Southwest and Spring Valley Neighborhood News

WET 'N' WILD ANNOUNCES RESULTS
OF WAVE POOL CONTEST

Red Rock Bay received the most votes of Wet 'n' Wild Las Vegas' Wave Pool Naming Contest and is now the name of the wave pool at the $50 million, 41-acre water park at 7055 S. Fort Apache Road set to open Memorial Day weekend. Ted Stringer submitted Red Rock Bay for the contest. He is to receive a Family 4 Pack of Gold Passes and a VIP experience for his family during opening weekend. More than 2,300 people voted on the five name finalists, which were selected from more than 1,400 names submitted between Dec. 20 and Jan. 13. At the Red Rock Bay Wave Pool, guests are to experience 3-foot-high swells in a tube, or they can body surf. For more information, call 702-979-1600 or visit wetnwildlasvegas.com.

MINI MAKEOVER SET TO BENEFIT SAFE NEST

A free Mom Makeovers event is slated from 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 8 at Belly Bliss, on the second floor of Desert Perinatal Associates, 5761 S. Fort Apache Road. The evening is set to include a quick facial cleanse and skin evaluation/consultation, foot massage and possibly shoulder massage, makeup match and light application, hair style (no cuts or color), light food, drinks, music and discounts on chemical peels purchased that day, as well as other retail items. Admission is free and proceeds will benefit Safe Nest, 2915 W. Charleston Blvd. Belly Bliss will accept professional clothes and dresses to donate. RSVPs are required by Feb. 6 by calling 702-597-5158 or by emailing tbushman@dpanv.com.

CHURCH OFFERING PET BLESSING

Good Samaritan Lutheran Church, 8425 W. Windmill Lane, is planning a pet blessing at 2 p.m. Saturday. Community members are invited to bring their pets, including stuffed animals, for a special ceremony and individual blessing. For more information, call 702-873-3589.

LIBRARY DISTRICT AND TRAVEL AGENCY HOSTING TRAVEL FAIR

The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District and Prestige Travel are set to host a Sweetheart Travel Fair from 4 to 7 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Spring Valley Library, 4280 S. Jones Blvd.

Tour the branch to learn about popular destinations through the various resources the library has to offer. Get tips from travel representatives during their presentations and at their travel stations on destinations such as Hawaii, Disneyland and Disney World, and cruising the Caribbean, South Pacific, Panama Canal and more.

Enjoy live dance performances by the Ethnic Express International Folk Dancing Club of Las Vegas at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and the Scottish Country Dance at 5:15 p.m. There will be drawings for prizes and refreshments.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 702-507-3821.

UNITED WAY OFFERING FREE TAX PREPARATION

United Way of Southern Nevada, 5830 W. Flamingo Road, was scheduled to open its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites on Jan. 27.

Households with an income of less than $51,000 in 2012 can receive free tax preparation and may be eligible for an Earned Income Tax Credit refund of up to $5,891. The EITC is one of the nation's most effective anti-poverty programs for low-income, working taxpayers.

In addition to more than 30 VITA sites across the Las Vegas Valley that will be open through April 15, United Way is organizing two large-scale tax preparation days that are open to the public:

n Super Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to
2:30 p.m., Feb. 23, at HopeLink, 178 Westminster Way

n Super Saturday, 9 a.m. to
5 p.m. March 16, at the Bill & Lillie Heinrich YMCA, 4141 Meadows Lane.

For more information, visit uwsn.org/free-tax-help.

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 Thursday, 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.

AARP TAX PREPARATION TO BE AVAILABLE STARTING MONDAY

AARP plans to prepare tax returns for free by appointment from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, Monday through April 8 and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays, Feb. 7 through April 11.

To make an appointment, call 702-229-1702.

LIBRARY DISTRICT HAS FREE RESOURCE
FOR BUSINESSES

BusinessDecision, a new free web-based service, is available to Las Vegas-Clark County Library District cardholders. .

It allows local businesses access to the same consumer and demographic data as top companies to help find prospective customers, analyze trade areas, evaluate competitors and target media buys.

Library cardholders can access BusinessDecision at the district's library branches or from any remote desktop computer through the library's website under the "Find Information" link. Library cards can be obtained online at lvccld.org or at any branch.

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.

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.