Neighborhoods in the news

As 2011 winds down, View takes a look back at the year in the Sunrise/Whitney area that reveals a few highs and lows but mostly a community paddling hard to keep its head above water.

Whitney Elementary gets national Notice

More than 85 percent of the students who attend Whitney Elementary School are homeless. This statistic led to national attention when principal Sherrie Gahn appeared on an episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that aired Sept. 12. The principal was presented with $100,000 from DeGeneres and Target to benefit students of the school.

On Dec. 16, pop star Justin Bieber performed a private concert at the school and matched the donation. A segment featuring the event is set to air on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on Jan. 4.

President Visits sunrise Manor

President Barack Obama visited Jose and Lissette Bonilla on Oct. 24 in their home in a quiet Sunrise Manor neighborhood not far from Las Vegas High School.

Obama spoke to the press and neighbors outside the home and announced a plan to help financially strapped homeowners.

Because Nellis Air Force Base is adjacent to Sunrise Manor, many sitting presidents have passed through on the way to or from the base. But Obama's visit is likely the first time a sitting president has stood in Sunrise Manor.

Sloan Channel faces challenges

The Sloan Channel, a historically dry storm channel, got wet when the city of North Las Vegas' new wastewater treatment facility on the edge of Nellis Air Force Base began releasing effluent into it June 9.

Against Clark County's wishes, the channel became a river, which soon began carrying 25 million gallons of effluent per day and became a breeding ground for chironomid midges and mayflies.

The issue of channel use is still in federal court, but the city and county are working out an arrangement for the pest control costs. The warm weather of the spring is likely to bring this issue back to the forefront.

Casa de Shenandoah breaks ground

On Nov. 7, 2010, Wayne Newton won approval from the Clark County Commission to begin construction on Casa de Shenandoah, a ranch attraction at his home on the corner of Sunset and Pecos roads. Construction began this year. The most visible element so far is the replacement of much of the east wall of the compound with iron fencing, allowing the curious to peek inside the sprawling complex, which is home to Newton's family, horses and exotic bird collection. No date has been set on the completion of the project.

Renovations result in event relocations

Sunset Park entered the second phase of a major renovation. This phase has shut down sections of the park and facilities and led to the relocation of several major annual events, notably Boy Scouts of America's Mega Scout Expo, which was relocated to Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs, and The Age of Chivalry Renaissance Festival, which found a temporary home at Silver Bowl Park.

Renovations are scheduled to continue throughout this year, and it is unlikely that either event will return to Sunset Park at least until 2013.

Fire Station replaced

On March 17, Station 20, the oldest operating fire station in the valley at 5710 Judson Ave., was replaced by a new facility at 5865 Judson Ave. The new Station 20 includes several state-of-the-art features and training facilities. The old station has been mothballed while the county decides on a good use for it.

Wildfire sweeps through wetlands

A wildfire swept through a portion of the Clark County Wetlands Park near Sam Boyd Stadium on April 16. Wildfires occur at the park nearly every year. This one was in an undeveloped portion of the park, so no trails were affected. Authorities concluded that homeless people living in the park might have sparked this one.

Nellis Dunes legislation introduced

On Aug. 2, the Nellis Dunes National Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Act of 2011 bill was introduced to the U.S. Senate by Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev. The legislation would carve 1,000 acres out of the 10,000-acre Nellis Dunes Recreation Area, currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management, and hand it over to Clark County to create an off-road park. The newly created recreation area would become the largest park in the county.

Two years earlier, Heller introduced a similar bill to Congress. To date, no major action has been taken on the bill.

Work continues on Flamingo Wash

Work on the Flamingo Arroyo Trail and the channelization of much of the Flamingo Wash continues. A side project, a mural designed to beautify a prominent wall along the trail and discourage graffiti, was completed this summer by teens working with the Summer Business Institute and organized and overseen by local teacher Brian Larsh, with the help of the Henderson nonprofit organization Monkey Gym. The mural is just south of the Pecos-McLeod Trailhead at the corner of the Pecos McLeod Interconnect and Emerson Avenue, near an earlier mural by kids from Monkey Gym.

Hammargren opens house

Lonnie Hammargren opened the doors to his eclectic home at 4300 Ridgecrest Drive for his annual Nevada Day celebration on Oct. 30 after a two-year hiatus. The event drew thousands of people to the quiet neighborhood . There has been no definitive word on whether the event will continue next year.

Purple Sage mobile home park razed

Over several weeks this spring, the long-standing Purple Sage mobile home park at Lake Mead and Lamb boulevards was razed to make room for commercial space. To date, no construction has begun on a proposed convenience store project.

Feline spay and neuter program begins

Operation Clean Sweep, an exploratory feral cat spay and neutering program run by Heaven Can Wait Animal Society, targeted feline populations in the 89156 and part of the 89115 ZIP codes this year. The program is set to wrap up in June, but Heaven Can Wait is entertaining continuing the project in a limited capacity.

Contact Sunrise/Whitney View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 380-4532.