North Las Vegas Neighborhood News

BAD BOWLERS, BEER LOVERS SOUGHT

Bowling league Bad Bowlers & Beer is accepting teams for its winter session at Texas Star Lanes at Texas Station, 2101 Texas Star Lane. Anyone 21 or older is welcome to sign up for the league at a cost of $14 per week, which includes three games and a pitcher of beer for a team of four. The next session begins Jan. 11, and sign-ups are under way. The league will run through April. For more information, visit texasstation.com or call 631-1000.

MENORAH LIGHTING PLANNED IN ALIANTE

Residents and local businesses donated a 9-foot-tall Hanukkah menorah to the Aliante Master Association for this year's celebration. The menorah will be set up on Aliante community property just east of the North Las Vegas Fire Station on Elkhorn Drive, just west of Aliante Parkway. The first lighting ceremony is scheduled for 5 p.m. Dec. 20. Each night afterward, local members of the Jewish community are welcome to light another light for each of the eight days of Hanukkah. For more information, call Mark Pallans at 657-0456.

PET HOSPITAL TO COLLECT ITEMS FOR PET HAVEN

During December, Paradise Pet Hospital, 1060 E. Flamingo Road, will be collecting items for Noah's Animal House, a nonprofit division of the Shade Tree shelter for women and children escaping domestic violence.

Donations can be dropped off at the hospital throughout the month during normal business hours, which are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The items will be taken to Noah's Animal House the first week in January to start the new year off for the animals of battered women and children. Needed items include: chemical sprayers, paper towels, canned cat and dog food, cat litter, 13-gallon trash bags, cat and dog treats/toys, puppy training pads, doggie pick-up bags, toilet paper and Kleenex and gift cards.

JUDGE RULES IN WAGNER'S FAVOR

The four-month battle for a contested Ward 4 North Las Vegas City Council seat has met a court ruling. On Nov. 30, District Judge Susan Scann upheld election results that showed Wade Wagner defeated former Councilman Richard Cherchio by one vote. The judged said Cherchio's lawyers didn't provide sufficient evidence that the single vote cast for Wagner was illegal. A recount was conducted in July. Cherchio said he may pursue an appeal.

DISNEY ON ICE TICKETS OFFERED FOR DONATIONS

Through Jan. 9, those who donate new and gently used children's books to the North Las Vegas Library District will receive a ticket to "Disney On Ice" presents Disney/Pixar's "Toy Story 3," scheduled to from Jan. 12-15 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

There is a limit of one ticket per family, available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Donations are needed in English and Spanish.

The books can be dropped off during regular library hours at all three library locations: 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at the North Las Vegas Library, 2300 Civic Center Drive; 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Aliante Library, 2400 W. Deer Springs Way; and 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Alexander Library, 1755 W. Alexander Road.

Drop off books at the circulation desk. All three libraries will be closed from Dec. 25 through Jan. 3.

For more information, visit nlvld.org.

DEC. 21 CITY COUNCIL MEETING CANCELED

The North Las Vegas City Council meeting planned for Dec. 21 has been canceled.

AREA ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE GRANTS

The CarMax Foundation awarded $12,500 in grants to Las Vegas organizations to help local youths as part of the foundation's Regional Giving Program.

The Las Vegas-area grant recipients include: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Nevada, $5,000; Street Teens, $5,000; and Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada, $2,500 for Troop 83's Light Up the Night program, which is aimed at battling cancer.

More than $2.9 million has been donated to local nonprofit organizations across the United States through this program since it was started in 2007.

For more information, visit carmaxcares.com.

DONATE TO BLANKET AND JACKET DRIVE

The Nevada chapter of the Community Associations Institute has teamed up with 8-year-old Boulder City resident Blaze Trumble to collect blankets and jackets for the homeless.

The Blanket the Community drive is in its fourth year and runs through Monday. Last year, Blaze spearheaded the effort to collect more than 700 blankets and jackets. This year's goal is 800 blankets and jackets.

Blaze regularly celebrates his birthday refusing gifts and instead donating to the less fortunate.

To participate, drop off new or gently used blankets and jackets to these locations: the CAI corporate offices at 9171 W. Flamingo Road, Suite 100; the Las Vegas Rescue Mission, 480 W. Bonanza Road; and the Nevada Association Services offices at 6224 W. Desert Inn Road.

Many blankets already have been delivered. Another batch is being collected for delivery before Christmas.

For more information, call Mary Rendina at 648-8408.

VOTES NEEDED FOR READER'S DIGEST GRANTS

Help North Las Vegas compete for a Reader's Digest grant of up to $50,000 by voting in the We Hear You America campaign.

Express how the grant will make the city better by going to wehearyouamerica.readersdigest.com/ and searching for North Las Vegas.

Winners will be announced in 2012.

Henderson and Las Vegas are also in the running for the grant funds.

PRUNING SERIES PLANNED AT ORCHARDS

Gardeners looking to sharpen their pruning skills are welcome to a series of weekly classes offered at the University of Nevada's Cooperative Extension orchard.

Classes will be given every hour from 9 a.m. to noon on these days:

Saturday , Pruning Apricots, Plums and Pluots

Jan. 7, Pruning Apples, Pears and Quince

Jan. 14, Fertilizing Fruit Trees and Pest Control

Jan. 21, Pruning Figs, Pomegranates and Persimmons

Jan. 28, Pruning Almonds and Pistachios

A $5 donation to the orchard for each class is being solicited to help support educational research, outreach and demonstrations. The orchard lost its monetary support from the university this year.

No reservation is needed.

The UNCE orchard is 100 yards east of the intersection of Decatur Boulevard and Horse Drive.

For more information, contact Bob Morris at extremehort@aol.com or call the orchard at 257-5532 and leave a message for a volunteer.

TOY DRIVE PLANNED AT LOCAL WALMARTS THROUGH SUNDAY

Saturday is the kickoff for the 10th annual "Fill the Fire Truck Toy Drive" put on by the Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation.

Firefighters will collect new, unwrapped toys and gift cards at select Walmart stores from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday through Sunday .

The designated Walmart locations are:

8060 W. Tropical Parkway

4350 N. Nellis Blvd.

7200 Arroyo Crossing Parkway

6464 N. Decatur Blvd.

540 Marks St., Henderson

Several community service programs and organizations have partnered with Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation to distribute toys to families in need, including: The Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas; Las Vegas-Clark County Urban League, Hemophilia Foundation of Nevada; Candlelighters for Childhood Cancer of Nevada; Clark County Department of Social Services; Cure 4Kids; and many family resource centers and local elementary schools. The Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation, a nonprofit organization, includes firefighters from the Clark County Fire Department, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, North Las Vegas Fire Department, Nellis Fire Department and Henderson Fire Department.

GIFT BASKETS TO BENEFIT THREE SQUARE FOOD BANK

Double holiday giving with a Jadon Foods gift basket.

The North Las Vegas-based gluten-free bakery is donating all proceeds from its specialty baskets to Three Square food bank through December.

The baskets include the bakery's signature cookies and snacks for people and pets as well as Tea-rrific brand teas. One Park Place Enterprises partners with Jadon Foods to create the baskets.

Jadon Foods also caters to customers with diabetic and dairy-free dietary restrictions.

For more information, visit jadonfoods.com or threesquare.org.

HELP OF SOUTHERN NEVADA LAUNCHES HOLIDAY PROGRAMS

HELP of Southern Nevada, 1640 E. Flamingo Road, is launching three of its annual programs this holiday season.

Donations to HELP's Thanksgiving program provides a holiday meal for a family of four.

The group's Adopt-a-Family program allows people to assist needy families in giving them clothing and toys for the holidays.

The Holiday Assistance/Toy Drive benefits more than 16,000 families with its donations.

To donate, volunteer or for more information, call Lisa Laudadio at 369-4357, ext. 1246, or visit helpsonv.org.

LEARN TO SELL LOCAL PRODUCE AND MEAT DURING WORKSHOPS

The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, 8050 Paradise Road, plans to launch a Beginning Farmers & Ranchers program in 2012 with workshops on field crops, processing and selling locally grown meat products and becoming a produce farmer.

Each workshop is two days long and costs $50, which includes two lunches and snacks.

The program is scheduled to run from March to September 2012. For more information, call Staci Emm at 775-945-3444 or visit unce.unr.edu.