You Can Bid On Redd Foxx's Life!

Some press releases just deserve to be printed verbatim. Not many, but this one, for sure. I've never seen anything like it. Some thoughts at bottom:

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010

Rights to Life Story of Redd Foxx to Be Marketed
Public Administrator Action Would Need Probate Court Approval

The rights to the life story of comedy star Redd Foxx will be advertised for sale by his estate if the Probate Court approves the petition filed by Clark County Public Administrator John J Cahill.

"We hope to settle Redd's estate, pay all taxes owed, and get money for his heirs," Cahill said. "Redd deserves that, he was a Las Vegas celebrity classic and he loved our city."

Petitioning the Court to market Foxx's life story will notice all parties with standing and clear any questions about the title to those rights.

"We have always been confident that the estate owns the rights, but there have been questions and some confusion in the past. When buyers come to the table it's important that the rights are clear and available," Cahill said.

Foxx's life as a TV comedy pioneer and the wealth, fame and all that goes with celebrity would merit a screenplay but there is much more to his story. Foxx was a man of his times and those times included the civil rights turbulence of the 1950s and 1960s. In Chicago Foxx once roomed with Malcolm Little, later known as Malcolm X. Both were critical observers of social justice for African Americans in America. One took a path toward political activism and one pioneered what would be called, “Black TV Comedy.”

Foxx's pioneering comic career influenced many who followed him, including Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Bernie Mac, Chris Rock, Jamie Foxx and others.

Foxx was born John Elroy Sanford in St. Louis, Mo., on December 9, 1922, and died in Los Angeles on October 11, 1991, but was a resident of Nevada and is buried in Las Vegas. It is reported that Eddie Murphy paid for the funeral because Foxx died broke after the IRS seized his assets.

"We tried some negotiations last year and had offers ranging from $20,000 to $2 million, but it was all lunches, meetings and talk,” Cahill said. “I did get to visit with some producers and a star but they asked not to be identified.”

As estate administrator Cahill's duty is to get the best return for the sale of property.

"I'm hiring professionals to market the deal and adding a twist at the court hearing to confirm,” Cahill said. “The deal will be put to auction in the courtroom. The terms, conditions, details and rights will be locked but the final offer by a qualified bidder will determine who wins. If a deal favors the buyer rather than the estate it could get taken away at court by a higher bidder."

The petition filed by Cahill’s office is tentatively scheduled to be heard on April 2 at 9:30 a.m. in probate court at the Family Court and Services Center, 601 North Pecos Road. The Public Administrator is an elected County office and may be ordered to administer a probate when there is no eligible administrator available or able to serve.
###

Clark County is a dynamic and innovative organization dedicated to providing top-quality service with integrity, respect and accountability. With jurisdiction over the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and covering an area the size of New Jersey, Clark is the nation’s 15th-largest county and provides extensive regional services to more than 2 million citizens and 40 million visitors a year. Included are the nation’s 7th-busiest airport, air quality compliance, social services and the state’s largest public hospital, University Medical Center. The county also provides municipal services that are traditionally provided by cities to almost 900,000 residents in the unincorporated area. Those include fire protection, roads and other public works, parks and recreation,


OK. So. Wow, huh? The county's probate office is selling off the rights? That's weird. And the public administrator is doing lunch in Hollywood? Also odd, no?
Also weird is the extra paragraph about what a "dynamic and innovative organization" our county's guvmint is. Although, truth be told, apparently they ran out of things to say and just gave up mid-sentence.

Can't wait to see how this one plays itself out. Usually deals for rights like this are private matters. It seems like we're about to find out, down to the penny, what Redd Foxx's story is worth.

Are you kidding?

Some mornings I don't have any idea what to blog. There was nothing of particular interest in the weekend papers -- mostly it was a lot of conjecture about the coming legislative session -- and I'm in the dumps over losing my Super Bowl bet and wondering when/where the LVRocks studio will reconstitute itself.

And then...this oddity lands in my box from the Clark County Desert Conservation Program.

Mojave Max
He’s the West Coast Version of the Groundhog

Today, Feb. 2, many residents across the country celebrate Groundhog Day while West Coast residents begin to look forward to the annual emergence of Mojave Max.

Mojave Max is a live tortoise. Like Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog, Mojave Max’s response to weather signifies when spring will arrive in Southern Nevada. Like all desert tortoises, Mojave Max goes to sleep in October or November of each year. He sleeps for five or six months and then emerges sometime in the spring, signaling the beginning of the season.

To increase interest and excitement in this event, Clark County hosts the annual Mojave Max Emergence Contest. This contest encourages students to study the behavior of desert tortoises and guess when Mojave Max will first exit his burrow each year. Mojave Max usually emerges in March, but has emerged as early as Feb.14, and as late as Apr. 14, in past years.

Temperature, daylight, and an internal clock are the three critical factors that determine when Mojave Max will first exit his burrow each year. The Clark County student who guesses closest to the actual time of Mojave Max’s emergence and their entire class will receive medals, t-shirts, a pizza party, and a field trip to Red Rock National Conservation Area.

For more information and contest entry log on to www.accessclarkcounty.com or www.mojavemax.com.

OK. Now, I'm all for desert conservation and teaching the young 'uns about animals. But there are a few problems with this:

1. What "season" is Mojave Max predicting? That it's going to get hot? We need a turtle for this?

2. I've been living here on and off for 12 years. I've never "looked forward" to Mojave Max waking from his slumber. Have any of you? And by "you" I mean anyone reading in the entire West Coast, according to this press release.

3. If this is a science lesson and not a lesson in mythology, then the kiddies ought to be told that Punxsutawney Phil is a fraud and, while an entertaining diversion, is not actually a scientific predictor of any weather patterns whatsoever. Also, the Tooth Fairy is usually your mom.

4. Las Vegas has so much. The Super Bowl. March Madness. New Year's Eve. Big fights. The World Series of Poker. Cirque du Soleil. CES. Manilow. Must we really swoop in and attempt to compete with a pathetic little Pennsylvania village that has just one ridiculous thing to its name? Is that really fair?

From the files of FINALLY

There's a groundbreaking tomorrow for a proper parking lot out by the 49-year-old "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign that has for years been a terrifying traffic and pedestrian hazard south of the Mandalay Bay on Las Vegas Boulevard.

This photo from the Rocky Mountain Roads website illustrates well the problem out there. People just park in traffic lanes, drive up onto the median, park at small businesses nearby and run across a busy road. I've often been amazed we don't hear about more traffic fatalities caused by the constant need to park or walk in a dangerous manner in order to get that iconic photo. I've even seen limos of bridal parties park on the turf laid out in front of the sign.

The $416,000 parking lot will feature 12 spots carved out of the southern portion of the median. There will be two handicapped spaces and some new landscaping, too. It's due to open in late November.

That seems like a lot of money, but I don't know much about these sorts of contracts. Fact is, it's currently a public safety hazard and something that someone should've thought of doing many years ago.