Articles + Interviews
Coping with Loss…
This was a tough month to write about. Not because of the lack of subjects to explore, but rather because I wanted to do it right. For those who have lost a loved one, you know the grieving process can be difficult. This month, three stories, three different households, all of which has dealt with loss in their own ways.
Sometimes believing in something deeper, is coping
I pay tribute to my own grandfather, Andrew E. Anka, and explain how I was able to transition from my pain of losing him while I was 23, to coping by looking at the next chapter of my life.
Hawley family isn’t coping; they endure
Brooke Hawley was one of three teenagers killed when a drunk driver slammed into their stopped car at a stoplight. A fourth teen survived. Life as the Hawley family knew it - full of laughter, and vibrancy, and energy, and wildness, and love, and camping, and hunting, and trips to their cabin - ended abruptly. The Hawley's nightmare continues.
Fleury has found peace since father’s passing
When Marc-Andre Fleury and I spoke in late February, he admitted it took some time to get used to playing games and not having his father to call. It was a tradition he enjoyed following games, be it directly afterward or the next day. It was something he looked forward to, quite frankly, any day of the week. Those normal everyday conversations fathers and sons have, Fleury doesn't anymore.
Girls and Women in Sports: a discussion for every day
February 3 was National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Out of 365 days, with the hundreds of thousands of female athletes, that's all they get? Two days after we celebrated women across the country, I introduce to you four amazing women from Southern Nevada who are making an impact on young lives.
Lupo Masden: Saving lives, one at a time
Jody Lupo Masden and I met when she was in high school. I was covering a wide variety of community topics, and she was softball star at Bishop Gorman High School. Her parents, Joe and Sandy, are wonderful people I also became close with. Nearly 25 years later, Jody is an influential member of the Clark County Juvenile Probation Department, changing youths lives for the better, in some cases saving them. I spoke to Jody and her husband Aaron, also a juvenile probation officer, and how these kids are just as impactful as they are to them.
Knights duo Golden in their roles
Stormy Buonantony and Alyssa Girardi work for the Vegas Golden Knights, the former in front of the camera and the latter behind the scenes of the content so many adoring fans have come to enjoy. The dynamic duo recently started their own podcast championing and empowering the efforts of women who are blazing trails and who have made their marks in the hockey scene. While on a recent road trip, I had a chance to visit with these talented ladies via Zoom, as they shared their individual journeys and talked about life with the Golden Knights.
Meteoric rise has A’ja Wilson looking like the idols she once admired
A'ja Wilson, the face of the Las Vegas Aces, has seen her star on the rise since being drafted No. 1 after winning the national championship at South Carolina. She's become a role model for many young girls, and she is hoping she can reach as many lives as possible, helping people realize their potential and their dreams can come true. She was recently immortalized with a statue on the campus of South Carolina, and we spoke about that special day along with several other topics before she left for Team USA camp.
This month: Old Vegas
This month’s theme finds us ringin’ in the New Year talkin’ Old Vegas. I had the pleasure of talking to two gentlemen who spent the best time in Las Vegas - the 1970s and 1980s -a time where everyone felt warm and welcome and a part of a town that had less than half-million people living here. I also share my story of growing up in Las Vegas.
Nothing better than Ol’ Vegas
I spoke to a few gentlemen I have a lot of respect for and whom I appreciate for the roles they've played in my life over the years. From Billy Walters, to Don Logan, to John L. Smith, to the dee jay who is credited to introducing hip hop to Las Vegas on a grand scale, Frank Anobile. There will never be an old Las Vegas like we once had. I miss it. And I talk about it often, passionately.
A story as Rich as they come, from old Vegas
Mark Rich came to Las Vegas in 1974 and worked at some of the hottest nightspots back in the day. He befriended entertainers, sports personalities, and some notorious characters who made up the underworld of Las Vegas. These days, he's enjoying life as a restaurateur. But there isn't a day that goes by that he recollects with someone what old school Vegas was about. We sat down recently to talk about his time here.
Schirripa: An original Vegas Goodfella
Steven Schirripa might be a well-known actor who has collected hundreds of thousands of fans after bursting on to the scene as Bobby Bacala in The Sopranos, and furthering his career as Anthony Abetemarco on Blue Bloods, but he credits the good ol' days in Las Vegas for his success. Schirripa was instrumental in keeping the Riviera a hot spot for entertainment before he embarked on his acting career. We spent a little more than an hour on a Zoom session recently and talked about many people we both knew back in the day.
This Month: Proud Fathers
Proud Fathers is the theme for December, with three stories about three individuals at different stages in their fatherhood, but all equally proud to be where they’re at. Two fathers have seen their children execute goals into professions and fulfilled dreams, while a third - one of the most recognizable hockey players in the NHL - is just getting started - and loves it.
A five-year plan helped a dream come true
What father wouldn’t be proud of a child who lays out the blueprint of a dream - a detailed five-year plan - and then executes it to perfection? Jordin Ramirez’s #2020Vision came true in November when he received the keys to a facility that will become his perFIcT gym.
Blazing her own trail
Lindy La Rocque grew up in a basketball gym, watching her father, Al, turn Las Vegas’ Durango High School into a basketball powerhouse during the 1990s. Now retired, Al said it’s been a dream come true to have his daughter return home to coach the UNLV Lady Rebels.
Nothing soft about wanting to be a father
Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves has become a fan favorite since arriving in 2018. Fans of all ages love him across the Southern Nevada. At home, he’s as big a fan of his kids, as they are of their father. Ryan talked to WGRamirez.com about how becoming a father has changed his life.
This Month: Mental Health
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, there were 1.4 million suicide attempts 48,344 Americans died by suicide, and that suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in the United States in 2018. This month WGRamirez.com introduces you to three stories about how Mental Health can affect many walks of life.
I was ready to check out from one of two places: Vegas, or life
How Las Vegas Aces guard Kayla McBride’s self-penned article in The Players’ Tribune helped one sports writer sit down and put his own journey with depression and suicidal thoughts into a column.
When love helps conquer tougher days
Shelby Estocado lost the use of her legs in a snowboarding accident. Molly Weikart suffers from anxiety attacks. The two fell in love in July and are “both learning off each other what it means to be with someone of a different disability.”
Mental Health does not discriminate
When it comes to mental health, everyone is equal. That includes three professional athletes who represent Las Vegas in respective sports: Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner, Las Vegas Aced guard Kayla McBride and Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller.
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