Artist seeks money for dream

Las Vegas Review-Journal ^ | Dec. 08, 2006 | Las Vegas Review-Journal

[Nevadan]

Las Vegas artist Melissa Henry dreams of a new community that lives in harmony with Mother Nature, a place where the world's greatest thinkers can ponder the world's greatest problems, a model for the city of future.

Henry unveiled her dream, and a plea for the money necessary to realize it, Thursday at a fundraising event for Nova Town and Sage Era Resort and Community, a 24-acre community envisioned for the middle of the desert near Jean, about 30 miles south of Las Vegas.

About 50 people attended the dinner at the Stirling Club at Turnberry Place to see the artist's conception and hear Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rail against the environmental policies of the Bush administration.

Henry envisions Nova Town as a place with restaurants, lavish gardens, and movie theaters where visitors will get around in non-fossil fuel burning cars and carriages. The community would also host symposiums where leading thinkers in science, art, medicine, the environment and other disciplines can meet and discuss solutions to the world's problems.

"This is more than a big venture. It is an adventure," motivational speaker Douglas Cox said.

[Nevadan]

Since her "dream" city is located 30 miles outside of Las Vegas, and there is virtually nothing else in the area other than a prison, two less than glamourous casinos, and some gas stations, the people who would buy homes in this town would most likely have to drive their fossil fuel burning cars to Las Vegas to work. I also imagine that all the "leading thinkers" of the world who will be popping into town via Las Vegas International Airport in order to travel to Jean, NV so that they can discuss and solve the world's problems, may end up using at least a little bit of fossil fuel in the process.

[dfwgator]

Also, how much water are they going to have to use to keep those lawns nice and green?

[concerned about politics]

Las Vegas artist Melissa Henry dreams of a new community that lives in harmony with Mother Nature, a place where the world's greatest thinkers can ponder the world's greatest problems, a model for the city of future.

She wants to start a cave man cult?

[null and void]

She going to destroy virgin wilderness to build this place? Devastate a fragile desert ecosystem? What is she thinking????

[Hegemony Cricket]

Yes. Me too.

[Lx]

I'd like to see her short list of the world's greatest thinkers.

[D.P.Roberts]

Wow! Where can I send my money?

Seriously, we had one of these dream cities in NC some years back, but its name escapes me. Abandoned at huge taxpayer expense now, of course.

[steel_resolve]

yes, but cave men - FROM THE FUTURE

[garyhope]

Yeah, this'll work. For about 15 minutes.

Dream "idealistic" communities mean that there will be lots and lots of little rules to follow to save "the environment" and they will be strictly enforced. AND YOU WILL OBEY AND CONFORM!!

[metesky]

Retired Maine carpenter seeks money for dream.

[concerned about politics]

The community would also host symposiums where leading thinkers in science, art, medicine, the environment and other disciplines can meet and discuss solutions to the world's problems.

As long as the rest of the country can gleefully ignore the kooks "wisdoms", I don't see a problem with their little hippie commune.
They tried it in the 60's, but there were too many liberals and not enough field slaves.

[steve8714]

Will they have whorehouses? Oops, I mean will there be sex workers?

[Graybeard58]

"a place where the world's greatest thinkers can ponder the world's greatest problems"

That place alreadt exists, all she has to do is click:

http://www.freerepublic.com

[steve8714]

Working salesman seeks money to waste at casinos and with hookers. Fund raiser next Tuesday.

[HarmlessLovableFuzzball]

Just another example of a liberal completely detached from reality.

[Just another Joe]

Retired Maine carpenter seeks money for dream.

Yeh, but I'll bet her dream doesn't involve honey, sweet navel oranges, and nubile females. LOL

[ThomasThomas]

I thought that was EPCOT.

[Kowdawg]

Great Idea. Let's wait till they all get in and then build a fence around it.

[concerned about politics]

The Branch Davidians tried this, and we all know what the left wing government did to them!
Maybe they'll be spared this time because they're worshiping a "politically correct goddess" and a "government endorsed deity."

[darkwing104]

The "Leading Thinkers" will do their best work at the Strip Joint during Happy Hour...

Idiot Artist probably just finished reading Walden Pond...

[the_devils_advocate_666]

[Aquinasfan]

This is too funny.

[Robwin]

"I'd like to see her short list of the world's greatest thinkers."

I suspect her name would be on the top of the list.

[ridesthemiles]

Also, how much water are they going to have to use to keep those lawns nice and green?""

The reference to "LAVISH GARDENS" is the part that got me cracking up.

I have ridden a number of 50 mile endurance rides on horseback in that area, actually base camped at both of those casinos at different events. Gold Strike and Nevada Landing, as I recall. We had all we could do to get the ride manager to put out enough water for the horses on the course marked for us.
Maybe this dreamer is planning on getting the prisoners to ride stationary bicycles to pump water for the lavish gardens?? :) :) What a hoot!!

[Nevadan]

re: I'd like to see her short list of the world's greatest thinkers.

I think she had one of the members on her short list attending the meeting: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who spent his time railing "against the environmental policies of the Bush administration".

[dfwgator]

Best sign, ever.

[JZelle]

I think that old abandoned BioDome is still for sale.

[Covenantor]

Ahh geeze, not this crap again.

She should get out more. Paolo Soleri started his city in the early 70's in central Arizona. He managed to get a steady stream of architectural students to pay him for the privilege of building his Arcosanti, "an urban laboratory". He was new age before the term was invented.

Currently progress seems to be stuck on making the same bells as he was 25 years ago.

http://www.arcosanti.org/project/background/history/main.html

[xowboy]

They are already near perfect in Nevada now that they have a smoking ban. Now Nirvana!!!! (sarc)

[garyhope]

LOL. Good one.

You're right (no pun intended) of course.

After all, I am here.

[null and void]

A wall, not a fence. (You can't fill a fence with water)...

[concerned about politics]

Las Vegas artist Melissa Henry dreams

LOL!!!

[Nevadan]

re: how much water are they going to have to use to keep those lawns nice and green?

Ironically, also in today's Las Vegas Review Journal is an article entitled: Rebates doubled for Lawn Removal.
As a water conservation measure, the local water district is paying its customers $2 per square foot of every section of grass they remove.

[patton]

C'mon, Dan, let them build it. It would be what we call a "bait pile." ;)

[Former MSM Viewer]

"a place where the world's greatest thinkers can ponder the world's greatest problems"

That place alreadt exists, all she has to do is click:

http://www.freerepublic.com


TOUCHE'

(or for us that might not be the world's greatest thinkers, too-shay!!!

[Former MSM Viewer]

EPCOT is Sooooo last century...."

[quark]

"Like, wow, man. I volunteer to be the town
dopehead and sperm donor!"

[ClaireSolt]

Yes, wonderful sign.

[metesky]

Joe, when ya get old the mind starts slipping so remind me: What, exactly, is a nubile female?

[Redcloak]

Sounds like an anti-Galt's-Gulch.

[Just another Joe]

Nubile - Sexually mature and attractive. Normally Used of young women.

[r9etb]

Already been thought of....

[Deaf Smith]

Nova Town. Sounds like a junkyard for rusted out old Chevies.

[DejaJude]

The middle of the desert, with little water to drive into or structures to crash into, might just be a good place to put the Kennedys. If they would promise to stay there, I would donate to the project.

[xowboy]

Or for rusted out hippies.

[Rembrandt_fan]

The (late) Japanese writer Yukio Mishima also envisaged a dream community, filled with beauty and genius. Other writers, artists, and philosophers have done the same going back to Plato. The one common thread is that such communities are rarely--if ever--realized, simply because--in my opinion--maintaining elitist communities requires that not-so-elitist folks must live and work there. While the glitterati are sitting around thinking big thoughts, who picks up the garbage? Who fixes the plumbing? Who cleans out the gutters and sweeps the sidewalks?

Seems to me these dream communities are nothing more than Aspen or Martha's Vinyard, only less honest.

[concerned about politics]

While the glitterati are sitting around thinking big thoughts, who picks up the garbage? Who fixes the plumbing? Who cleans out the gutters and sweeps the sidewalks?

The illegal immigrants, of course. These are liberal elitists, remember?

[hdstmf]

Joe, when ya get old the mind starts slipping so remind me: What, exactly, is a nubile female?

Don't worry about it Joe. If you are that old it does'nt matter.

[hdstmf]

Another idealistic idiot meets dumb fans.

[GoldCountryRedneck]

....a place where the world's greatest thinkers can ponder the world's greatest problems...

Far more appropriate perch considering the worth of that kind of 'lofty thinking'...