North Las Vegas Neighborhood News

SPEEDWAY CHARITIES BENEFITED
CHILDREN'S ORGANIZATIONS

The Las Vegas Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities awarded more than $260,000 to 47 local children's organizations Dec. 13 during its annual Christmas tree lighting and grand ceremony at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 7000 Las Vegas Blvd. North.

The award-receiving organizations include Special Olympics, Goodie Two Shoes, HELP of Southern Nevada and Miracle Flights for Kids.

Speedway Children's Charities assists with the educational, financial, social and medical needs of children. All funds raised by the Las Vegas chapter were awarded to Nevada organizations.

For more information, visit speedwaycharities.org.

Transit system hours
to change over holidays

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada is to operate on a Sunday transit system schedule on New Year's Day, due to traditionally lower ridership and less traffic on those days.

The commission enacts Sunday schedules for holidays with the lowest ridership and Saturday schedules for holidays with slightly higher ridership.

As in past years, the RTC is to offer free transit rides from 6 p.m. Saturday until 9 a.m. Sunday.

Free rides on New Year's Eve apply to all RTC transit routes throughout the Las Vegas Valley, including the Strip & Downtown Express, Centennial Express, Westcliff Airport Express and the new Boulder Highway Express and Henderson & Downtown Express services.

On New Year's Eve, many routes on and around the Strip, including the Strip & Downtown Express and the Deuce on the Strip double-deck services, will be detoured due to street closures on Las Vegas Boulevard. RTC Express services will take riders from respective park and ride lots to the Bonneville Transit Center in downtown Las Vegas where riders can then transfer to a revised Deuce on the Strip and Strip & Downtown Express routes to access festivities on the Strip.

Schedules for all commission transit routes are available on at rtcsouthernnevada.com or in the commission's Transit Guide.

For more information, call 228-7433.

Martin Luther King Day, Jan. 16, and Presidents' Day, Feb. 20, will also be observed with adjusted schedules.

Go green and recycle your
Christmas tree this season

Recycle your Christmas tree and help create mulch used to beautify and sustain local public gardens and parks.

There are 20 drop sites around the valley accepting trees free of charge through Jan. 15.

North Las Vegas donation sites include: Aviary Park, 6650 Aviary Way; Seastrand Park, 6330 Camino Eldorado; and Craig Ranch Golf Course, 628 W. Craig Road. Donations are to be free of non-organic objects such as lights, wire, tinsel, ornaments and nails. Flocked trees cannot be recycled.

The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension works with other community organizations to host the recycling event.

The trees' organic material is chipped into mulch, which helps conserve soil moisture. Last year, Southern Nevada residents recycled more than 15,000 trees, which created 130 tons of mulch for landscaping projects at local parks.

For a complete list of donation sites, visit cdsn.org. For more information, visit unce.unr.edu.

NINE-FOOT-TALL MENORAH LIGHTING
at aliante

Residents and local businesses donated a 9-foot-tall Hanukkah menorah to the Aliante Master Association for this year's celebration. The menorah is set up on Aliante community property just east of the North Las Vegas Fire Station on Elkhorn Road, west of Aliante Parkway.

The lighting started Dec. 20. Each night through Wednesday, 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.

City closures planned
through new year

Several North Las Vegas facilities and services are scheduled to be closed through Jan. 3.

The closures are due to the holidays and mandatory furloughs. The furloughs are part of the Teamsters Local 14 agreement with city officials to avoid layoffs and maintain a balanced budget.

Police and fire emergency services will operate normally during the furlough week. Safekey Holiday Day Camp also will continue.

For more information, visit cityof
northlasvegas.com.

City closures

n Most services at City Hall, 2250 Las Vegas Blvd. North

n Neighborhood Recreation Center, 1638 N. Bruce St.

n Silver Mesa Recreation Center, 4025 Allen Lane

Open facilities

Utilities Payments at City Hall and 2928 Fort Sumter Drive, 8 a.m. to
5:45 p.m. today through Thursday

(Fort Sumter location also will open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday)

Municipal court

7 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Thursday, 2332 Las Vegas Blvd. North

Libraries

All three North Las Vegas Library District locations will be closed through Jan. 3.

Disney on ice tickets offered
for book donations

The North Las Vegas Library District is offering residents a chance to give and receive this holiday season.

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

There is a limit of one ticket per family, available on a first-come, first-served 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. For more information, visit nlvld.org.

MAYOR BUCK TO GIVE STATE OF CITY ADDRESS jan. 12 at texas station

Those interested in attending the 2012 North Las Vegas State of the City luncheon have until Jan. 5 to register.

The luncheon is planned from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 12 at Texas Station, 2101 Texas Star Lane.

Mayor Shari Buck is slated to be featured speaker.

This year, a portion of the ticket proceeds will benefit one of five local charities that have been nominated by the mayor and City Council. Attendees will select the beneficiary by vote.

Tickets are $40 per person or $400 for a table of 10.

To RSVP and purchase tickets or for more information, call 633-1005.

Bad bowlers, beer lovers sought
for league

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.

JEWISH SINGLES CLUB TO MEET JAN. 4

The Jewish Singles 55 Plus Social Club plans to meet at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 4 at the NV Energy building, back entrance, 6226 W. Sahara Ave.

The club meets the first Wednesday of each month and welcomes anyone interested in entertaining programs, socializing and meeting new friends and enjoying refreshments. Dine-outs and other social events are held throughout the year. For more information, call 233-8618 or 243-9482.

FRIENDS OF RED ROCK CANYON PLANS
TRAIL MAINTENANCE DAY

Friends of Red Rock Canyon plans to host a trail maintenance day Jan. 14 at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Volunteers will pick up litter and help maintain the trails.

Friends reminds residents that winter snow and inclement weather can make for good pictures, which could result in a $100 first-place prize in its 2012 Red Rock Canyon Photo Contest.

For more information on either event, visit friendsofredrockcanyon.org.

TOYS 4 SMILES NEEDS FACILITY
FOR WORKSHOP

Toys 4 Smiles, a nonprofit, all-volunteer group that makes wooden toys for needy children, is in need of a new donated facility in which to work.

The facility should have air conditioning and heat. A donated space would provide tax advantages for the donor.

For more information, visit toys4smiles.org or call Rex Doty at
218-4582.

GRANT TO HELP THOSE WITH HIV/AIDS

Nonprofit group Golden Rainbow has received a $25,000 grant from MAC Cosmetics' AIDS Fund for 2012. The donation will be used to support the organization's Affordable Housing Program.

The 25-year-old program is designed for people living with HIV/AIDS in Southern Nevada who would otherwise have no place to call home.

For more information, visit goldenrainbow.org.

NEW VIDEO PUTS FACES TO AIDS AWARENESS

In recognition of World AIDS Day, the Southern Nevada Health District has created a video series, "Facing AIDS," available at youtube.com/snhealthdistrict.

Meet Ivan, Lane, Maryanne and Tracy, the "faces" behind the disease. They share their stories to prevent just one infection and encourage others to get tested.

More than 3,000 Southern Nevadans are living with HIV, and there are more than 2,800 AIDS cases locally. According to a study by UNAIDS, a United Nations program, about 33 million people worldwide are living with HIV.

For more information, call the health district at 759-0702.

WEAR YOUR RESPECT FOR RED ROCK

Friends of Red Rock Canyon offers limited edition clothing, some with a distinctive howling coyote logo. The sweatshirt has a map of the Red Rock Canyon trails so you'll never be lost again. It's priced at $24 (or $20.40 for Friends members).

There also is a short-sleeved blue denim shirt for warmer weather, priced at $25 ($21.25 for members).

To order, call 515-5360 Tuesday through Friday.

GO ONLINE TO REGISTER FOR HOSPITAL VISIT

People can now preregister online through the Sunrise Health hospital websites for upcoming procedures. This includes patients who already have a procedure scheduled, expectant women needing to preregister for their baby's delivery and anyone requesting a screening mammogram appointment.

By improving the preregistration process in this way, patients now have greater flexibility in the preregistration process.

To preregister online, or to request a mammogram appointment, patients can visit the website of the hospital involved -- sunrisehospital.com, mountainview-hospital.com, southernhillshospital.com or sunrisechildrenshospital.com.

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, gift cards to Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowe's, PetSmart or Petco.

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.

north las vegas 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 wehearyou
america.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:

n Jan. 7, Pruning Apples, Pears and Quince

n Jan. 14, Fertilizing Fruit Trees and Pest Control

n Jan. 21, Pruning Figs, Pomegranates and Persimmons

n 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.

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.