North Las Vegas Neighborhood News

CHARITY BINGO EVENT PLANNED TO SUPPORT THE SHADE TREE, NOAH'S ANIMAL HOUSE

The Riviera, 2901 Las Vegas Blvd. South, has scheduled a special charity bingo event to benefit the Shade Tree and Noah's Animal House, 1 W. Owens Ave., at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The first ball will drop at 7:30 p.m. Steph Mackenzie, morning personality on 97.1-FM, will be the master of ceremonies. Three bingo card packages will be available, from $50 to $100. There will be 15 games played during the event, and all proceeds benefit both nonprofit organizations. Register by emailing bingo@preferredpublicrelations.com.

For more information, visit theshadetree.org.

GROUP MEETS TO IMPROVE LISTENING, SPEAKING SKILLS

Northern Voices Toastmasters is set to meet from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday at the North Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, 3365 W. Craig Road, Suite 25. Call Kirk Medina for more information at 539-6756.

HELP NEEDED FOR FUNDRAISER

Volunteers, auction items and vendors are needed for the Spring Fling event planned for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 23 and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 24 at Living Springs Lutheran Church, 5575 N. Simmons St., Suite 13.

Bakery items, arts and crafts or homemade goods vendors, silent auction donations, folding tables and kitchen help are needed for the event to benefit the worship center.

Vendor tables are $25 per day.

For more information, call Tom Larson at 648-5280 or Living Springs Lutheran Church at 254-4224.

TEXT CAMPAIGN TO BENEFIT THE SHADE TREE

Text and support the victims of domestic violence assisted by the Shade Tree, 1 W. Owens Ave. The "Text to Give" campaign launched Feb. 14. Donors can text "TST" to 501501 and donate $10. Donors who wish to gift a larger amount can text "TST" to 91011. All of the donation goes directly to the Shade Tree, a nonprofit assisting victims of domestic violence. Donors can make unlimited donations.

For more information, visit theshadetree.org or call 385-0072.

LOCAL ROTARY CLUB TO MEET

The North Las Vegas Rotary Club of Las Vegas meets at 7:15 a.m. Fridays at the Painted Desert Golf Club, 5555 Painted Mirage Road.

The weekly breakfast meetings include guest speakers, networking, education workshops and service projects.

For more information, visit nlvrc.org/newsite or call Bob Lillis at 340-9735.

INFORMATIONAL TEA MEETINGS OFFERED

Novice to seasoned tea drinkers are invited to book tea tastings with a local expert, Louise Carruth, of Tea-rrific, 570 W. Cheyenne Ave., Suite 180. Carruth also hosts "tea talks" for groups of 10 or more.

Fees vary.

For more information, visit tea-rrific.com/ or call 228-8327.

UNION CONCESSION AGREEMENT MET

The North Las Vegas City Council approved concessions between the city and a union representing local firefighters in its Feb. 15 meeting.

City of North Las Vegas officials and members of the International Association of Firefighters Local #1607 reached a tentative bargaining agreement that could result in more than $500,000 in savings for the city.

The deal updates agreements for supervisors and non-supervisors through the fiscal year ending June 30.

As part of the contract, the union is to dismiss the health care pending arbitration case pertaining to insurance coverage for supervisors and non-supervisors.

The agreements are also to provide the city fire chief greater operational flexibility, including the use of brownouts, flexibility in staffing the air resource unit and restricting the number of battalion chiefs that can be on annual leave at any given time, according to a statement from the city.

CAMP REGISTRATION TO OPEN

Open registration for Clark County Parks and Recreation's summer overnight camps in July commences Wednesday. The price is $400 per child.

This fee includes all meals, snacks, activities, supplies and an official camp T-shirt. Omni Discovery Camp, for ages 8 to 12, is set to take place from July 22-27, and the On the Edge Camp, for ages 13 to 15, is set for July 15-20.

Both camps will take place at Camp Lee Canyon, about 30 minutes from North Las Vegas. For more information, call 455-1905 or visit clarkcountynv.gov/parks.

FEBRUARY BOOK CLUB SET TO MEET

The North Las Vegas Library District book club is set to discuss "The Ha-Ha" by Dave King at 7 p.m. today at the Aliante Library, 2400 W. Deer Springs Way. The club is free and open to the public. For more information, call 839-2980.

COMMUNITY MEETING TO DISCUSS BUS CHANGES

The public is encouraged to weigh in on proposed changes to Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada routes and policies from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Albertsons, 3010 W. Ann Road.

The North Las Vegas event is among a series of community meetings to get input on the changes.

Other events include: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at the Whitney Library, 5175 E. Tropicana Ave.; 5 to 7 p.m. March 7 at the Desert Breeze Community Center, 8275 Spring Mountain Road; and 5 to 7 p.m. March 9 at Albertsons, 2910 Bicentennial Parkway in Henderson.

The proposed changes include replacing an existing transit route with a new service and eliminating service on routes that are close to other routes in the system.

Public comments will be accepted through March 16.

The proposed service changes will be presented to the RTC Board of Commissioners for final approval. Pending the RTC Board of Commissioners' approval, the proposed service changes will be effective May 20.

For more information or to submit comments, email diaza@rtcsnv.com, visit rtcsnv.com, call 676-1557 or mail RTC Administration Office, 600 S. Grand Central Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89106-4512, attention: Transit Service Outreach.

REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING PLANNED

The North Las Vegas City Council is set to meet at 6 p.m. March 7 at City Hall, 2250 Las Vegas Blvd. North.

For more information or for a copy of the agenda, visit cityofnorthlasvegas.com or call the city clerk at 633-1030.

FREE HEALTH EXPO PLANNED

The My Health and Wellness Expo, a free gathering of local and national health exhibitors, is planned for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 10 at Texas Station, 2101 Texas Star Lane.

Participants are invited to learn, snack and shop during the expo. Exhibitors slated to attend include natural, organic companies, personal trainers, life coaches, psychics, chefs, community nonprofits, skin care professionals, pediatricians and alternative healers, among others.

For more information, visit myhealthandwellnessexpo.com, call 602-625-3000 or email info@myhealthandwellness expo.com.

SAFE NEST RELOCATES TO NORTH LAS VEGAS

The Safe Nest Donation Center has relocated to 4208 N. Arcata Way, Suite C. The center accepts gently used clothing, small household items, old cellphones, recyclable items such as paper, metal, and plastic, as well as vehicle donations. It also accepts large household appliances including washers, dryers and water heaters in any condition.

Donations may be dropped off at the donation center during business hours, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, or call 257-3800 to schedule a home pickup. For vehicle donations, call 203-8661. Safe Nest will pick up the vehicle and handle all the paperwork.

All donated items help raise funds to allow Safe Nest to provide necessary services for victims of domestic violence and their children.

For more information, call 877-0133.

THE ANIMAL FOUNDATION OFFERING DISCOUNTS FOR SENIORS

The Animal Foundation, 655 N. Mojave Road, is launching its Seniors 4 Seniors program, offering local seniors (60 or older) $50 discounts on adoption fees for dogs 3 years or older and cats 1 year or older. The shelter receives more than 50,000 animals annually. Younger cats and dogs often find homes quickly and easily while older pets frequently are passed over. Animals that are a bit older are often calmer and gentler, which can be a better match for less active people. Additionally, senior citizens often spend more time at home, which can be ideal for an older pet. The program is sponsored in part by nonprofit The Pets for the Elderly Foundation. For more information, call 384-3333, extension 131 or email adoptions@animalfoundation.com.

PHOTO CHALLENGE BENEFITS FAMILIES

Show off your photogenic child for a cause with local photographers Portraits to You and Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, a nonprofit that provides free photography sessions to families suffering an early infant loss.

Participants pose for a session with Portraits to You for a $39 fee. Families also receive a print.

Families rally support and votes via charitymodelsearch.org. Votes are $1 each, and proceeds benefit Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.

Voting is to be conducted through March 23.

The top 25 vote-getters are judged by a panel of photography experts, and the top three are to receive awards including a camera, gift cards and savings bond.

For more information, visit charitymodelsearch.org, portraitstoyou.net or call 499-9930.

TICKET AMNESTY PROGRAM AVAILABLE

The North Las Vegas Municipal Court, 2332 Las Vegas Blvd. North, has begun a ticket amnesty program that will offer 50 percent off on total fines for qualifying traffic and misdemeanor cases, including any additional warrant fees. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/nlvcourt or call 633-1130.

CONTRACTORS BOARD, ASSOCIATION TO OFFER FREE AIR-CONDITIONING UNITS

The Nevada State Contractors Board and nonprofit Southern Nevada Air Conditioning Refrigeration Service Contractors Association have announced the start of the seventh annual Mission Cool Off program. The program provides selected individuals and families in Southern Nevada a free air-conditioning unit that has been donated by licensed contractors who are also members of the contractors association.

The first 100 applications received by Wednesday will be considered for selection. Selections are made by a committee of individuals and are determined based on a person's or family's special circumstances. The program is not open to tenants, landlords, owners who do not reside at the residence or mobile homeowners. All applicants who qualify must complete and submit all required forms, including the application and media release form, in order to be considered. The forms can be downloaded at nscb.nv.gov or by calling Ranya Botros at 486-1165.

YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHERS CAN ENTER LIBRARY DISTRICT'S ART COMPETITION

Clark County youngsters from grades six through 12 can enter the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District's Visual Poetry, a photographic art competition for teens.

Submissions are due by Wednesday. Awards are $150 for Best of Show, $100 for first place, $75 for second and $50 for third.

The awards reception is planned for 5 to 6:30 p.m. April 5 at the Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Ave.

For more information, visit lvccld.org/teen/specialprograms/visual_poetry.

WALK AROUND NEVADA WITHOUT LEAVING TOWN

The Southern Nevada Health District offers the Walk Around Nevada program, which helps participants track their physical activity online as they trek around the state and clock in 1,442 miles.

Anyone can sign up for this free online program and start a tour of Nevada. Track mileage online via a red line that marks your tour of the state. It also offers tips about staying hydrated, stretching and healthful hiking basics.

Walk Around Nevada maps include the entire state, a Lake Mead map and a Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake map.

For information on any health district online programs, visit gethealthyclark county.org.

TAKE CARE CLINICS HAVE ONLINE COMPONENT

Take Care Health Systems, a subsidiary of Walgreens, announces new scheduling options for its Take Care Clinics. Now, appointments can be made online through takecarehealth.com.

The site offers access to a comprehensive cost menu to quickly evaluate the cost of services, as well as local and up-to-date information on patient satisfaction scores and market-specific quality of care scores. The site includes estimated wait times at each clinic.

UNITED WAY APPROVES FUNDS ALLOCATION

United Way of Southern Nevada's Immediate Needs Council approved the allocation of $1 million to 12 local agencies providing rent and nutritional assistance. The funding distribution is a part of the nonprofit's mission to ensure families in need receive support so they can work toward becoming financially independent.

Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada was allotted the largest amount of funding, receiving $355,178 for its food pantry services. HELP of Southern Nevada acquired $165,864, and Lutheran Social Services of Nevada obtained $103,119 for food and rent assistance. The Salvation Army Clark County received $159,825 for food services. Other agencies receiving financial aid include: American Red Cross Southern Nevada Chapter, Las Vegas Area Council Boy Scouts of America, Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas, Emergency Aid of Boulder City, HopeLink, Jewish Family Service Agency, The Shade Tree and United Labor Agency of Nevada.

For more information about United Way's Immediate Needs initiatives, visit uwsn.org.

CHILD FOCUS SEEKS SIBLING MENTORS

Child Focus, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reunifying separated brothers and sisters living in foster care, is recruiting sibling mentors to assist with chaperoning events and helping siblings develop the ability to become a healthy family.

Activities are held monthly and vary in topic. For a complete listing of volunteer opportunities, visit childfocusnv.org or call 436-1624.