Southwest and Spring Valley Neighborhood News

EXTREME THING BAND VOTING OPEN THROUGH FRIDAY

The Extreme Thing Sports & Music Festival is set for its 18th year from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. March 30 at Desert Breeze Skate Park, 8275 Spring Mountain Road. Produced by Clark County Parks & Recreation, the event is Nevada's only action sports and music festival. Tickets are $17 in advance and $20 on the day of the show. A limited VIP Package is also available for $30 and includes a general admission ticket, commemorative event T-shirt and event poster. The public can vote on the local bands chosen to attend this year through Friday at extremething.com.

The Top 10 Battle of the Fans winners will perform on the event main stage or on the International Academy of Design & Technology stage while the schools' students film and record a live DVD for the local bands to showcase.

For more information, visit extremething.com.

CHURCH OFFERING FINANCIAL SEMINAR, PET BLESSING

Good Samaritan Lutheran Church is set to offer Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace Seminar beginning Thursday. The nine-week class is to meet from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays at the New Hope Christian Academy building on the church campus, 8425 W. Windmill Lane. The class shows participants how to get rid of debt, manage money, spend and save wisely. The cost is $95 per family. For more information or to register, contact facilitator Kristin Poteet at 623-521-1515 or skpoteet@hotmail.com.

The church is also planning a pet blessing at 2 p.m. Feb. 2. Community members are invited to bring their pets, including stuffed animals, for a special ceremony and individual blessing.

AUDITIONS FOR NEW PLAY SCHEDULED AT LAS VEGAS LITTLE THEATRE

Auditions for "The Mystery of Irma Vep!" are planned for 7 p.m. today at the Las Vegas Little Theatre, 3920 Schiff Drive. The play is scheduled for late March. This comedy includes a sympathetic werewolf, a vampire and an Egyptian princess brought to life when her tomb is opened. All the roles are non-paying and are to be played by two actors. LVLT is a nonprofit company, and all roles are on a volunteer basis. For more information, visit lvlt.org.

TRAVEL CLUB TO MEET AT TAP HOUSE

The Las Vegas Single Social Travel Club for Mature Adults invites prospective members to its meetings, which are scheduled for 7 p.m. the last Tuesday of the month at The Tap House, 5589 W. Charleston Blvd. The next meeting is set for Jan. 29.

The meet-and-greet portion is set to start at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room. Discussions focus on day trips, local events, in-state and out-of-state traveling, cruises and international traveling. A guest speaker frequently is featured. The meeting closes at about 8 p.m. For more information, call 888-324-2028.

LOCAL BUSINESSES INVITED TO MEET YOUR CUSTOMER DAY EVENT

Purchasing analysts and other staff members from numerous Clark County departments are scheduled to meet with local business representatives at the Meet Your Customer Day event planned from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday at the Clark County Government Center rotunda, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway.

Local minority-owned, female-owned, small, physically challenged, veteran and disabled veteran business enterprises interested in supplying Clark County's business needs will have a chance to meet various representatives of Clark County departments and purchasing analysts in partnership with agencies including: the Nevada Small Business Development Center's Business Success Center; SCORE Counselors to American's Small Business-Southern Nevada Chapter; the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada; the State of Nevada, the Governor's Office of Economic Development; Akers and Associates Inc.; the Foundation for Independent Tomorrow (FIT); University Medical Center; and the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.

Purchasing staff members will be available to assist businesses with registering in the county's Supplier Registration Database, which is used to notify businesses when opportunities arise to provide supplies and services.

Advanced registration is not required. For more information, call 702-455-4432 or 702-455-3092.

BUSINESS ALLIANCE WORKSHOP PLANNED

Marlon Call is offering free 90-minute workshops for business owners in January at his office, 6069 S. Fort Apache Road, Suite 121. The workshop schedule is on an appointment basis. Entitled Breakthrough Business Alliance, the workshops' goal is to teach business owners how to align with their employees; how to create strategic alliances by turning acquaintances into business partners; and how to align a business with a personal brand. To schedule, sign up online at theinsurancecowboy.com or call 702-203-5954.

MEN'S CHORAL GROUP PLANS WEEKLY MEETINGS

The Silver Statesmen Chorus invites men of all ages to join its group. The chorus rehearses at 7 p.m. each Thursday at Christ The King Catholic Community, 4925 S. Torrey Pines Drive.

For more information, visit silverstatesmen.com.

OPPORTUNITY VILLAGE GETS $16,000 DONATION FROM WESTSTAR CREDIT UNION

WestStar Credit Union has donated $16,000 to Opportunity Village as the culmination of its 2012 charity campaign, A Mile of Smiles. In August 2012, WestStar Credit Union set out on a mission to collect a mile's worth of smiles with the intention of donating $1 for every smile collected to Opportunity Village.

Over the past several months, WestStar sent teams of volunteer employees out to different local venues, including Fremont Street, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; local malls, Las Vegas Wranglers hockey games, the Great Santa Run and the Magical Forest at Opportunity Village to capture pictures of people's smiles. Their efforts were in conjunction with local Las Vegans who uploaded their own smile pictures to the gallery at amileofsmiles.org.

DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY SERVICES SEEKS FOSTER HOMES

The Clark County Department of Family Services is seeking members of the public willing to become foster parents. The program involves individuals and families providing safe, stable and loving environments for children in need of temporary out-of-home care.

Information packets are available and include an overview of the program and the latest session schedule. For more information or to request a packet, call 702-455-0181.

U.S. TENNIS ASSOCIATION-NEVADA LOOKING FOR DONATED ITEMS

The United States Tennis Association-Nevada is asking for donations of old wooden tennis rackets, usable tennis rackets, old trophies, ball machines, items for a silent auction or raffle, a digital photo camera, an office phone system and computers or laptops.

Items can be dropped off at the USTA-Nevada office, 1333 N. Buffalo Drive, Suite 130.

For more information, call 702-792-8384 or email support@ustanevada.com.

HOSPICE PET THERAPY PROGRAM SEEKS DOG BEDS AND BLANKETS

Nathan Adelson Hospice's Pet Therapy Program is promoting its second annual Dog Bed & Blanket Drive to benefit local animal shelters.

Through Jan. 31, Nathan Adelson Hospice and the Jolley Urga Wirth Woodbury & Standish law firm will be collecting new or gently used dog beds and blankets, towels and unopened dog food.

Donations can be dropped off at any of the Nathan Adelson Hospice locations: 4141 Swenson St.; in the MountainView Medical Office Building, 3150 N. Tenaya Way, Suite 350; 1401 S. Highway 160, Suite B, Pahrump; and 1201 Nevada State Drive, Henderson. They also can be dropped off to attorneys Holly Fic and Jennifer Poynter-Willis at the Jolley Urga Wirth Woodbury & Standish law firm, 3800 Howard Hughes Parkway, Suite 1600.

Last year's campaign generated more than 2,000 items for local shelters. For more information, call 702-870-0000.

HOSPITAL NEEDS VOLUNTEERS

Spring Valley Hospital Medical Center, 5400 S. Rainbow Blvd., is looking for volunteers to help at its facility. For more information, contact marketing director Naomi Jones at 702-853-3308 or naomi.jones@uhsinc.com.

NONPROFIT IT'S ALL ABOUT KIDZ BEGINS SPONSORSHIP CAMPAIGN

Local nonprofit It's All About Kidz launched a sponsorship campaign calling for any company, organization or individual to sponsor a mother and child who is enrolled in the sober living program. The southwest-area group focuses on providing a sober living environment to women and their children while providing services for them to become self-sufficient. The nonprofit also serves as a foster care agency to provide temporary living arrangements for children. September marked the organization's one-year anniversary, and people looking to get involved can participate by becoming a foster parent, offering financial support and/or participating in the New Beginnings Coat and Shoe Drive started Dec. 1 at the Behavioral Treatment and Foster Care Agency at 3450 W. Cheyenne Ave., Suite 500. For more information, call 702-631-0230 or visit aakidz.org.

WATER AUTHORITY REMINDS RESIDENTS ABOUT WINTER RESTRICTIONS

The Southern Nevada Water Authority reminds residents that winter watering restrictions are in effect, and watering is limited to one assigned day a week through Feb. 28.

Watering restrictions also apply to drip irrigation systems. Sunday is not an optional watering day.

If you notice that frost or a freeze has damaged a plant, leave it alone until warmer weather arrives and new growth appears. Pruning or transplanting a plant during the winter months can hurt or kill it. Watering should be done in mid-morning to avoid afternoon winds that make sprinklers less effective and avoid the risk of icing.

For more information, visit snwa.com or call 702-258-7283.

AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD SERVICES SEEKS SITES FOR BLOOD DRIVES

The American Red Cross Blood Services is the predominant supplier of blood products for Southern Nevada and has increased staffing to increase the number of blood drives in Las Vegas.

The Red Cross invites community-minded businesses, churches, schools and other organizations to host blood drives in locations across the city.

To meet the demand for blood products in the Las Vegas hospitals it serves, the Red Cross needs to schedule two or more blood drives every business day. It is estimated that in the coming year, about 48,000 Las Vegas patients will need a red blood cell transfusion in a hospital the Red Cross serves.

Las Vegas residents interested in sponsoring a blood drive or donating blood should call 702-522-4000.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO TRANSPORT PATIENTS TO CANCER TREATMENTS

Every day, thousands of Las Vegas cancer patients need a ride to their cancer treatment but don't have a means to get there. The American Cancer Society Road to Recovery program provides transportation to and from treatment for people unable to drive themselves. The program has 50 drivers enrolled, and the current need demands at least 100 to meet all the requests.

Volunteer drivers must have a valid Nevada driver's license, a safe, reliable vehicle, proof of automobile insurance, a safe driving history and be in good health. The commitment is about four hours a week, however it works with volunteers' schedules.

For more information, call Debra Armstrong at 702-891-9023.