Nevada’s D+ in top third among states

By Frank Geary

In the year since the pandemic started, Southern Nevada has been just as horrible as much of the country at social distancing, according to a database that tracks travel and interaction.

Clark County received a grade of F for its lame efforts on social distancing, according to a review this week of the Unacast database that has tracked social distancing across the country since shortly after the pandemic started a year ago. Friday, on deadline, the county's grade had jumped to a D- for that day.

The state of Nevada, meanwhile, received a D+ grade from Unacast this week, which was better than the D- given the United States overall.

The poor performance, while similar to many parts of the country, might be a worthy consideration if Southern Nevada sees case numbers rise again as COVID variants pick up pace, and as local and state officials review their performance over the past year and prepare Nevada for the next pandemic.

The grades have been similar for much of the past year, but Nevada’s report card puts it in the top 16 among the 50 states. Twenty-one states received an F grade.

Two rural counties buoyed the state, with Lincoln County receiving a state-high grade of B and Mineral County receiving a B-. Nevada’s second most populated county, Washoe County, received a D+ like the state overall.

Unacast, which uses cellphone and other data to track the movement of people, has been used by media outlets like the New York Times, Washington Post and Forbes magazine, according to the website.

Unacast’s grades are based on performance in three categories.

They are: change in average mobility, based on distance traveled; change in nonessential visits; and difference in encounter density.

Grades are updated daily for the country, each state and for dozens of counties across the United States.

If everyday were Christmas

Not surprisingly, the county and the state had a gold star day when families were at home Christmas Day.

When looking at the database on Change in Average Mobility, that was a special day.

They received much higher grades from Unacast than on any other day since the state lifted the lockdown that was in place in March and April 2020, according to the database.

When looking at Change in Average Mobility, as measured in distance traveled, Clark County received a B grade on Christmas Day and Thanksgiving Day.

Before the holidays, the last time the county received such a high grade in Average Mobility was the last two weeks of April when the state lockdown was still in place, according to the Unacast database.

In March 2020, when the lockdown was ordered, the county’s grades day to day in that category ranged from B to D. In April, the county received its best grades of the pandemic, ranging from A to C.

After the lockdown was lifted in May, the county started the month with C grades each day before they turned to D grades later in the month.

For the ensuing five months, the county consistently received D grades for Average Mobility until it averaged closer to a C day to day in November. From December through February, the county received about a C grade, according to Unacast.

The state of Nevada, meanwhile, received roughly a D grade day-to-day in six of the months from March 2020 to February. The state received an F grade in four of those months and a D- in August and a D+ last month.

In the other two categories included in the database, Clark County and Nevada didn’t do as well.

The grades in Change in Essential Visits were dismal, but they were even worse in the category, Difference in Encounter Density.

For Change in Essential Visits, during the lockdown a year ago, the county received grades daily that ranged between A and F in late March 2020 before receiving a consistent A grade in April.

After that, the grades nosedived. May started out with Bs and Cs before D grades took hold. For the following nine months, the county consistently received a grade of F, according to Unacast.

The state received roughly a D in March 2020 and a C in April during the lockdown. After that, the state averaged about an F grade every month since, according to the Unacast database.

For Difference in Encounter Density, the county consistently received grades of D and F throughout the pandemic, according to Unacast.

The state received roughly a C- and a B- in the months during the lockdown.

For the ensuing six months, the state averaged day-to-day about a D before the grades started upward.

In November, the state averaged about a C- before receiving roughly a C in December, a C+ in January and a B- in February, according to the database.

Nevada’s D+ in top third of states

Clark County joined more than 50 other counties in receiving an F grade. They appeared to represent between 20% and 25% of all the counties listed.

Other well-known West Coast counties that received an F include Maricopa County (Phoenix), Los Angeles County, Orange County, Sacramento County, Santa Rosa County, Denver County and Honolulu County.

Others include Miami-Dade and many others in Florida, Wayne County and Dallas County.

In contrast, the only three areas that received a grade of A are rural areas in Alaska, each of which has between 5,700 residents and 7,700 residents in an area with between 14,116 square miles and 40,750 square miles.

In Clark County, there are 2.26 million people across 8,061 square miles.

First on the Unacast list, the Kusilvak Census Area, does not have a county seat. The largest city in the area is Hooper Bay on the Bering Sea, and it is considered the fourth poorest county in the country based on per capita income of its residents.

Two of the four counties that received a grade of A- also are located in rural Alaska and at least one of the counties that received a B grade is in Alaska.

In looking at states, Nevada was one of eight states that received a D+, including Utah, Colorado, Washington state and Wyoming.

Eight states scored better than Nevada, and 34 states scored lower than Nevada.

The highest was a grade of C, which went to Vermont only. Seven states received a C-, including Montana, New Mexico, Idaho and Oregon.

Eight states received a D, including Arizona and California. Five states received a D-, including Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Illinois.

Twenty-one states received a F grade, including several on the East Coast and in the Southeast.

They include New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island and, in the south, Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, according to Unacast.

Published March 12, 2021

Neighborhood Watch

Calls to Las Vegas Police Thursday, Mar. 4, to Wednesday, Mar. 10

Proposals take shape in Legislature

Summerlin lawmakers: contraceptives, ballots, evictions, class size, car seats

For the Sentinel's Opinion Click HERE

Summerlin Shorts

Town hall on evictions, legal aid & rental assistance

The public is invited to participate in a virtual town hall on the eviction moratorium, legal aid and rental assistance in English and Spanish on Wednesday, March 17.

Clark County Commissioners Tick Segerblom and William McCurdy II, Las Vegas City Councilwoman Olivia Diaz, and representatives from the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada and Clark County Social Service will lead the discussion. To attend, log in to Zoom at 5 p.m. for the English session. The Spanish session will immediately follow about 6 p.m. Use the link bit.ly/2PCb9ui.

Meeting ID: 931 2023 9114

Passcode: 891701.

Both sessions will be carried live on Clark County Television (CCTV), online via YouTube,

https://www.youtube.com/user/ClarkCountyNV/live, and via www.Facebook.com/ClarkCountyNV.

CCTV is available in the Las Vegas area on Channel 4/1004 on Cox cable and on CenturyLink on Channels 4 and 1004. CCTV also streams on devices such as Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV via the YouTube app.

Free public art workshop series

Art and public transportation may not seem a likely combination, but Clark County’s public art workshop, Full Scope, at 1 p.m. on March 23, brings together two experts to discuss how the two go hand-in-hand to promote community and culture. Mark Salinas, who is based in Reno, is a board member for the Art Spot Reno, the City of Reno Arts and Culture Commission, and the Nevada Arts Council. Jen Krava is the director of programming and new initiatives for Forecast Public Art, a Minnesota-based non-profit that started in 1978 to promote partnerships among decision makers and artists and to select, curate, fund and commission public art projects.

Full Scope is a free professional public art workshop series that helps local artists network and learn skills that can help them compete for public art projects in Southern Nevada.

This event will be online via Cisco WebEx Meeting. Follow the link below to register.

Event Address: https://tinyurl.com/xvx4ksue

Event Number: 187 044 5480

Event Password: publicart

Clark County’s public art mission is to promote, encourage and connect the community with culture and public art around the valley. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/8zempry7 or visit Facebook and Instagram @CCPublicArts.

Published March 12, 2021

COVID cases continue to plummet in Summerlin

Sentinel Staff

The number of COVID-19 cases in Summerlin dropped by a third in the past week.

Across three zip codes in Summerlin North and Summerlin West - which have a combined population of about 60,000 - there were 49 new cases for the seven-day period that ended Wednesday, Feb. 25.

The two previous weeks, there were 72 and 75 new cases, which was down significantly from the 200 to 260 new cases per week from the middle of November to early January.

The drop in cases comes as the vaccination rate continues to climb over the past month across Southern Nevada.

For a closer look at which of the three Summerlin zip codes had more new cases than the other two combined, click here for the Sentinel’s COVID-19 Update.

For a look back at last week’s story on the dramatic decrease in COVID-19 cases since January, click here.

Published February 26, 2021

Neighborhood Watch

Calls to Las Vegas Police Wednesday, Feb. 18, to Tuesday, Feb. 24

Research to save fragile, desert plants

Summerlin Shorts

Sun City picks two incumbents, one newcomer

Sun City Summerlin voters on Tuesday picked the two incumbents and one newcomer to fill seats on the Board of Directors of the Sun City Summerlin Community Association, Inc.

Board Treasurer Gerry Sokolski, longtime board member Leo Crawford and John Berthelsen, of the Community Areas Property Committee (CAPS), which makes budget recommendations, were elected to three-year terms.

Sun City Summerlin, located between the Summerlin Parkway and Cheyenne Avenue and the 215 Beltway and Rampart Boulevard, has more than 7,700 households and is one of the largest homeowners associations in the state.

Sokolski received the most votes. He was followed by Crawford and Berthelsen, according to Sun City.

The victories come as the community grapples with the effects of the pandemic, and a year after voters approved term limits for board members.

‘Business Hub’ opens at West Sahara Library

Small business owners can learn more about free services - such as recruiting, training and hiring incentives - with a visit to the West Sahara Library, 9600 W. Sahara Avenue, east of Hualapai Way.

The center, one of two Employ NV Business Hubs in Las Vegas, is free and designed to help businesses recover and prosper during and after the pandemic.

Workforce development professionals help local employers access no-cost solutions offered through the public workforce development system, such as talent recruitment, training assistance and financial incentives for hiring Nevadans.

For more about the Business Hub, visit EmployNVBusinessHub.org.

The Business Hubs are a coordinated effort between Workforce Connections (Southern Nevada's Local Workforce Development Board), the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation (DETR), the Nevada Department of Business and Industry, the Vegas Chamber of Commerce and the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District.

Crossing Guards Needed

Clark County is recruiting 675 paid crossing guards to start Monday, March 1, when elementary school students return to the classroom. The pay is $15 per hour.

School hours vary across the valley, but crossing guards typically work from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The county will provide training and equipment including face masks. Successful applicants must be 18 years old, pass an agility and balance assessment, and complete a criminal background check.

Officials say prospective crossing guards need to apply as soon as possible to ensure the county can staff all school crosswalks as soon as possible.

For information, call All City Management Services at (702) 675-3135 or visit https://acmssafety.com/crossing-guards/.

Published February 26, 2021

COVID cases just 22% of peak late last year

For the Sentinel's Opinion Click HERE

By Frank Geary and Luke Geary

The rate of COVID-19 cases in Summerlin has nose-dived to levels inconceivable just a month ago.

In Summerlin North and Summerlin West, combined, there were 75 new cases identified during the week that ended Wednesday, Feb. 17, and there were 72 new cases a week earlier .

It was the first time the area of about 60,000 people has seen just a double-digit weekly increase in three-and-a-half months, when there were 95 new cases the week ending Nov. 3.

More recently, the new-case total is just 33% of the 240 news cases reported in the week ending Jan. 13, based on data from the Southern Nevada Health District, which is overseeing the region’s response to coronavirus.

And, the new cases reported last week are just 22% of the peak of 328 new cases reported for the seven-day period ending Dec. 2 across the two zip codes in Summerlin North and the one in Summerlin West.

The drop in cases does not appear to be a one-time apparition. Instead, it is a milestone on a downward trend that started with the new year.

The health district provides for each zip code in the region a day-to-day accumulation of cases, which shows the total number at any one time. The Sentinel analyzed data for Summerlin for this report.

Data on hospitalizations, recoveries, deaths or demographics of patients is not broken down by zip code.

After the Thanksgiving-time apex in cases, Summerlin’s week-to-week increases ranged from 200 to 262 for the ensuing seven weeks.

There were 194 new cases in Summerlin North and Summerlin West - combined - the week ending Jan. 20. That was the first time the number dropped below 200 since the middle of November.

One week later, the number dropped another 30% to 135 new cases.

A comparable 129 new cases were reported two weeks ago; before that figure on Feb. 11 jettisoned a startling 44% to 72 new cases reported.

The welcome relief comes at a time when cases across Clark County, Nevada and the country are on a similar downward trend, and in a month in which the federal government has increased by 30 percent the supply of vaccinations shipped to the states each week.

On Wednesday, the health district’s most recent data on vaccination rates was a week old.

It states that 203,477 people in Clark County had received the first dose of the two doses needed when taking the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines. There had been 40,420 who had received the second dose.

The vaccines first arrived in December, and the pace of vaccinations has increased week to week - although somewhat sporadically - since then.

November was the worst

In looking at weekly case increases in Summerlin, dating back to September, the highest surge by far was in November.

New cases for a week in mid-September totaled 30, but the rate ticked up markedly in October.

New cases more than doubled; from 44 the week ending Oct. 13 to 95 the Halloween week ending Nov. 3.

Fast forward a month to the week ending Dec. 2, the number of new cases grew 245% to 328.

Here is a closer look at how a snowball turned overnight into an avalanche of COVID-19.

Two weeks after Hallloween, the new-case total in Summerlin had jumped 44% to 137 cases for the week ending Nov. 17.

One week later, the total skyrocketed another 82% to 250 new cases for the week ending Nov. 25 - the day before Thanksgiving.

And, the following week, the total went up another 31% to the all-time peak of 328 new cases for the week that ended Dec. 2.

The 89144 zip code - between Charleston Boulevard and Summerlin Parkway and the 215 Beltway east to about Rampart Boulevard- has a population estimated at 18,714. The area saw triple-digit increases three consecutive weeks starting Nov. 11.

Meanwhile, the 89138 zip code in West Summerlin, with a population estimated at 12,118, hit triple digits once - during the last week of November.

That same week, the 89144 zip code hit an all-time high of 99 new cases. That zone, which includes Sun City Summerlin and other areas north of Summerlin Parkway, experienced smaller weekly increases even though its much larger with an estimated population of 29,040.

Hospitalizations, deaths ride same wave

Health district data does not break down by zip code deaths or hospitalizations caused by coronavirus.

Hospitalizations in the region follow the same trend seen in weekly case numbers in Summerlin.

The 7-day moving average for daily hospitalizations was 20 on Sept. 9.

It took about six weeks for that to jump to about 30 per day, but only two weeks more for it to skyrocket past 40 hospitalizations per day in early November, according to health district data.

Hospitalizations per day increased to 50 by the middle of November and to 60 by the end of the month.

Hospitalizations peaked at about 72 just before Christmas before dropping faster than they had climbed in the weeks earlier.

A month later, hospitalizations were down to 45. They were at 27 on Feb. 9. Four days later, they were at 19 per day and they were down to a mere seven per day on Wednesday, Feb. 17.

With deaths across Southern Nevada, the 7-day moving average was more than 10 in early September following the summer surge across the southwestern United States.

Daily deaths dropped gradually to a low of 2.3 per day in the middle of October before gradually increasing.

Deaths doubled by the end of October and were back to about 10 per day by the middle of November. Deaths jumped to about 20 in early December and climbed past 30 a month later.

The 7-day moving average of deaths hit a high of about 33 on Jan. 12 before dropping like a rock over the past five weeks or so.

By Jan. 30, the daily rate was about 22. It dropped to 15 on Feb. 11. It plummeted to below 10 by Valentine’s Day, and was below 3% on Wednesday, Feb. 17, according to health district data.

Published February 18, 2021

To see the COVID-19 Update Click HERE

Neighborhood Watch

Calls to Las Vegas Police Wednesday, Feb. 12, to Tuesday, Feb. 16

Neighborhood Watch

Calls to Las Vegas Police Wednesday, Feb. 3, to Tuesday, Feb. 11

Election underway for powerful Sun City Board

By Sentinel Staff

Sun City Summerlin

Households: 7,779 for residents 55 years and older

Population: 12,000 to 13,000

HOA fees: $137 monthly/$1,644 a year

Amenities: three 18-hole golf courses, three community centers with swimming pools and fitness gyms, restaurants, golf-cart paths, softball fields, tennis courts, a theater, security force, billiard rooms, woodworking shop and space for dozens of clubs

Sun City and 89134 zip code

Median household income: $61,561

Median home value: $223,900

Median age: 63

Racial makeup: White 85%, Asian 6%, Black 4%

Households without children: 86%

Households with no earnings: 56%, full-time: 26% part-time: 18%

Homes with mortgage: 56% paid off: 30% rent: 15% vacant: 9%

Source: United States Postal Service

Five candidates seek three seats

Each of the five candidates for the influential Board of Directors of the Sun City Summerlin Community Association feels his business experience and fiscal restraint will serve the 55-plus community well.

The two incumbents and three challengers said they support the association’s decision to pursue a forgivable COVID-19 relief loan from the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Plan.

Incumbent Leo Crawford said the PPP loan was necessary to keep open golf courses and other facilities, and that the board should pursue a second federal loan.

“We did that because we didn’t know what are COVID costs were going to be,” Crawford said. “Our costs have not gone down. We have to pay our expenses. Unlike the federal government, we are required to have a balanced budget.”

However, some opposed the board’s decision last month to spend tens-of-thousands of dollars on renovations and upgrades at a time when revenues remain uncertain in response to the pandemic.

Challenger John Berthlesen is a member of the Sun City Community Areas Property Committee (CAPS), which reviews proposed projects and makes recommendations to the board.

The revised budget dictated that budget reserves would be used only for emergencies, but the board, instead, approved discretionary and cosmetic upgrades that he believes were not true emergencies.

“Why does that qualify as an emergency?” Berthlesen said of some of the costly upgrades. “If it were your money, would you be spending it this way?”

Meanwhile, Sun City residents said the community voted last year for term limits, in part because incumbents had become fixtures for a decade or so.

While the new rules permit them to run, residents said sitting board members should heed the will of the voters and step aside.

Term limits, which take effect this year, limit board members to three terms of three years each.

“Incumbents need to respect the voters’ wishes and take off a term or two,” said one resident, who asked to not be identified.

Board members have said Sun City's population is between 12,000 and 13,000, which is similar to a small city. For perspective, Boulder City has about 15,000 people.

The five candidates are vying for three seats on the board.

Ballots for the Sun City election were scheduled to be mailed to each homeowner last month. Ballots must be returned to Mountain Shadows before 5 p.m. Tuesday, February 23.

Board members are volunteers who do not receive a salary or stipend of any kind.

The board oversees the association’s annual budget, and its facilities such as three golf courses, swimming pools, fitness gyms, tennis courts, walking paths, a softball field, a theater, workshops and other services and dozens of clubs.

Unlike most Summerlin residents, who pay $50 monthly for parks and other amenities, each of Sun City’s 7,779 households pay $137 a month for community services.

With more than $1,600 in annual fees, many residents were frustrated with paying the full rate while not receiving services equal to past years due to the pandemic and occupancy limits.

One-time candidate Erik Braun, with the Neighborhood Preparedness Team, chose not to run, he said last week.

Published February 4, 2021

Gerry Sokolski catalyst for federal loan

“Sun City has provided so much joy in our retirement years. I have been on the Board, serving as treasurer the past two years and would like to continue to help the Association with its financial responsibilities.”

Sun City Board Treasurer Gerry Sokolski proposed the board seek the $823,096 PPP loan that kept golf-course and other personnel on the payroll when facilities were shuttered for weeks in response to a state lockdown.

“I am up for reelection,” Sokolski said. “My strengths are in the financial and accounting area, and that is why I think I can help the association.”

Board President Dick Clark and others praised Sokoliski for being innovative, aggressive and prudent in securing the PPP loan.

Sokolski kept track of the changing rules in the early days of the massive, federal COVID-19 relief program.

After federal officials updated rules to include homeowners associations, Sokolski quickly navigated Sun City through uncharted territory.

He deciphered the federal rules and found a loan broker, who found a bank to issue the government loan.

A forgivable loan is like free money, in that it doesn’t need to be paid back at all.

Although Sokolski and the board are still awaiting confirmation the loan will be forgiven as expected, Sokolski last week said Sun City will pursue a second PPP loan under the allocation approved by Congress late last year.

“There is nothing bad about it.” Sokolski said. “We are being fiscally responsible to apply for it (PPP). … To ignore it, would be giving money away.”

In addition, when faced with the fiscal uncertainty during the state shutdown last spring, Sokoloski played a pivotal role in impromptu budget hearings that led to a scaled-back spending plan that has proved prudent, supporters say.

If reelected, Sokolski said the board should do more to “market” Sun City to nearby residents and out-of-towners in their forties and fifties.

In doing so, they may be more inclined to consider Sun City when choosing a spot to retire years later.

“We need an influx of young people to keep things going,” he said last week.

Published February 4, 2021

Larry Cohn wants transparency on board

“My goal is to support the needs of every member of our community and all involved in keeping our community running smoothly in a transparent and open manner.”

Larry Cohn, who moved to Sun City Summerlin in September, said he - at age 65 - has something to offer the board in addition to youth.

Cohn, who spent last week converting 30 businesses to paperless operations, said the fact he still runs his business full-time is an asset to Sun City rather than a distraction.

He also serves on the boards of three charitable organizations and two industry-related associations, Cohn said.

“My input could help them manage the money or oversee operations,” he said. “It’s an advantage to an organization to have me as a member.”

Cohn said he doesn’t know details of the PPP loan, and was not aware the association is considering a second loan application presently. However, he said, he received a PPP loan for his private business.

“I am not someone who wants to take money from the federal government just because it’s there,” Cohn said. “If it (loan) is needed, and you can justify the forgiveness of the PPP loan, then OK. That’s what it is there for.”

When asked about the expensive renovations and upgrades last month, Cohn said some board members are too hands-on in the day-to-day operations of Sun City.

They should act more like board members, and delegate operations to Executive Director Mitzi Mills and her staff.

“You are not helping yourself by trying to do too much,” he said.

Published February 4, 2021

Dick Gluch pushed reforms after embezzlement

“I believe it is one of the best managed HOA communities in the country. … In our time here, we have experienced a continued improvement in the professional management of this community.”

Dick Gluch, who served on the board previously, wants to reunite with like-minded fiscal conservatives already on the board to finish some of the work he started.

“Sun City is very well run. We have good volunteers (board members),” Gluch said. “I am very pleased with what they have done. I just want to keep it going down the road in a good way.”

Gluch ran for the board several years ago in response to sloppy bookkeeping, which culminated with a staff member embezzled association funds.

He oversaw the implementation of safeguards to make certain money was not stolen again, but those precautions are not established - or codified - in writing in the association bylaws like they should be, Gluch said.

Gluch said he suggested to Board Treasurer Gerry Sokolski that Sun City pursue the first PPP loan, and that a second loan is appropriate because the 55-plus community qualifies.

He also said it was prudent for the board to spend reserve funds to pay for renovations and upgrades last month despite the fiscal uncertainty posed by the ongoing pandemic.

Most of the capital expenditures were included in the budget forecast at the start of the calendar year, and it’s prudent to upgrade facilities to avoid higher repair costs in the future, Gluch said.

“Most of the items they are spending money on were allocated for in the reserve fund,” Gluch said.

Residents who clamored for rebates when activities were curtailed by the pandemic were short-sighted, he said. Rebates would have hurt the long-term financial viability of Sun City.

“If you look at any area across the country, you would not find a better deal than what you get here," he said.

Published February 4, 2021

John Berthlesen not a rubber-stamp

I want to “use my business experience and knowledge to assist in making Sun City a progressive, 21st Century community. … I will be fiscally responsible in controlling both costs to residents and assessments.”

John Berthlesen, who believes his business experience is an asset, is well-acquainted with Sun City’s budget constraints given his role on a key oversight committee.

Bethlesen ran his own business for 35 years, and served on foundations for a hospital and a scholarship fund, he said.

Like other candidates, Berthlesen backed the board’s pursuit of the PPP loan, and generally believes the board has served the community well.

However, Sun City voters implemented term limits recently, and he believes long-serving incumbents should step aside even though the new rules permit them to run for years to come.

“I have attended committee meetings and have studied the budget,” Berthlesen said. “It gives me a good understanding of where we are (financially) in the community, and where we can go in the future.”

As a member of Sun City’s CAPS Committee, he opposed some of the board’s recent renovations and upgrades at golf courses, swimming pools, restaurants and other facilities.

He believes some projects could have been postponed, and that some expenditures were inconsistent with voter-approved budget constraints.

The community in June voted to revise the annual budget in response to the pandemic and the potential loss of revenue, he said.

A pivotal provision was that only emergency projects would be considered.

The board, he said, approved several projects that he and a minority of CAPS members opposed. The board did not listen to them.

“Things (revenues) were going better than they expected,” Berthlesen said. “The board passed things that I didn’t agree with.”

Published February 4, 2021

Leo Crawford brings board experience

“Being a board member is not an easy job; to be a successful board member you must spend many hours every week working for the community, have common sense and have experience that relates to the needs of our community.”

A year after Sun City voters enacted term limits, longtime board member Leo Crawford couldn’t recall last week if he had served three or four terms on the board.

Crawford, in addition, said the most immediate concern for Sun City is getting residents the COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible without having to leave the community.

Vaccinations were scheduled to start this week for the community’s oldest residents, he said.

“We are doing all we can,” he said. “We have people lined up to drive neighbors who can’t drive themselves.

Crawford said the board navigated well through the pandemic, and that the PPP loan was pivotal to keeping facilities open without raising fees.

“We were definitely the tail on that dog,” he said of state restrictions on occupancy limits at Sun City pools, club rooms and other facilities. “What we can do in public? What we can’t do in public? And how many people can we have in places?"

He said board members held hearings and asked residents to vote on budget revisions in response to the pandemic.

Revenues rebounded during the summer and fall in response to the board’s prudent budgeting, the board moved ahead last month with renovations and upgrades that had been put off.

Further delays would have pushed up costs, he said. Routine upgrades, for instance, on resurfacing tennis courts saves money that would be needed eventually to replace them.

“The alternative to the PPP loan is that we would have had to close one or two of our facilities, and that would have been a killer for us,” Crawford said. “We would have had to lock our doors.”

Published February 4, 2021

Summerlin senators among most influential

Cannizzaro, Dondero Loop in leadership

Senate Majority Leader has had wild ride

Democrat Nicole Cannizzaro has had anything but a calm, comfortable four years in the state Senate.

Last November, she was narrowly reelected to a second four-year term following a contentious battle against Republian April Becker in a northwest Las Vegas district that includes Sun City and areas north of the Summerlin Parkway.

Before that, she blasted to the top of the state’s Democratic Party following an unexpected promotion, and a Republican recall crusade that echoes in events of recent weeks.

Cannizzaro, a Las Vegas native, was made Senate majority leader weeks after the last session had already started in 2019.

The promotion was unexpected following the resignation of predecessor, Democrat Kelvin Atkinson, after he pled guilty to campaign finance irregularities.

Before that, state Republicans targeted Cannizzaro and two other like-minded lawmakers with recalls - which were unsuccessful - at a time when Democrats held a thin majority.

Democrats, now, enjoy a more convincing advantage in the Senate, and Cannizzaro is the second most powerful behind Senate President Kate Marshall.

However, the session isn’t likely to be a celebration given the devastation done by COVID-19 to the state’s economy, public education and the overall quality of life.

The rough boundaries for the district are Alta Drive north to Lone Mountain Road and Highway 95 west to Red Rock Canyon. It includes the Summerlin Parkway, Summerlin West and Summerlin North.

According to the Legislature, Cannizzaro, a Clark County prosecutor, is vice chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee and a member of the Finance Committee and the Legislative Operations and Elections Committee.

Little information was available this week about legislation proposed for this year’s session other than short, vague descriptions.

For instance, place holders for Cannizzaro, state “revises provisions relating to employment” and “revises provisions relating to utilities” and “revises provisions relating to criminal justice.”

Other proposals involve the dispensing of contraceptives, business and labor and employment, according to the state Legislature.

Dondero Loop represents Summerlin South

Marilyn Dondero Loop, the co-whip of Senate Democrats, represents Senate District 8, which includes Summerlin South and Downtown Summerlin.

She is halfway through her first four-year term. Prior to 2018, she lost a Senate race in 2014 after serving in the Assembly starting in 2008, according to ballotpedia.

Since that time, Dondero has won tight races with less than 52% of the vote all but once. Her battleground district has a mere 1.3% Democratic edge and 17% of voters not loyal to either party.

The district’s rough boundaries are Torrey Pines Drive and Rainbow Boulevard west to Red Rock Canyon and Alta Drive south to Flamingo Boulevard and Desert Inn Road.

The Democratic whip is responsible for rounding up members’ votes, and they stand in for the majority leader when needed.

It’s not a surprise Dondero is assigned powerful positions and assigned influential committees.

She serves as chair of the Senate Government Affairs Committee, vice chair of the Education Committee and a member of the Finance Committee, according to the Legislature.

Legislation proposed by Dondero, a former teacher who works in textbook publishing, includes placeholders with vague descriptions.

They include measures pertaining to education, mental health, child welfare, workforce development and apprenticeships and the collection of debts tied to medical care, according to the state Legislature.

Dondero Loop lost to Republican Patricia Farley in the 2014 race for District 8 after receiving 39% of the vote.

Prior to Farley, the district was represented by Republican Barbara Cegavske, current secretary of state for Nevada.

Dondero Loop is the daughter of legendary politician Thalia Dondero, who died in 2016. In 1974, Thalia Dondero was the first woman elected to the powerful Clark County Commission, where she served for 20 years before becoming a University Regent, according to her online obituary.

Long odds for Summerlin’s rookie Republicans

Democrats enjoy edge in State Assembly

Newcomer Kasama represents much of Summerlin

Heidi Kasama, Republican, represents state Assembly District 2, which encompasses much of Summerlin North and Summerlin West.

Kasama, a freshman lawmaker, in November defeated Democrat Radhika Kunnel convincingly. In June, she easily defeated four others in the GOP primary.

Kasama is a Summerlin real-estate broker and former president of Nevada Realtors.

She is scheduled to serve on the Assembly’s Revenue, Judiciary and Commerce and Labor committees, according to the Legislature’s website.

Little information was available this week about legislation proposed for this year’s session other than short, vague descriptions for each.

For instance, one Kasama proposal “revises provisions governing eviction proceedings” and another “revises provisions governing election reform.”

Kasama’s other proposals involve economic development and making electronic records more “tangible.”

Kasama’s campaign literature touches on issues of concern to families, such as health care and education.

On health care, Kasama hopes to give everybody what they want.

She supports policies that attract the”best and brightest” doctors to Nevada, and that also will “improve the quality of health care in Nevada while reducing our out of pocket costs.”

On the economy, like most, Kasama supports policies that “generate job growth”. But, as a “strong conservative advocate,” she believes increasing taxes or the state’s minimum wage will hobble job growth.

On education, Kasama laments the Clark County School District’s student-teacher ratio as one of the nation’s worst, and says too much tax money goes to administrative overhead.

Kasama is “focused on finding ways to get more money directly into the classroom,” according to the literature.

Kasama is a real-estate broker in Summerlin, who oversees dozens of sales agents.

Bilbray Axelrod to chair Education Committee

Shannon Bilbrary Axelrod, Democrat, represents Assembly District 34, which is bordered roughly by Alta Drive north to Smoke Ranch and Lake Mead boulevards and Torrey Pines Avenue west to Rampart Boulevard and Hillpointe Road.

She is the daughter of former House Rep. James Bilbray, a Democrat who represented Nevada’s first congressional district from 1987 to 1995.

Bilbrary Axelrod has served in the Assembly since she was first elected in 2016.

Last November, she received 58% of the vote in defeating Republican nominee Jay Carlson; a similar outcome to her previous two victories.

She is scheduled to serve as chairwoman of the powerful Assembly Education Committee in the session that starts Monday, Feb. 1.

In addition, she is set to serve on the influential Judiciary and Revenue committees in the lower house, according to the Legislature’s website.

In prior sessions, Bilbrary Axelrod served as vice chair on the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Mining Committee and as a member on the Government Affairs Committee and the Growth and Infrastructure Committee and the Transportation Committee.

There was limited information about legislation she is authoring this session. More is expected in the weeks ahead.

She is the sponsor for bills relating to wildlife, the safe transportation of children in vehicles, veterinary medicine, libraries and the conduct of agents representing athletes, according to the Legislature’s website.

The district represented by Bilbrary Axelrod includes the Tournament Players Club Summerlin golf course, the Las Vegas Indoor Soccer complex, the library and post office in Summerlin and both sides of Summerlin Parkway from Town Center east to U.S. Highway 95.

Miller on powerful Ways and Means Committee

Brittney Miller, Democrat, has represented Assembly District 5 since 2016.

The district is bordered roughly by Alta south to Desert Inn and Flamingo roads and from Rampart/Fort Apache east to Rainbow Boulevard.

In this year’s session, Miller, a Clark County School District school teacher, is scheduled to serve as chairperson for the Assembly Legislative Operations and Elections Committee.

She also is set to serve as vice chair of the Assembly Education Committee and as a member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, according to the Legislature’s website. Ways and Means examines all department budgets, appropriation requests, and appropriation bills.

Miller, a Detroit native with a master’s in Public Administration, received 54% of the vote in defeating Republican Mack Miller in November.

Bills that Miller plans to author lack any description at this preliminary stage.

They include proposals pertaining to school teachers, bullying and cyber-bullying, assistance for low-income families, financial aid for college students and the establishment of an Inspector General for the state, according to the Legislature’s website.

Assembly District 5 includes All American Park, the Canyon Gate Country Club, Rainbow Family Park and communities near Lake Sahara.

Freshman Matthews to represent Sun City

Andy Matthews, Republican, represents state Assembly District 37, which includes Sun City Summerlin and northwest Las Vegas between Cheyenne and Lone Mountain avenues east to roughly U.S. Highway 95.

Matthews, a freshman lawmaker, in November received less than 51% of the vote for a narrow victory in a two-person race over Democrat Shea Backus.

Matthews lost in the 2016 Republican primary in the race for Nevada’s third congressional district. The Massachusetts native, and former journalism student, lost to GOP nominee Danny Tarkanian.

Previously, he served as president of the conservative think tank, the Nevada Policy Research Institute, in Las Vegas.

For the upcoming legislative session, Matthews is assigned to the Government Affairs Committee, the Health and Human Services Committee and the Legislative Operations and Elections Committee, according to the Legislature’s website.

As with all lawmakers, details of Matthews’ proposed legislation was not known this week.

They involve provisions relating to: people in custody, governing of public records, public employment, and elections.

According to ballotpedia, Matthews said, “My chief objectives are to rein in the size and scope of the federal government; restore government to its proper, constitutionally ascribed role; and expand individual liberty.”

Demand jumps at Desert Springs food event

Cars line Greenmoor Lane during Saturday's drive-through food distribution at Desert Spring United Methodist Church, at the corner of Pavilion Center Drive. The church started the food bank in December with donations from Three Square Food Bank and other charities. Three Square estimates 18% of people living in Summerlin are hungry. Dan Harper, director of the church resource center, said 147 vehicles received food on Saturday, an increase of about 50 percent since the first event last month. Each vehicle receives four meals for a family of four. The church will hold its next food distribution with the Culinary Academy at 9 a.m. on Feb. 5 in the parking lot, 120 N. Pavilion Center Dr. For more informaiton, contact Harper at dscresourcecenter@gmail.com or call 702-256-5933.

Neighborhood Watch

Calls to Las Vegas Police Wednesday, Jan. 20, to Tuesday, Jan. 26

Pandemic alcohol delivery made permanent

Las Vegas OKs alcohol delivery to homes, businesses

By Frank Geary
Liquor stores, convenience stores and restaurants in the city of Las Vegas can deliver alcohol permanently to homes and businesses under a new law enacted Wednesday.

The Las Vegas City Council unanimously approved a measure that will usher in permanently a pandemic provision that has been popular with residents and local businesses alike.

Three-term City Councilman Stavros Anthony, who proposed the new law, said much of society is likely to change over the next 20 years in the response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Alcohol delivery is a logical step in the right direction, Anthony, who represents Sun City Summerlin, said.

“The crux of it is someone at home that wants a 12-pack of beer delivered to their house would be able to do that,” he said. “That person gets the delivery and the business makes a little bit of money and helps them stay afloat.”

Under the proposal, a person licensed under the new law “may provide for the delivery of such beverages to the premises requested by the provider.”

Since the pandemic started, Boca Park- based Lee’s Discount Liquor and Total Wine & More, for instance, provided delivery service.

City Councilwoman Victoria Seaman, who represents much of Summerlin within city limits, and others opposed one proposal, which would have allowed for delivery to only residences.

She said businesses should be allowed to have alcohol delivered, and other opponents said that particular proposal would put businesses in the uncomfortable and time-consuming predicament of distinguishing between commercial and residential addresses.

The City Council shot down that proposal, and passed a version that allows for delivery to businesses other than large resorts and bars and restaurants that already have a license to sell liquor.

Councilwoman Michelle Fiore, who represents the northwest area of the city, said liquor stores oppose the new measure, in part because it allows convenience stores to deliver beer and wine and cut into their revenue.

“Until I feel like everyone that will be affected by this is comfortable with it, I can’t support it,” the fickle Fiore said. According to minutes of the discussion, at first, Fiore opposed the measure, but later in the meeting asked that her vote be reversed.

Councilwoman Olivia Diaz, a school teacher who represents southeast Las Vegas, said she was concerned about public safety, and was uncomfortable that the City Council had not taken more time to explore the potential “unintended consequences” of the new law.

“I am already thinking of the potential public-safety side effects that can come from allowing too many folks to offer this service,” Diaz said before ultimately supporting the proposal.

A bar owner and a lobbyist at the meeting assured Diaz that drunk driving would decrease if customers no longer had to pick up their own alcohol. Delivery people will be vetted for criminal behavior, will be required to deliver to the address where the delivery was placed and be responsible for not selling to underage drinkers.

Virginia Valentine, executive director of the Nevada Resort Association, which represents casinos, had opposed an original proposal, but said the association would support a law that clarified that alcohol delivery would be prohibited “wall to wall” at all resorts that already serve alcohol.

Representatives of grocery and convenience stores, and a representative of delivery services including Amazon, expressed support for the proposal.

Mayor Carolyn Goodman, wife of former Mayor Oscar Goodman, who often declared himself “The Happiest Mayor on Earth”, said she wanted to make certain restaurants were protected from having customers order alcohol to be delivered from outside the premises.

City staff and a local bar owner pointed out that any establishment can prohibit customers from bringing in their own alcohol, and that some charge a “corkage fee” for a customer who, for instance, wants to bring in their favorite gin.

At that point, Goodman recollected that her husband “only likes Bombay Sapphire (gin) and he will not drink whatever other gin is there.”

Published Jan. 21, 2021

Library district hires new executive director

By J. Geary

Las Vegas libraries will have a new executive director beginning Feb. 16.

Following a national search, the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District this month appointed Kelvin Watson to oversee the $71.5 million budget for 25 libraries and 342 full-time and 387 part-time employees. The library district serves 1.7 million people over 8,000 square miles.

“Kelvin Watson is one of the most highly respected thought leaders in the library industry,” Felipe Ortiz, chair of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District Board of Trustees, said in written statement. Watson's proven track record for fund raising and expertise in bridging the digital divide are essential for expanding public access to free educational services in Southern Nevada, he said.

Watson's annual salary will be $220,000.

According to the library district, Watson's most recent experience includes serving as director of the Broward County Libraries Division in Florida, where he managed over 700 full-time employees and a budget of more than $70 million.

“During this challenging time for our economy, the free resources offered by our community libraries have become more important than ever,” Watson said in a written statement. “Libraries are here to help children and adults pursue their dreams and build better lives through skills development, educational and digital access, and exposure to the arts and culture."

During his time in Broward County, the Florida Library Association named Watson the 2019 Librarian of the Year; and the American Library Association named the Broward County Libraries as the Library of the Future

Prior to his work in Broward County, Watson, served as COO/senior vice president for Queens Borough Library in New York City. He also worked for the USDA National Agricultural Library, Ingram Library Services, Borders Group and The Library Corporation.

Watson replaces Fred James who has led the library district in an acting capacity since May 2020. James plans to retire when Watson takes the helm.

Neighborhood Watch

Calls to Las Vegas Police Wednesday, Jan. 13, to Tuesday, Jan. 19

Last-minute for Little League in Summerlin

Today is deadline for Summerlin South

Like a catcher stealing third, you’re running late.

While definitely 11th hour, baseball players in Summerlin are not too late to join a team for the spring season.

Summerlin South Little League and Summerlin North Little League are still signing up players from tee-ball to the high school level.

Summerlin South Little League: Late registration closes TODAY, Thursday, Jan. 21, for Majors, Minors, AAA and AA baseball divisions.

Register online at www.summerlinsouthll.org.

Late registration closes Jan. 29 for all Softball divisions, Minors A baseball, Tee Ball divisions and Juniors level.

Players who do not sign-up by the deadline will be placed on a waiting list, according to Summerlin South Little League’s website.

Evaluations, or tryouts for teams, are scheduled starting today, Thursday, Jan. 21.

Children who live or go to school within the boundaries for Summerlin South are eligible to register.

Parents can use Little League’s mapping tool to determine what chapter of Little League is nearest their home.

Neighboring Little League chapters include Western, Spring Mountain, Cheyenne and Lone Mountain.

Students from the following Clark County School District schools are eligible for Summerlin South: Vassiliadis, Givens, Goolsby and Ober elementary schools; and West Career and Technical Academy.

Private and charter schools include Faith Lutheran Academy, Solomon Schechter Day School, Alexander Dawson, Doral Academy Red Rock, Faith Lutheran Jr./Sr. High School and Bishop Gorman High School.

Summerlin North Little League is holding registration online for its spring season.

Registration is open until Feb. 1 for children who live or go to school within the boundaries for Summerlin North Little League.

Parents can use Little League’s mapping tool to determine what little league they can join.

Children who attend one of the following public schools are eligible for Summerlin North: Lummis, Staton, Bonner or Bryan elementary schools; Becker and Rogich middle schools; and Palo Verde High School.

Children who attend the following private or charter schools are eligible to register: Adelson Educational Campus, Discovery Charter School, the Meadows Schools, Shenker Academy, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Merryhill School on Snow Trail and the Merryhill School on Alta Drive.

The rates for the spring season are as follows for each age group: Tee Ball $125; Rookies $150; Minors $200; Majors $200; Intermediate 50/70 and Juniors and Seniors $225.

The registration fee pays for a complete uniform, which includes personalized jersey, belt, socks and cap.

Also, the season fee pays for: field time for practices and at least 12 games; time at the batting cages for each team; field preparation for games; umpire fees; game balls; insurance and awards.

For more information about the spring season, sponsorship opportunities, and guidelines for bats, equipment, please visit the Summerlin North LIttle League website.

Published Jan. 21, 2021

Election worker settles lawsuit over miscarriage

By Frank Geary

A former employee received an $80,000 settlement this week after claiming the Clark County Election Department terminated her for taking unpaid time off after a miscarriage.

The Clark County Commission on Tuesday approved the settlement with Sonia Grive, who reportedly was an exemplary employee for 10 years.

The federal lawsuit states administrators retaliated against her when she asked for additional, unpaid time off shortly after returning to work from an unpaid year off to recover from an unrelated medical condition.

“Their (Election Department) conduct was despicable, has subjected plaintiff to oppression, and it warrants an award of punitive and exemplary damages,” states the lawsuit.

Grive’s attorney, Michael Balaban, declined to comment on the case.

Damages include lost wages and benefits. She has depression, anxiety and suffers from recurring nightmares and “loss of enjoyment of life,” according to Grive’s lawsuit.

Election Department administrators “terminated her because of plaintiff’s pregnancy and failed to provide accommodations for her pregnancy” in violation of her civil rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, states the complaint.

In August 2015, Grive started exactly one year of unpaid leave approved by supervisors under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.

She returned to work early; at a time the Election Department was busy in between the June 2016 primary election and the general election in November 2016.

In the first three weeks of August 2016, Grive’s life was turned upside down, according to the complaint.

She suffered a back strain at work Aug. 2. She received a diagnosis from a doctor and asked for more unpaid time off to recover.

Grive returned to work a short time later.

On Aug. 16 she went to the hospital with stomach pain and bleeding.

The next day, she was told for the first time she had been pregnant and that she had miscarried, according to the lawsuit.

Grive took more unpaid time off to recover. County Human Resources notified her at home that the time off would be considered “unscheduled.”

When Grive returned to work, she was given a reprimand for taking unpaid time off, and she was terminated Aug. 29, according to the lawsuit.

More than four years later, the case was settled.

Published Jan. 21, 2021

School groups meet as virtual semester starts

SOTs monitor budget, staffing

For parents, who haven't gotten involved at their child’s school, now is the time.

Clark County School District schools in Summerlin have School Organizational Teams (SOTs), which meet monthly to review current and ongoing budget and staffing matters at each campus.

Unlike before the pandemic, the meetings are virtual on Google Meet or Zoom and can be watched live from the comfort of the kitchen, living room or home office.

The teams are composed of parents, teachers and school staff who are elected by their peers at each school.

The West Career and Technical Academy, a magnet high school that serves students from Summerlin and elsewhere, is located near Red Rock Canyon.

The school held its SOT meeting Wednesday, Jan. 20, but others are upcoming.

Palo Verde High School, 333 Pavilion Center Drive, is scheduled to hold its next SOT meeting at 2:45 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28.

SOT members include Chairperson Frank Messina, teacher representative; Vice Chairperson Thomas Steinlein, teacher representative; Secretary Clara Bordelon, teacher representative; Vice Secretary Carolyn Wheeler, parent representative; Richard Eurich, teacher representative; parent representatives Shanna Ohlson, Jennifer Carvalho, Jeff Warnick, Kristin O’Connor and Tiger Helgelien; support-staff representatives Koni Whitaker and Amanda Ford; and student representative Bella Waite.

Becker Middle School is scheduled to hold its monthly SOT meeting at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27.

Parents interested in attending the meeting must send an email to herria@nv.ccsd.net to receive log-in information to attend the virtual meeting.

Sig Rogich Middle School is scheduled to hold its next SOT meeting at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26.

The members include Suzie Harrison Rollins, a school administrator, parent representatives Beth Diedrich, Kristina Havill and Christopher Hayes; teachers Jill Leider and Claudine Robinson; and school support staff Dannine Pritchard

Ethel W. Staton Elementary School, 1700 Sageberry Avenue, is scheduled to hold its monthly SOT meeting at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27.

At Staton Elementary School, the SOT members are Chairman Robert Hollowood, science teacher; Secretary Jennifer Katz, fourth-grade teacher; Staton Principal Lindsay Tomlinson; Julie Hosea,office manager; and parent representatives Leigh-Anne Mateyka, Shannon Ohlson and Brian Cook.

John Bonner Elementary School, 765 Crestdale Lane, is scheduled to hold its next SOT meeting at 2:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8, according to the school website. The meeting agenda was not yet available

The SOT at Bonner includes Chairperson Rachael Howerton, support staff representative; Vice Chairperson Derek Weeks, teacher representative; Secretary Jasmin Churchill, GATE teacher extraordinaire; and parent representatives Stephanie Heppler, Melissa McDonald and Annie Ostler.

William R. Lummis Elementary School, 9000 Hillpointe Road, is scheduled to hold its next SOT meeting at 8 a.m,. Tuesday, Jan. 26.

SOT members include teachers Jodi Bolinger, and Shelby Ayson; support staff representative Angela White; and members Magin Amoia, Coleen Duncan and Marissa Wright. Principal Lisa McKenrick attends meetings.

Billy and Rosemary Vassiliadis Elementary School, 215 Antelope Ridge Drive in West Summerlin, is scheduled to hold its January meeting at a date uncertain, according to the school website.

The next scheduled meeting is 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16.

SOT members include teachers Melanie Danzeisen and Alexis Kamp-Berger; Rosie Salazar, support staff representative; and parent representatives Sophie Ladd, Stephanie Valdez and Karen Wisan.

Published Jan. 21, 2021

Sun City Summerlin

Households: 7,779 for residents 55 years and older

Population: 12,000 to 13,000

HOA fees: $137 monthly/$1,644 a year

Amenities: three 18-hole golf courses, three community centers with swimming pools and fitness gyms, restaurants, golf-cart paths, softball fields, tennis courts, a theater, security force, billiard rooms, woodworking shop and space for dozens of clubs

Sun City and 89134 zip code

Median household income: $61,561

Median home value: $223,900

Median age: 63

Racial makeup: White 85%, Asian 6%, Black 4%

Households without children: 86%

Households with no earnings: 56%, full-time: 26% part-time: 18%

Homes with mortgage: 56% paid off: 30% rent: 15% vacant: 9%

Source: United States Postal Service

Summerlin officials combat animal cruelty

Hunting ban, abuse laws examined

For the Sentinels Opinion click HERE

By Frank Geary

Summerlin's local elected officials this week took aim to protect animals, both in the wild and closer to home.

Clark County commissioners echoed concerns raised Tuesday by Commissioner Justin Jones, who represents Summerlin, about competitive predator hunts, in which hunters compete for points while luring and killing - or harvesting - coyotes, bobcats, foxes and other predators.

"This is not a prohibition on hunting in any way," Jones said at Tuesday's meeting.

Meanwhile, Las Vegas City Councilman Stavros Anthony, who represents Summerlin south of the Summerlin Parkway, asked Wednesday for a review of the city's laws against animal cruelty to livestock, cats and primarily dogs. The review is intended to upgrade cruelty laws if prudent.

In particular, he asked city staff to consider prohibiting dog owners from leaving their pet chained up in a yard unsupervised - such as when the owner goes to work.

In addition, Anthony urged animal-control officers - come budget time in the spring - to request as much funding as needed to upgrade their efforts to protect pets and other animals under an owner's care.

"I want you to have whatever you need to protect our animals," Anthony said.

Jones, who represents Summerlin South and Downtown Summerlin, asked county offcials to denounce competitive predator hunts in Southern Nevada.

Animal-rights advocates in recent years have pushed lawmakers in western states to outlaw the hunts. An advocate at the commission meeting said such hunts are growing more popular in Nevada, in part because other states have banned them.

Commission Chairwoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick and Commissioner Jim Gibson, who represents the Henderson area, said they are from families of hunters, and that the predator hunts are nothing like true hunting. They both agreed that the hunts are inappropriate.

"The hunting experience is more than hunting and killing," Gibson said. "This does not amount to hunting in my opinion."

Hunting advocates, meanwhile, oppose such measures; pointing out, for instance, that 80% of coyote complaints the Nevada Department of Wildlife received in 2018 were from urban areas - like Summerlin. Humans - not livestock - were threatened, they say. The last coyote attack on a human in Nevada was December 2018.

Bicyclists, dog walkers and others who frequent Summerlin's streets, bike paths or parks in the morning are familiar with coyotes this time of year. A woman in the Trails area reported seeing a pack in her gated community late last week on the NextDoor social-media platform.

Currant Creek Outfitters, based in Elko and Ely, Nevada, coordinates competitive predator hunts. The company takes pride in the number of coyotes killed - or “harvested,” according to its website.

The group, which for years has provided scouting services for hunters, won the 2004 world championships “with over 40 coyotes called in and 26 harvested in two days.”

“This is a very exciting hunt for those who have never experienced it,” according to the Currant Creek website, “and very educational to those who want to learn more. Coyotes are the majority of animals called in during daylight hours. Bobcat and Fox are night hunts in counties where it is legal.”

At Wednesday's City Council meeting, Councilwoman Victoria Seaman, who represents much of Summerlin within city limits, expressed concern that the city's 15 animal-control officers do not take pets away from owners when they respond to complaints of animal cruelty.

Officers explained that most cruelty complaints - such as the 116 complaints last year - turn out to be unfounded, or are often corrected with a warning to the owner and/or a followup visit a week or so later to check on compliance.

Meanwhile, the city attorney's office said it handled 113 misdemeanor cruelty cases over five years. About half were complaints regarding the feeding and care of animals, and most of the others were tied to dogs left in hot cars.

Also, they said, Las Vegas police and county prosecutors handle more serious felony cases that involve the killing, torturing maiming, poisoning or other "willful and malicious" treatment of an animal - such as organized dog fighting.

The city attorney's office presented a comparison between Las Vegas' cruelty laws and those in Clark County and surrounding cities. It found that the county has rules specific to hot weather, such as leaving dogs in hot cars or crates. In the city of North Las Vegas, according to the review, city officials can require psychiatric counseling for someone found to be "hoarding" animals on their property.

In response to constituents' concerns, Anthony asked the attorneys and officers to consider expanding mandatory-minimum punishments to include more offenses. Mandatory sentences for cruelty violations include six months in jail, a $1,000 fine and community service.

Anthony also requested they consider outlawing the practice of tethering - or chaining - a dog that is not supervised; such as one left tied in a yard when the owner goes to work. Anthony said he was told other cities have similar rules.

Consistent with Seaman's concern for abused animals, Anthony also asked that the city to consider prohibiting owners from ever having a pet again if they are found guilty of severe animal cruelty. A deputy city attorney said he was not aware of a city that had a lifetime ban on their books.

Published February 4, 2021

Neighborhood Watch

Calls to Las Vegas Police Wednesday, Jan. 27, to Tuesday, Feb. 2

Proposal to permit bicycles in middle of road

County Commission to hold Feb. 16 public hearing

Sentinel Staff

Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones, of Summerlin, is proposing bicyclists be allowed to drive in the middle of the road.

A proposal from Jones, a bike advocate who represents Summerlin South and Downtown Summerlin, would no longer require bicyclists to ride on the right shoulder if they are turning left, feel unsafe or are traveling as fast as surrounding traffic.

The proposition states bikes do not have to be on the right side “when traveling at a lawful rate of speed commensurate with the speed of any nearby traffic.”

Without discussion, the Clark County Commission on Tuesday scheduled the matter for a public hearing at its meeting scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16.

The suggestion would amend a county ordinance on "obligations of persons operating a bicycle".

Presently, the law states that bicyclists shall "ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction. "

Jones' proposal also would permit bicyclists to leave the right lane to make left turns, and when the biker decides the right lane is not safe.

Unsafe conditions include parked or moving vehicles, animals, “surface hazards,” or when bicyclists determine the right lane is too narrow to travel safely alongside a vehicle.

In addition, the new rules would no longer require bicyclists to have a horn or audible device attached to their bike for safety.

Clark County Commission meetings aired live on the county's YouTube channel, Facebook or on the county television station, which is channel 4 for some residents.

Published February 4, 2021

Pandemic prompts prayer and precaution

Memorial for fallen, Sun City sanitized, sewage studied

By Frank Geary

It’s been said since the pandemic started that “we are all in this together.”

But, never has it been more literal than now.

Scientists plan to examine human poop from Summerlin residents and their neighbors to gauge the prevalence of COVID-19 across Southern Nevada.

The focus on feces was authorized earlier this month by the Clark County Commission, and will be overseen by the county’s Water Reclamation District.

The effort is just one of several underway to acknowledge the toll COVID-19 has taken, and to prepare for the threat it poses for months to come as vaccines trickle into Southern Nevada slower than most of the country.

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak on Monday blamed the federal government for vaccine delays, but said his administration can turn around the lackluster performance of the past month.

Locally, Sun City Summerlin on Tuesday spent $35,640 to sanitize nearly three acres of interior space and 365 vehicles.

Meanwhile, Clark County and city of Las Vegas officials said this week they plan Tuesday, Jan. 19, to join other communities across the country in honoring lives lost to the pandemic, such as the 2,716 killed in Southern Nevada as of Wednesday.

“The number of people who have passed from the pandemic is staggering,” Clark County Commission Chairwoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick said.

“It’s important that we honor their memory while remaining steadfast in our efforts to combat the virus and bring the pandemic to an end.”

Neighbors no longer here

Thirty shafts of light are set to soar Tuesday near downtown Las Vegas as part of a nationwide ceremony to honor those who died prematurely from COVID-19.

The Presidential Inauguration Committee invited communities across the nation to join in a national moment of unity and remembrance by lighting up buildings, burning candles and ringing church bells, according to Clark County. The nationwide spectacle is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. PST.

The inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 20, in Washington D.C.

Clark County's ceremony is scheduled to be televised starting at 2:15 p.m. at the Clark County Government Center on Grand Central Parkway at Alta Drive.

The rotunda at the complex will be illuminated with 30 beams of light, which is about one for every 100 Southern Nevadans who have died from COVID-19.

It will air on Clark County Television (CCTV), and on Facebook, Youtube and Twitter, according to Clark County. The county channel also can be seen on streaming devices like Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire.

Meanwhile, the city of Las Vegas will light up the city’s gateway arches on Las Vegas Boulevard and the “festoon” lights on Main Street in downtown Las Vegas. In coordination with communities across the country, the lights will be a soft amber color, according to city officials.

They suggested residents light candles and place them in windows at the same time.

Poop pivotal in pandemic

The Reclamation District’s study of human waste is paid for with federal funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in conjunction with the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The local study will be undertaken by an Arizona firm that works with the University of Arizona, and is part of a nationwide examination of the waste water of 100 million people across the country.

“Being an active participant in seeking a better understanding of the communicable spread indications of the virus and achieving possible future early detection solutions … serves the public health and safety of our community,” states the agreement with the federal agencies.

Fecal samples taken from local waste-water plants will be examined at the Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering at Arizona State.

According to an agreement, the scientists involved are to archive the samples for a year.

They also are “entitled” to use the samples for other studies, and to dispose of the samples as they choose.

Sun City to sanitize 118,000 square feet

The Board of Directors of the Sun City Summerlin Community Association on Tuesday spent $35,640 to disinfect common areas and equipment used by members.

Included is 118,000 square feet of building space, 365 vehicles, 300 pieces of furniture around swimming pools, gyms, lockers and outdoor showers near pools.

The contract is with Microshield 360, which is a “self-disinfecting, non-leaching coating” that lasts up to one year before another application is required, according to company literature.

It reportedly kills the common cold, the flu, MRSA, mold, E. Coli, strep and other germs.

“What this means,” according to Microshield, “is if someone has any number of infectious diseases or transferable bacteria, this surface coating will mechanically kill it so it cannot infect others.”

Microshield 360 is the only disinfectant of its kind registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and it reportedly kills bacteria on 1,400 surfaces - both porous and not.

The germ killer underwent studies by third-party experts, including laboratories at Ohio State University, according to the company.

The substance is applied using an electrostatic sprayer, which creates a long-lasting web that “mechanically” ruptures viruses or bacteria.

The EPA rates it with the lowest toxicity rating of IV, which means it is “practically non-toxic”.

To feel sick, one would have to consume pounds of the dried coating, according to the company .

Neighborhood Watch

Calls to Las Vegas Police Wednesday, Jan. 6, to Tuesday, Jan. 12

Audits unveil abysmal book-keeping at City Hall

By Frank Geary

Reports, invoices incorrect for health contract

A healthcare company, hired by the city of Las Vegas to perform physicals for employees, filed billing invoices which did not agree with a database that compiles such information, according to an internal city audit reviewed this week.

The company also did not provide reports on its work, and city officials failed in monitoring the firm’s compliance with the contract worth up to $500,000 a year.

The findings from the City Auditor's office involve WellTrac Health and Wellness, which was established four months before the City Council approved the contract in 2014, according to state records.

WellTrac is associated with another firm, ARC Health and Wellness, which appears to have a similar contract with City Hall as well as with the cities of Henderson and North Las Vegas.

According to a source familiar with the contract, one or both companies made inroads recently with municipalities in Arizona also.

According to ARC’s website, two of their six offices in Nevada are operated out of a fire station in North Las Vegas and from inside the administration offices of Las Vegas Fire and Rescue.

The audit of WellTrac found the city of Las Vegas’ Human Resources Department, under Director Vince Zamora, did not have written procedures for monitoring WellTrac’s compliance with the contract.

WellTrac, meanwhile, examined city employees without first obtaining a city-issued business license as required.

More importantly, the company did not submit quarterly reports to the city on its health exams as called for in the contract, and “invoice details” from exams did not match the city’s database for such information, according to the audit.

It states, “WellTrac is not providing the city with a quarterly report, which details the health risk findings of each eligible city employee as required by the contract.”

The city entered into an initial one-year contract with WellTrac in November 2014; four months after the company was established in Sparks, Nevada, according to state records

City Hall renewed the contract each year since. The contract calls for a maximum payment of $500,000 a year.

Also, according to the audit, the contracts were not subject to a competitive-bidding process, in which city officials seek bids in pursuit of the best option for taxpayers.

The city was not required to solicit bids - like it would have on a construction project or the purchase of vehicles - under the “professional services exemption” allowed in state law for hiring professionals like doctors.

The audit was reviewed Monday by the city’s Audit Oversight Committee. Based on records of the meeting, board members said little or nothing about the audit.

Five committee members include City Councilwoman Victoria Seaman, who represents much of Summerlin located within city limits north of Charleston Boulevard.

City Hall paid WellTrac $127,786 in 2018, when it performed 297 physical exams and 533 “additional procedures,” according to the internal audit.

That averages about 70 instances per month.

Since the start of the contract, the city paid the company $629,983 as of the end of 2018, according to the audit. That averages about $157,500 annually.

According to state business records, WellTrac lists its managers as Ruth Granstrom and Wes P. Granstrom of McCarran Boulevard in Sparks, Nevada.

The registered agent for the firm is listed as Wes Granstrom from Glendale Boulevard in Sparks.

State records suggest WellTrac is not the only health-related business operated by the Granstroms.

The Glendale Boulevard address is the same as one of several offices operated by ARC Health, according to state records and the company’s website.

ARC lists its registered agent as Wes Granstrom of Sierra Ridge Court in Reno. Corporate officers for ARC are listed as Wes W. Granstrom and Wes P. Granstrom at the McCarran Boulevard address in Sparks.

The McCarran Boulevard location appears to be a residence, according to Google maps.

Oversight of city’s gas pumps is lame

City of Las Vegas employees pumped more than 80,000 gallons of city-owned gasoline into vehicles without oversight from City Hall management.

City marshals and firefighters are among employees from two city departments that - without proper supervision from supervisors - pumped gasoline into city-owned vehicles on more than 9,200 occasions in 2019, according to a city audit.

The city’s Public Safety Department pumped 67,809 gallons on 7,782 occasions, and the Department of Economic and Urban Development used 12,265 gallons on 1,447 occasions, according to the audit.

Managers from both departments did not review the use of city gasoline for instances of theft, fraud or other irregularities as called for in local and state law.

According to forms some employees must fill out before using city gasoline, “City of Las Vegas fueling locations and products are for approved official use only. Misuse may constitute theft.”

The audit looked at 19 city fueling stations as administered by the Fleet Services Division of the city’s Operations and Maintenance Department.

It looked at several departments’ use of gasoline for vehicles, such as marshals’ sport-utility vehicles, park maintenance vehicles, animal-control trucks and others.

It also looked at departments which have a “secondary” use for gasoline; equipment that requires gasoline like lawn mowers and other power tools.

In addition to Public Safety and Economic and Urban Development, three other departments examined were the Park and Recreation Department, and agencies known as Community Services and Cultural Affairs.

Park and Recreation used 6,817 gallons of gas for secondary use 741 times in 2019, and the Department of Economic and Urban Development consumed 274 gallons 63 times for secondary uses, according to the audit.

The other departments used less than 20 gallons each to fuel tools and equipment aside from vehicles.

The audit recommends administrators maintain records on the secondary use of gasoline, and that they more closely monitor transactions for theft and fraud.

Recommendations include: “Review the primary and secondary fueling reports for irregular transactions and retain documented evidence including the identification of any irregular transactions, explanations for the transactions, and signatures of the reviewers and date of the review.”

Payments differ from authorized contracts

Outdated policies for bids, change orders

An audit of the Engineering Division of the city’s Department of Public Works looked at its contracts with private firms hired for city construction projects.

It found that the actual costs of construction projects did not match the costs approved by the City Council after a competitive-bid process.

The audit recommends that the Engineering Division “implement additional controls that would ensure that contract agenda items noting the amounts approved by the City Council agree with the amounts recorded in the project contracts.”

The audit was reviewed Monday by the city’s Audit Oversight Committee. Based on records of the meeting, board members said little or nothing about the audit.

Five committee members include City Councilwoman Victoria Seaman, who represents much of Summerlin located within city limits north of Charleston Boulevard.

Summoned to the meeting to field questions and frame the discussion were Mark Jannsen, executive director of community development; Rosa Cortez, assistant city engineer; and Matt Klainer, quality assurance administrator, according to the agenda for the meeting.

The audit also found that the division was using outdated policies and procedures.

The internal policies, which are five to 20 years old, pertain to requesting or modifying an already approved contract, contract bids and additional funding for projects - such as change orders - after council approval.

The policy on change orders, and the one assigning authority for signing contract documents, are 10 years old.

One policy is 20 years old. It dictates how the division requests “Professional Services Agreements,” which do not involve competitive bidding for the lowest price.

The policy over “adding project funds” and the latest “bid evaluation form” were written in 2012, according to the audit.

The engineering division is responsible for infrastructure planning, design and construction management, wastewater and storm drain management and traffic control for the city of Las Vegas.

County insider lands lobbying contract

$75,000 for six-month session

By Frank Geary

Clark County agreed to a six-month $75,000 contract with a lobbyist, who months ago was a longtime county administrator earning more than $210,000 in annual pay and benefits.

The county hired AOrtiz, LLC, to lobby for the county’s interests at the Nevada Legislature’s session scheduled to start next month.

County administrators did not respond this week to questions sent them Jan. 6, two days after the County Commission approved the contract without discussion. County administrators recommended the contract, in part because of Ortiz' experience.

The proposal states, “Given the complexity of issues resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the upcoming legislative session will be challenging. Mr. Ortiz has expertise in supporting the county’s lobbying efforts in multiple past legislative sessions.”

The contract comes at a time when Las Vegas’ tourist economy is hurting, and taxpayers are losing jobs and homes in response to pandemic-related restrictions, social-distancing and other strains.

Without input from county administrators, the Sentinel relied on government records, ethics laws and a watchdog website that tracks the careers, salaries and benefits of public employees.

Law or loophole

It seems the Ortiz contract might sidestep a state law that forbids government employees from collecting a pension and salary simultaneously.

As a private consultant, Ortiz is not subject to the law.

In addition, the contract does not appear to violate the letter of any county or state ethics rules, but seems to expose a loophole in regulations that require a cooling-off period for former government officials.

For instance, county employees are prohibited for one year from lobbying county agencies on behalf of private-sector clients, but the rule does not forbid them from lobbying the legislature on behalf of the county.

Ortiz brings “expertise”

Also, the contract was awarded without soliciting competing proposals from any of the many seasoned lobbyists who frequent Carson City.

County contracts for professional services - such as for architects, lawyers and lobbyists - are not subject to competitive bidding rules like construction projects, the purchase of vehicles and other agreements.

However, the county could have issued an official “request for proposals” from lobbying firms interested in the contract.

The commission, for instance, is scheduled Tuesday to award a contract to a collection agency nominated following a request for proposals. The firm will help collect debts for the county-run Las Vegas Justice Court.

Under county ethics laws, county administrators and elected officials are forbidden from engaging in “ex-parte communications” with companies seeking a contract in such a circumstance.

Salary and pension

Since county administrators did not field questions, a watchdog website,Transparent Nevada, provided information on Ortiz’s employment with the county.

The contract is with AOrtiz, LLC and the legislature’s records for the 2019 session show an “Alex Ortiz” served as a lobbyist for the county and that he was on the county payroll. A directory of lobbyists for the upcoming session was not available this week.

However, on records for Transparent Nevada, a man named “Francis Ortiz” worked as an administrator for the county from 2008 through 2019. Salary records for 2020 are not available yet from Transparent Nevada, so it's unclear exactly when Ortiz departed the county in the past year.

As of this time last year, Francis Ortiz over the years had earned nearly $1.9 million, according to Transparent Nevada.

Recently, he worked as assistant director of administrative services for Clark County. He made $210,000 in total salary and benefits in 2019, according to Transparent Nevada.

In 2008, Francis Ortiz worked as administrative services manager. At that time, he received $90,846 in regular pay and $127,241 in total pay and benefits.

His recent annual salaries play a role in calculating his pension under the state’s Public Employees Retirement System, known as PERS.

Based on Sentinel calculations using incomplete information on his salary and tenure, Ortiz may receive a monthly pension of between $3,000 and $5,200 depending on whether his “regular pay” or his “total pay and benefits” is used to estimate his pension using a formula provided by PERS.

Mayor's State of City address today

Virtual speech to include public

Door-to-door alcohol delivery proposed

Council weighs making pandemic measure permanent

By Frank Geary

Rather than have customers drive to pick-up alcohol, the Las Vegas City Council is weighing a measure that would allow liquor stores to deliver booze in the future just as they have since the pandemic started.

The proposal from three-term Councilman Stavros Anthony, who represents Sun City Summerlin, would amend an ordinance that previously had allowed liquor deliveries only as part of a larger order of groceries from a grocery store.

The move was questioned by the Nevada Resort Association, which represents resorts in Summerlin, on the Strip, downtown and elsewhere.

Association Executive Director Virginia Valentine, in a Nov. 29 letter to the City Council, states the association supports expanding delivery services during the pandemic.