Infotainment Resource

On a cold, gray morning in late January 2000, the historic Mapes Hotel in Reno was imploded by 75 pounds of explosives tucked into the art-deco structures support columns. The controlled demolition came despite years of effort by a number of groups within the community and nationally to preserve the building with lawsuits, redevelopment proposals, and grass roots lobbying efforts.

While the logic and necessity of demolishing the Mapes is very questionable, one thing that is certain is that the hotel was an important part of Northern Nevada history. The opening of the Mapes in'47 ushered in a new era in casino gambling, and changed the economy and way of life in Nevada forever. The Mapes was actually the first property in the country to combine a hotel, casino and live entertainment under the same roof. It also became the hotel of choice for celebrities staying in Northern Nevada. Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe stayed at The Mapes during the filming of 'The Misfits'. Joseph McCarthy, America's famed anti-Communist crusader, admitted to a reporter over cocktails in the Mapes Lounge that he really didn't have a list of Communists in the US despite his frequent and vitriolic insistence to the contrary.

In the 50s and 60s it became, along with Lake Tahoes Cal-Neva Lodge the place to be seen in Northern Nevada. The top floor, window-walled Sky Room showcased performances by the legends: Sinatra, Louis Prima, Mae West, Milton Berle, Sammy Davis, Jr., and the Marx Brothers among others. Subsequent years were not kind to downtown Reno but the Mapes prospered during the 60's and 70's. The hotel finally closed in'82, due more to financial difficulties experienced by the Mapes family caused by one of their other Northern Nevada gaming properties than anything else.

While the last twenty years brought an amazing boom in the population and economy of Southern Nevada, the Northern part of the state didn't see much of it at all. For that reason, the urgency of destroying the Mapes is even more questionable. In the Las Vegas area, its easy to justify the demolition of older hotels with simple economics--the older properties simply can't compete in the current mega-resort dominated marketplace. Furthermore, the insane valuation of the land on which they sit makes it financially unfeasible to preserve them as pop culture museums.

This is not the case in Reno, where land and buildings for development in virtually every casino area are abundant. The city argued that the land on which the Mapes stood was necessary for their redevelopment efforts--a somewhat absurd position given the realities of downtown Reno and the lack of any real development on the property since the demolition. Despite receiving a number of viable concepts for the Mapes Building, the City Redevelopment Authority rejected all of them and the Mapes was destined for demolition.

The behavior of the City Redevelopment Authority throughout the process has come into question. Overlooking the Truckee River, the hotel was perfectly placed between the downtown casino area and the riverfront district. In'96, the city purchased the htoel and began accepting proposals for redevelopment. Despite receiving a number of proposals that made sense both in terms of their financial workability and positive impact on the downtown area, the City Redevelopment Authority nixed all of them and insisted that the hotel be razed.

Following the 2000 demolition, the lot remained vacant for over a year until a temporary ice skating rink was hastily constructed the following winter. The site now houses a permanent ice skating rink which, while not a bad use for the land, isn't the sort of game changing improvement suggested by the City Redevelopment Agency and their adamant insistence that the building be demolished. To the contrary, it appears they had no specific plan or even general idea of what to do with the land but for some reason wanted to see the hotel come down. This has led to all manner of speculation, ranging from financial self interest to a rumor that the structure was 'haunted' and needed to be destroyed to forestall future paranormal activity in Washoe County. Whatever the reason, the city of Reno lost a valuable landmark that played a significant part in the economic growth of the entire state.

Absolutely nothing says glamour like the pin-up girls of vintage Hollywood. If you would like to make your personal bank checks a little more glamorous, then you should really think about getting retro-inspired pin-up girls checks. Aside from the fact that they look great, your checks will definitely be remembered.

In the 1940's, WWII was raging, but Hollywood was alive and kicking. The pin-up girls of that era graced magazines, calendars, and even playing cards. They were beautiful, glamorous, and sexy. With perfect hair and makeup, gorgeous clothing, and secret smiles, they were more than just sex symbols-they were icons. Men wanted to be with them, and women wanted to be them.

Not all pin-up girls were movie stars and not all movie stars were pin-up girls. In fact, it took something a little more than beauty and sex appeal to be considered a pin-up girl. A woman had to have glamour and a quality about her that set her apart from everyone else. She also had to be accessible, which was one of the reasons why pin-up girls became so popular-their images were mass-produced and had wide appeal.

Betty Grable was a very popular pin-up girl in the 1940s, and one of the first. You could find her poster "pinned up" by soldiers in their lockers during the War. An illustration containing the image of an ideal woman, the Gibson girl, was another popular pin-up girl during that time period. Carmen Miranda, Jane Russell, Veronica Lake, Rita Hayworth, Lana Turner, and Ava Gardner were also popular pin-up girls in the 1940s. One of the most popular pin-up girls of all time was Betty Page in the 1950s. Even though many of her present-day fans were not alive during her prime, merchandise containing her image is still being sold today.

Even though pin-up girls still exist today, an argument exists that they no longer contain the allure and style of the women of the past. Although posters can be obtained of most of the popular female movie and televisions stars and supermodels, the sexy sirens of the past are gone.

If you would like your personal bank checks to have something a little different and you love the 1940s and 1950s, then the pin-up girls checks and their vintage feel might be right up your alley. They come in 4 rotating images so each lovely girl will be different from the one before her. Not only do these checks look great, but they can be conversation pieces, too, and they can say a lot about your personality and individuality.

If you buy your checks online from a site you can save as much as 50% off what your bank might charge you. You will also have a wide range to select from. You can anticipate receiving your checks in about 5 days. Don't forget to have your routing number and checking account number available when you place your order.