Sunrise/Whitney residents make resolutions for new year

Plans for the new year are plentiful among Sunrise- and Whitney-area residents.

One of the most common resolutions is to improve health. Jeannie McKinnon is no exception.

"I just have the usual goals this year," said McKinnon, a recreation specialist at the Robert E "Bob" Price Recreation Center, 2050 Bonnie Lane. "Everybody is trying to get healthy."

She has a suggestion to kick off a New Year's workout regimen -- a week of free exercise classes. Free classes are scheduled at 6 p.m. Jan. 3-6 for three age groups, and additional classes, including a nutrition class, are planned during the day on Jan. 7. For details, call 455-7600.

Sunrise resident John Henry Hoffmann, 88, has slowed down a little , finally giving up skiing two years ago, but it's hard to tell from his busy schedule.

"I'm working on a new book called 'Moral Philosophy,' and it should be around 400-500 pages," Hoffmann said. "I don't know if I'll get it done this year, but I should if the world leaves me alone long enough."

Hoffman, a retired dentist who prefers to call himself a shade tree philosopher, acts, teaches a class at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, does public speaking and is a member of the Shriners. Until this year, he was also a concert pianist.

"I've officially retired from that," Hoffmann said. "Music is too all-consuming, and I don't have time for it and my writing. I will make an exception for playing the calliope in Shriners' parades."

He and his wife Gloria played psychiatrists in a film tentatively called "Findings" last year. Gloria was in several commercials. Both are actively seeking more roles this year.

"We've got a full schedule," Gloria Hoffmann said. "We're going as fast as we can. We're running out of breath, but we're going strong."

John Hoffmann feels strongly that they have a lot left to do .

"I will be 90 in a little over a year," he said. "Our will to live is as strong as it's ever been. We're in great health."

For charities the time to set next year's goals is while this year's events are still going on.

Paulette Anderson, director for the Las Vegas Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities, said she hopes to see Glittering Lights at Las Vegas Motor Speedway continue.

"Glittering Lights is still going strong with this season, and our numbers keep increasing," she said. "We'd like to continue this again next year. It's a good collaboration of charities in the valley."

The annual drive-through holiday light attraction is the largest of its kind in Clark County, with more than 400 lighted displays .

"It's a holiday light show gone green," Anderson said. "We converted to LED lights last year, and we only use $750 in power to light it for the whole six weeks it's open."

The attraction is set to continue through Sunday . For more information, visit vegasglitteringlights.com.

Tom McGrath, chairman of the Las Vegas Chapter of Toys For Tots, said golfers continue to give.

"We raised $25,000 this year at our golf event on Nellis Air Force Base," he said. "We're still about 1,500 toys short. We're scrambling. We're trying to pull it off despite the economy."

He already has set a goal to reach $40,000 at next year's tournament at Nellis and $5,000 at an event in Laughlin .

For more information, visit toysfortotsvegas.org.

McGrath plans to meet with other retired Marines in January to work on a project to help fellow Marines coming off active duty.

"We want to assist returning Marines in finding job placement," McGrath said. "They've got skills, and they're the right people to hire."

On a self-improvement note, he hopes set a personal record for a 5K run and a half marathon.

"I'm also going to spend more time with my wife and four kids," McGrath said. "I don't know how I'm going to do all that, but I'm going to. It's all about balance."

Rockin' Ronny Weiser, a local rockabilly music producer, is looking forward to several projects next year.

"A bunch of stuff I've produced is coming out in Europe," he said. "I'm hoping to record an Australian rockabilly singer named Rusty Pinto. I heard him play a couple of times at Viva Las Vegas.

"Pinto has extremely strong vocals, and he does crazy antics on stage. I haven't approached him yet, but I think we could put together something great."

Other than that, Weiser's plans are to do what he already does best.

"I plan to have a great rockin' time this year," he said. "And of course, I'm really looking forward to April."

Weiser hosts an unofficial pre-convention party for the Viva Las Vegas rockabilly convention at his Winchester-area home in April.

Charles "Chuck" Martin, vice chairman of the Winchester Town Advisory Board, hopes to see some economic recovery next year.

"I can only hope we see more applications and activity on the business side," he said. "I'd love to see people developing and expanding business. We had very few agenda items to contend with this year."

As a commercial broker, Martin is in a unique position to view the valley's troubles.

"I'm seeing a lot of tenant migration," he said. "That keeps my business doing OK, but I want to see businesses starting or expanding, not just moving."

Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani is thinking along the same lines.

"I'm planning on trying to help out our local businesses by shopping locally whenever possible," she said. "I've been doing that for the most part, but I'm going to really going to work harder on it."

Newly elected Clark County Commissioner Mary Beth Scow has been learning the ropes .

"The one thing I'd really like to do this year is to listen," Scow said. "I've tried really hard to do that this year on the commission. We make decisions that affect so many people. I've tried hard to listen to people about their concerns."

Scow said she also plans to look at a different governance model so UMC, the county hospital, can function better and run less of a deficit. And she hopes to help the unincorporated areas of her district feel as if they have identity and connection.

"Henderson has such a strong neighborhood identity," Scow said. "I think they're really concerned about the place they live in and have a strong bond to it. They're concerned about the place's safety and schools."

She said she hopes to host meetings and work on projects to forge community pride in the other parts of her district. The meetings reinforce her commitment to listening.

"That extends to my family, also," Scow said. "I want to listen to my husband, my children and my grandchildren. I want to be a good listener."

It should come as no surprise that retired neurosurgeon and former lieutenant governor Lonnie Hammargren has wide-ranging plans for the new year.

"I'm hoping to do public speaking engagements," Hammargren said. "I'm involved with the International Scouting Museum, and we're hoping to acquire a new home for them, possibly on the Strip, where it will be easier for visitors to get to them. I'm working on my biography with my friend Peter J. Shield, and I'm planning to learn glass blowing."

Perhaps the biggest thing he's looking forward to is the annular solar eclipse expected on May 20. He has viewed eclipses in Siberia, Egypt, South Africa, Zimbabwe, China and New Guinea.

He won't have to go far to see this one. It is expected to be visible from as close as Mesquite, but Hammargren hopes view it from the Grand Canyon.

"I plan to take my grandsons to see it," he said. "Maybe I'll sponsor a bus and bring a bunch of people."

Roy Musgrove, a retired Sunrise Manor resident, has a simpler goal.

"I'm just planning on getting my bills paid," he said. "I don't make New Year's resolutions because you never know if you can keep them."

Contact Sunrise/Whitney View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 380-4532.