Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
‘Happiest Mayor’ title changes hands thanks to Bennett
For one night, Mayor Carolyn Goodman took over the title “Happiest Mayor in the Universe.”
There’s no denying she was over the moon Friday when legendary crooner serenaded her with “Because of You.”
Her husband, former Mayor Oscar Goodman, often used the “happiest mayor” line during his three terms in office, from 1999 to 2011.
It happened at the VIP private donor dinner at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, a warm-up event for the 20th anniversary of the Keep Memory Alive gala that was held Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden.
She was there to present a key to the city to Bennett, who turns 90 in August.
Bennett sang “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” and “Fly Me to the Moon” before pausing for the mayor’s presentation.
She told the audience she was living in a high-rise on 106th Street in Manhattan “doing homework and wondering what I was going to do with my life.
“Then I heard this magnificent voice singing “Because of You,” Bennett’s first hit. It came out in 1951.
She read the lyrics to the group: “Because of you there’s a song in my heart / Because of you my romance had its start / Because of you the sun will shine / The moon and stars will say you’re mine / Forever and never to part / I only live for your love and your kiss / It’s paradise to be near you like this / Because of you my life is now worth while / And I can smile / Because of you.”
I ran into the Goodmans late Friday at the Tap House on Charleston Boulevard.
They filled me in on their moment while having a late dinner, a burger for her and haddock for him.
“My parents gave me the record and I wore it out,” she said. “I’m dreaming about what’s out there, and then to hear that voice.”
“It was so awesome,” she added.
“She’s met presidents and vice presidents and dictators,” said her husband. “He melted her heart.”
“Dictators?!” said Carolyn Goodman. “I’ve only got one dictator in my life.”
WYNN-KRAFT CONNECTION Connections count. Friends and favors will go a long way in getting the 24 of 32 votes needed from NFL owners to approve the Oakland Raiders’ relocation to Las Vegas.
It was good news this week for supporters of the Raiders-to-Vegas when New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft became the second influential owner (after Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones) to give his blessing to the Las Vegas move.
Last month, a day after Raiders owner Mark Davis pledged $500 million to help build a 65,000-seat, $1.4 billion indoor stadium, casino mogul Steve Wynn chatted with reporters.
One asked him if he had a favorite NFL team.
“I’m very friendly with Robert Kraft,” Wynn said. “He’s my pal, so I guess I root for the Patriots. But if we had a team in town I’d immediately jump the fence. I’d become a homeboy.”
Wynn and Kraft are so close they were partners in a project to have a $1 billion casino built on Kraft land next to the Patriots’ Gillette Stadium.
Wynn and Kraft abandoned the stadium plan after Foxborough, Massachusetts, residents resisted the move at the polls.
Wynn ended up in Everett, across the Mystic River and Boston’s downtown, at what will be known as Wynn Boston Harbor.
SIGHTINGS
At Jewel nightclub (Aria) on Friday: Floyd Mayweather Jr., model and socialite Chantel Jeffries, who formerly dated Justin Bieber; TV host Michael Strahan and girlfriend Kayla Quick, and Denver Broncos Super Bowl star Von Miller … Bieber, surprising the crowd at XS Nightclub (Wynn) on Friday by joining Skrillex on stage to perform “Where Are U Now.” From there, Bieber and his posse headed to Intrigue, where they partied until 4:45 a.m. in the private room. Also there: singer Tove Lo and actors Chord Overstreet, Chazz Palminteri and Chris Evans … Drake with friends at Herringbone (Aria) on Friday … In the audience at Mike Tyson’s “Undisputed Truth” at the MGM Grand on Friday:
Erica Ash, who appeared in “Scary Movie 5” with Tyson. Also there: Shooter Jennings, the son of country music icons Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter … Ally Brooke, Normani Kordei and Lauren Jauregui of Fifth Harmony, dining with friends at Tao Asian Bistro (The Venetian) on Friday … Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham, with friends at STK (Cosmopolitan) on Friday.
THE PUNCH LINE
“The New York Times just did a big profile on Donald Trump and revealed that he has life-sized portraits of Ronald Reagan and John Wayne at his campaign headquarters. And if you don’t see them right away, it’s because they’re right behind a 25-foot tall portrait of Donald Trump.” — Jimmy Fallon