Like many years, 2015 was a roller coaster ride for the residents of Boulder City. There were some high points, some low points and a few in between.
Change, financial issues and resolutions to long-term issues were recurring themes among the year’s top stories. Change was top among them all.
Boulder City saw plenty of changes in 2015. Chief among them were the departure of Mayor Roger Tobler, who was forced out of office by term limits, ushering in the term of Mayor Rod Woodbury.
The start of the year saw the demise of the Hacienda, which became Hoover Dam Lodge, changing its name to match its new rustic look. Within months, the casino and hotel also had a new general manager. Railroad Pass, just outside the city limits, saw a few changes, too, as Henderson developer Joe DeSimone purchased the state’s oldest continuously operating casino.
Changes in leadership were seen elsewhere, as well. St. Jude’s Ranch for Children’s CEO resigned amid reports of an outrageous salary and bonus and unrest among the nonprofit’s board of directors.
And Boulder City High School’s head football coach, Alex Kazel, resigned in February and was replaced by Chris Morelli, who led the Lady Eagles flag football team to an undefeated season and the Clark County championship.
The school is undergoing major changes as a long-planned remodeling project began late in the year after months of protests by students, parents and teachers.
One building saw multiple changes as Vons grocery store was transformed into a Haggen, only to have the Pacific Northwest grocer declare bankruptcy and close, all within a six-month period.
These changes were only a few of the noteworthy events Boulder City saw in 2015. Staff members had a difficult challenge narrowing it down to the top 10.
Here, in chronological order, are the top 10 news stories from 2015.
January
Dance instructor dies
Amy Arnaz, who owned Dance Etc., the Boulder City Ballet Company and the Boulder Theater — where she taught hundreds of students to embrace their dance skills — died at the age of 63 after a two-year battle with cancer.
Known as “Miss Amy,” Arnaz had a smile on her face everywhere she went, no matter the event.
She had lived in Boulder City since the 1970s and bought the Boulder Theatre in 1997 with her husband, Desi Arnaz Jr.
A remembrance ceremony was held in March, with hundreds gathering at Bicentennial Park to launch pink, heart-shaped balloons into the sky.
A 6-foot banner with Arnaz’s face and the phrase, “Keep dancing and love,” was signed by the many in attendance.
February
St. Jude’s CEO resigns
Christine Spadafor resigned from her position as CEO of St. Jude’s Ranch for Children after reports of a lofty salary at the nonprofit surfaced.
Spadafor’s annual compensation included a $300,000 salary, $100,000 bonus and close to $35,000 in expense reimbursement. There were also allegations of mismanagement at the nonprofit operation.
Spadafor’s resignation came after every one of the five Nevada board members departed — four resigning and one taking another position within the nonprofit.
During her time as CEO, Spadafor was also on the board of directors at Boyd Gaming Corp., which paid her $202,5111. Spadafor decided to leave St. Jude’s to pursue consulting work with other companies, the national board said in a statement.
March
Officers shoot, kill man
Boulder City encountered its first officer-involved shooting in nearly a decade when officers shot and killed 54-year old John Allen.
According to Sgt. Aaron Johnson, two Boulder City officers responded to a “shots fired” call around 10:30 p.m. March 29. Officers then told Allen to put his hands up as they approached his apartment door. Allen did not obey orders, went inside and grabbed a pistol, then began shooting at officers.
The two officers, Alan Nutzman, 43, and Arman de Salazar, 38, returned fire, hitting Allen twice. Nutzman and de Salazar were not hit, but Johnson later died after being airlifted to University Medical Center.
Months later, an investigation revealed that a string of tragic events, including a pending divorce after a very short marriage and financial troubles, may have triggered Allen’s behavior.
April
Construction starts on I-11
Several politicians were among those who gathered just outside the city to break ground for the first piece of Interstate 11, a 15-mile stretch known as the Boulder City bypass.
At the ceremony, Gov. Brian Sandoval said, “This is one of the most important infrastructure projects in the history of Nevada. It’s going to be so important for the continued development of Southern Nevada and making sure that we can distribute to all points of the world.”
The Regional Transportation Commission is building the 12.5 mile strip closest to the Arizona border while the Nevada Department of Transportation is overseeing construction of the 2.5 mile strip closest to Henderson.
The $318 million project, which will link Las Vegas and Phoenix, is expected to create at least 4,000 jobs.
Expected completion date for this phase is set for the end of 2017 or early 2018, but I-11 won’t end there.
Recently, an bill was passed into law by President Barack Obama approving the expansion of I-11 to the north. This new bill will allow the interstate to connect with Interstate 80, and the hope is that I-11 will be a corridor from Canada to Mexico.
May
Payment ordered for residents
After five years of litigation, the saga of six Boulder City residents who the Nevada Supreme Court said were wrongfully sued by Boulder City for circulating ballot initiatives came to an end after the District Court ordered the city to pay a combined $237,500 to the residents and their attorneys.
In total, it cost the city about $800,000.
The battle began in 2010 after the city sued to challenge the legality of three ballot initiatives the residents had circulated. The initiatives aimed to limit city debt, establish term limits for volunteer committees and prevent the city from owning more than one golf course.
The city successfully argued in District Court in Clark County that it had the right to sue the petitioners to challenge the initiatives. But the state’s Supreme Court overturned the rulings of three District Court judges, ruling that they were strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPPs, and the city could have challenged the initiatives by naming the secretary of state or another government entity as a defendant.
Also, the residents sought compensatory damages, and instead of the parties dragging the matter out for years through the court system, a settlement was reached.
June
City gets new leaders
After term limits prevented Mayor Roger Tobler for running for office again, Councilman Rod Woodbury announced his intentions to seek the office.
Woodbury was declared as mayor in February when he ran unopposed.
His departure, however, left a vacant seat on the council. Councilwoman Peggy Leavitt ran for re-election against newcomers Rich Shuman and Linda Graham.
Shuman finished the race behind Leavitt, with 1,449 votes, or 36 percent.
The trio were sworn into office on June 23.
June
Grocery store closes
This was not the year of the grocery store in Boulder City — at least not for Haggen, that is.
Vons closed its doors June 7 in Boulder City after being acquired by Pacific-Northwest giant Haggen in a company effort to expand its brand. The Boulder City store was one of 146 locations acquired because of a merger between Albertsons and Safeway, Vons’ parent company.
Haggen expanded from 18 stores with 16 pharmacies to 164 stores with 106 pharmacies, growing its workforce from 2,000 employees to more than 10,000 as it transforms into a regional grocery chain covering five states.
However that effort went south quickly as Haggen filed a $1 billion complaint against Albertsons that the store used “coordinated and systematic efforts to eliminate competition and Haggen as a viable competitor in over 130 local grocery markets in five states.”
The complaint is still pending, but Haggen has filed for bankruptcy, closing and selling the majority of its stores, including the Boulder City location.
Whether or not another grocery store opens in that space remains unknown.
July
Fight over hospital starts
When news broke that land developer Randy Schams was purchasing the original Six Cos. Hospital, residents knew the city’s time with this historic landmark was coming to a close.
Schams’ plan was to demolish the old hospital, which was built in 1932, to make room for a residential development.
But residents of Boulder City weren’t going to lay down quietly. The Historic Boulder City Foundation was formed to bring the issue of how historic properties should be treated to the spotlight.
The foundation also questioned the validity of Schams’ demolition permit.
One of the biggest areas of contention was that the building was on the National Register of Historic Places. However, a representative from the city’s Historic Preservation Committee said that as a piece of private property, the owner had the right to do whatever he wanted. When the committee was formed, residents were afraid that the city would impose restrictions on how they could decorate their homes’ exteriors.
After passing through the Planning Commission, which Schams heads, the vote went to City Council in November. Dozens of people showed up to voice their opinions, and the historic foundation’s lawyer presented a case about how the permit was incorrectly obtained. In the end, the city determined the permit had been properly issued and voted to uphold Schams’ permit. Demolition began a few days later.
December
Shelter scandal emerges
Boulder City officials came under fire when allegations surfaced that former Animal Shelter Supervisor Mary Jo Frazier was needlessly killing animals.
Boulder City Police Department Chief Bill Conger’s — as well as the city’s — decision not to pursue charges against Frazier caused an uproar.
Questions also had arisen about her handling of shelter money.
With public pressure, the city reversed its original decision and sought to bring felony charges against Frazier by submitting their case to the Clark County district attorney.
Earlier this year, Frazier, who had resigned, sold her Southern Nevada home and reportedly moved out of state. Her whereabouts remain unknown.
December
Project starts at high school
Boulder City High School was going to be remodeled in 2004, until it wasn’t. Then again in 2014, until it wasn’t.
Now, though, Principal Amy Wagner is sure phase two of the school’s remodeling is on the right track. The first steps were taken as trenches were dug for new underground pipes.
The holdup was caused by several hurdles, such as legislation requiring the school district to hire contractors using prevailing wages, outdated security systems and broken plumbing lines.
The phase will take down two-thirds of the 200 building and all of the 300 building.
An official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the project is scheduled for Jan. 29.
— Hali Bernstein Saylor is editor of the Boulder City Review. She can be reached at hsaylor@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523. Follow @HalisComment on Twitter. Contact Randy Faehnrich at news@bouldercityreivew.com.