Amodei skewered by Rotary for charity

Outgoing state Sen. Mark Amodei of Carson City was repeatedly skewered Friday night by friends and colleagues over his legendary tardiness.

Former Carson Mayor Marv Teixeira, who was the Rotary's first roast victim last year, pointed out that Amodei weighed nearly 10 pounds when he was born in 1958 and arrived a month overdue.

"Yes, he was even late for his own birth," Teixeira said.

Amodei, who is out of the Nevada Senate because of term limits at the end of this year, had a habit of bailing out on meetings that bored him and coming late, if at all. At one point, that resulted in the Senate Secretary's staff having his face put on a milk carton with the caption, "Have you seen me?"

Nearly 200 people paid $85 apiece for the dinner and roast at the Carson Nugget with the money raised going to a variety of area charities supported by Rotary of Carson City. In addition, a live auction raised another $6,900 and the silent auction raised even more money for the cause.

Sen. Bernice Mathews, D-Sparks, said it took her sometime to figure out that when Amodei left his coat on the back of his chair in the Senate chambers and his laptop on the desk, it didn't mean he just stepped out for a minute.

"He goes home," she said.

Amodei responded that he knew the Senate was just wasting time and thought why should he sit through it?

Justice of the Peace John Tatro emceed the event, starting off with a definition of politics.

"Poli means many," he said. "And ticks are blood sucking parasites. Remember that."

Teixeira actually had to return to the podium at the end of the event because his initial comment to the crowd was: "My mother always told me if you can't say something good about somebody, it's best to say nothing at all. Thank you."

So saying, he walked away.

Sheriff Kenny Furlong told the story of Amodei and several other sophomores getting caught by sheriffs in the high school's initiation which required them to run down Kings Canyon Road naked. Amodei said he and the others were embarrassed at the bottom of the run when his mother showed up at the scene.

Reno Mayor Bob Cashell joined the party. But both Tatro and Amodei got even, pointing out Cashell was the licensed operator of the Ormsby House when it closed down years ago.

The annual roast was created as a fundraiser to provide contributions to a variety of causes from the Carson Tahoe Cancer Center and Boys and girls Club to Advocates to End Domestic Violence and Haitian Relief.