Sunrise/Whiteny Neighborhood News, Nov. 14-19

Government surplus auction
scheduled for Saturday

A government surplus auction featuring items from multiple local entities is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at 4320 Stephanie St. near Horseman's Park. A preview of the items is set from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. For more information and a listing of the items to be auctioned, visit tntauctions.com.

WALKER FURNITURE SEEKS NOMINATIONS
FOR HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS PROGRAM

Walker Furniture is accepting nomination letters on behalf of Clark County individuals and families for its 19th annual Home for the Holidays program, which supplies free furniture to families that have faced financial difficulty.

CEO Larry Alterwitz is expanding the program to assist 28 families. HELP of Southern Nevada will identify which nominated families display the most genuine need for new furnishings.

Past recipients have included: single-parent households facing financial difficulty; families with children suffering from physical or mental disorders; families that have lost their homes and belongings to fires; and families that have been affected by illness, domestic violence or sexual abuse.

Letters can be mailed or hand-delivered to Larry Alterwitz, CEO Walker Furniture, 301 S. Martin Luther King Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89106; faxed to 702-384-7772; or emailed to cnelson@walkerfurniture.com. Letters also can be submitted at walkerfurniture.com by clicking on the "Home for the Holidays" icon. The letters must be received by Dec. 7. Recipients are expected to be announced Dec. 19.

Wetlands park to host Guided hike

A Wetlands Park Weekend Walk is scheduled from 9:15 to 11:15 a.m. Nov. 24 at the Clark County Wetlands Park, 7050 Wetlands Park Lane. The walk is free, but space is limited and registration is required. For more information and to register, call 455-7522.

WINDER FARMS' TURKEY DRIVE TO BENEFIT THREE SQUARE food bank

Winder Farms plans to conduct a turkey drive to benefit Three Square food bank through Dec. 31.

Winder Farms asks customers to donate by clicking on "Donate a Turkey to the Food Bank," then "Add to Next Delivery" during their regular online shopping at winderfarms.com. The cost of the turkey will be added to the customer's next bill, and Winder Farms will deliver the turkey to Three Square.

Town Advisory Boards to meet

The Paradise Town Advisory Board is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. today at the Paradise Recreation and Community Services Center, 4775 S. McLeod Drive.

The Winchester Town Advisory Board is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. today at the Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 S. McLeod Drive.

The Whitney Town Advisory Board is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Whitney Recreation Center, 5712 E. Missouri Ave.

The Sunrise Manor Town Advisory Board is scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Hollywood Recreation and Community Services Center, 1650 S. Hollywood Blvd.

For more information or agendas, visit clarkcountynv.gov.

HELP OF SOUTHERN NEVADA
PLANS TURKEY-THON

HELP of Southern Nevada is gearing up for the annual 97.1 The Point Turkey-Thon, a program that provides 1,200 local families with a Thanksgiving meal. Donation opportunities will be available at Albertsons and The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel through Saturday, with 97.1 The Point broadcasting live from the Turkey-Thon to encourage shoppers.

The three Albertsons locations are: 575 College Drive, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday; 9725 S. Maryland Parkway, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday; and 1650 N. Buffalo Drive, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Those wishing to donate money can visit helpsonv.org and put "Thanksgiving" in the subject line on the donation page. A family of four can be fed for $35.

For more information about HELP of Southern Nevada, call 702-369-4357.

FORECLOSED UPON PETS PLANS
ADOPTION EVENTS

Foreclosed Upon Pets Inc. plans to host dog adoptions from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Whole Foods Market, 8855 W. Charleston Blvd.

FUPI rescues domesticated animals that have been abused and/or abandoned by their owners as a result of economic hardship, including home foreclosure, loss of employment, insufficient income and illness.

Pet adoptions featuring Foreclosed Upon Pets are also planned from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday next to Charming Charlie at Tivoli Village, 302 S. Rampart Blvd. A Nov. 25 adoption event is set to feature the Las Vegas Hot-Diggity Dachshund Club.

To view adoptable pets, visit forecloseduponpets.org. For more information, call 702-272-0010 or e-mail forecloseduponpets@hotmail.com.

MOUNTAINVIEW HOSPITAL ANNOUNCES EXPANSION TO PATIENT TOWER

MountainView Hospital, 3100 N. Tenaya Way, announces a $9.5 million expansion to its new patient tower. This addition includes a 32-bed medical/surgical unit on the third floor, which is slated to open in 2013.

This project is in addition to the $68 million in ongoing development projects on the hospital's campus. These expansions include: a new 42-bed Emergency Department; new Intensive Care Unit; a 72-bed medical/surgical unit renovation; a 60,000-square-foot patient tower featuring a new 32-bed progressive care unit; a renovated main lobby, a registration area and dining room; PET/CT; a helipad for emergency services; and a 16-bed rehabilitation unit addition.

JEWISH GENEALOGY SOCIETY TO HOST SPEAKER AT SAHARA WEST LIBRARY

The Jewish Genealogy Society of Southern Nevada plans to host its monthly meeting at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Sahara West Library, 9600 W. Sahara Ave. Speaker Ron Arons is scheduled to present Finding Living People.

Meetings are free and open to the public. The group meets at 1 p.m. the third Sunday of each month.

For more information, call Earle Malkin at 702-528-4334 or visit jgssn.org.

SENIORS ASKED TO SIGN UP
FOR L'DOR V'DOR HANUKKAH PARTY

The L'Dor V'Dor Hanukkah party is planned from 10:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Dec. 4 at Temple Beth Sholom, 10700 Havenwood Lane.

Homebound and facility-bound seniors throughout Las Vegas are invited.

This event carries forward the L'Dor V'Dor tradition into its 12th year and provides a free, catered dinner to seniors. Individual seniors attend from their own homes. Groups of seniors attend from more than 20 living facilities around the Las Vegas Valley. More than 200 seniors are expected.

Guests are picked up by buses from the residential facilities; individual rides are provided for those who are unable to get to there on their own. L'Dor V'Dor provides both forms of transportation at no cost.

Entertainment will be by students from the Sandra and Stanley Mallin Early Childhood Center, doing their Hanukkah program. After the entertainment, Gustav Mauler, chef and owner of Spiedini Ristorante, will cater the luncheon with traditional latkes.

There will be birthday cakes to celebrate the century mark for guests who are about to turn 100.

There is no cost to seniors, but reservations are required by Nov. 27. To participate, contact Elaine Jacobs at 702-228-0247.

LAS VEGAS ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY PLANS STAR PARTY SATURDAY

The Las Vegas Astronomical Society invites the public to a sky-watching party scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, about 15 miles west of Las Vegas on state Route 159.

A laser-guided tour of the night sky is set to begin at 7 p.m. Public parking is adjacent to the Group Use Area. For more information, visit lvastronomy.com.

CLEANUP PLANNED AT W. WAYNE BUNKER FAMILY PARK SATURDAY

A community park cleanup is planned from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at W. Wayne Bunker Family Park, 7351 W. Alexander Road, between Tenaya Way and Buffalo Drive.

Join volunteers from Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Las Vegas Meadows Stake Seventh Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Outside Las Vegas Foundation and the city of Las Vegas to keep the park free of debris. Volunteers will remove weeds and graffiti, clean playground equipment, clear out the flood channel and sift the sand at the volleyball and playground pits.

For more information, e-mail volunteer@outsidelasvegas.org or call 702-229-2079.

MACY'S ACCEPTING LETTERS TO SANTA FOR MAKE-A-WISH

Las Vegas Valley residents can write a letter to Santa Claus and drop it off to the Santa letterbox at any valley Macy's store to benefit Make-A-Wish of Southern Nevada. For each stamped letter received, Macy's will donate $1 to Make-A-Wish, up to $1 million.

Letters can be delivered through Dec. 24.

2012 LAS VEGAS GREAT SANTA RUN COMING TO TOWN SQUARE DEC. 1

The Las Vegas Great Santa Run is scheduled for 10 a.m. Dec. 1 at Town Square Las Vegas, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Registration for the 5K is $40 for adults, $35 for team captains, $25 for children 2 to 12 and $10 for dogs. The fee includes a five-piece Santa suit and gifts, and all proceeds benefit Opportunity Village.

Opportunity Village is a nonprofit organization that serves people with significant intellectual disabilities. Registration opens and entertainment is set to begin at 8 a.m., with the run to follow at 10 a.m.

To register, visit lasvegassantarun.org or call Crystal Kovacs at 702-880-4038.

WORKSHOP PLANNED FOR WOMEN
COPING WITH DIVORCE

The Women's Institute for Financial Education plans its next monthly workshop for 8 a.m. Dec. 8 at the Women's Group Empowerment Center, 6445 S. Tenaya Way, Suite 120.

WIFE has been helping women cope with the stresses of divorce for 25 years by providing help with financial planning, realistic goal setting and strategies to attain long-term goals. After the seminar, women are invited to speak one-on-one with presenters and can also schedule future appointments for more detailed information.

The workshops last approximately four hours on every second Saturday of the month. Coffee, water and snacks are available.

The cost is $45. For more information, visit wife.org.

SOUTHERN NEVADA HEALTH DISTRICT OFFERS
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

The Southern Nevada Health District offers environmental health services at its new main facility, 330 S. Valley View Blvd., near the Meadows Mall and Springs Preserve. Services already offered at the new facility include flu shots, adult and childhood vaccines, travel vaccines and newborn screenings.

Client-accessed environmental programs offered out of the Valley View facility include plan review services for pools, food establishments, body art establishments, child care facilities, schools and special events. Previously these services were offered out of the health district's Henderson and Spring Valley public health centers.

For more information, visit snhd.info or call 702-759-4636.

SOUTHERN NEVADA HEALTH DISTRICT NO LONGER OFFERING TUBERCULOSIS TESTING

As of Nov. 1, the Southern Nevada Health District no longer provides tuberculosis testing for health card applications. TB tests are required for all health card applications except food handlers and health club attendants. Applicants must still present their TB test results to the health district when they apply for their health card. Alternative testing resources can be found at snhd.info.

HONORABLY DISCHARGED CANINES NEED HOMES

The U.S. Marine Corps has approximately 400 improvised explosive device-sniffing dogs that are being decommissioned and are in need of forever homes. Most of the dogs are breeds such as: Labradors, Belgian Malinois, border collies, German shepherds and Rottweilers.

These well-trained dogs have served in war zones and are responsible for saving countless American, NATO and foreign lives. The dogs are based in the Washington, D.C., area. Adoptive families must be able to travel there to pick up the dogs or arrange transport at their own expense.

For more information, contact Brian D. Miller, PM IED Detector Dog Program Marine Corps Systems Command, at 910-652-3645, ext. 321, or email brian.d.miller7@usmc.mil.

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.

LEARN FROM MASTER GARDENERS
AT TIVOLI VILLAGE FARMERS MARKET

The Clark County Master Gardeners plan to staff an information table from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. the first and third Saturdays of each month at the fresh52 Farmers & Artisan Market at Tivoli Village, 302 S. Rampart Blvd.

The special topic planned for Saturday is Taking Care of Roses and Winterizing Your Garden. Master Gardeners are also available at 702-257-5555 or by email at lvmastergardeners@unce.unr.edu.