September Centennial Series to Highlight Impact of Hispanics on Local History
The role of Hispanics in local history will be the topic of discussion on Friday, Sept. 4, at 6 p.m. during Clark County’s next “Centennial Stories” roundtable.
September’s discussion is the eighth in a series of 90-minute roundtables called “Centennial Stories: Examining Our Past.” Clark County is hosting the series as part of its100th birthday celebration this year. The discussions are free and include an opportunity for those who attend the event to ask questions of the panelists. Each roundtable discussion is held in the County Government Center Commission Chambers, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway, and is aired live on Clark County Television (CCTV) Channel 4. Viewers can call in with questions by dialing 455-2288 (CCTV.) All Channel 4 programming also may be viewed live on the county Web site at www.accessclarkcounty.com. The discussions are replayed on Channel 4 throughout the month they are held.
“These monthly roundtable discussions are always interesting, engaging and educational,” said Commission Chairman Rory Reid. “We invite the public to participate in the discussions and enjoy their rebroadcast on Clark County Television Channel 4. They are a wonderful avenue for learning about our community’s diverse history.”
Clark County’s Hispanic community traces its roots to the construction of the railroad in 1905 when a small number of Mexicans came to the area to help build it. The local Hispanic population remained limited for decades, with the number of Latinos recorded as only 578 for the 1960 census. After Fidel Castro closed Cuba’s casinos, however, there was an influx of Cubans in the 1960s. The Hispanic population has exploded in the last two decades and is now estimated to comprise at least 30 percent of the Las Vegas Valley’s total population. Today the countries of origin of are diverse with every Spanish-speaking country in the Western hemisphere represented.
September’s discussion about local Hispanic history will feature the following panelists:
- Sandy Colon Peltyn, an entertainer of Puerto Rican heritage who came to Las Vegas in 1981 with her late husband Roger Peltyn, and has been involved in organizing charitable events and fundraisers.
- Otto Merida, president and chief executive officer of the Latin Chamber of Commerce who came to the U.S. from Cuba in 1961. Merida helped organize the Latin Chamber in 1976. The organization now has 1,500 members.
- Margarita Rebollal, executive director of the East Las Vegas Community Development Center and one of the driving forces behind the annual Hispanic Heritage Parade.
- Lynette Sawyer, executive director of the Hispanic Heritage Museum, which she founded in 1991 to help promote awareness of the rich and diverse heritage of Spanish speaking communities.
Discussions about Clark County’s history are set for every First Friday in 2009. Roundtable discussions slated for later in the year are Oct. 2, “Entertainers on the Las Vegas Strip”; Nov. 6, “Military History in Clark County”; and Dec. 4, “Marketing Las Vegas.” The discussions kicked off in February with a discussion of the history of segregation in Las Vegas. In March and April, the subjects were the history of women in Clark County and mining, respectively. In June, the discussion covered Las Vegas Strip architecture and neon. In July and August, the focuses were the history of the Strip during the Howard Hughes era and beyond and the history of organized crime in Las Vegas.
Other centennial celebrations include a touring history exhibit about rural Clark County, the grand opening of the Candlelight Wedding Chapel on Nov. 14 and a 1910 railroad cottage at the Clark County Museum, the placement of historical markers, a Web-based history of Clark County commissioners, brochures, additional historical programming on Channel 4, the release of a book about Las Vegas street names, and partnerships with the Clark County School District and the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District.
Clark County also has won nomination of the famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign to the National Historic Register. The Strip is located in unincorporated Clark County and is not part of any city. The Centennial Web site also features historical information, events listing, trivia contest, link to a geocaching project and a section where residents can share their historical stories.
Clark County was officially formed on July 1, 1909, out of what had been Lincoln County and is named for railroad baron William Andrews Clark. The city of Las Vegas, which includes downtown and the area north of the Strip, was incorporated two years later in 1911. Those interested in additional information on Clark County’s Centennial celebrations can visit the Web site at www.accessclarkcounty.com/100 or call 455-8200.