The Colorado Belle has added the Smoke Stack smoke shop to its retail shops. The store is located adjacent to the Belle's Dockside Market, and can be entered from the Market, Laughlin's RiverWalk or the lobby of the New Orleans Hotel Tower.

The Smoke Stack offers discount carton sales of all major brands, as well as the "value brands." There's also a selection of imported tobacco products, specialty cigarettes, even clove cigarettes, and logo merchandise, including Zippo lighters. Even manufacturer's coupons are accepted.

Daily Smoke Stack store hours are 23 hours a day. Guests can be served by Dockside Market cashiers in off-peak hours.

The challenge switching the time on our clocks at home is a breeze compared to what the Watch Man store inside the Riverside Resort goes through twice a year because there are 20,000 watches and clocks to change. The whole ordeal is so fascinating that the NBC Today Show is broadcasting the event from the store twice a year now.

The Today Show is live in New York at 7 a.m., so the broadcast starts at 4 a.m. in Laughlin. Over 40 Watch Man employees show up at 3 .m. to change the time on the 20,000 time pieces. The event turns into a party with pizza, lots of coffee, and the service department manager, Tien Nguyen, wearing his white Elvis jumpsuit and singing, "Now or Never."

Some of the star power coming up this month in Laughlin include: Mickey Rooney at the Ramada Express, April 22-23; Sawyer Brown, April l8 and Lynyrd Skynyrd, April 28-29, at the Flamingo Hilton; Freddy Fender at the Riverside, April 12-15; and at Harrah's the "Golden Boys" of Rock and Roll: Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell and Fabian, April 10, .38 Special, April 22, and Paul Anka, April 27.

The Edgewater is offering special room packages for three upcoming races: the Kentucky Derby May 6-7, the Preakness May 19-20, and the Belmont Stakes June 10-11. The room packages start at $115 and include two nights accommodations, two T-shirts ( a different shirt design for each race) and $30 in food script to be used at any of the Edgewater restaurants. For reservations, call 1-800-67-RIVER.

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Players can view each of the Tripe Crown races in the Edgewater's Race & Sports Book where there are 98 small 9 inch individual television monitors and a total of 133 screens going up in size to 80 inches. There are also special promotions for bettors in the Race & Sports Book. The races can also be seen on the six televisions in Kokopelli's Lounge, including the 130 inch screen.

Don's Kid Kastle is offering a "Spring Break" rate through April 18, at the supervised children's play center inside the Riverside Resort. All children staying a minimum of three hours will receive a free gift.

The play center is designed exclusively for children ages three months to 12 years of age, and offers parents the opportunity to plan an evening out and not worry about the children. For further information on the free gift "Spring Break," or about the facility, call 702-298-2535 or 520-763-7070.

Live professional boxing will take place at the Avi Resort in the River Garden Pavilion on Saturday, April 22, at 8 p.m. The main event features Scott "The Pink Cat" Walker (23-4-1, 12 KOs) against an opponent to be announced. Tickets are $20 for all seating, call 702-535-5529

The second annual Empire Power Mohave Unlimited Hydrofest will return to Lake Havasu May 18-21. Many folks will opt to stay in Laughlin and enjoy the short hour plus ride to Lake Havasu for this event.

Dates are still scheduled this month for educational hikes and presentations sponsored by the Katharine Ranger Station near Laughlin. Reservations are necessary and may be requested up to two weeks prior by contacting the host station at 702-754-3272 or visiting Katherine Landing between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., MST. Including today, there are nine more hikes and discussions running through Saturday, April 29.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area including Lake Mohave will not fall under the new nationwide ban on small watercraft. That's a relief for visitors who enjoy the outdoor adventures provided by the vast sweeping desert lake area.

The Lake Mohave Resort rents Sea Doos and the mandate is that the personal watercraft can't be more than two years old. The resort rents Sea Doo craft manufactured by Bombardier and right now they are running all 2000- year models. It takes 25 to 30 minutes to check out customers on the proper procedures. Thus care is being taken in both the area of safety and protecting the environment from pollutants and noise.

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