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In business legislature SMALL BUSINESS new option put on table to fund school construction closing of book store frees woman to pursue passion By Cy Ryan staff writer By William Dickstein for vegas inc After spending 25 years working for Borders, the book store chain that closed in 2011, Doreen Drago decided she wasn't going to let a bad economy stop her from starting her own business. She just didn't figure it would be launched based on the favorable feedback of a cake she baked for her son's wedding. She and her sister Diana were catering the 2009 reception when, at the last minute, they were asked to deliver a cake, too. Rather than turn to a bakery, they turned to their own kitchens. "We had people asking us to cater other events before we had even left the wedding," Doreen recalled. "Then we started getting requests for cakes, as well." For two years, Doreen and Diana ran the business out of their homes, with Doreen sometimes forgoing sleep to bake a cake after an open-to-close shift at Borders and Diana managing to find CARSON CITY — Clark County voters in November rejected a proposal to raise the property tax to build new schools and renovate existing ones. A new plan was unveiled this month to permit the School District to enter into a contract with a nonprofit corporation for the building of new schools. It would be a lease-purchase agreement in which the district would not have the upfront costs of construction, says Steven Nielsen, senior vice president development of Educational Facilities Development Services. Joyce Haldeman of the School District said the school board has not agreed to anything, but it allows members another option to consider. Joining in backing the measure were the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce, the state Association of School Superintendents and Washoe County. Sen. Mark Hutchinson, R-Las Vegas, sponsored SB350, saying it would per- mit a school district to use unpledged revenues to finance capital construction needs. The nonprofit corporation, acting as an agent for a school district, would take the bond to the market to secure financing. And a developer, on behalf of the nonprofit corporation, would then build the needed facilities. Nielsen said the school district would get the school at the end of the lease period, which could be 40 years. And there would be a guarantee the nonprofit would make sure the repairs are made so at the end of the lease, the school is not run down. If the school district could not make the payments on the bonds, then the school could be sold, Nielsen said. The financing is a nonrecourse loan, so the debt is not a financial obligation of the school district, he said. There was no opposition in testimony to the committee. The committee did not take any action on the bill. time to make icing after an 8-hour shift dealing cards at the MGM Grand. When Doreen received the news in 2011 that the Borders she managed would be shutting its doors, she thought, "Well, I'll have more time to bake." Drago Sisters Bakery now is a threeperson operation. Doreen mans the store for the bulk of the hours. Diana works on her weekends off from the MGM. Niece Eliza became their first part-time employee. The bakery's doors have stayed open thanks to word of mouth and positive Yelp reviews, as well as advertising they paid for with traded services. The stains and splashes on Doreen's white apron are as telling as hieroglyphs, sharing the story of the work she's done that day for all to see. "By the end of the day," she said, "it looks like I've slaughtered an Oompa Loompa." Dickstein is a UNLV journalism student. STRATOSPHERE CASINO | HOTEL | TOWER Located on Level 106. TopOfTheWorldLV.com | 702.380.7771 | 22 APRIL 2013 20130422_VI13_F.indd 13 | 13 4/18/13 2:16:45 PM