitheaters. When you overlay the lake, its more dy-namic and complex. I love it; thats why I came back!

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    Lizette RichardsonThe Lake Mead National Recreation Area chief on the Wests wide-open spaces,

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