YOUR WEEKEND: Things to do on either side of the valley

Centennial Hills Park phase three opening Aug. 8

The Centennial Hills Park campus, which includes the park, the community center and YMCA, the senior center and a fire station, truly is the center of this community, with all these recreation opportunities and neighborhood services in one spot (and there's a library and police station on the way). On Friday, Aug. 8, at 6:30 p.m., the newest part of the park will be opened to the public for the first time. The grand opening event runs in conjunction with City Councilman Steve Ross' annual back-to-school fair, which will include a movie in the park in the facility's new outdoor amphitheater.

One of the coolest parts of this new park phase is an elevated trail that cuts between a big new playground for kids and the amphitheater. It's supposed to be educational and interactive, with information about the historical significance of this site (mammoth bones have been found in the area).

But the best part is that at the head of the trail, at a sort of observation deck area, you have a panoramic view not only of the park grounds, but really of the entire Centennial Hills area. It's easy to spot the big landmarks of the neighborhood up here, including the Centennial Hills Hospital and the soon-to-open Aliante Station. It's a clear reminder of the growth in this area of the Las Vegas Valley.

The park is located at 6601 N. Buffalo Drive.

Henderson library to show sneak peek of 'Twilight' movie

Waiting is tough. So don’t miss a sneak peek of the motion picture “Twilight” at 7 p.m. on Aug. 8 at the Paseo Verde Library. The movie is scheduled to come out in December, but the Henderson library is unveiling a few scenes during its party to celebrate the release of the final Twilight Saga book, "Breaking Dawn.”

In addition to the preview, staff members will read teasers from the new book at the hour-long celebration inside the library's conference room. The party also will feature "Twilight" and vampire trivia, snacks and prizes.

The book, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, a division of Hachette Book Group USA, became available to the public in hardcover Aug. 2.
 
“Twilight” was one of 2005's most talked about novels, and translation rights have been sold in 33 countries. The sequel, “New Moon,” was released in September 2006, and spent more than 30 weeks at the No. 1 position on The New York Times bestseller list. “Eclipse,” the third book in the series, catapulted to the No. 1 slot on bestseller lists nationwide after selling 150,000 copies its first day on sale. There are more than 5.5 million copies of the Twilight Saga in print worldwide.

Paseo Verde Library is located at 280 S. Green Valley Parkway. For more information, visit mypubliclibrary.com or call 492-7252.