Nevada
York Beach Nevada motel reborn: Iconic landmark reopens with modern makeover
YORK, Maine — Joe Lipton walked along his newly renovated Nevada Motel with its third-story addition as a neighbor called from her deck to give him well wishes.
“It’s been great, everybody’s happy,” Lipton yells back to the woman, who hollered in response she has “watched the whole process” of revitalizing the 1950s-era motel.
“That’s what it’s been like this whole time,” Lipton said, having just completed the project after two years of planning and construction. “Everybody walking by, so happy we did what we did.”
The Nevada’s website went live Monday, offering 21 rooms overlooking Long Sands Beach. The motel includes York’s newest tiki restaurant, Lulu’s, which will soon be open to more than just hotel guests.
The project brings the original Nevada Motel back to life after it was sold by the family of its original owner, Henry de la Pena, who opened the hotel in 1951. Lipton and his wife, Michelle Friar, maintained the building’s shape, imitating the flybridge of a battleship like the one on which de la Pena served.
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What’s new at the Nevada Motel at Long Sands Beach?
New are the modern amenities added by Lipton and Friar, as well as a raising of the first floor and a new interior for access to the second and third-floor rooms rather from the outside like a traditional motel. Rooms have also been made more spacious because of the third-story expansion, allowing each unit to be bumped out to more square footage. The room count was also reduced by two to make those units more spacious.
The hallways of the Nevada feature acrylic and digital artwork from two local artists, as well as music and lighting. The front lawn of the motel was once open grass and now features gardens, outdoor dining and steps to guests’ rooms.
The Nevada will feature a shuttle service exclusively for guests to the ViewPoint Hotel, also owned by Lipton and Friar, on Nubble Road so guests can enjoy the outdoor restaurant A Little Auk. Those staying at the ViewPoint will also have access to the shuttle to get to the Nevada, which is only a short walk from the couple’s third hotel and restaurant, Stones Throw.
Lipton said the project at the Nevada was about revitalizing one of Long Sands Beach’s iconic structures and preventing it from being turned into residential units.
“Keeping the feeling of the Nevada and giving it a rebirth,” Lipton said, “And not doing something like condos.”
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Nevada Motel revitalized with new Tiki Restaurant
The restaurant Lulu’s, named for Lipton and Friar’s daughter Lucy and her childhood nickname, features Mexican and Polynesian food. Tiki-style restaurants and décor became popular in the 1950s, and Lipton said the Pacific Rim theme went well with the Nevada’s naval element.
Lulu’s focuses less on imagery like native tiki masks and more on the connection between food and nature. On the menu is a raw bar with ceviche, rice and noodle bowls and al pastor – pork cooked vertically, rotating underneath a pineapple from which juice flows down.
Lipton said Lulu’s is open to hotel guests but still needs approval from the Planning Board to be open to the public. Lipton is seeking that approval, but in the meantime, he said he is giving out one-day complimentary guest passes so visitors can get a taste of Lulu’s.
“We can give people a day pass, and now they’re guests of the hotel,” Lipton said, “And they can come in and enjoy the restaurant.”
What’s next for Nevada owners?
Now having three hotels with accompanying restaurants, Lipton and Friar say they plan to take a break from new projects for at least one year to enjoy what they’ve accomplished. They said they still intend to finish the spa at the ViewPoint this year, featuring a hot tub, sauna, cold plunge, fire pits, couples massages and treatments. That project will be completed by late August or early September, Lipton said.
Lipton and Friar say they have focused on projects they thought would not only be successful but also places they would hang out themselves. Lipton said he does not know what opportunity will present itself next, but he said he has been motivated to open businesses that add to the community where he has lived since he was 8 years old.
“Our look at doing things is, what are we creating in the community that’s going to be here after we’re gone,” Lipton said. “This is our form of art. This is how we express ourselves, and then people can enjoy it.”
Nevada
Nevada lawmaker pushes for harsher animal cruelty laws after abuse, death of Reba the Bulldog
Nevada
Nevada offensive lineman Isaiah World transfers to Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks secured their third transfer portal addition in a single day on Wednesday night.
Nevada offensive tackle Isaiah World announced his commitment to the Ducks. World — standing at 6-foot-8, 320 pounds — was the top available offensive tackle in the portal according to 247Sports.
Originally a three-star recruit out of high school in San Diego, World was a two-time all-Mountain West honorable mention at Nevada in 2023 and 2024. He spent four seasons with the Wolfpack, including one redshirt year, and has one year of eligibility remaining.
World joins fellow offensive tackle Alex Harkey (Texas State) and tight end Jamari Johnson (Louisville) in the trio of transfers to commit to Oregon on Wednesday.
Keep tabs on all of Oregon’s incoming and outgoing transfers with our live transfer portal tracker.
CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl
- Who: No. 1 Oregon Ducks (13-0) vs. No. 8 Ohio State/No. 9 Tennessee
- When: Wednesday, Jan. 1
- Time: 2 p.m. PT
- Where: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
- TV channel: ESPN
- Stream: You can watch this game live for FREE with Fubo (free trial) or by signing up for Sling (cheapest streaming plans, $25 off your first month). If you already have cable, you can also watch this game live on Watch ESPN with your cable or satellite provider login information.
- Oregon Ducks football 2024 season schedule, scores
- Sign up for The Ducks Beat newsletter
— Ryan Clarke covers the Oregon Ducks and Big Ten Conference. Listen to the Ducks Confidential podcast or subscribe to the Ducks Roundup newsletter.
Nevada
Nevada Senate leader announces sweeping education reform bill
Nevada Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro announced a sweeping education bill she will push in the upcoming Legislative Session, with proposals ranging from retaining previous teacher raises and creating universal pre-K programs to improving accountability measures for public and private schools.
The Education through Accountability, Transparency, and Efficiency (EDUCATE) Act aims to help facilitate a “broad-based conversation about accountability in the education system,” according to a statement from Cannizzaro, D-Las Vegas, on Wednesday.
“The EDUCATE Act is the result of a commitment I made a year ago to bring forward a package of education reforms that would improve outcomes for students, help us hire and retain great teachers and staff, and give parents more confidence in our educational system,” Cannizzaro’s statement said.
Her bill would retain the nearly 20 percent raises for staff passed as part of the 2023 education budget.
Cannizzaro wants to expand alternative routes to licensure and Paraprofessional Pathways Project programs to address teacher shortages. Her bill would also establish a Nevada Commission on Educator Recruitment and Retention that will replace the Nevada Department of Education’s advisory task force to identify strategies to address educator workforce pipelines.
The bill also contains provisions to expand accountability for schools. If passed, it would create a School District Oversight Board, a joint legislative and executive branch group that would oversee school districts and take action if they fail to meet certain obligations.
It would also require the State Board of Education to develop academic achievement plans for elementary schools that includes three-year goals and plans aimed at advancing student achievement.
The EDUCATE Act also create universal pre-K for all 4-year-olds.
Regarding opportunity scholarships, a source of tension between state Democrats and Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, Cannizzaro’s bill would require all private schools receiving public funds to meet the same subject assessment requirements as public schools. It would create a mandate for schools to collect and report demographic and enrollment information of Opportunity Scholarship recipients.
“We all agree that our kids deserve the best possible educational opportunities, and I look forward to a robust conversation during the legislation session about making publicly funded schools more transparent and accountable to deliver for students, parents, and our community,” Cannizzaro said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.
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