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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
Robbery 3:52 p.m. Tue., March 9, 2300 block Satellite Beach Drive
Two incidents at 1900 block Trail Peak Lane: Assault 12:42 p.m. Mon., March 8; Disturbing the peace 4:22 a.m. Wed., March 10
Indecent exposure 1:47 p.m. Fri., March 5, 9500 block Trails Center Drive
Burglary 3:59p.m. Wed., March 10, 1800 block Wincanton Drive
Disturbing the peace 2:08 a.m. Thu., March 4, 9600 block Trailwood Drive
Auto burglary 5:32 p.m. Thu., March 4, 1600 block Clark Point Court
Assault 8:54 p.m. Wed., March 10, 10600 block Jeremy Pointe Ave.
Burglary 3:42 a.m. Wed., March 10, 1600 block Enclave Court
Disturbing the peace 2:23 a.m. Thu., March 4, 1200 block N. Town Center
Disturbing the peace 5:45 a.m. Fri., March 5, 1300 block N. Town Center
Disturbing the peace 8:18 p.m. Mon., March 8, 1100 block Sable Mist Court
Disturbing the peace 3:20 a.m. Thu., March 4, 11000 block Desert Dove Avenue
Burglary 2:20 a.m. Wed., March 10, 0 block Brigola Street
Robbery 2:36 a.m. Fri., March 5, Rossi Avenue and Sistine Street
Burglary 10:51 a.m. Fri., March 5, 600 block Town Center Drive
Larceny (not robbery) 1:45 a.m. Fri., March 5, 11000 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Auto theft 10:39 a.m. Sun., March 7, 10300 block Juniper Creek Lane
Distubring the peace 4:43 p.m. Thu., March 4, 10300 block W. Charleston Boulevard.
Disturbing the peace 10:54 a.m. Fri., March 5, 9200 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Proposals take shape in Legislature
Summerlin lawmakers: contraceptives, ballots, evictions, class size, car seats
State Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro
State Sen. Marilyn Dondero Loop
Assemblyman Gary Matthews
Assemblywoman Shannon Bilbrary Axelrod
Assemblywoman Heidi Kasama
Assemblywoman Brittney Miller
By Frank Geary
Women in Nevada would no longer need a doctor’s permission to get birth control under a proposal introduced last week in the state Legislature.
State Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, a Democrat who represents Summerlin, on International Women’s Day introduced her bill while she and colleagues took time to honor famous women like journalist Ida B. Wells, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, slain Civil Rights activist Viola Gregg Liuzzo, Nancy Sullivan Gomes, a longtime Nevada advocate for families and children, and former Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, of Las Vegas, who in 2007 was the first woman to serve as Assembly speaker.
“Her 17-year legislative career demonstrated that women can govern, effectively, and with compassion, achieving results and showing true leadership," Cannizzaro said of Buckley during Monday's session according to the Journal for the State Senate.
Cannizzaro’s name is the first of 10 primary sponsors of Senate Bill 190, all of whom are female and include State Sen, Marilyn Dondero Loop, a Democrat from Summerlin.
The proposal is the same as one the majority leader introduced in 2019, when Nevada has the first female majority for a state Legislature in the country. After passing the Senate, the measure died in the Assembly when a committee didn't consider it before the session ended.
The legislation would spare women the hassle and expense of obtaining a prescription to get birth control, and would make contraceptives more available to women who can't afford health insurance and doctor visits. The added bother prompts women to turn to less reliable contraception, such as condoms, supporters say.
The law is consistent with regulations approved in other states, including neighboring California and Utah.
The proposal would authorize the state’s Chief Medical Officer to issue a standing order authorizing pharmacists to dispense “self-administered hormonal contraceptives” to customers.
In addition, the bill would require Medicaid and “certain health insurance plans” to pay for the contraceptives, which include the pill, the patch and the ring.
Also, the bill would require insurance companies to cover birth control products and services not included in the law presently.
Included is the “voluntary sterilization of women.” Sterilization is the most common form of birth control among married couples, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
More than twice as many couples choose female sterilization over male sterilization; even though male sterilization comes with fewer risks and better results, according to the American College.
The proposal comes at a time when Nevada has a female majority in the state Legislature, and Democrats hold the majority in both houses and the governor's office.
The Legislature is about a third of the way through the 120-day session that started Feb. 1.
The bill is one of several authored by Summerlin’s two state senators and four Assembly members, which were among the legislative proposals introduced in the week prior to the March 15 deadline for submitting bills.
Here is a look at some of the others.
State Sen. Marilyn Dondero Loop, a former Clark County teacher, has authored a bill requiring state standards for libraries at public and charter schools, and another that demands individual schools develop plans to reduce teacher-student ratios.
The library proposal would apply only to Clark County and Washoe County schools, and would require schools to hire an employee to oversee the library who is a licensed teacher who also is certified as a “professional school library media specialist” by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Another of Dondero Loop’s proposals would expand the definition of disability to include children suffering from trauma or emotional and behavioral concerns.
And, another would allow trustees of school districts and charter schools to submit to the state plans to address the “loss of learning” as a result of the pandemic.
Assemblyman Gary Matthews, a Republican who represents Sun City Summerlin and parts of northwest Las Vegas, introduced a bill that would allow government labor negotiations to be open for the public to see.
For decades, contract and other negotiations between local government agencies and public-employee unions have been conducted in closed session where the public can’t witness twists and turns in the talks.
Another proposal would “revise” provisions related to: absentee and mail voting; the verification of mail and absentee ballots; the counting of those ballots; the act of assisting a voter fill out an absentee or mail ballot; and someone returning those ballots on the part of a voter.
Assemblywoman Shannon Bilbray Axelrod, a Democrat whose district runs along both sides of the Summerlin Parkway, wants older kids to be harnessed in a car seat and pre-teens required to sit in the back seat.
Among her proposals is one that would raise the age of children required to use a carseat from five years to seven years old, and it would get rid of the 60-pound weight limit for kids in car seats.
In addition, the bill would require children between 8 and 13 years old to ride in the back seat rather than the front seat. Vehicles without a back seat would be exempt, and children would be allowed in front seats only if the back seats are filled with children younger than 13, according to the bill.
Assemblywoman Heidi Kasama, a Republican who represents much of Summerlin North and Summerlin West, wants to stop state judges from delaying eviction proceedings into the summer in response financial uncertainty tied to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Assembly Bill 203, which Matthews and other Republicans support, would set a May 31 deadline on court-issued stays of eviction.
Other bills from Kasama involve economic development and election reform.
Assemblywoman Brittney Miller, a Democrat who represents Summerlin South, wants the state to establish an office of the State Inspector, which would investigate fraud, waste and abuse in local government and state agencies in Nevada.
Another proposal from Miller, a school teacher, would require public and charter high schools to provide students help in filling out the federal application for student aid to help pay college tuition.
Other bills address bullying and cyberbullying and class size reduction.
Published March 12, 2021
Field overhaul in final stages at Palo Verde
November
February
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
Deer enjoy winter in Red Rock
(The following is one in a series on wildlife, plants, insects and other creatures that live in Summerlin, Red Rock Canyon and nearby areas.)
To see slideshow CLICK HERE
Doctors vary on vaccine disclosures
Some cite privacy laws, others disclose vaccinations
None in survey show vaccination cards to patients
For the Sentinel's Opinion CLICK HERE
By Frank Geary
Doctors’ offices in Summerlin this week offered a hodge-podge of responses when asked whether their nurses, receptionists and other staff had been vaccinated to stop the spread of COVID-19.
“I cannot disclose that information,” said a staff member at a dentists’ office on Town Center Drive.
“We are all vaccinated,” said a receptionist at a pediatrician’s office on West Lake Mead Boulevard.
“I can’t give out that information. That violates our rules under HIPAA,” said a staffer at a physician’s office on Rampart Boulevard.
“Everyone has been offered the vaccine, and the two doctors definitely have been vaccinated,” said a person at another dentists’ office on Town Center.
The informal survey was undertaken Tuesday and Wednesday, and involved 25 offices of primary care physicians, pediatricians, dentists, eye doctors and a podiatrist.
It involved three or four questions, being put on hold for long periods, staffers ill-equipped to respond or being told to expect a return phone call that never came.
The varied responses come as employers grapple with workplace and liability laws that are murky in connection with COVID-19, and as health experts can’t say whether immunized people transmit coronavirus to others not yet protected.
Involved with the Sentinel’s informal survey were large, corporate agencies - with a dozen or more doctors - and smaller offices with two or three doctors.
Most of the larger organizations said their policies prevented them from releasing information to patients.
Smaller offices, in general, seemed more forthcoming while not completely transparent.
For instance, two offices which said staff had been vaccinated, either said they did not require staff members to verify vaccinations by showing their federal vaccination card, or said that the office would not share with patients their employees’ vaccinations cards.
The varied responses come two months after state officials announced that home healthcare workers and employees at outpatient offices could get vaccinated alongside seniors over 70 years old and other “front-line workers.”
At one Summerlin office, a doctor’s 16-year-old son was vaccinated after identifying himself as “an intern” at the office where his parent works.
As in other states, Nevada healthcare workers were allowed to move ahead of seniors and others waiting for their first dose. The rationale was that healthcare workers were at higher risk of infection, and to allay fears that an overdue doctor visit was as dangerous as a discretionary visit to the barber or fast-food restaurant.
However, in Summerlin, this week, that was not the case. There seemed more confusion and inconsistency than clarity.
Responses a mixed bag
Some offices cited federal privacy laws, which forbid the release of medical information about particular patients, as their rationale for not disclosing whether employees had been vaccinated.
Other offices, which shared some information, said privacy laws apply to the medical history of a specific person, not the percentage of unnamed staff who are vaccinated.
When pressed about laws shielding the release of information, an employee at a foot doctor’s office said, “That is absolutely correct.”
An employee for a pain-management office in Summerlin disclosed without hesitation that the doctors had been vaccinated.
Of the employees, however, she said, “I can’t release that because, by law, they don’t have to let us know if they were vaccinated.”
Some offices said vaccinations are “an option.” Others said doctors are not permitted to require staff to be vaccinated, or to even ask if employees are protected from COVID-19.
At nearly all the offices, receptionists acted as though they had not been asked previously if their staff was vaccinated.
And, with nearly every phone call, the front-line worker had to put the call on hold - for as long as 10 and 15 minutes - to get a response from a supervisor or doctor.
Others said they did not have an answer, often because the supervisor with the authorized response was “with a patient” or would not be available for several hours. Messages left seeking a response had not been returned two days later.
Some receptionists acted as though they were insulted by the question, or that asking about vaccinations was an invasion of privacy.
"WHO IS THIS?" some asked with indignation. "Well," said another, "we don't give out that information."
"I can't tell if our office is requring them to get vaccinated," said a receptionist at a pediatricians' office.
When asked about the state fast-tracking vaccinations for healthcare employees, some office personnel said they appreciate the courtesty but said employees cannot be compelled to get vaccinated before they are comfortable.
Others acknowledged that the prioritization program didn't achieve the results as planned. Some employees have chosen to not get vaccinated, leaving doctors unable to assure patients their staff won't infect them with coronavirus.
"These are questions, sir, I cannot answer," said one receptionist.
Doctors have duty to get vaccinated
Doctors have an ethical responsibility to get vaccinated, and are expected to provide a safe setting for patients, according to a November article by the American Medical Association.
In November, at a special meeting of the American Medical Association, its Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs released a report. It updates the association’s advice on “The Routine Universal Immunizations of Physicians” for all viruses including COVID-19.
One of its recommendations states that doctors “have an ethical responsibility to encourage patients to accept immunization when the patient can do so safely, and to take appropriate measures in their own practice to prevent the spread of infectious disease in health care settings.”
Legal experts, however, say laws presently are unclear with regard to employers and what they can expect of employees when it comes to COVID-19 vaccinations.
However, in healthcare, there is a “heightened” reason for employees to get vaccinated, according to an article by Alston & Bird, an Atlanta-based law firm that was rated one of the best in the country last year by U.S. News and World Report.
“Employers in the health care industry and related industries (such as senior care) have a significantly heightened basis for requiring or strongly encouraging employees to get vaccinated now,” states the article, which provides advice to employers on COVID-19 in the workplace. “This position would also be consistent with many states’ plans for certain priority groups to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.”
As with public schools, federal law allows employers to require employees to get vaccinated against historic viruses like the flu, according to Alston & Bird.
Although, according to the Southern Nevada Health District, in Nevada there isn’t any law or regulation that requires hospitals to ensure that employees are immunized against the flu virus.
However, the state does require hospitals, nursing homes and other medical facilities to provide to federal authorities the vaccination rate for its personnel.
Federal law also requires that employers “make accommodations” for those workers whose religious beliefs or medical conditions truly prevent them from getting vaccinated, according to Alston & Bird.
With regard to brand new COVID-19 vaccines in particular, there are several questions the courts have not addressed since the pandemic arrived a year ago.
For instance, employees may have a right to refuse the vaccine because the Food and Drug Administration fast-tracked development through the Emergency Use Authorization process rather than its traditional, much-longer process.
As a result, in the eyes of the law, it could be that employees are justified in their reluctance to get vaccinated.
Published March 5, 2021
A year later, back to school
Teachers and students at Summerlin's Bonner Elementary School, near Crestdale Lane and Oxford Cross Drive, practice social distancing using balloons on Tuesday, the second day kindergarten through third-grade students returned to campuses in the Clark County School District. Students wore masks and practiced social distancing even outdoors for recess and gym class. For lunch, students ate outdoors and were separated by more than six feet on one side of portable, wheeled tables with each teacher or staff member monitoring six to seven students at a time. Photo, courtesy of parent of Bonner Elementary student.
Flu down dramatically during pandemic
Hospitalizations and deaths a fraction from year ago
By Frank Geary
Coronavirus killed hundreds in Southern Nevada this winter, but the flu has virtually disappeared in response to precautions that apparently weren’t as successful stopping the more virulent COVID-19.
With the current flu season, the latest information is nearly a month old. It shows that there were 108 cases of the flu with 29 hospitalizations and two deaths as of early February - five months into the typical flu season, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.
The cases are less than 10% of a year ago, and hospitalizations and deaths from flu are a fraction of where they had been.
At the same time last year, before coronavirus appeared, there had been 1,167 cases of the flu with about the same number of hospitalizations and 40 deaths.
In early February 2019, there were less than half the number of cases as in 2020, but nothing close to the utter drought experienced during the pandemic.
Two years ago, there had been 481 cases with about the same number of hospitalizations and 19 deaths.
Typically, flu season in Southern Nevada starts in late September, but not this year.
Amid rising coronavirus cases, hospitalizations for the flu started to trickle in at the very end of November - which was two months later than flu cases registered a year earlier, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.
As with COVID-19, flu data from the health district apparently takes time to compile. The last full review and analysis of annual flu data available this week was from the 2018-2019 flu season two years ago.
It shows that there were 968 people in Southern Nevada hospitalized for the flu, and that three of the 39 deaths that season were children under 17 years old.
Of those hospitalized, 158 (16.3%) were admitted to the intensive-care unit and 86 (9%) were placed on a ventilator, according to the health district.
Among those hospitalized, 774 (80%) had one or more underlying conditions, such as kidney disease or diabetes. The most common condition was heart disease, which accounted for half of those with a condition (40% of hospitalized).
In Nevada, there isn’t any law or regulation that requires hospitals to ensure that employees are immunized from the flu, according to the health district.
However, the state does require hospitals, nursing homes and other medical facilities to provide to federal authorities the vaccination rate for its personnel.
Published March 5, 2021
Burglary 8:19 a.m. Mon., Mar. 1, 10400 block Shoalhaven Drive
Disturbing the Peace 6:22 p.m. Fri., Feb. 26, 10600 block Sky Meadows Avenue
Disturbing the Peace 9:51 a.m. Fri., Feb. 26, 10600 block Grand Cypress Avenue
Assault 4:15 p.m. Sat., Feb. 27, 1600 block Queen Victoria Street
Disturbing the Peace 6:51 p.m. Tues., Mar. 2, 8700 block Red Brook Drive
Vandalism 6:57 a.m. Tues., Mar. 2, 11300 block Redpoint Drive
Burglary 3:00 p.m. Thu., Feb. 25, 400 block Winery Ridge Street
Assault 1:19 p.m. Thu., Feb. 25, 600 block N Town Center Drive
Assault 7:40 a.m. Mon., Mar. 1, 10700 block Balsam Creek Avenue
Burglary 9:15 a.m. Sat., Feb. 27, 9000 block Alta Drive
Auto Burglary 9:59 a.m. Fri., Feb. 26, 700 block S Rampart Boulevard
Burglary 11:22 p.m. Thu., Feb. 25, 800 block Sir James Bridge Way
Auto Theft 2:18 p.m. Fri., Feb. 26, 10300 block W Charleston Boulevard
Disturbing the Peace 11:47 p.m. Sat., Feb. 27, 11000 block W Charleston Boulevard
Disturbing the Peace 2:59 p.m. Fri., Feb. 26, 9500 block W Charleston Boulevard
Person with a Knife 1:51 p.m. Sat., Feb. 27, 9200 block W Charleston Boulevard
Recognizing, wrestling grief difficult in pandemic
Simultaneous crush of isolation, job loss, uncertainty
By Frank Geary
Angry, frustrated, looking to punch someone?
Not surprising.
Worried about loved ones, your career, your marriage?
Join the club.
Sleep deprived from dwelling on the pandemic, and how it will influence your child?
Isolated for months, are you convinced it may never end?
You are not alone.
Depression, anxiety and anger are on the rise nearly a year into the coronavirus pandemic with no signs of slowing even as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccination rates climb.
As the nation mourned this week 500,000 American deaths from COVID-19, one Summerlin expert on grief said people have suffered in myriad ways, and that they can’t grasp what is wrong because unknowingly they’re experiencing losses other than the death of a loved one.
Although many do not recognize their anger or fear as grief, they are burdened all the same, said Michele Bates, a therapist who specializes in grief with Summerlin-based Transform Through Therapy.
In the year since the pandemic started, it could be the loss of a person’s job or career, or their marriage, or their traditions, or their lifestyle, or their friends, or their church or community.
Or worse, at this time in particular, a crippling combination of two or more factors.
“We have never experienced a period of time in which we are losing all these things at the same time, and with no end in sight,” Bates said. “COVID is like a never-ending train ride into nowhere.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides a guide to help people, including children, cope with various forms of grief and loss.
With the milestone in deaths, the Sentinel set out to ask how grieving has changed with the sick dying in isolation and loved ones at gravesites surrounded by so few.
The path, however, took a turn beyond the confines of the assignment desk and its preconceived notions.
Three Summerlin people, who help neighbors suffering with grief, and who approach their work from different viewpoints, shared their experiences and offered suggestions for coping with COVID-19 and the emotional toll it has exacted on many in Summerlin.
In addition to Bates, a licensed therapist, there is Rev. Tom Unke, pastor at the Summerlin Evangelical Lutheran Church, and Rosie Walisever, facilitator for Compassionate Friends of Summerlin, a support group for parents who have lost children.
Without Nazis, who is to blame?
With the pandemic, there is not a clearcut enemy to rally against unlike other tragedies such as 911 and World War II.
After Pearl Harbor, men enlisted with enthusiasm, women built weapons, people bought bonds and rationed food - all to defeat the “Axis of Evil.”
“If you think of World War II, you had the Nazis. You had something to focus on and you had someone to be angry with,” Bates said this week. “But, now, you don’t know where to put that energy and that is hard to cope with.”
The other aspect, that distinguishes the pandemic from other conflicts, is that people aren’t sure when or how it will truly end.
In addition, the pandemic has crippled the economy, and political and racial tensions are heightened, Bates said.
“People are not just dying. For many, their way of life is dying as well. They are dealing with multi-faceted grief,” Bates said.
“It’s that hopelessness that is troubling for us in the mental health field because it’s hard to battle it when you don’t know where it is going.”
Bates tells clients to try their best to focus on positive aspects of life, such as more time with family, and to calibrate expectations accordingly given the circumstances.
“Depression and anxiety can come from the difference between what should have happened and what has happened. Enjoy the moment and stop feeling the need to know everything to be happy,” Bates said. “People need to find peace one day at a time. … Focus on things that are OK now.”
One change in behavior has been indulgence. Some are spending more on retail purchases than before, while others have turned to baking with more time at home.
“There is a lot of bread,” Bates said.
While households have trouble coping in close quarters, Bates is most concerned for those who live alone.
“It is immensely better than the isolation of being alone,” Bates said of family life.
Humans are social and tribal. While Zoom and Facebook are helpful, people need a hug even if they do not realize it, Bates said.
And, compounding the loneliness, is that people can’t visit family, especially elderly parents in isolation.
“We are talking about really, intense isolation,” she said. “This is what I am most worried about. It makes you doubt yourself and you think that you could just disappear.”
Some clients are hurting in direct response to the pandemic. However, others, it turns out, are wrestling with long-suppressed emotional and psychological issues that have surfaced in response to the crisis, Bates said.
“People are coming in for the first time and getting help, and that help is changing their lives,” she said.
When asked about the long-term impact of COVID-19, Bates said each person will respond differently given their personal makeup.
With the internet allowing people to work, shop, socialize, exercise and go to school remotely, people had been “slowly moving away” from one another before the pandemic struck, she said.
Social distancing has hastened and heightened that sense of isolation.
Bates is hopeful the loneliness has reached a point that people will crave interaction more than ever once they can reunite.
“It is really an amazing opportunity (pandemic) to understand what we need to be happy and to seek it," she said. “Now, we know how important community is."
Watching worship not like being there
Rev. Tom Unke has comforted several church members, who lost loved ones during the pandemic to causes other than coronavirus, he said.
For two weeks, on a daily basis, he spoke with an elderly man who could not visit his wife in hospice at a Summerlin hospital.
“He was frustrated to the point of tears,” Unke said. “He didn’t care at all about getting sick. He cared about being at the bedside of his dying wife.”
And, church members were deprived of having extended family at funerals for loved ones.
“He didn’t get to share that message and give thanks at the time of passing,” Unke said. “... It comes down to taking away our freedoms.”
In response to social distancing rules, Unke held services online before the church was permitted to have in-person worship last year. Attendance since has returned to about 70% of where it was pre-pandemic, he said.
Unke said that online services were not the same because christianity “is designed” to be an in-person, communal experience.
“There is a difference between watching worship happen and being there to participate in worship,” Unke said. “It was a detriment to the faith of a lot of people.”
Church members struggled between their faith and their health, and many chose to forgo in-person services in response to an “unhealthy fear” of COVID-19, he said.
“People heard the message that you have to stay in your homes,” Unke said, “and some people found it strange that preachers like us were saying ‘You can trust in the Lord.'"
As with public-health matters in the past, Unke said, people adapt to dire circumstances rather than let fear alter their way of life.
“I think there is a happy medium and there always has been,” he said.
Rosie Walisever
Facilitator, Compassionate Friends of Summerlin
Group resumes for parents who lost children
Many this week will turn another page on the calendar, and wonder how much longer the odyssey of COVID-19 will continue.
For Rosie Walisever, the past year has been a mere detour in the marathon of life since her beloved son, Adam, killed himself years ago.
“For some people, I hope the past year has been a blur,” Walisever said of parents like her. “COVID was just another thing to deal with while we are still dealing with the loss of our children.”
The golf enthusiast from Sun City Summerlin this week reconvened for the first time in months the twice-monthly meetings of Compassionate Friends of Summerlin, a support group for parents whose children have died.
It is the local chapter of a national organization, and Walisever has served as volunteer facilitator for some time.
“We gave birth to them. We took care of them and we nurtured them, and, now, they are gone and they are not coming back,” she said. “This is something we don’t get over. This is something we have to move with for the rest of our lives.”
The support group started up again Thursday evening after shutting down for several months in response to the pandemic and social-distancing rules.
Walisever is concerned for members she has not heard from in weeks, but new people have contacted her eager to attend meetings, she said.
“They were dealing with COVID-19 and they are dealing with the loss of their child,” Walisever said. “They are eager to meet with people who have walked in their shoes.”
When the pandemic first struck, Walisever suffered an unexpected relapse of sorts that left her with the same depression she felt after her son’s death.
“I felt the same as back at the time that Adam passed away,” she said. “I felt very alone spiritually, physically, mentally - in every way possible.”
After about two weeks, Walisever recalled how crippling the depression had been after her son’s death, and she was determined to not let that happen again.
“It encapsulated me. It threw its arms around me and wouldn’t let me go,” she said.
Walisever got back on the golf course, and reached out to members of the support group because she needed them as much as they needed the group.
“I need them too. Part of my journey depends on helping them,” she said. “These are folks with other resources, such as therapists. But, I feel the one-on-one, and talking to someone who has walked in their shoes, is the key.”
In the spring, when public health experts predicted the pandemic would be over by summertime, Walisever held the group’s meetings in her yard and other outdoor locations.
They met in the evenings, and would conclude by watching the sunset and holding a “goodnight ceremony for our kids.”
However, as the pandemic grew more dire and people started to realize it wasn’t going away, some members chose to quarantine at home rather than attend meetings.
“There are a lot of people I have not heard from,” Walisever said. “I am hoping they found something that suits them online.”
Published February 26, 2021
Students' back-to-campus timeline
After-school sports, performing arts part of plan
For the Sentinel's Opinion click here
By Sentinel Staff
The Clark County School District this week announced the timeline for students' return to in-person classes and hybrid learning March 1, and shared plans for athletic and extra-curricular activities.
Superintendent Jesus Jara said Gov. Steve Sisolak's easing of COVID-19 restrictions for gatherings last week provided an "expedited route to open our schools." He said schools will follow the health and safety procedures in the district's Hybrid Instructional Model Implementation Guide.
It requires students be divided into three cohorts. Students in Cohort A attend school in person Mondays and Tuesdays and via distance education on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Students in Cohort B attend school in person on Thursdays and Fridays and via distance education on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Students in Cohort C remain in full-time distance education.
“We will continue to offer a full-time distance education option to our families who feel more comfortable keeping their children at home,” Jara said. “I ask for your patience as I continue to work with the Board of School Trustees to bring back all students and staff to face-to-face instruction safely.”
He said the district will post updates online at reconnect.ccsd.net.
Return to campus timeline
March 1 - All Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 3 students can return to face-to-face instruction under the hybrid instructional model.
March 22 - Grades 6, 9, & 12 can return to face-to-face instruction under the hybrid instructional model.
April 6 - Grades 7, 8, 10 & 11 can return to face-to-face instruction under the hybrid instructional model.
April 6 - Pre-Kindergarten through grade 5 can return to five days a week face-to-face instruction.
Athletics & Extracurricular Activities
CCSD plans to allow students to participate in the following athletics and extracurricular activities. No spectators will be allowed at any CCSD athletics events. School athletics will follow all guidelines from CCSD, the state, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA).
Spring Sports
Sports include: boys and girls track, boys and girls swimming, boys and girls diving, baseball, softball, boys golf and boys volleyball
Practices begin April 3, 2021 and competitions begin April 16, 2021.
Intramural Fall Sports
April 5 - May 1, 2021
Football: Full contact competition.
20 days of practice culminating in a one hour intrasquad competition.
May 3 - 22, 2021
Sports include: boys and girls tennis, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls cross country and girls volleyball.
Sports will be staggered to avoid forcing students to choose a single sport.
Performing Arts
Performing arts classes will have the option of streamed concerts.
Students will be permitted to participate in activities and rehearsals, such as marching band, drill team, theater.
Published February 26, 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
Burglary 12:58 p.m. Mon., Feb. 22, 10200 block Camborne Avenue
Disturbing the Peace 11:29 a.m. Sun., Feb 21, 1600 block Queen Victoria Street
Disturbing the Peace 5:52 p.m. Sun., Feb 21, 10300 block Mountain Lodge Place
Weapons 9:32 p.m. Sat., Feb 20, 400 block Winery Ridge Street
Assault 8:49 a.m. Sat., Feb 20, 600 block N. Town Center Drive
Disturbing the Peace 10:34 p.m. Thu., Feb 18, 200 block N. Rampart Boulevard
Robbery 5:16 p.m. Fri., 19, Park Vista Drive/Juniper Breeze Lane
Burglary 1:09 p.m. Tue., 23, 9000 block Alta Drive
Burglary 9:22 a.m. Thu., 18, 10900 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Two incidents at 11000 block W. Charleston Boulevard: Disturbing the peace, 1:26 a.m. Sat., Feb. 20; Motor Vehicle Theft 7:45 p.m. Tue., Feb. 23
Three incidents at 9500 block W. Charleston Boulevard: Disturbing the peace, 11:46 p.m. Sat., Feb. 20; Burglary, 7:58 a.m. Mon., Feb. 22; Motor Vehicle Theft, 12:20 p.m. Mon., Feb 22
Two incidents at 9200 block W. Charleston Boulevard: Disturbing the peace, 5:44 p.m. Sat., Feb. 21; Motor Vehicle Theft 8:10 a.m. Mon., Feb. 22
Research to save fragile, desert plants
Sentinel Staff
Botany experts are about halfway through a project to preserve five fragile desert plants and understand better how habitat, heat and weather influence their reproduction.
Clark County’s Department of Environment and Sustainability last month revised scheduling details for the Rare Plant Propagation Research program, which started last year just as the pandemic took hold.
The $141,000 undertaking is expected to collect seeds from five rare plants, and study and cultivate them in a nursery before reintroducing them into areas where each may prosper.
“While surveys and monitoring have documented species occurrences and population trends, complete knowledge on seed ecology and seeding establishment is lacking,” the county report states.
The project is overseen by the county’s Desert Conservation Program, which wishes to learn more about the seeding of the five plant species.
The campaign complements efforts to preserve habitat for the five rare plant species.
Cultivating the seeds in a nursery setting will help bolster the spread of seeds in the wild by increasing the population of each, and allow for controlled experiments looking at the best soil and other factors that help each plant thrive.
“The goal of this project is to investigate the reproductive ecology of and develop successful propagation techniques for five of Clark County’s rare plant species,” states the program report, “so that nursery stock can eventually be established and utilized for conservation purposes.”
Methods for preserving and procreating are particular to the needs of each species, and in some cases, rely somewhat on data available from past research.
For the Las Vegas bearpoppy, for instance, researchers are expected to review research already available, and make recommendations for spreading the species.
However, for the other four species, much more hands-on research has been required since the project started last year.
For the Blue Diamond cholla, experts are expected to collect seeds and stems in the wild, and then test different soils, water schedules and other factors to determine optimal seeding conditions.
When determined the plant is viable, fruit from it will be tracked and seeds collected for further testing in the lab, according to the report.
The process for procreating the other three rare species - the Three-corner milkvetch, sticky buckwheat and the White-margined penstemon - are a bit messier.
For the milkvetch and buckwheat species, researchers will collect seeds from plants found in the wild and nearby soil samples. Afterward, pollination and germination tests will be done in a nursery.
If the process produces sufficient seeds, they will be placed in “nylon seed bags” and planted and observed at regular intervals, according to the report.
For the penstemon species, a similar process will be followed other than the collection of seeds. Rather, researchers will collect soil samples before tests are undertaken.
Published February 26, 2021
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
New law allows bicyclists to leave right shoulder
County Commission gives unanimous approval
By Frank Geary
The Clark County Commission on Tuesday enacted a new law that allows bicyclists to leave the right shoulder if they feel unsafe or decide they are traveling as fast as traffic.
The proposal from Commissioner Justin Jones, a Democrat and bike and transit advocate who represents Summerlin, was enacted unanimously without any discussion of its merits or consequences.
“It's really intended for roadways in which there isn't any shoulder or any bike lane," Jones said when asked if the new rules would allow bicyclists to leave the right shoulder.
"It would be dependent on the circumstances you are talking about," he replied. "Just as an example, on Fort Apache, there is a whole lot of saw-tooth roads that go back and forth and there is no shoulder whatsoever. And, so, we are trying to make sure that it's clear that the bike should be in the roadway and not have the motorist honking at them."
However, the vague, one-sentence report that accompanied the proposal and the new law, itself, fail to mention a distinction between county roads with bike lanes and those without bike lanes. It doesn’t make any mention of “saw-tooth” sections of Fort Apache Road or other particularly troublesome county streets.
Instead, the new law states that bicyclists no longer will be required to ride on the right shoulder if they are turning left, feel unsafe or are traveling as fast as surrounding traffic.
The new law states bikes do not have to be on the right shoulder “when traveling at a lawful rate of speed commensurate with the speed of any nearby traffic.”
Las Vegas police and Nevada Highway Patrol, two agencies responsible for traffic safety in Southern Nevada, did not provide any input on the new regulations after being contacted by the Sentinel two weeks ago. A statement from Las Vegas police last week said the department is considering the measure.
Last month, Jones said he wanted to look at bicycle safety in part because of recent high-profile incidents.
Presumably, one of the incidents involved several bicyclists who were killed when an allegedly intoxicated motorist plowed into them. Another involved thrill seekers who pushed a bicyclist off the road by hitting her with the open door of a moving vehicle. The bicyclist and the passenger in the vehicle were killed, and the driver is facing possibe prison time on felony charges.
However, the amended bike law says nothing about drunken driving or mayhem provoked by thrill seekers. There is not any mention of treatment options for those arrested for drunken driving. There is no mention of stiffer fines or mandatory jail time for drunken drivers. There is not any mention of enhanced sentencing - as for hate crimes and crimes against seniors - for thrill seekers who kill bicyclists.
The revised law amends a county ordinance on "obligations of persons operating a bicycle."
Before Tuesday’s unanimous, silent approval, the law required bicyclists to "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. "
The revision also permits 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. The law also says that safety hazards are not limited to only those listed specifically.
In addition, the new rules no longer require bicyclists to have a horn or audible device for safety.
Published February 18, 2021
Neighborhood Watch
Calls to Las Vegas Police Wednesday, Feb. 12, to Tuesday, Feb. 16
Auto Burglary 9:34 a.m. Tue., Feb. 16, 10600 block Huntington Hills Drive
Disturbing the peace 11:56 a.m. Wed., Feb. 10, 1300 block N. Town Center Drive
Disturbing the peace 10:28 a.m. Thu., Feb. 11, 10200 block Via Roma Place
Disturbing the peace 11:31 a.m. Sat., Feb. 13, 100 block Park Vista Drive
Disturbing the peace 3:48 p.m. Mon., Feb. 15, 10800 block Aire Drive
Stolen vehicle recovered (Calif. plates) 9:43 a.m. Mon., Feb. 15, 10600 Esk Drive
Disturbing the peace 9:33 p.m. Fri., Feb. 12, 500 block Playa Linda Place
Auto Burglary 12:43 p.m. Tue., Feb. 16, 300 block Magnolia Arbor Street
Auto theft 6:21 a.m. Sun., Feb. 14, 200 block N. Rampart Boulevard
Disturbing the peace 2:43p.m. Mon., Feb. 15, 9100 block Worsley Park Lane
Auto theft 10:16 a.m. Sat., Feb. 13, 9000 block Alta Drive
Burglary 8:53 a.m. Wed., Feb. 19, 700 block S. Rampart Boulevard
sDisturbing the peace 11:47 a.m. Thu., Feb. 11, 700 block S. Hualapai Way.
Stolen vehicle recovered 7:26 p.m. Sat., Feb. 13, 11000 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Assault 12:30 p.m. Thu., Feb. 11, W. Charleston Boulevard and S. Hualapai Way
DIsturbing the peace 8:54 p.m. Fri., Feb. 12, 9500 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Disturbing the pea ce 9:35 a.m. Wed., Feb. 10, 600 block N. Town Center Drive
Streamlining services prompted by pandemic
Calls for consistency on marijuana, liquor policies
Sentinel Staff
Local officials are considering measures that would streamline services prompted by the pandemic, such as alcohol delivery and drive-thru dispensaries.
At the moment, alcohol delivery is permitted permanently on the north side of Charleston Boulevard, but not on the south side because it is in Clark County.
East of Summerlin, on the south side of Charleston Boulevard, dispensaries are permitted to have drive-thru, but not those on the north side because they are within Las Vegas city limits.
The Clark County Commission and Las Vegas City Council this week moved forward with measures that would allow both services across city-county boundaries like Charleston Boulevard.
The City Council on Wednesday advanced a proposal to permit drive-thru dispensaries, which have been permitted temporarily to offer curbside pickup during the pandemic.
The Clark County Commission on Tuesday forwarded a proposal from Commissioner Justin Jones, of Summerlin, that calls for the commission to “discuss” adopting alcohol delivery permanently, as it has permitted during the pandemic.
The suggestion comes a month after the City Council unanimously approved a proposal from Councilman Stavros Anthony, a former police official who represents Summerlin.
It allows liquor stores and other establishments with a liquor license to deliver alcohol to residences and businesses. However, it prohibits delivery to resorts or other businesses that have a liquor license.
The city’s proposal to consider drive-thrus dispensaries comes six months after Clark County lifted a similar ban, and more than three years after the Pauite Indian tribe opened a drive-thru dispensary on its patch of sovereign land near downtown Las Vegas.
The dispensary upgrade would amend existing city laws that forbid drive-thrus and require customers to enter and exit from one doorway.
The city’s move is somewhat overdue, considering a drive-thru dispensary has been operating near downtown Las Vegas for three years.
The Paiute Indian tribe, which owns land near downtown Las Vegas, operates a large dispensary. Since tribal land is not subject to city ordinances, it could ignore the drive-thru ban.
The city of North Las Vegas for some time has allowed drive-thru windows at dispensaries, which only take cash and require customers to go online to place orders and to schedule the pickup.
County officials last summer allowed dispensaries within unincorporated areas to open drive-thru windows, in part because the pandemic limited occupancy in the dispensaries.
Dispensaries across Southern Nevada have offered curbside pickup, and some have provided delivery services since last spring.
According to one county official, last summer the only source of tax revenue showing a profit in the pandemic was marijuana sales.
Before the coronavirus hit in March, the cannabis industry in Nevada was expected to blast off based on a study done before the crisis crippled the local economy.
Marijuana sales in Nevada had been expected to jump more than 50 percent; from $629 million in fiscal year 2019 to an estimated $956 million by 2024, according to the 2020 Marijuana Economic and Fiscal Benefits Analysis: Nevada, done for the Nevada Dispensary Association.
According to the study, marijuana sales in Nevada increased 20 percent from fiscal year 2018 to fiscal year 2019. The industry accounts for 8,200 jobs in “licensed cannabis” and 2,000 ancillary positions.
Published February 18, 2021
Summerlin Shorts
Crossing Guards Needed
Clark County is recruiting for 675 paid crossing guards to start 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 by the start date.
For information, call All City Management Services at (702) 675-3135 or visit https://acmssafety.com/crossing-guards/.
City offers spring break fun for kids
Las Vegas children can enjoy activities, from camps to music, theatre and art workshops, while school is out for spring break. Social distancing and other safety guidelines mandated by the governor’s directives will be in effect. To register, visit www.lasvegasnevada.gov/camps.
Spring Break Camps (K-8th grade)
7 a.m. to 6 p.m., March 29 to April 2
Cost: $100/child for full week.
Veterans Memorial Community Center, 101 N. Pavilion Center Drive.
Camp activities will include arts and crafts, sports, games, music, life skills, and physical fitness, with trained adult supervision. Space is limited and advanced registration is required. Health screenings, face masks and social distancing will be required. For information, call 702-229-PLAY (7529).
Rainbow Company Youth Theatre Spring Break Workshop (ages 8-12)
9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., March 29 to April 2, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 3
Cost: $135/youth for full week.
Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 S. Brush St.
This workshop includes sessions that build trust, courage, self-esteem, creativity, communication, and social skills. Students conclude this week-long workshop with a presentation of their theatrical skills. Students should bring lunch, snacks and water. Face masks and social distancing will be required. Registration is open through March 30, or until full. For information, call 702-229-ARTS (2787).
Broadway Spring Break Musical Theater Camp (ages 10-18)
Co-sponsored with Contemporary West Dance Theatre
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., March 29 to April 2
Cost: $210/youth for full week, includes a camp-provided t-shirt to wear each day.
Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 S. Brush St.
This musical theater camp will highlight moments captured from some of Broadway’s most prominent musicals, “Hairspray,” “Hamilton,” and “The Lion King.” Students will commit to a week-long session led by Broadway musical theater artists who are based locally. Students will learn acting, voice, dance and costume design, and will create their own Lion King headpieces for the final presentation. The program will conclude with a final performance presentation Friday, April 2. Youth should bring lunch, snacks and water. Face masks and social distancing will be required. Registration is open through March 30, or until full. For information, call 702-229-ARTS (2787).
Sports sidelined, work continues at Palo Verde
Work crews Tuesday on the football field at Palo Verde High School, near Pavilion Center and Alta drives, lay down base material as part of a project to replace the grass with manufactured turf designed to curtail injuries. Summerlin's public high school is one of 29 Clark County high schools expected to receive new turf as part of a $45 million overhaul launched last year, while sports are canceled and students learn from home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo by James Geary
Las Vegas police say little about bike proposal
County Commission to hold Feb. 16 public hearing
To see the Sentinel's Opionion Click Here
Sentinel Staff
Two law-enforcment agencies - responsible for traffic safety in Southern Nevada - had litte to say this week about a proposal that would permit bicycles in the middle of Clark County roads.
A proposal from Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones, a bike advocate who represents 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 shoulder “when traveling at a lawful rate of speed commensurate with the speed of any nearby traffic.”
The Clark County Commission on Tuesday, Feb. 16, is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the measure.
However, neither Las Vegas police nor the Nevada Highway Patrol had much to say about the merits or consequences of the proposal. NHP did not respond this week, and Las Vegas police, in a statement, said "at this time, our department is looking at the proposal and how it would impact residents."
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 11, 2021
Data: Quality of life good in Summerlin South
By Frank Geary
A recent study found that residents in unincorporated county areas, like Whitney, Winchester and Paradise, are not doing as well as neighbors who live in Las Vegas and other Southern Nevada cities.
Unincorporated Summerlin South, not surprisingly, doesn’t fit the mold.
The large, county area - south of Sahara Avenue along the 215 Beltway- is better off than other unincorporated areas, according to the study.
The consultant’s review, Mapping the Future: An Analysis of Clark County’s Communities and Economy, was done by SRI International, Center for Innovation Strategy and Policy, on behalf of the county.
“There also remains significant variation in socioeconomic status among Clark County’s unincorporated areas,” states the report. “Poverty rates range from 6.8% in Summerlin South to 21.9% in Sunrise Manor. Work remains to be done to close the socioeconomic gap between the various unincorporated areas.”
The study was undertaken before the pandemic hit, and was presented last month to the County Commission.
In addition, Mapping the Future compares other demographic distinctions - housing, employment, education - among seven unincorporated areas in the Las Vegas Valley.
Summerlin South outpaced the other six in most of 12 quality-of-life metrics, and was near the top in others.
A chart compares the areas, and highlights the three worst off for each subject; poverty or education or home ownership, for instance.
The two most prosperous areas never highlighted were Summerlin South and the county town of Enterprise.
Highlighted more often than not were the more-distressed county towns of Sunrise Manor and Winchester.
The Sentinel did not consider data from rural Laughlin or Moapa Valley in its calculations or averages.
With regard to education, about 4% of adults over 25-years-old in Summerlin South do not have a high school diploma.
In neighboring Summerlin North and Summerlin West, the numbers are similar at 6% and 3% respectively.
In the six other unincorporated county towns in the Las Vegas Valley, the combined average was about 17%. In two, 25% or more did not have a diploma.
The unemployment rate in Summerlin South was just below 5%. The average across the other six areas was 8%. Two towns had rates above 10%. Unemployment data was not available for Summerlin North and Summerlin West.
The poverty rate in Summerlin South was below 7% compared with an average of 17% in the other unincorporated county areas. Two towns had poverty rates above 20%.
Poverty rates were not available for Summerlin North and Summerlin West.
With regard to earnings, Summerlin South’s median household income of $88,969 is 34% higher than the average of $66,242 across the other six areas. Two of those areas were below $42,000.
Median household income in Summerlin North was $68,329 and in Summerlin West it was $112,605.
Median earnings in Summerlin South were $57,614, or 85% higher than the average elsewhere in the county of $31,071.
Earnings in Summerlin South were more than double the earnings in two other unincorporated areas.
With housing, in the other areas combined, about 47% of homes are owned or have a mortgage. The other 53% are rentals.
In Summerlin South and in Summerlin North, 68% of homes are owned or have a mortgage. In Summerlin West, 66% of homes are owned or have a mortgage.
Published February 11, 2021
Neighborhood Watch
Calls to Las Vegas Police Wednesday, Feb. 3, to Tuesday, Feb. 11
Assault 3:14 p.m. Sun., Feb. 7, 9600 block Ann Arbor Lane
Vandalism 8:34 p.m. Mon., Jan. 8, 9300 block Mist Flower Circle
Assault 3:32 p.m. Mon., Feb. 8, 10600 block Grand Cypress Avenue
Burglary 9:08 a.m. Thu., Feb. 4, 1600 block Saintsbury Drive
Disturbing the peace 7:56 p.m. Mon., Feb. 8, 1600 block Queen Victoria Street
Assault 6:16 p.m. Mon., Feb. 8, 9600 block Trailwood Drive
Burglary 7:34 p.m. Sun, Feb. 7, 10600 block Englewood Cliffs Avenue
Disturbing the peace 1:14 p.m. Tue., Feb. 9, 10000 block Benjamin Nicholas Place
Disturbing the peace 8:54 p.m. Sat., Feb. 6, 1200 block N. Town Center Drive
Disturbing the peace 3:23 p.m. Mon., Feb. 8, 400 block Bloomingdale Court
Vandalism 12:01 p.m. Mon., Feb. 8, 700 block Peachy Canyon Circle
Vandalism 11:32 a.m. Mon., Feb. 8, 500 block Lacabana Beach Drive
Burglary 1:26 a.m. Tue., Feb. 9, 600 block S. Town Center Drive
Burglary 9:04 p.m. Thu., Feb. 4, 9200 block Tudor Park Place
Assault 2:54 p.m. Tue., Feb. 9, 9100 block Worsley Park Place
Auto burglary 1:51 p.m. Tue., Feb. 9, 10900 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Disturbing the peace 1:29 a.m. Mon., Feb. 8, 11000 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Auto theft 6:21 p.m. Sat., Feb. 6, 9700 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Auto burglary 1:57 p.m. Sun. Feb. 7, 9700 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Libraries evolve for post-pandemic uncertainty
By J. Geary
Robotics labs, do-it-yourself makerspaces, high-tech job training and computer coding centers will define how post-pandemic libraries use their buildings to help the jobless get back on track.
After nearly a year of contending with COVID-19, pivoting to online services, Summerlin Library branch manager Tom Sommer says libraries will figure prominently in helping the public prepare for post-pandemic jobs.
“We’ve known since the last economic crisis that Nevada has to diversify its economy,” Sommer said.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in January estimated 11.5% of Las Vegas workers were unemployed in November. According to the report, the jobless rate in Southern Nevada ranks highest among 51 cities with 1 million or more people.
“Big tech is coming, professional sports have arrived, health and medical services are expanding, and libraries are right in the middle,” he said. “We want to stay on top of whatever industries want, and understand what our patrons will be looking for to be informed, educated and ready for those jobs.”
While online access to programs and services grows, the Summerlin branch is re-imagining how to use its physical spaces, Sommer said.
Classrooms and meeting spaces could be converted to robotics learning labs and “makerspaces,” where people can learn to use 3-D printers and other high-tech tools, he said.
“If the budget allows, these are all part of the strategic plan for the Summerlin branch,” Sommer said. The Summerlin branch’s 2021 annual budget is about $1.4 million.
Sommer’s plans follow trends identified by the American Library Association in its 2020 State of America’s Libraries report, which states libraries will be “at the forefront” of building skills for the 21st-century workforce. The association also refers to the World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs” assessment, which notes 65% of children entering elementary school today will be employed in jobs that do not yet exist.
Sommer said supporting the workforce is not new to the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District. Libraries, including Summerlin, provide a range of online adult education, career training and social services -- all intended to help locals re-enter the workforce. These include online career high school, adult basic education and Limitless Learning, which offers students from kindergarten to high school help with science, technology and math.
From home, the public can use the library’s website to log onto state services, including the Nevada Career Explorer, a database that allows users to take a self assessment and find a match among more than 1,000 available jobs. It provides training and tips for obtaining those jobs. A laid-off casino valet, for example, might find an opportunity to train for a new job as a delivery service driver.
Meanwhile, Molly Dudek sees first hand how the library fills gaps in education, especially as public school students continue to learn online.
“We offer early student hours, where we open the doors early at 7:30 a.m. for students who need to come in and start studying or get access to wifi,” said Dudek, who has worked as a circulation assistant at the Summerlin branch since 2012. “We’ve been doing as much as we can to support parents who find themselves helping their young children learn from home.”
Dudek said she and her team assemble “take-and-make” kits that furnish parents with supplies for children's art projects. They also work to reduce browsing time by putting together children’s book bundles based on themes and genres.
Dudek said her team makes kits for adult-level art projects popular among senior citizens.
“Adults can come and get packages with all the materials they need to make things like suncatchers or paintings,” Dudek said. “We’ll provide the paint, brushes, canvass, everything. Then, you just grab and go.”
The circulation desk, she said, continues to handle the brisk business of book reservations for pickup.
“We have about 1,000 books on reserve at any given time,” Dudek said, noting that while the service is not new, it has expanded since the pandemic. “At one point we were running up to 10 curbside appointments an hour, and where we had 36 shelves set aside for books on reserve, we expanded to 72.”
Published February 11, 2021
Las Vegas considers drive-thru dispensaries
Sentinel Staff
Las Vegas city officials are considering lifting a ban on drive-thru marijuana dispensaries.
The proposal comes six months after Clark County lifted a similar ban, and more than three years after the Pauite Indian tribe opened a drive-thru dispensary on its land near downtown Las Vegas.
Las Vegas City Councilwoman Michelle Fiore, a former Republican state lawmaker who represents northwest Las Vegas, last week asked her colleagues to consider allowing drive-thru windows at dispensaries. The council is scheduled Tuesday to consider the matter again.
The proposal comes three weeks after the City Council permanently threw out a ban on alcohol delivery; a service which has proved popular during the pandemic with customers and businesses alike.
The dispensary upgrade would amend existing city laws that forbid drive-thrus and require customers to enter and exit from one doorway.
The City Council referred the matter to the city’s Recommending Committee for consideration before coming back to the City Council for further action.
The city’s move is somewhat overdue, considering a drive-thru dispensary has been operating near downtown Las Vegas for three years.
The Paiute Indian tribe, which owns land near downtown Las Vegas, operates a large dispensary. Since tribal land is not subject to city ordinances, it could ignore the drive-thru ban.
The city of North Las Vegas for some time has allowed drive-thru windows at dispensaries, which only take cash and require customers to go online to place orders and to schedule the pickup.
County officials last summer allowed dispensaries within unincorporated areas to open drive-thru windows, in part because the pandemic limited occupancy in the dispensaries.
Dispensaries across Southern Nevada have offered curbside pickup, and some have provided delivery services, since last spring.
According to one county official, last summer the only source of tax revenue showing a profit in the pandemic was marijuana sales.
Before the coronavirus hit in March, the cannabis industry in Nevada was expected to blast off based on a study done before the crisis crippled the local economy.
Marijuana sales in Nevada had been expected to jump more than 50 percent; from $629 million in fiscal year 2019 to an estimated $956 million by 2024, according to the 2020 Marijuana Economic and Fiscal Benefits Analysis: Nevada, done for the Nevada Dispensary Association.
According to the study, marijuana sales in Nevada increased 20 percent from fiscal year 2018 to fiscal year 2019. The industry accounts for 8,200 jobs in “licensed cannabis” and 2,000 ancillary positions.
Published February 11, 2021
Summerlin Shorts
Summerlin HOAs meet this month
Community Associations in Summerlin, which consist of residents elected in each neighborhood, are scheduled to hold meetings in February, according to the Summerlin Council.
Summerlin South Community Association, which represents residents south of Charleston Boulevard, is scheduled to hold its next meeting at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18. For more information go to www.summerlink.com. Meetings are subject to cancellation so best to confirm by calling 702-791-4600.
The agenda for the meeting is expected to be available online Friday, Feb. 12, according to Summerlin South.
Summerlin North Community Association, which represents residents north of Charleston Boulevard, is scheduled to meet via Zoom at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24. The agenda for the meeting is scheduled to be available Feb. 22 at www.summerlink.com, according to Summerlin North.
Meetings may be canceled, so its best to call 702-838-5500 to confirm.
Library board to fill three openings
Clark County is accepting applications from residents interested in serving on the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District Board of Trustees.
The County will be filling three positions on the board as current board members’ terms are expiring.
Applicants must reside within the library district, which includes the cities of Las Vegas and Mesquite, and the unincorporated areas of the county.
The application is available online at http://clarkcountynv.gov/LVCCLibraryDistrict and must be submitted to the county by 5 p.m. on Feb. 17.
The County Commission is expected to appoint the new board members on March 2.
The library board comprises 10 members, five of whom are appointed by the County Commission plus five appointed by the Las Vegas City Council. Board members are appointed to four-year terms and are limited to serving two consecutive terms.
Two of the county-appointed board members whose terms are expiring may apply again. The third board member whose term is expiring has already served two terms.
The library board oversees the library district, including its 25 branches, and a collection of 3.1 million items including books, movies, music (including streaming and downloadable), and online resources; and appoints the library district’s executive director.
Anyone with questions about the application process may email AdministrativeServices@ClarkCountyNV.gov
Correction
In last week's Summerlin Sentinel, Sun City Summerlin Community Association Board of Directors candidate John Berthelsen's name was misspelled.
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
COVID raises stakes for Summerlin lawmakers
Region represented by both parties
By Sentinel Staff
Democrat lawmakers start work Monday with a consecutive royal flush for the first time in decades, but the donkey ride may prove steep given Nevada has been pummeled by the pandemic.
As in Washington, Democrats control both houses in the state Legislature and the governor’s mansion at a time when state revenues are hobbled and costs are climbing in response to the pandemic.
The Democrats have a commanding 26-16 edge in the state Assembly and a 12-9 advantage in the Senate following the November election, in which Nevada backed President Joe Biden.
Two new Republicans were elected to represent Summerlin in the Assembly, and the Democatic Senate Majority Leader will take the helm after another narrow victory in a divided district.
Meanwhile, Summerlin’s two Democrats in the Assembly are set to serve as chair and vice-chair of the influential Education Committee.
The session is scheduled to start Monday, 11 days after Gov. Steve Sisolak gave a grim recap of the past year and forecast dark skies ahead.
“This disease has touched us all. And the truth is, we still have a ways to go,” Sisolak said in his State of the State address Jan. 19.
“Nevadans are battle born. We face our challenges head on. And we will get through this difficult time together, because the State of our State is determined, resilient and strong.”
In addition to $149 a day for expenses, lawmakers elected in 2016 are expected to receive wages of $150.71 a day; and those elected in 2018 receive $159.71 a day, according to ballotpedia.
Each of the 21 Senate districts has about 128,598 people, and each of the 42 Assembly districts holds about half as many. Senators serve four-year terms and Assembly members run every two years.
Here are brief profiles of the lawmakers representing Summerlin and surrounding areas in this year’s six-month legislative session.
-Photos and maps, courtesty of Nevada Legislature-
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.”
Peregrine falcon rules skies over Summerlin
Predator uses stealth and aerial acrobatics
(The following is one in a series on wildlife, plants, insects and other creatures that live in Summerlin, Red Rock Canyon and other areas nearby.)
By James Geary and Luke Geary
The peregrine falcon, often seen scanning for prey from atop light-poles in Summerlin, is the fastest bird on the planet at almost 200 mph during a dive.
In the wide-open wilderness, peregrine falcons nest in cliffs like they have for centuries in Red Rock Canyon, according to the Nevada Department of Wildlife .
As construction of communities like Summerlin - bright lights, cement, human beings, automobiles - encroach on the falcons’ historic habitat and hunting ground, they have adapted to urban lifestyle.
Whether at Oxford Park, which looks downhill at Bonner Elementary, or on the fields atop Sig Rogich Middle and Palo Verde High School, dog walkers, ball players and others know falcons are the predator from above.
Like most skilled hunters, they remain still and hide among the long shadows at dusk and dawn. Until, suddenly, they strike with aerial acrobatics across open spaces in pursuit of their next meal.
Falcons are known to attack birds in flight, and are not known to feed on pets such as cats or small dogs.
Pigeons are easy prey during the day and lights in the evening attract bats, making Summerlin a perfect fit for these predators.
So common and historic to the area, several neighborhoods honor the falcon with names like Falcon Ridge, Talon Pointe and Talon Peak.
According to the wildlife department, falcons, which were endangered, have long lifespans. They can live up to 15 years in the wild and 20 years in captivity.
A female peregrine is about 19 inches tall while the male is 13 inches. They are large and light, with an average weight of about 1.5 pounds and a wingspan of 3.5 feet.
Peregrines pick mates for life, who work together to protect their brown, spotted eggs.
Both the male and female help to incubate the eggs. It is one reason, experts say, their population has bounced back.
“It was listed as endangered in North America, but is now delisted due to reintroduction into many areas,” the department of wildlife states on its website.
According to the Environmental Defense Fund, peregrines were put on the endangered species list in 1970.
At the time, the pesticide DDT was harming the falcons’ eggs. The chemical made the shells thinner, and caused them to crack during incubation.
DDT was banned in 1972, and peregrines were taken off the endangered list in 1999 after the population recovered.
Although no longer endangered, government officials from across the world are still protecting these extraordinary birds.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the International Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 protects falcons and other birds across the world. The act was established with Canada, Mexico, Japan and Russia.
It prohibits killing, capturing, selling, trading or transporting the protected species.
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
Vandalism 3:26 p.m. Thu., Jan. 21, 2300 block Pine Bluff Court.
Person with a gun 11:20 a.m. Thu., Jan. 21, Summerlin Parkway at 215 Beltway
Disturbing the Peace 10:04 a.m. Tues., Jan. 26, 1800 block Village Center Circle
Disturbing the Peace 9:38 a.m. Fri., Jan. 22, 10200 block Penith Avenue
Disturbing the Peace 1:56 p.m. Mon., Jan. 25, 10000 block Benjamin Nicholas Place
Assault 10:39 p.m. Thu., Jan. 21, 1400 block N. Rampart Boulevard.
Auto Theft 6:28 a.m. Fri., Jan. 22, 11000 block Sonoma Creek Court
Assault 12:30 p.m. Sun., Jan. 24, 600 block N. Town Center Drive
Disturbing the peace 3:37 a.m. Sat., Jan. 23 Anasazi Drive and N. Town Center Drive
Assault 12:20 p.m. Fri, Jan. 22, 11200 block Gibbs Hill Avenue
Vandalism 1:13 p.m. 10700 block Sprucedale Avenue
Auto theft 12:28 a.m., Thu., Jan 21, 9000 block Alta Drive
Two incidents at 11000 block W. Charleston Boulevard: Disturbing the peace, 12:37 a.m. Sat., Jan. 23; Assault 10:32 p.m. Sun., Jan. 24
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
Disturbing the peace 1 p.m. Thu., Jan. 14, 10100 block Hunter Springs Drive
Auto burglery 3 p.m. Tues., Jan. 19, 9800 block Button Willow Drive
Vandalism 3:36 a.m. Wed., Jan. 13, 9400 block W Lake Mead Boulevard
Vandalism 9:35 p.m. Sat., Jan. 16, 2400 block La Sierra Street
Auto burglary 2:50 p.m. Tues., Jan. 19, 2400 block Bloomington Drive
Disturbing the peace 9:30 p.m. Fri., Jan. 15, 9900 block Trailwood Drive
Burglary 4:19 p.m. Sun., Jan. 17, 1500 block Cardinal Peak Lane
Stolen car recovered 3:22 a.m. Sat., Jan. 16, Vegas Drive/ N. Rampart Boulevard
Person with a Gun 8:35 p.m. Sat., Jan. 16, 1200 block Benicia Hills Street
Auto Burglury 5:41 a.m. Sun., Jan. 17, 10500 block Beachwalk Place
Disturbing the peace 10:28 p.m. Fri., Jan. 15, 1100 block N. Town Center Drive
Disturbing the peace 11:00 p.m. Sat., Jan. 16, 600 block Pinnacle Heights Lane
Disturbing the peace 4:17 p.m. Fri., Jan. 15, 11300 block Redpoint Drive
Auto theft 10:51 a.m. Fri., Jan. 15, 800 block Bernini Street
Auto burglary 3:41 p.m. Fri., Jan. 15, 100 block Park Vista Drive
Disturbing the peace 4:03 p.m. Wed., Jan. 13, 10900 block Sutter Hills Avenue
Disturbing the peace 1:43 p.m. Thu., Jan 14, 700 block Joshua Star Court
Disturbing the peace 3:38 p.m. Tue., Jan.19, 800 block S. Pavilion Center Drive
Disturbing the peace 6:06 p.m. Sat. , Jan. 16, 10600 block Amber Ridge Drive
Two incidents 10900 block W. Charleston Boulevard: Burglary 10:12 a.m. Fri., Jan. 15; Assault 4:37 p.m. Fri., Jan 15
Auto theft 7:00 p.m. Fri., Jan. 15, 10700 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Burglary 1;17 a.m. Sat., Jan. 16, 10200 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Burglary 11:39 a.m. Tue., Jan. 19, 9500 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Disturbing the peace 9:35 a.m. Tue., Jan. 19, 9200 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Disturbing the peace 1 p.m. Thu., Jan. 14, 10100 block Hunter Springs Drive
Auto burglery 3 p.m. Tues., Jan. 19, 9800 block Button Willow Drive
Vandalism 3:36 a.m. Wed., Jan. 13, 9400 block W Lake Mead Boulevard
Vandalism 9:35 p.m. Sat., Jan. 16, 2400 block La Sierra Street
Auto burglary 2:50 p.m. Tues., Jan. 19, 2400 block Bloomington Drive
Disturbing the peace 9:30 p.m. Fri., Jan. 15, 9900 block Trailwood Drive
Burglary 4:19 p.m. Sun., Jan. 17, 1500 block Cardinal Peak Lane
Stolen car recovered 3:22 a.m. Sat., Jan. 16, Vegas Drive/ N. Rampart Boulevard
Person with a Gun 8:35 p.m. Sat., Jan. 16, 1200 block Benicia Hills Street
Auto Burglury 5:41 a.m. Sun., Jan. 17, 10500 block Beachwalk Place
Disturbing the peace 10:28 p.m. Fri., Jan. 15, 1100 block N. Town Center Drive
Disturbing the peace 11:00 p.m. Sat., Jan. 16, 600 block Pinnacle Heights Lane
Disturbing the peace 4:17 p.m. Fri., Jan. 15, 11300 block Redpoint Drive
Auto theft 10:51 a.m. Fri., Jan. 15, 800 block Bernini Street
Auto burglary 3:41 p.m. Fri., Jan. 15, 100 block Park Vista Drive
Disturbing the peace 4:03 p.m. Wed., Jan. 13, 10900 block Sutter Hills Avenue
Disturbing the peace 1:43 p.m. Thu., Jan 14, 700 block Joshua Star Court
Disturbing the peace 3:38 p.m. Tue., Jan.19, 800 block S. Pavilion Center Drive
Disturbing the peace 6:06 p.m. Sat. , Jan. 16, 10600 block Amber Ridge Drive
Two incidents 10900 block W. Charleston Boulevard: Burglary 10:12 a.m. Fri., Jan. 15; Assault 4:37 p.m. Fri., Jan 15
Auto theft 7:00 p.m. Fri., Jan. 15, 10700 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Burglary 1;17 a.m. Sat., Jan. 16, 10200 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Burglary 11:39 a.m. Tue., Jan. 19, 9500 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Disturbing the peace 9:35 a.m. Tue., Jan. 19, 9200 block W. Charleston Boulevard
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
Disturbing the peace 9:59 a.m. Sat., Jan. 30, 10600 block Grand Cypress Avenue
Burglary 7:03 a.m. Wed., Jan. 27, 2200 block Barbers Point Place
Auto burglary 4:31 p.m. Thu., Jan. 28, 9400 block Grenville Avenue
Disturbing the peace 2:04 p.m. Wed., Jan. 27, 1900 block Faywood Street
Burglary 1:22 p.m. Sun. Jan. 31, 1000 block Miradero Lane
Burglary 10:22 a.m. Tue., Feb. 2, 600 block N. Town Center Drive
Auto burglary 4:45 p.m. Mon., Feb. 1, 300 block Autumn Palace Court
Burglary 8:40 p.m. Mon., Feb. 1, 500 block Doletto Street
Auto theft 10:47 a.m. Fri., Jan. 29, 500 block Poplar Leaf Street
Disturbing the peace 1 p.m. Thu., Jan. 28, 11200 block Hidden Peak Avenue
Auto theft 8:25 a.m. Sat., Jan. 30, 10100 W. Charleston Boulevard
Disturbing the peace 3:45 a.m. Mon., Feb. 1, 9900 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Auto theft 7:37 a.m. Mon., Feb. 1, 9500 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Vandalism 4:44 p.m. Tue., Feb. 2, 900 block Coatbridge Street
Sun City to pursue second COVID relief loan
Forgivable, free money would total $1.6 million
By Frank Geary
Sun City Summerlin plans to pursue a second, COVID-19 relief loan from the federal government, which would bring its forgivable debt to $1.6 million.
Several members of the Board of Directors of the Sun City Summerlin Community Association, which oversees one of the largest homeowners associations in the state, said the free, federal money helps balance the budget.
The proposal follows Sun City receiving an $832,096 loan from the federal Paycheck Protection Plan - or PPP - in August to pay for personnel costs at the community’s golf courses and other facilities.
Sun City last spring had to close facilities in response to Gov. Steve Sisolak’s 78-day shutdown of many businesses and public facilities.
Without the financial aid, the association would have had to consider closing facilities or charging more to homeowners, whose activities already are hampered by occupancy restrictions.
“We would have had to lock the doors … that would have been a killer for us,” Leo Crawford, board member, said of the first loan.
Even though Sun City’s lender hasn’t forgiven the first loan as is expected, the board is pursuing another loan for the same amount, board Treasurer Gerry Sokolski said.
The money is needed for day-to-day operating costs, and to restore money taken from the reserve fund to help cover costs during the spring lockdowns.
“Our costs have not gone down,” Crawford said. “We have to pay our expenses. Unlike the federal government, we are required to by law to have a balanced budget.”
Sun City Board President Dick Clark said last month that Sun City is entitled to have the loan forgiven because the association used the money as required.
Unlike most businesses, a homeowners association has a steady revenue stream - in good times and bad - from customers compelled to pay for fear the association will place a troublesome lien on their property. Under Nevada law, it is called a Super-Priority Lien and allows the association to foreclose on a property if a homeowner fails to pay association dues.
Conversely, customers at most small businesses have a choice whether to pay for products and services.
Clark said association dues pay a portion of costs for all of the facilities and services provided in the vast retirement community, but facilities also receive cash out-of-pocket from residents and their guests for meals, pro-shop and other services.
The loan proposal comes 10 months after one of the richest communities in the country made national headlines after it received a $2 million Paycheck Protection loan, according to press accounts at the time.
The homeowners association for upscale Fisher Island, which is near Miami and is considered one of the wealthiest zip codes in the country, quickly gave back the loan.
It was returned after press reports surfaced, and angry residents of the island paradise said the loan shouldn’t have been pursued and insisted the money be returned. Some residents suggested each property owner pay an additional $5,000 to cover pandemic-related losses at the island's hotels, golf courses, restaurants and other facilities.
Last month, the Sentinel asked members of Congress about the Sun City loan approved under the PPP Congress approved to help businesses crippled by the pandemic.
Only Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada’s senior senator, responded.
A statement from her office reads, “The Small Business Administration and lenders that extended PPP loans are responsible for ensuring all PPP borrowers have met the loan criteria set forth in the CARES Act.”
It continues, “Our office is not aware of the details of individual loans beyond the limited scope of what is publicly available and therefore cannot speak to legal questions about specific loans or the financial condition of the individual organizations that used PPP.”
Published February 4, 2021
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
Disturbing the peace 4:25 a.m. Wed., Jan. 6, 9300 block Sun Rose Avenue
Auto burglary 11:14 a.m. Thu., Jan. 7, 2000 block Riva Del Garda Place
Assault 11:15 a.m. Tue., Jan. 12, 215 Beltway and Summerlin Parkway
Vandalism 7:56 a.m. Wed., Jan. 6, 1900 block Village Center Circle
Disturbing the peace 1:15 a.m. Fri., Jan. 8, 10200 block Penrith Avenue
Disturbing the peace 10:41 p.m. Mon. Jan. 12, 9600 block Trailwood Drive
Disturbing the peace 9:33 a.m. Wed., Jan. 6, 1900 block Village Center Circle
Vandalism 2:29 p.m. Mon., Jan. 11, 8700 block Red Brook Drive
Burglary 8:48 p.m. Sun., Jan. 9, 10600 block Austin Bluffs Avenue
Stolen vehicle recovered 3:52 p.m. Wed., Jan. 6, 700 block Anasazi Drive
Disturbing the peace 6:54 p.m. Sat., Jan. 9, 11500 block Aruba Beach Avenue
Two reports 11500 block Aruba Beach Avenue: Disturbing the peace 8:02 a.m. Tue., Jan. 12; Disturbing the peace 9:58 a.m. Tue., Jan. 12
Disturbing the peace 7:52 p.m. Mon., Jan. 11, 11300 block Parkside Way
Auto burglary 10:07 p.m. Thu., Jan. 7, 500 block Bear Grass Street
Disturbing the peace 6:18 p.m. Tue., Jan. 12, 10100 block Summit Canyon Drive
Two reports 11000 block W. Charleston Boulevard 12:37 a.m. Sun., Jan. 10; Auto burlgary 11:59 a.m. Tue., Jan. 12
Disturbing the peace 4:59 p.m. Tue., Jan. 12, 9800 block W, Charleston Boulevard
Auto theft 6:09 p.m. Sat., Jan. 9, 9700 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Vandalism 8:47 a.m. Mon., Jan. 11, 9800 block W. Charleston Boulevardk
Four reports 9200 block W. Charleston Boulevard: Disturbing the peace 11:26 a.m. Fri., Jan. 8; Disturbing the peace 7:43 p.m. Sun., Jan 10; Auto theft 11:57 a.m. Sun., Jan 10; Disturbing the peace 10:32 a.m. Mon., Jan 11
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.
Kids unleashed on day off from school
Summerlin public schools close two days after holiday break ends
First day on job after photo finish
Mayor's State of City address today
Virtual speech to include public
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman will deliver her annual State of the City Address at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 7, on KLCV Channel 2 and on the city’s social media platforms.
This year’s address will be virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, there will not be any in-person attendance as in years past.
Mayor Goodman will provide her vision and insight for 2021 and beyond, during the State of the City Address.
The event can be viewed on KCLV Channel 2 television or online at www.kclv.tv/live.
The city will host a live feed on Facebook (www.facebook.com/cityoflasvegas) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/cityoflasvegas).
Those interested in being a part of the conversation can use the hashtag #stateofvegas to have their social media posts included.
KCLV Channel 2’s livestream also will be available to embed on websites for live viewing. Please email socialmedia@lasvegasnevada.gov for the embed code.
The State of the City Address will replay on KCLV Channel 2 on Thursday, Jan. 7 at 10 p.m., Friday, Jan. 8 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 9 at 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 10 at 4:30 and 8 p.m., and Monday, Jan. 11 at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Published on January 7, 2021
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.
Doing so helps small businesses stay afloat financially, and allows customers to avoid crowds at liquor stores and other establishments with a liquor license.
However, the association is concerned that the long-term proposal puts at risk their privileged licenses, for gaming and alcohol for instance, if stores outside a resort are allowed to deliver alcohol to guests.
“The delivery of alcoholic beverages over which a non-restricted licensee has zero control would put our privileged licenses in significant jeopardy,” states the letter.
The law presently allows the delivery of alcohol by a “grocery store in excess of five thousand square feet pursuant to a package liquor license.”
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.
Valentine also questions the motive for moving forward with the measure at a time city officials are embarking on a comprehensive analysis of the city’s liquor codes.
Also, liquor sold at shops inside a resort is controlled by the resort, and liquor sold by restaurants and bars at a resort is overseen by bartenders who have state-issued work cards.
“Opening up hotel casinos to having packaged liquor delivered by anyone outside our control is a non-starter for us,” states Valentine’s letter to the city. “We would become responsible for any on-site consumption of alcoholic beverages over which we have zero control.”
Published on January 7, 2021
Neighborhood Watch
Calls to Las Vegas Police Wednesday, Dec. 30, to Tuesday, Jan. 5
Disturbing the peace 11:53 p.m. Tue., Jan. 5, 2200 block Maple Rose Drive
Disturbing the peace 3:34 a.m. Mon., Jan. 4, 900 block Hillpointe Road
Assault 11:22 a.m. Mon., Jan. 4, 10600 block Clarion Lane
Vandalism 1:41 p.m. Sat., Jan. 2, 10400 block Horseback Ridge Avenue
Burglary 8:06 p.m. Mon., Jan. 4, 1700 block Village Center Circle
Burglary 8:27 a.m. Mon., Jan. 4, 1600 block Village Center Circle
Auto burglary 10:56 a.m. Mon., Jan. 4, 800 block Bernini Street
Auto burglary 8:03 a.m. Mon., Jan. 4, 11000 block O'Keefe Court
Auto theft 3:08 p.m. Wed., Dec. 30, 400 block Winery Ridge Street
Disturbing the peace 6:02 p.m. Sun., Jan. 2, 100 block Park Vista Court
Auto theft 12:32 p.m. Thu., Dec. 31, 11500 block Lampeter Court
Juvenile disturbance 12:34 p.m. Fri., Jan. 1, 300 block Lorelei Rock Street
Assault 4:23 p.m. Mon., Jan. 4, 9000 block Alta Drive
Two incidents at 11000 block W. Charleston Boulevard: Assault 3:55 a.m., Thu., Jan. 1; Auto burlgary 4:23 a.m. Sun., Jan. 3
Burglary 7:51 a.m. Thu., Dec. 31, 10200 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Disturbing the peace 11:43 a.m. Sat., Jan. 2, 9800 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Vandalism 10:50 a.m. Wed., Dec. 30, 1300 block Mount Augusta Court
Disturbing the peace 5:37 p.m. Tue., Jan. 5, 9700 block Hitching Rail Drive
Published on January 7, 2021
City sells land for little after auction fails
Public's other parcels priced 33% above taxable value
By Frank Geary
Fourteen months after the city of Las Vegas was scheduled to auction off vacant land in northwest Las Vegas, the City Council on Wednesday sold the last of three neighboring parcels for the minimum bid price.
The three adjacent lots, on or near Ann Road east of Jones Boulevard, were among six properties the City Council in October 2019 approved for auction in accordance with a Nevada law that spells out how to sell taxpayers’ land to maximize returns.
However, none of the three next-door properties was purchased at auction, and the city sold each separately since September to different buyers for approximately the minimum-bid price set for the auction in November 2019.
Each sale price was equal to - or close to - the taxable value set by the Clark County Assessor, which by law must set taxable value lower than the market value for property.
In contrast, the other three properties to be auctioned started with minimum bids that were 33% to 68% higher than their taxable value.
The city still owns two of those properties, and the other was auctioned off for 20% more than the minimum bid of $417,500.
Also, each of the sales did not follow rules established for bidders at the auction, such as cash-only sales and a $10,000 advance deposit.
The three vacant properties near Ann Road total 2.5 acres combined, and are located within city limits. They are zoned for construction of single-family homes.
Meanwhile, during the 15 months since October 2019, the average price of a single-family home increased 12% in that area.
However, the property could be worth more if the owners cobbled together their parcels and convinced city officials to upgrade zoning on land the city acquired for nearly nothing many years ago to facilitate construction work on Ann Road.
Doing so would permit townhomes, offices or a commercial site such as a convenience store or car wash.
The unsuccessful auction
The Ann Road transactions were reached 10 months or more after an internet auction for the properties was set to close and the sales finalized as dictated by the City Council in October 2019.
The City Council's resolution was written by the City Attorney's Office in accordance with Nevada Revised Statute 268.062, according to a copy of the resolution.
After Wednesday's council meeting, the city's chief-deputy city attorney declined to speak with the Sentinel. Instead, the city released a statement, which states "the city did follow all the required steps."
City officials, after Wednesday's meeting, said they scheduled a second auction in January 2020 after not receiving any bids in November 2019. The properties were put up for sale after the city did not receive any bids.
As required by the law, the 2019 resolution: describes each property; states the minimum sale price and terms of the sale; and sets a particular date the council will consider bids.
The “terms and conditions” include: the internet auction to be held on www.publicsurplus.com; the auction will open Nov. 1 and close Nov. 29, 2019; the sales are cash only; the highest bidder shall deposit by Dec. 11, 2019 the remaining balance of the purchase price; the council is to consider the bids Dec. 18, 2019; escrow will close by Jan. 7, 2020; and bidders must put down a $10,000 deposit, according to the resolution from the city attorney’s office.
It appears not much of that occurred as planned.
A review of agendas for City Council meetings held weeks after the auction suggests the council did not take up the sales - in public or in closed session - for five months, or well past deadlines.
The council did not receive public updates on the schedule, the bids, the auction or its outcome, according to city administrators after Wednesday's council meeting.
In a statement, they said the city scheduled a second auction in early 2020 after the November 2019 auction failed to generate any bids. City administrators went ahead without going to the City Council to close the first auction as planned or to approve a subsequent auction.
According to the city, "It was not brought back to City Council before today (Wednesday) because we didn't receive any bidders during either auction process."
At its March 5 meeting, the council approved the sale of a 2-acre, vacant property for $500,200 to Vickie Dehart. The sale went through an auction, according to records. Dehart purchased the property for 20% more than the minimum bid and 56% more than the taxable value.
The first of the three Ann Road properties was sold in September. The nearly acre was sold for $150,000 to the Guillermo Guerrero Mujica Family Trust. The minimum bid was $150,000. Taxable value on the land is $145,614, according to property records.
The second parcel - little more than a half acre that fronts Ann Road- was sold in November to Jose Arias Sanchez for $110,000; which was the minimum bid and the taxable value at the time of the proposed auction.
The final acre was sold Wednesday to Lornabeth Joco. It sold for $150,000; which was the minimum bid, and was $12,000 - or 8% - more than the taxable value.
City still owns two properties
Five of the six city properties proposed for auction are located in the northwest ward represented by Councilwoman Michelle Fiore and the other is near downtown Las Vegas.
In addition to the three adjacent properties, the northwest includes Dehart’s acreage and a vacant 3-acre property.
Dehart’s nearly two acres is located at the southwest corner of N. Durango Drive and Grand Montecito Parkway
It is southwest of the junction of the U.S. Highway 95 and the 215 Beltway. It is not far from the Viper Lacrosse Fields Family Complex, Centennial Toyota, Sam’s Club and the Walmart Supercenter in that vicinity, according to a map.
Dehart is an executive with the real-estate development firm, EHB, which built Tivoli Village, One Queensridge Place and the Nevada Supreme and Appellate Court building in downtown Las Vegas, according to the company’s website.
The most valuable of the city’s parcels is located on Oso Blanco Road, where it crosses under the overpass at W. Skye Canyon Park Drive. The city still owns the land, according to property records.
The minimum bid in October 2019 was more than $2 million. That is 33% higher than the taxable value of $1.5 million, according to property records.
The land is adjacent to the Sky Canyon Park Drive off-ramp west of U.S. Highway 95 near the massive home developments in the area.
The city acquired the land in July 2007 for $1 from the developer in the area to facilitate road work at the time.
The property near downtown Las Vegas is less than a half acre at the corner of Owens Avenue and J Street in Councilman Cedric Crear’s ward.
The minimum bid was $195,000. That is $78,909 - or 68% - higher than the assessor’s taxable value of $116,091.
Published on January 7, 2021
Summerlin Shorts
Low-income seniors may qualify for tax rebate
Seniors on a tight budget may be exempt from paying taxes on utility bills under the city of Las Vegas Utility Tax Rebate Program.
To be eligible, participants must live within the city, be at least 60 years old and make less than $16,500 a year for an individual and less than $18,900 for others.
Participants are exempt for 2021 from paying taxes on bills for electricity, natural gas and landline phone service, according to the city. The application deadline is March 15.
Participants must make an appointment to apply in person at a community center. Applicants must bring with them copies of 2020 utility bills, photo identification, proof of income, proof bills have been paid and “other supporting documentation,” according to the city.
The location nearest Summerlin is the Community Room at the Centennial Hills YMCA, 6601 No. Buffalo Drive. Appointments will be made for Tuesday or Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Address on identification must match the address listed on the 2020 bills. Qualified homeowners may apply for a partial rebate of their sewer bill on primary residence within the city.
With COVID-19 restrictions in place, applicants can make an appointment by phoning (702) 229-1515. Also, only two people can attend each appointment.
Published on January 7, 2021
Turning over a new leaf
Farewell to a long and lonely 2020
Summerlin real estate defies pandemic
Transactions, values increase over year ago
By Frank Geary
After terrorists’ attacks two decades ago, the Southern Nevada housing market was skittish given the devastation of the attacks on tourism and local jobs.
During the Great Recession a decade ago, Las Vegas was called “the epicenter” as foreclosures grew commonplace and property values plummeted.
However, after nine months of a worldwide pandemic that has killed 2,336 human beings in Southern Nevada and crippled tourism, real-estate data tells quite a different tale for Summerlin property owners.
Local home sales have increased from a year ago, and the median sale price of some properties has jumped 25% while neighboring areas have seen values stay flat or decrease, according to regular updates from Las Vegas Realtors for November 2020 and November 2019.
The number of single-family homes sold increased 27% and the number of condominiums and townhomes sold increased 47% in the area bordered by Rampart Boulevard west to Red Rock Canyon and Charleston Boulevard north to Cheyenne Avenue.
The median sale price for a single-family home in that area jumped from $408,000 in November 2019 to $515,000 in November, a staggering increase of $107,000 or 26.2%, according to data from Las Vegas Realtors.
The average sale price, meanwhile, increased from $506,515 a year ago to $569,475 last month, an increase of $62,960 or 12.4%.
Average is the result of dividing a sum by the number of quantities added together. A median is the middle number in a series arranged by size.
Unlike neighboring areas, the median sale price for a condominium or townhouse increased 6% to $278,950, and the average sale price increased 9% to $294,452 for that type of property.
The year-to-year performance in Summerlin suggests the housing market has not been hurt by the pandemic as it has in other parts of Southern Nevada and country overall.
In March, as the pandemic took hold, the market in Southern Nevada had reached new heights in the prior 18 months, according to press reports at the time.
According to Las Vegas Realtors, at that time, median home prices had reached a record high of $319,000, an increase of 6.5% over March 2019.
Some, at that time, predicted that the strong showing would help shield Las Vegas property values from sliding significantly while waiting out the pandemic.
Areas neighboring Summerlin North
In the area to the east - bordered by Rampart Boulevard east to U.S. Highway 95 and by Charleston Boulevard north to Cheyenne Avenue - there were 75 single-family homes sold; which is 14% more than a year ago, but about half the number sold last month in the Summerlin area west of Rampart.
The median sale price for single-family homes in that area increased 11% to $320,000, and the average sales price increased 15% to $356,518, according to Las Vegas Realtors.
In that same area, which includes the Pioneer Park neighborhood, about the same number of condominiums or townhouses were sold in November as were sold in the Summerlin area.
However, the values did not bounce nearly as much from November 2019.
The median sales price was exactly the same at $166,000 and the average sales price increased 1% to $177,369, according to Las Vegas Realtors.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Summerlin, the value of single-family homes increased dramatically while the sale price on condominiums dropped.
In the area, bordered by Charleston Boulevard south to Flamingo Boulevard and by Rainbow Boulevard west to the 215 Beltway and beyond, there were 174 single-family homes sold in November; which is 60 more than last November and more than in the Summerlin area north of Charleston.
The median sale price for a single-family home in the area increased 18% to $450,000 from November 2019 to last month, and the average sales price skyrocketed more than 28% to $812,298.
Conversely, unlike in Summerlin North and Summerlin West, the sale prices for condominiums and townhouses in that area dropped. The median price decreased about 9% and the average sale price dropped nearly 11%, according to Las Vegas Realtors.
Published on December 31, 2020
Workers at outpatient and home-health facilities to be vaccinated
Health officials urge residents to celebrate New Year at home
Photo by Cottonbro for Pexels.
Sentinel Staff
The Southern Nevada Health District on Wednesday announced plans to open a clinic at its 280 S. Decatur Blvd. location to provide vaccinations to staff at outpatient and home-health facilities starting Tuesday, Jan. 5.
Appointments are required and can be made at https://booking.appointy.com/snhdvaccines.
The health district this week reported that 13,467 COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered in Clark County so far.
The first were distributed Dec.14 to hospitals and to pharmacies to vaccinate residents and staff at nursing homes.
To date, Southern Nevada has received 47,200 doses of the vaccine.
The vaccine arrives as Las Vegas continues to see record-setting jumps in COVID-19 cases, with zip codes in the Summerlin area skyrocketing.
In the area that includes Sun City Summerlin, a retirement community, cases surged 86 percent over the past month.
On Wednesday, Sun City alerted residents as part of its contact-tracing program.
Administrators stated two residents from the same household contracted COVID-19 and that a Sun City employee also tested positive. Included were the dates, times and places those people visited recently.
As of Wednesday, across Southern Nevada, 2,336 human beings had been killed by COVID-19 and 10,172 had been sick in the hospital since March. Of the 168,342 total cases, 8,895 were reported in the past seven days, according to the health district.
To slow the spread of the virus, the health district urges people to celebrate the New Year only with their immediate household. Or, consider celebrating virtually.
If celebrating outside the household, wear masks and practice social distancing. Events should be held outdoors, or in large, well-ventilated spaces, with open windows.
For information on how to minimize risk during holiday celebrations, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. More information about COVID-19 in Clark County is available on the Southern Nevada Health District website.
Published on December 31, 2020
Neighborhood Watch
Calls to Las Vegas Police Wednesday, Dec. 23, to Tuesday, Dec. 29.
Disturbing the Peace 1:29 p.m. Tue., Dec. 29, 9400 block Amber Valley Lane
Auto theft 11:37a.m. Sat., Dec. 26, 2100 block Crooked Pine Drive
Burglary 5:11 p.m. Fri., Dec. 25, 1800 block Remembrance Hill Street
Auto Burglary 3:33 p.m. Sat., Dec. 26, 9600 block Trailwood Drive
Disturbing the peace 1:16 p.m. Wed., Dec. 23, 8900 block Tavistock Court
Disturbing the peace 9:42 a.m. Sat., Dec. 26, 1500 block Ruby Cliffs Drive
Auto Burglary 6:03 a.m. Sun., Dec. 27, 8800 block Greensboro Lane
Disturbing the peace 10:27 a.m. Sat., Dec. 26, 10300 block Falls Church Avenue
Auto Burglary 5:03 a.m. Sat., Dec. 26, 10100 block Jacob Place
Vandalism 2:18 a.m. Sun., Dec. 27, 1100 block Tourello Lane
Assault 4:38 p.m. Mon., Dec. 28, 1100 block Crestdale Lane
Burglary 6:43 p.m. Tue., Dec. 29, 10000 block Benjamin Nicholas Place
Disturbing the peace 1:12 a.m. Tue., Dec. 29, 1200 block N. Town Center Drive
Disturbing the peace 7:28 p.m. Sun., Dec. 26, 1000 block Siena Hills Lane
Vandalism 11:33 a.m Mon., Dec. 28, 11100 block Vasari Court
Disturbing the peace 6:50 p.m. Fri, Dec. 25, 400 block Pinnacle Heights Lane
Auto Burglary 4:50 p.m. Sun., Dec. 27, 9400 block Players Canyon Court
Auto Burglary 10:03 a.m. Tue., Dec. 29, 10500 block Autumn Pine Avenue
Burglary 6:32 a.m. Sat., Dec. 26, 100 block S. Rampart Boulevard
Auto theft 5:42 p.m. Wed., Dec. 23, 700 block Jacobs Ladder Place
Burglary 7:29 a.m. Mon., Dec. 28, 11100 block Sandrone Avenue
Disturbing the peace 1:10 a.m. Thu., Dec. 24, 10800 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Vandalism 3:53 p.m. Sat., Dec. 26, 10800 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Disturbing the peace 9:32 a.m. Mon., Dec. 28, 9700 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Three incidents at 9500 block W. Charleston Boulevard: Burglary 8:38 a.m. Wed., Dec. 23; Burglary 10:08 a.m. Fri., Dec. 25; Vandalism 1:22 a.m. Sun., Dec. 27
Disturbing the peace 12:01 p.m. Sun., Dec. 27, 9100 block Worsley Park Place
Disturbing the peace 1:56 p.m. Sun., Dec. 27, 10400 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Summerlin Shorts
Smoke advisory for New Year’s Eve
A Clark County advisory will be in effect Thursday, Dec. 31 and Friday, Jan. 1 for smoke and high levels of fine particles (PM2.5) that could result from fireworks on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Despite the cancellation of fireworks and festivities on the Strip and throughout Clark County due to COVID-19 concerns, fireworks ignited in neighborhoods by individuals can create smoke and particle pollution. Smoke is made of small dust particles and other pollutants that can aggravate respiratory diseases and contribute to ground-level ozone formation.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, people who may be sensitive to elevated levels of particulates and ozone include those with respiratory problems, cardiac disease, young children or senior citizens.
HELPFUL TIPS TO LIMIT PERSONAL EXPOSURE TO SMOKE
Limit outdoor exertion on days with high levels of fine particles in the air. Exercise makes you breathe heavier and increases the amount of particulates you are likely to inhale.
Keep windows and doors closed.
Consider changing your indoor air filters if they are dirty.
The Clark County Department of Environment and Sustainability monitors air pollution through a network of monitoring sites throughout the Las Vegas Valley. Data is collected from these sites and reported at our monitoring website: AirQuality.ClarkCountyNV.gov.
Sign up now for Vegas Strong Academy
Financial Aid Available For Qualifying Families
Registration is open for the second semester of Vegas Strong Academy, a city of Las Vegas childcare and distance learning support program. The program resumes Jan. 4. Registration is available online at www.lasvegasnevada.gov/VegasStrongAcademy.
Vegas Strong Academy will open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday for children in kindergarten through eighth grade at Veterans Memorial Community Center, 101 N. Pavilion Center Drive in Summerlin.
Vegas Strong Academy costs $20 daily per child, or $100 per week. There is a one-time $20 registration fee. Financial assistance is available for qualifying families based on household size and income. Applications are available at Veterans Memorial or online at www.lasvegasnevada.gov/VegasStrongAcademy. Applications must be returned to Veterans Memorial and take a week to be processed. For more information, call 702.229.CARE (2273).
The academy is intended to provide a safe and affordable childcare option with recreation and cultural activities as well as help for students who need access to online learning.
Space is limited due to social distancing. The program follows all safety guidelines mandated by the governor’s directives, including temperature checks, hand washing and sanitizing protocols. In addition, staff and students are required to wear face coverings.
Summerlin Library set to reopen doors Jan. 4
Movies, books and other family entertainment will be available again next week from the Summerlin Library as public-school kids prepare to return to virtual learning at home.
The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, which includes Summerlin, closed all branches Dec. 16 to curtail the spread of COVID-19 as the number of cases hit record levels in the past month.
Visitors can still return items, and access online resources around the clock at LVCCLD.org before the libraries reopen.
Those with items outstanding can wait until the library reopens to return them without being charged late fees, according to the library district
Published December 31, 2020
Sharp surge in Sun City Summerlin area
Spread of COVID-19 outpaces county, state
By Frank Geary and Luke Geary
COVID-19 cases in and around Sun City Summerlin catapulted 86% in the past month while Clark County and Nevada saw record-setting jumps not nearly as vertical.
The number of cases in the county and state leaped an alarming 55% to 60% in about the past month, while zip codes in and around Summerlin saw markedly higher increases, based on data from the Southern Nevada Health District and Johns Hopkins University.
The number of cases in and around the Sun City retirement community - between Summerlin Parkway and Cheyenne Avene and the 215 Beltway and Rampart Boulevard - increased 86%, based on Health District data reviewed Nov. 18 and Wednesday, Dec. 23.
The retirement community, which has 7,779 homes and does not allow children, is one of the largest neighborhood associations in the state. The area reported 533 COVID-19 cases Nov. 18 and 996 cases Wednesday.
Dick Clark, president of the Sun City Summerlin Community Association, said he had not seen recent case-data and declined to comment until he had verified information.
Ellen Bachman, association vice president, and Mitzi Mills, Sun City executive director, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
A spokeswoman for Summerlin Hospital, owned by Valley Health System, has declined in the past month to provide data on admissions, occupancy or anything connected with coronavirus at Summerlin’s community hospital.
The 89134 zip code includes 12,884 households with a median size of two residents and a median age of 63, according to federal government data.
"The people living in ZIP code 89134 are primarily white," according to a government report on demographics. "The number of seniors is extremely large while the number of people in their late 20s to early 40s is extremely small. There are also a small number of single parents and a large number of single adults. The percentage of children under 18 living in the 89134 ZIP code is extremely small compared to other areas of the country."
The escalation in that zip code is aggravating, considering the steps the Sun City association has taken to curtail the spread of COVID-19.
The Sun City governing board adopted stringent social-distancing rules for its swimming pools, restaurants, golf courses and the other facilities it allowed to open with occupancy limits, staggered schedules and a restriction on guests. Those who break the rules are reported to the Sun City staff, and violators can lose privileges at facilities for 60 days, according to Sun City regulations.
In addition, Mills and her staff implemented months ago a voluntary contact tracing program, just as the Southern Nevada Health District's contact tracing was being crippled more each day by the quickly growing number of cases. The district earlier this month said it has stopped contact tracing efforts.
Under the Sun City program, residents who test positive for COVID-19 report the timing of their diagnosis and the public locations they had visited in the previous 14 days. The information is then emailed to Sun City residents.
For instance, in an email distributed earlier this month: one resident reported Dec. 7 that he/she had played billiards Nov. 29; another resident reported Dec. 4 that he/she had visited the Tavern at the Falls restaurant the same day; and a third resident reported Dec. 1 that he/she had not been anywhere in the previous two weeks but that their spouse played golf Dec. 4 at Eagle Crest Golf Course and was at Miller's Restaurant the same day at lunch time.
Other areas of Summerlin also saw percentage increases higher than the county and state overall.
A review of case numbers by zip code from Nov. 18 to Wednesday, Dec. 23, showed:
Cases in West Summerlin, at the gateway to Red Rock Canyon, jumped 67%; from 629 cases to 1,051 cases.
The Summerlin North area - between Charleston Boulevard and Summerlin Parkway east of the 215 Beltway - saw the number of cases rise 61%; from 611 cases to 985 cases.
In an area that straddles the 215 Beltway south of Charleston Boulevard, the numbers jumped 71%; from 911 cases to 1,561 cases.
Meanwhile, areas east of Summerlin - which have had higher case totals for months - saw increases of between 60% and 66% since Nov. 18. That means those areas saw higher increases than the county and state overall, based on data.
According to the health district - which doesn’t break down hospitalizations or deaths for specific areas - there were 1,716 new hospitalizations and 531 deaths across Southern Nevada since Nov. 18. For more on covid-19 information vist our covid-19 update page.
Published on December 24, 2020
In dark time, American Legion sheds light
Summerlin veterans are sad, angry that loved ones died alone
Illustration by James Geary
By Frank Geary
With suicide among veterans up 20 percent during the pandemic, and many isolated or unemployed, Summerlin vets are reaching out.
Volunteers from Summerlin’s American Legion Post 76 are extending a helping hand by telephone to seniors and other veterans to provide helpful information or just someone to talk with during troubling times, Post 76 spokesman Roger Henning said.
“The need for the Buddy Check system in the Summerlin area is to find out about those people who might be depressed and are thinking about hurting themselves or others,” Henning said. “A lot of people are happy to talk to you. They are tired of being couch potatoes and they just want someone to talk to.”
About half of those who pick up the phone want to speak with a Buddy Check volunteer while others decline politely, Henning said.
Richard Hoffer, sergeant-at-arms for Post 76, who also serves as assistant chaplain, has for some time phoned the post’s nearly 1,000 members for various reasons. He contacts about 20 a day, and Buddy Check “spills over” with his ongoing efforts.
“They were shocked to get a call,” Hoffer said. “A lot of them had never gotten a call from the post before. They pay their dues, but don’t come to meetings or anything. ... They had no idea of all the things the post was doing.”
Most of those willing to talk to a Buddy Check volunteer ask to be contacted again, Henning said. Most engage for the camaraderie more than for the information volunteers pass on about Veterans Administration programs, mental-health or other services, he said.
The No. 1 concern for post members, of course, is the pandemic, he said. In particular, it’s the enormous emotional toll - the guilt, sorrow and undiluted, pure pain - of grieving from afar while a loved one dies alone.
And, not just those who died from COVID-19, but all who have passed since March whether from stroke, heart attack or natural causes.
“The biggest thing was people who told us they are so upset that they couldn’t be with their loved ones when they died,” Henning said. “The other one is that people can’t go to the funerals for their loved ones.”
Unfortunately, he said, some veterans don’t answer the phone; likely to avoid telemarketers. “With the political season over, I hope we can get people to answer the phone more,” Henning said.
American Legion chapters across the country started Buddy Check last year. Post 76 recently introduced the program in response to the pandemic, Henning said.
With the number of coronavirus cases and deaths in Summerlin skyrocketing the past month, the program is needed now more than ever.
“When our post commander heard about it, he said, ‘We are all going to take some names and we are all going to do this,’” Henning said.
According to the American Legion, Buddy Check started last year as a “comradeship campaign,” but has become one of the organization’s most important programs.
Studies show suicide among veterans is up 20% since the pandemic started, and that the Veterans Administraton has seen “a sharp hike” in appointments for mental-health services, according to the American Legion.
“This winter, The American Legion hopes to engage thousands of veterans and supply them with information to connect them to care and available resources,” states American Legion literature.“It’s quite possible the information provided could save a life.”
Since the pandemic started, Henning said, more Post 76 volunteers are eager to help since their typical activities have stopped or changed dramatically under social-distancing regulations.
For instance, Post members are no longer able to provide color guards for ceremonies at conventions at Strip hotels and elsewhere. Before the pandemic, the
Post 76 Color Guard was invited regularly to conventions, such as a large hardware convention held before the pandemic.
Also, Post 76 has seen an overall increase of between 10% and 15% in its membership since the pandemic started, he said.
The interest, Henning suspects, is in response to the free time and idleness of social distancing. Another factor is that Congress last year changed the rules for membership in the American Legion, making far more veterans eligible to join the 100-year-old organization.
Previously, Henning said, only veterans who served during war time were allowed to join. The revision makes all veterans eligible no matter when they served.
“The numbers started going up,” he said.
Published on December 24, 2020
Neighborhood Watch
Calls to Las Vegas Police Tuesday, Dec. 15, to Monday, Dec. 21.
Assault 3:56 a.m. Mon., Dec. 21, 2200 block Black Pine Drive
Auto theft 7:50 p.m. Tue., Dec. 15, Summerlin Parkway at Anasazi Drive
Auto theft 9:05 a.m. Wed., Dec. 16, Sierra Oaks Lane at Ridge Creek Place
Burglary 6:48 p.m. Thu., Dec. 17, 1700 block Queen Victoria Street
Assault 1:07 a.m. Thu., Dec. 17, 1600 block Cathedral Peak Court
Disturbing the Peace 10:27 a.m. Wed., Dec. 16, 1200 block Benicia Hills Street
Disturbing the Peace 4:31 p.m. Wed., Dec. 16, 10300 block Falls Church Ave.
Indecent Exposure 12:45 p.m. Mon., Dec. 21, 9900 block Covington Cross Drive
Auto Burglary 3:13 p.m. Thu., Dec. 17, 1300 block Fox Acres Drive
Disturbing the Peace 10:19 p.m. Fri., Dec. 18, 100 block Park Vista Drive
Auto Burglary 2:05 p.m. Thu., Dec 17, 300 block Bertelli Court
Auto theft 3:25 p.m. Wed., Dec. 16, 400 block Crestdale Lane
Auto theft 8:54 p.m. Tue., Dec. 15, Town Center Drive at Crestdale Lane
Disturbing the Peace 11:38 a.m. Tue., Dec. 15, 600 block Peachy Canyon Circle
Disturbing the Peace 5:17 p.m. Wed., Dec. 16, 800 block Pavilion Center Drive
Disturbing the Peace 7:19 a.m. Tue., Dec. 15, 10500 block Park Run Drive
Disturbing the Peace 6:29 a.m. Fri., Dec. 18, 9700 block Camden Hills Ave.
Assault 3:46 a.m. Sun., Dec. 20, 11000 block Charleston Boulevard.
Assault 5:16 p.m. Mon., Dec. 21, 10700 block Charleston Boulevard
Disturbing the Peace 4:02 p.m. Fri., Dec. 18, 1500 block Boundary Peak Way
Assault 6:21 p.m. Wed., Dec. 16, 1300 block Chaparral Summit Drive
Disturbing the Peace 12:16 a.m. Sun., Dec. 20, 9600 block Rancho Palmas Drive
As restaurants fold, Summerlin eatery expands
El Dorado Cantina doubles after Tivoli neighbor closes doors
El Dorado Cantina, which has been recognized in recent years in the Las Vegas Review Journal's Best Of Series as the best Mexican restaurant, is expanding at its location inside Tivoli Village in Summerlin. El Dorado also has restaurants on the Strip and in Lake Tahoe and San Diego. The expansion comes a few months after two other restaurants closed inside the upscale shopping area across Rampart Boulevard from the Suncoast.
By Frank Geary
Where others encountered obstacles, El Dorado Cantina seized on opportunity.
The Mexican restaurant at Tivoli Village is expanding to more than twice its size after opening in the jaws of a pandemic that has chewed up restaurants - large and small - all over Las Vegas, according to city of Las Vegas records.
The 6,713-square-foot establishment is taking over the neighboring location that previously held The Hamptons restaurant, which closed in late May, two months after Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered restaurants closed for in-person dining.
Brio Tuscan Grille, an Italian restaurant, located in the upscale Tivoli Village shopping area at Rampart Boulevard and Alta Drive, also closed in May.
Other restaurants that closed in Southern Nevada since the pandemic include: Metro Diner’s two locations; Ben’ Zaa Cantina in the Centennial area; Served in Henderson; Morel’s French Steakhouse and Bistro and Lagasse’s Stadium in the Palazzo resort on the Strip; Sin City Brewing; and Smashburger’s three locations, according to Susan Stapleton, editor at Eater Las Vegas.
They are not alone.
One in six restaurants in the country - an estimated 100,000 - had closed permanently in the first six months of the pandemic, according to a survey released in September by the National Restaurant Association.
The survey found restaurant sales dropped 34 percent in August - in the midst of the summer surge of coronavirus cases - and that 40 percent of owners said they are “unlikely” to be in business in six months. Also, nearly nine in 10 customers said restaurants are “an important part of the community.”
El Dorado’s expansion will bring its size to 14,211 square feet, which includes 2,504 square feet of outdoor dining.
The city Planning Commission last month approved El Dorado’s application for a “Major Amendment” to the special use permit it received to open and serve alcohol in January 2020 - just before the pandemic began. The commission determined that expanding one restaurant into a second, existing restaurant would not negatively affect traffic, parking or pose a nuisance to the surrounding businesses.
El Dorado - which also has restaurants on the Strip and in Lake Tahoe and San Diego - observes pandemic precautions at the Summerlin location, and offers curbside pickup and delivery from Tivoli Village.
Indoor-dining customers must make reservations in advance and will have their temperature taken when they arrive, according to the restaurant.
El Dorado is poised to prosper if and when Las Vegas restaurant business takes off as the pandemic wanes and the economy bounces back.
Before the pandemic, the Restaurant Association reported that there were 5,980 eating and drinking places across Nevada, and that there was $9.9 billion in restaurant sales in 2018. The food-service industry accounted for 219,200 jobs, or about 15 percent of the employment in the state.
Published on December 24, 2020
Dispensary blooms on Summerlin border
Clear River LLC plans to operate a marijuana dispensary on the southwest corner of Charleston Boulevard and Buffalo Drive. The chart shows the proximity to Summerlin area schools compared with other, nearby dispensaries. The aerial map shows the site has nearby a bar, auto shop and bus stop and is surrounded by a neighborhood and two, large vacant lots that appear to be owned by the Las Vegas Valley Water District. Source for chart: Google Map Directions at same time of day.
City Council gives casino owner marijuana permit
By Frank Geary
A marijuana dispensary took root Wednesday on the outskirts of Summerlin, making it one of the nearest to local schools.
Despite neighborhood opposition, the Las Vegas City Council issued a special use permit to Clear River LLC to open a 24-hour dispensary next to a bar and auto shop on the southwest corner of Charleston Boulevard and Buffalo Drive.
The 3,180-square-foot dispensary is not far from Summerlin Parkway. It is adjacent a neighborhood, a few small businesses and two large, vacant parcels owned by the Las Vegas Valley Water District.
The location is closer - or as close - as any other one dispensary is to these schools: Palo Verde High School, Faith Lutheran High School and Middle School and the College of Southern Nevada’s main campus on Charleston east of Summerlin, according to a review of proximity using Google maps.
With pandemic precautions for City Hall meetings, opponents wrote notes to the council. More than 200 supporters of the dispensary mostly signed a petition without offering comment.
“I am totally against ‘pot’,” stated the note from an opponent. “There is nothing good that can come from having a ‘dispensary’ so close to a school and right next to a residential neighborhood.”
Another note stated, “This is a busy intersection that you would make worse by okaying this. We don’t need it. Put it in Summerlin.”
Victoria Seaman and Stavros Anthony, who represent Summerlin on the City Council, had little to say; deferring to Ward 1 Councilman Brian Knudsen, who represents the area where the dispensary is located.
Knudsen acknowledged opponents are fine people, who, for instance, volunteer for park-cleanup efforts. But, they are outnumbered by supporters, he said.
“They are really amazing, wonderful people, who are trying to protect the neighborhood,” Knudsen said of the opponents.
In contrast to the stigma that dispensaries are a nuisance, Knudsen said he has spoken to police officers about dispensaries because they are always controversial, emotionally-charged matters.
“Every officer I have asked says it (dispensaries) does not impact their job at all,” Knudsen said before the council approved the use permit. “I do not have any concerns. I support law enforcement, which supports dispensaries.”
The vote was 6-0-1 with no opposition. Mayor Carolyn Goodman abstained due to a conflict of interest; as she does on marijuana matters because her son is in the cannabis business.
The use permit is temporary. It lasts two years, and can be withdrawn if the dispensary becomes a nuisance. The permit can be suspended if the business closes for 90 days.
Before the coronavirus hit in March, the cannabis industry in Nevada was expected to blast off based on a study done before the crisis crippled the local economy.
Marijuana sales in Nevada had been expected to jump more than 50 percent; from $629 million in fiscal year 2019 to an estimated $956 million by 2024, according to the 2020 Marijuana Economic and Fiscal Benefits Analysis: Nevada, done for the Nevada Dispensary Association.
According to the study, marijuana sales in Nevada increased 20 percent from fiscal year 2018 to fiscal year 2019. The industry accounts for 8,200 jobs in “licensed cannabis” and 2,000 ancillary positions.
The city Planning Commission approved the use permit for Clear River, and city planners said the dispensary complies with requirements. The access, parking, building, setback from other properties are suitable.
The location is the required distance from other dispensaries, schools, parks, churches and other properties protected under use-permit regulations. And, it is not in the resort area of Fremont Street, where the city forbids dispensaries.
Supporters sign petition; opponents write
The proposal, brought by Clear River owner Randy Black, casino owner and developer, was opposed by homeowners adjacent to the location, but supported
by residents nearby.
Most of the more than 200 residents, who approved of the dispensary, signed a petition and included their address. A few, like the owner of the bar next door, a longtime friend of Black, wrote letters to the city.
In short sentiments read aloud at Wednesday’s meeting, supporters said a dispensary is better than a vacant building; that it will bring jobs to the area; and give residents another option for marijuana.
Randy Miller, a former Las Vegas police officer who co-owns the nextdoor bar with another former officer, was a Clark County Planning Commissioner for six years, and a former business partner of Black in the development of the Virgin River casino in Mesquite, according to his letter to the city.
“The effects on the neighborhood of establishments like ours and the dispensary are a direct reflection of the operators’ experience and strict adherence to compliance and safety measures that we take to protect the neighborhood, our customers, employees and vendors,” Miller's letter states, “We are regulators by nature and background and are strict rule followers.”
Many of the 50 or so opponents of the dispensary marked “opposed” and returned to City Hall the postcard the city mailed soliciting their opinion of the proposal. Some included remarks in the margin, and others wrote emails to city officials.
They said the City Council should deny the use permit because the dispenary is too close to places where children gather, like a middle school, a park, a dance studio and a fast-food restaurant.
Others said they worry denizens from outside the neighborhood will loiter in the parking lot, and that the smell of marijuana smoke will crawl over the wall between their homes and the store at all hours.
Vicky Dominguez, a business administration and accounting professor at the College of Southern Nevada main campus nearby, wrote that there are enough dispensaries in the area.
“We are paying high real-estate taxes for our homes because of the location, which would be affected by potential drug users and addicts,” states her letter to the city. “Not only will it create traffic and nuisance, but bad influence for our generation who are trying to better themselves through higher education at CSN.”
Diane Harrington, elected to represent her neighborhood, stated “Members of the Rainbow Family Park Neighborhood Association do not need or want three dispensaries near our neighborhood.”
Dispensary plan unfolded in 2019
Clear River, for some time, has had a license to cultivate marijuana at its facility in Laughlin, but did not have any dispensaries in Las Vegas, according to the city.
The property for the dispensary was purchased by Black in August 2019 using the name Buffalo & Charleston NMM, LLC.
On the use-permit application filed with City Hall in September, the contact for the owner is Black. He can be reached by email at an AOL address or by phone at 000-000-0000, according to the application.
Black’s companies associated with the dispensary and Kaempfer-Crowell, the law firm representing Clear River in the use-permit application, all contributed to City Council members in 2019 before Black bought the land, according to campaign disclosures on file with Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske.
Councilwoman Victoria Seaman, who represents most of the Summerlin area located within city limits, received from Clear River $3,000 in May 2019 and $2,500 in July 2019.
She also received $1,000 in July 2019 from the Black-Lobello law firm, which shared the same address and suite on Twain Avenue as Buffalo & Charleston NMM, LLC. A Google search suggests the law firm may have closed recently.
Knudsen, who says police officers like dispensaries, received from Clear River $2,500 in May 2019 and $2,500 in July 2019, according to campaign disclosures. Knudsen also received $2,500 in May 2019 and $5,500 in July 2019 from Kaempfer Crowell.
Councilman Stavros Anthony, who represents Sun City Summerlin and some of northwest Las Vegas, received $1,000 from Black-Lobello in July 2019, according to disclosures.
Published on December 17, 2020
Neighborhood Watch
Assault 4:55 p.m. Thu., Dec. 10, 10400 Frostburg Lane
Disturbing the peace Fri. Dec. 11, 10700 block Grand Cypress Ave.
Disturbing the peace Thu., Dec. 10, 10400 block Linfield Place
Assault 9:08 a.m. Sat., Dec. 12, 9800 block Ridge Creek Place
Burglary 10:01 a.m. Tue., Dec. 8, 1900 block Village Center Circle
Person with a gun 12:59 a.m. Wed., Dec. 9, 1600 block Spring Gate Lane
Vandalism 8:22 p.m. Sat., Dec. 12, 700 block N. Anasazi Drive
Disturbing the peace 11:52 a.m. Sun., Dec. 13, 600 block Town Center Drive
Disturbing the peace 12:18 a.m. Sat. Dec. 12, 9500 block Tournament Canyon Drive
Assault 11:02 p.m. Tue., Dec. 8, 11300 block Alta Drive
Burglary 12:47 p.m. Sun, Dec. 13, 500 block Aspen Leaf Street
Disturbing the peace 3:32 p.m. Sun., Dec. 13, 9800 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Disturbing the peace 12:56 p.m. Tue., Dec. 8, Rampart and Alta
Disturbing the peace 3:37 a.m. Mon., Dec. 14, 900 block Alta Drive
Disturbing the peace 9:07 p.m. Wed., Dec. 9, 800 block Jacobs Ladder Place
Assault 8:09 p.m. Fri., Dec. 11, 800 block S. Pavilion Center Drive
Disturbing the peace 3:09 p.m. Sun., Dec. 13, 10800 W. Charleston Boulevard
Disturbing the peace 11:53 a.m. Mon, Dec. 14, 10800 W. Charleston Boulevard
Four calls at 11000 block W. Charleston Boulevard: Disturbing the peace 12:53 a.m. Sun., Dec. 13/ Disturbing the peace 2:01 a.m. Sun., Dec. 13/ Disturbing the peace 12:38 a.m. Sun., Dec. 13/ Auto theft 9:41 a.m. Thu., Dec. 10
Burglary 5:42 a.m. Fri., Dec.. 11, 1600 block Boundary Peak Way.
Disturbing the peace 3:32 p.m. Sun., Dec. 13 9800 block W. Charleston
Disturbing the peace 7:09 p.m. Thu., Dec. 10 10100 Block W. Charleston
Burglary 6:15 p.m. Sat., Dec. 12, 9500 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Auto theft 10:50 a.m. Sun., Dec. 13, 9200 block W. Charleston Boulevard
U.S. reps. say little on Sun City's COVID-19 loan
Retirement community paid golf course workers
By Frank Geary
Members of Congress had little to say this week about Sun City Summerlin’s request to write-off a COVID-19 relief loan it used to pay golf-course employees.
Most Nevada representatives did not respond to Sentinel inquiries seeking comment on the $832,096 Paycheck Protection Plan loan, or the retirement community’s plan to ask that the loan be forgiven in accordance with the federal law enacted by Congress.
Nevada’s mostly Democratic delegation supported the CARES Act earlier this year, which provided COVID-19 relief to help struggling businesses keep employees on the payroll.
In fact, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada’s senior senator, was the only lawmaker to release a statement to the Sentinel.
It states that she doesn’t know about the Sun City loan, and she doesn’t have an opinion on whether it was a prudent use of monies distributed under the Paycheck Protection Program.
The statement reads, “The Small Business Administration and lenders that extended PPP loans are responsible for ensuring all PPP borrowers have met the loan criteria set forth in the CARES Act.”
It continues, “Our office is not aware of the details of individual loans beyond the limited scope of what is publicly available and therefore cannot speak to legal questions about specific loans or the financial condition of the individual organizations that used PPP.”
The Board of Directors of the Sun City Summerlin Community Association last week received an update on its $832,096 loan and efforts to have it forgiven by the federal government.
Sun City Board President Dick Clark said Sun City is entitled to have the loan forgiven because the association used the money as required. The board is scheduled to receive another update at the next meeting.
Sun City last spring had to close its golf courses, swimming pools and other facilities in response to Gov. Steve Sisolak’s 78-day shutdown of many businesses and public facilities.
The loan was received Aug. 5. It paid the costs of the health plan for employees at two Sun City golf courses and other personnel costs, according to records of the board.
The request to write-off the government loan comes eight months after one of the richest communities in the country made national headlines after it received a $2 million Paycheck Protection loan, according to press accounts at the time.
The homeowners association for upscale Fisher Island, which is near Miami and is considered one of the wealthiest zip codes in the country, quickly gave back the loan.
It was returned after press reports surfaced, and angry residents of the island paradise said the loan shouldn’t have been pursued and insisted the money be returned. Some residents suggested each property owner pay an additional $5,000 to cover pandemic-related losses at the island's hotels, golf courses, restaurants and other facilities.
Early in the pandemic, the Sun City Board of Directors closed association facilities in response to Gov. Steve Sisolak’s initial shutdown order. At that time, nobody knew how long the crises would continue, Clark said.
Unlike most businesses, a homeowners association has a steady revenue stream - in good times and bad - from customers compelled to pay for fear the association will place a troublesome lien on their property. Under Nevada law, it is called a Super-Priority Lien and allows the association to foreclose on a property if a homeowner fails to pay association dues.
Conversely, customers at most small businesses have a choice whether to pay for products and services.
Clark said association dues pay a portion of costs for all of the facilities and services provided in the vast retirement community, but facilities also receive cash out-of-pocket from residents and their guests for meals, pro-shop and other services.
Published on December 17, 2020
Race car driver appointed to audit post
Council votes 7-0 for grandson of gaming pioneer
Without discussion, the Las Vegas City Council Wednesday unanimously appointed race car driver Brendan Gaughan to the city’s Audit Review Committee.
Gaughan, who recently retired after a 23-year professional career in racing, is one of three community members on the committee along with two City Council members.
The committee is responsible for overseeing internal audits at City Hall, which involves reading reports from the city auditor’s office, evaluating its effectiveness and providing direction to the city on subjects for possible audits, according to city records.
Mayor Carolyn Goodman nominated Gaughan, the grandson of legendary casino pioneer Jackie Gaughan.
Prior to the meeting, Jack Pitney, a Roy P. Crocker Professor of American politics at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California, suggested Gaughan might be qualified but that it would be prudent for Las Vegas residents to ask about his qualifications given his career as a stock car and truck racer.
Gaughan is set to replace Melanie Rollo, who stepped down from the Audit Oversight Committee recently after four years. Rollo is listed on Linkedin as “Senior Audit Manager” at Las Vegas-based Ellsworth & Stout, CPAs.
The two other community members on the audit committee include Joseph Throneberry, manager of Security and Investigations for Cox Enterprises, and Eric Preiss, director of the Nevada Film Office, according to city records.
Gaughan asked to be on the city’s Audit Oversight Committee and “is free to serve,” according to the City Council agenda. It states that he meets qualifications, but does not mention anything about his professional credentials.
Published on December 17, 2020
Shorts : Pool and Library closed
COVID-19 closes Summerlin Library
Scheduled to reopen January 4th
Movies, books and other family entertainment will not be available from the Summerlin Library as kids prepare to start holiday vacation on Friday.
The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, which includes Summerlin, closed all branches on Wednesday, Dec. 16.
They are scheduled to remain closed until Monday, Jan. 4, in response to the sharp, sudden increase in coronavirus cases across Southern Nevada, according to the district.
Visitors can still return items, and access online resources around the clock at LVCCLD.org.
Those with items outstanding can wait until the library reopens next month to return them without being charged late fees, according to the library district
Published on December 17, 2020
Church opens mobile food pantry in Summerlin
Desert Spring United Methodist Church, in partnership with Three Square food bank, announced they will open a food distribution site for people in need at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 19, 120 N. Pavilion Center Dr. Distributions will be held the first and third Saturdays.
Published on December 17, 2020
Pavilion Pool to open next month
Pavilion Pool, on Pavilion Center Drive near Palo Verde High School, is scheduled to reopen in January, according to the city of Las Vegas.
The massive pool, which closed in August, is awaiting a review by health inspectors after it underwent a long-awaited facelift that costs taxpayers $725,000, according to city officials. At present, there is water in the pool.
The pool received new plaster and tile, and the pool deck was replaced for the first time since the city acquired the pool in 2002 as part of a land exchange with the Howard Hughes Corporation - the master developer for Summerlin.
In addition, new drains were installed as part of the new pool deck, and the outside of the field house that holds the pool was painted, according to city officials.
The year-round pool, which hosts about 300 guests a day this time of year and 500 daily during summer, will have reduced capacity as part of its coronavirus precautions when it opens.
In addition, locker rooms and showers will be closed, and swim meets and other large events are canceled due to COVID-19, according to City Hall.
The 14-lane competitive pool includes a diving area with a regular, one-meter board and a three-meter high-dive. In addition, there are outdoor patios with shade and apparatus to assist handicapped swimmers.
Published on December 17, 2020
Race car driver nominated for City Hall post?
Agenda says Brendan Gaughan wants on city's Audit Oversight Committee
By Frank Geary
Race car driver Brendan Gaughan’s accomplishments are as remarkable as his family’s legacy.
He played basketball and football at Georgetown University before a 23-year career that included hundreds of races and notable victories.
Now, he appears to be embarking down a path unlike his prior pursuits.
The Las Vegas City Council, at its meeting Wednesday, Dec. 16, is scheduled to consider appointing a Las Vegas resident named Brendan Gaughan to serve as one of three community members on the city’s Audit Oversight Committee, according to the agenda for the meeting.
The committee is responsible for overseeing internal audits at City Hall, which involves reading reports from the city auditor’s office, evaluating the office's effectiveness and providing direction on subjects for possible audits, according to city records.
City Hall was closed Friday and officials could not be reached for comment.
Gaughan is the grandson of Las Vegas gaming pioneer Jackie Gaughan and the son of casino owner Michael Gaughan. The family sold Coast Casinos to Boyd
Gaming in 2004 for $1.3 billion, according to federal records.
Jack Pitney, a Roy P. Crocker Professor of American politics at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California, said it's possible Gaughan has the credentials to be an asset to the committee, but it's prudent for residents to question the appointment given his career.
"Maybe he has a great deal of self study. It's possible from his business experience that he knows something about this," Pitney said. "But, it is a field in which ordinary citizens may not have a lot of direct knowledge."
Gaughan is set to replace Melanie Rollo, who recently stepped down from the Audit Oversight Committee after four years.
Rollo, who could not be reached for comment Friday, is listed on Linkedin as “Senior Audit Manager” at Las Vegas-based Ellsworth & Stout, CPAs.
The two other community members on the audit committee include Joseph Throneberry, manager of Security and Investigations for Cox Enterprises, and Eric Preiss, director of the Nevada Film Office, according to city records.
An accountant, auditor or other finance professional named Brendan Gaughan in Las Vegas could not be found in an online search of Google and Linkedin. The only Brendan Gaughan from Las Vegas mentioned prominently online appears to be the race car driver.
Gaughn could not be reached through his website, brendangaughan.com.
The website includes race results from Daytona, Talladega, Charlotte and other racetracks, and promotes his Las Vegas distillery, known as City Lights Shine - the “first legal distillery in the history of Las Vegas.”
"One would want to know what he has for qualifications," Professor Pitney said. "Sometimes celebrities can surprise you, but I think it is appropriate to ask questions" about the appointment.
Gaughan asked to be on the city’s Audit Oversight Committee and “is free to serve,” according to the City Council agenda. It states that he meets qualifications, but does not mention anything about his professional credentials.
The item does not mention which councilmember or city official nominated Gaughan.
Councilwoman Michelle Fiore was appointed recently to the Audit Oversight Committee. She will serve with Councilwoman Victoria Seaman, who represents much of Summerlin.
Published Dec. 11, 2020
Sun City wants feds to write-off loan
COVID-19 relief money used for golf-course staff
By Frank Geary
Sun City Summerlin does not want to pay back a federal loan it received as part of COVID-19 relief through the Paycheck Protection Program designed to buoy small businesses.
The Board of Directors of the Sun City Summerlin Community Association on Tuesday, Dec. 8, received an update on its $832,096 loan and efforts to have it forgiven by the federal government
"We have met the criteria" to have the loan forgiven by the federal Small Business Administration, Sun City Treasurer Gerry Sokolski told the board. "What we have to do now is get the ball rolling to apply to the bank for forgiveness."
The elected board oversees golf courses, swimming pools, tennis courts, restaurants, paddleball courts, a theater and other facilities provided to the 7,779 homes in the largely white-collar retirement community.
“If they forgive the loan, that is $830,000 or so that will go into our coffers,” Board President Dick Clark said before the meeting.
The association was authorized by federal law to receive the Paycheck Protection loan, and is entitled to have it forgiven because the association has used the money as required by law, Clark said.
“I go back to the uncertainty we had last spring. We didn’t know how long things were going to last,” Clark said before the meeting. “We were doing our fiduciary duty to protect this community financially.”
The loan was received Aug. 5. It paid the costs of the health plan for employees at two Sun City golf courses and other personnel costs, according to records of the board.
The request to write-off the government loan comes eight months after one of the richest communities in the country made national headlines after it received a $2 million Paycheck Protection loan, according to press accounts at the time.
The homeowners association for upscale Fisher Island, which is near Miami and is considered one of the wealthiest zip codes in the country, quickly gave back the loan.
It was returned after press reports surfaced, and angry residents of the island paradise said the loan shouldn’t have been pursued and insisted the money be returned. Some residents suggested each property owner pay an additional $5,000 to cover pandemic-related losses at the island's hotels, golf courses, restaurants and other facilities.
Members of the Nevada congressional delegation could not be reached for comment earlier this week on the Paycheck Protection loan for Sun City. Staff for Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., Rep. Steve Horsford, D-Nev., and Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto did not return messages left Monday.
Early in the pandemic, the Sun City Board of Directors closed association facilities in response to Gov. Steve Sisolak’s initial shutdown order. At that time, nobody knew how long the crises would continue, Clark said.
“We had to lay-off a lot of maintenance workers. We had to lay-off employees at the golf courses … just like any other business,” Clark said.
Unlike most businesses, however, a homeowners association has a steady revenue stream - in good times and bad - from customers compelled to pay for fear the association will place a troublesome lien on their property. Under Nevada law, it is called a Super-Priority Lien and allows the association to foreclose on a property if a homeowner fails to pay association dues.
Conversely, customers at most small businesses have a choice whether to pay for products and services.
Clark said association dues pay a portion of costs for all of the facilities and services provided in the vast retirement community, but facilities also receive cash out-of-pocket from residents and their guests for meals, pro-shop and other services.
Clark said he did not know precisely what percentage of the association’s annual operating budget is covered by homeowners’ dues, but said the fees represent the bulk of the revenue.
With 7,779 homes and annual dues of $1,647, the association appears to collect approximately $12.8 million.
Sun City prioritizes public health
Clark said that budget shortfalls sustained during the spring shutdown have had a lasting impact on the budget. Some revenue sources have recovered since, but others have not.
For instance, the golf courses are seeing more business as residents pursue outdoor activities in the midst of the pandemic. Clark, himself, for instance, said he typically plays golf twice a week and works out in the gym, but now plays golf three times a week with less time at the gym.
Worried more about the spread of the coronavirus than making a little extra money, Sun City residents - who submitted written comments during Tuesday’s board meeting by Zoom - blasted a proposal to allow holiday guests to visit pools and other facilities.
“Did you listen to the governor? Is it your plan to kill off the good citizens of Sun City” who follow the rules, said one resident's statement read aloud by association staff.
Another woman said she had canceled three trips since the pandemic began. “This is reckless after all the precautions we have taken," her statement read.
In addition, the board, which Clark said is concerned with balancing the budget, unanimously killed money-making proposals to lease to outside-interests fitness facilities and Sun City’s Starbright Theater.
Published Dec. 9, 2020
Scorpions seek warmth as winter nears
Poisonous pests unwanted holiday guests
(The following is one in a series on wildlife, plants, insects and other creatures that live in Summerlin, Red Rock Canyon and areas nearby.)
By James Geary
With cold weather on the way, the most dangerous scorpion in the western United States is seeking warmth inside Summerlin homes.
The Arizona bark scorpion is one of Summerlin’s most poisonous pests, and can be especially harmful to the elderly, infants and small pets. Most attacks occur in the home, in part because scorpions can sneak through a crack the width of a credit card.
The “desert devils’ ” tan color is camouflage, which allows them to hide from the naked eye indoors and out, said Aaron Farhadi, 14, of Peccole Ranch.
“They blend into the wooden floor and you [only] see their tails rise to sting,” said Farhadi, a freshman at Western Career and Technical Academy near Red Rock Canyon.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the only native U.S. scorpion species of medical significance is the Arizona bark scorpion.
When stung, most people experience swelling, numbness, and pain around the sting, but young children and elderly may experience difficulty breathing, convulsions, and even death.
If stung by a scorpion, typically there is no serious treatment needed. Putting a cold compress on the sting may relieve some swelling and help with the pain. It is also a good idea to take a pain reliever. If symptoms are severe, victims should see a doctor.
Scorpions in 2014 accounted for more than 16,000 poisonous encounters in the United States; more than spiders and snakes combined. Nevada ranks a distant third for cases behind Arizona and Texas, with 4.2%. However, in Southern Nevada, Summerlin has one of the highest rates of scorpion attacks, according to federal data.
Nevada and Arizona are the only states to average more than five hospitalizations a year from scorpion stings, and children under 10 in Arizona and Nevada had higher rates than elsewhere of systemic effects, hospitalizations and admissions to intensive-care units, according to federal studies. However, medical attention isn't often required. An 11 year study of more than 185,000 scorpion stings found that 98% occured in "a residence" and that 90% were treated "on site".
During cold winter months, it is common for these pests to make their home in yours. When seeing an Arizona bark scorpion in the winter there is a high probability others are nearby because they hibernate in groups of 20 to 30 for warmth, according to federal studies.
Pest control experts recommend removing all debris, brush and any other potential habitat from the exterior of your home to prevent scorpions from entering your home. Also, repair any holes in walls or broken screens, even those as thin as a credit card.
Published Dec. 9, 2020
Studying for virtual final exams
Exams next week at Summerlin schools
With students preparing for final exams from home, here are some pointers to survive the stress. Finals are scheduled next week at middle and high schools across Summerlin before students break for the holidays Dec. 18.
Exercise: Just 20 minutes can help improve memory, studies find.
Rotate locations: Students who alternate locations for studying did better on tests than students who studied in the same location.
Avoid cramming: All nighters hurt more than they help because students can lose information for as much as four days without proper sleep. It's best to take five-minute breaks between study sessions of 20 to 50 minutes. Cramming also causes anxiety, which hurts memory.
Diet: Studies have shown students with a balanced diet, that included fruits and vegetables, did better on exams than those with a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet.
Eliminate distractions: Many students like to listen to music while they study. This hurts retention. If music is a must, instrumental selections are best.
Practice tests: Using flashcards and other practice tests are more productive than highlighting or re-reading material in a book.
Rotate subject matter: To avoid burnout on a particular subject, study different subjects in the same time frame.
Develop study guide: rather than simply follow the study guide provided by the teacher, create your own study guide.
Online study group: Use Zoom to study with classmates or share information on Facebook.
Splash of color: Prioritize exam information by placing differing colors based on the level of importance in the exam.
The information above comes from FastWeb and the State University of New York (SUNY).
Published Dec. 9, 2020
Pavilion Pool to reopen after $725,000 facelift
After upgrade, capacity to be limited due to COVID-19
By Frank Geary
Cement-mixers churned and churned last week at the doorway of Summerlin’s treasured Pavilion Pool.
Day after day, construction workers poured untold tons of wet concrete inside the massive public pool when it was closed and nobody was watching.
Not to worry, though. The city of Las Vegas is not filling in the pool or replacing it with basketball or tennis courts.
The massive pool, which is expected to reopen this month after closing in August, is undergoing a long-awaited facelift that costs taxpayers $725,000, according to city officials.
The pool is expected to receive new plaster and tile, and the pool deck will be replaced for the first time since the city acquired the pool in 2002 as part of a land exchange with Howard Hughes Corporation.
In addition, new drains will be installed as part of the new pool deck, and the outside of the field house that holds the pool will be painted, according to city officials.
The project is in its final month at the same time another significant upgrade is underway next door at Palo Verde High School.
The school is replacing grass on the football field as part of a $45 million effort to replace old turf at 29 high school across Southern Nevada. That project is scheduled to be completed in February or March.
Contractors on the Pavilion Pool project include Adams Tile and Plaster of Las Vegas and Vergith Contracting, according to the city.
The year-round pool, which hosts about 300 guests a day this time of year and 500 daily during summer, will have reduced capacity as part of its coronavirus precautions.
In addition, locker rooms and showers will be closed, and swim meets and other large events are canceled due to COVID-19, according to City Hall.
The 14-lane competitive pool includes a diving area with a regular, one-meter board and a three-meter high-dive. In addition, there are outdoor patios with shade and apparatus to assist handicapped swimmers.
A previous, significant renovation was 10 years ago. The city paid $6.8 million to erect a roof and open-air structure that blocks the sun’s harmful rays but allows fresh air to circulate through doors that roll up like in a garage.
Services at the city of Las Vegas pool cost less than those at Summerlin pools, and include youth swim lessons, swim teams, water-exercise classes, water-polo teams, diving teams, synchronized swimming classes, log rolling, water-safety and first-aid classes.
In the summer, the pool hosts community activities, such as a Fourth of July celebration and several Dive-in Movie Nights; at which guests cool off in the pool while watching children’s films.
Pavilion Pool hosts high school swim meets, and is used regularly by private swim clubs like Sandpipers, the Masters or the Las Vegas Swim Club - which include some of the finest youth and adult swimmers in Southern Nevada.
Published December 2, 2020
COVID-19 cases skyrocket across Summerlin
Neighborhoods see increases of 20% to 40% in late November
By Frank Geary
Coronavirus cases in Summerlin jumped as much as 40% late last month, based on data released this week by the Southern Nevada Health District.
An analysis of health district data shows the number of Summerlin cases in the last two weeks of November was nearly double the monthly average of total cases since the pandemic begain in March. COVID-19 Update Page
A spokeswoman for Summerlin Hospital, owned by Valley Health System, declined to provide data on admissions, occupancy or anything connected with coronavirus.
The number of cases in and around the Sun City Summerlin retirement community - between Summerlin Parkway and Cheyenne Avene - increased 40%, based on data reviewed Wednesday, Dec. 2.
Cases in West Summerlin, at the gateway to Red Rock Canyon, jumped 24%, based on Health District data specific to each zip code in Summerlin.
The Summerlin North area - between Charleston Boulevard and Summerlin Parkway - saw the number of cases rise 23% in the past two weeks.
In an area that straddles the 215 Beltway south of Charleston Boulevard, cases jumped nearly 30%.
Meanwhile, areas east of Summerlin - which have had higher case totals for months - saw increases of about 10% in late November.
According to the health district - which doesn’t break down hospitalizations or deaths for specific areas - there were 495 new hospitalizations and 135 deaths across Southern Nevada in late November.
An analysis of health district statistics available on Wednesday, Dec. 2 also shows:
In the Sun City Summerlin zip code of 89134, there were a total of 533 cases two weeks ago. Data for Nov. 30 shows a total of 750 cases, which is an increase of 217 in two weeks.
The case total two weeks ago equates to an average of about 67 cases per month since mid-March. In the past two weeks since then, the number of new cases was more than three times that monthly average.
In the 89138 zip code for Summerlin West, there were 629 total cases two weeks ago. Data for Nov. 30 shows a total of 783, which is an increase of 154 cases in two weeks.
The recent two-week increase is nearly double the monthly average of 79 cases between mid-November and mid-March.
In the Summerlin North zip code of 89144, there were 611 total cases two weeks ago. Data for Nov. 30, shows a total of 756 cases, which is an increase of 145 cases in two weeks.
The increase is nearly double the monthly average of about 76 cases up to mid-November.
In the area that straddles 215 Beltway south of Charleston Boulevard, there were 911 total cases two weeks ago. As of Nov. 30, there were 1,177 cases, which is a jump of 266 cases in two weeks.
The increase is more than double the monthly average of about 114 new cases.
Published December 2, 2020
Sokolski, Crawford face challengers in race for powerful Sun City Board
Election set for early next year in 55-plus community
Candidates were announced this week for the Board of Directors for the Sun City Summerlin Community Association, according to a news release from the association.
Incumbents Gerry Sokolski, treasurer on the board, and Director Leo Crawford are facing challengers John Berthelsen, Erik Braun, Larry Cohn and Dick Gulch.
Sun City, a luxurious retirement community with one of the largest homeowners associations in Nevada, is a jewel in the crown that is Summerlin North.
The community includes three 18-hole golf courses, four community centers with fitness facilities, a softball diamond, 10 Pickleball courts, 12 tennis courts, a volunteer police patrol, a theater, a ballroom, restaurants and its own library.
The community also offers residents dozens of clubs and activities, such as Art Club, Computer Club, Spanish Club, Irish Club and many others.
The community was established in 1989 when Summerlin was in its infancy, and has grown to 7,779 homes.
It is adjacent 215 Beltway to the east, and stretches from Summerlin Parkway south to about Cheyenne Boulevard.
Published December 2, 2020
Porch pirates on prowl in pandemic
Private surveillance program empowers property owners
By Frank Geary
Tis’ the season to be happy, especially if you’re a porch pirate.
More holiday deliveries, likely, will be hijacked this month than ever before with coronavirus compelling customers to shop online.
With a blizzard of packages, more petty thieves will be captured on surveillance cameras deployed in doorbells and driveways across Summerlin.
Given the prevalence of private surveillance, the Las Vegas police are reaching out this holiday season to residents who unknowingly might capture evidence of a crime on their camera.
“Your cameras can serve a purpose for your neighbors to help them get their property back or to help us locate a suspect,” said Las Vegas police officer Aden Ocampo Gomez.
Only about 1,700 property owners participate currently, but
Las Vegas police are hopeful more will get involved once they learn about it.
Police in North Las Vegas and Henderson have adopted similar programs, as well.
However, experts say the system could stir vigilantism among overzealous wannabes. An alternative might be for police to log onto Nextdoor and other social-media platforms, where property owners voluntarily share a fraction of their surveillance footage.
The Las Vegas police program, experts say, isn’t nearly as troubling as tapping into private surveillance like police elsewhere have done.
The VegasSafeCam program is strictly voluntary, and participants can withdraw any time - no questions asked- by simply removing their name from a police website, Ocampo Gomez said.
Interested volunteers sign up through the VegasSafeCam website, and provide their address, contact information and the direction their cameras point. To learn more or sign up, property owners can visit VegasSafeCam.
If a crime occurs nearby, investigators contact participants to ask if they can view footage for the particular time of the crime, Ocampo Gomez said.
“It has been useful in cases where we have been able to identify a suspect or get video of a suspect,” he said.
For instance, if a vehicle is captured on camera, the description or registration could help solve a burglary or auto theft.
Unlike in other jurisdictions, like Mobile, Alabama, the Las Vegas program does not permit police to remotely tap into footage.
“We are at no point hooked up to the property owner’s camera,” Ocampo Gomez said. “The owner can say ‘Yes, it was recording’ and he can say ‘I want to give it to you’ or he can say ‘I don’t want to give it to you’. It’s completely up to him.”
Under the other program, property owners give police permission to intercept video footage remotely whenever they wish.
Experts say that particular approach gives police too much power.
Police possibly could monitor footage from hundreds of properties, and then unlawfully track people and vehicles using facial-recognition and registration-tracking software - even if a crime was never committed, they say.
In addition, experts say, the program allows police to circumvent federal laws that dictate how investigations are conducted, and private surveillance will become more invasive as technology evolves to include drones and other advances.
A third option, available for years in Summerlin through the Nextdoor social-media platform, gives property owners the comfort of sharing footage as they choose rather than being asked for it by police.
Police can monitor video feeds shared voluntarily by homeowners by subscribing to Nextdoor or similar platforms.
Published Dec. 9, 2020
Neighborhood Watch
The following are calls to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police for alleged crimes Tuesday, Dec. 1, to Monday, Dec. 7.
Burglary 6:38 p.m. Tue., Dec. 1, 9600 block Sundial Drive
Burglary 7:58 a.m. Wed., Dec. 2, 9400 block Cedar Heights Drive
Disturbing the peace 12:24 p.m. Tue., Dec. 2, 2200 block Scarlett Rose Drive
Burglary 3:46 p.m. Tue., Dec. 1. 9200 block Golden Eagle Drive
Burglary 10:44 a.m. Sat., Dec. 5, 200 block Scarlet Rose Drive
Disturbing the peace 12:23 p.m. Sat., Dec. 5, 9100 block Golden Eagle Drive
Distubring the peace 11:53 a.m. Sat., Dec. 5, 1900 block Spring Gate Lane
Disturbing the peace 11:31 a.m. Tue., Dec 1, 10000 block Benjamin Nichols Place
Distubring the peace 6:23 p.m. Fri., Dec. 4, 11300 block Redpoint Drive
Assault 5:05 p.m. Tue., Dec. 1, 10200 block Via Roma Place
Disturbing the peace 2:16 p.m. Thur., Dec. 3, 600 block Peachy Canyon Circle
Disturbing the peace 3:35 p.m. Tue., Dec. 1, 400 block Winery Ridge Street
Disturbing the peace 3:58 p.m. Wed., Dec. 2, 500 block Silver Grove Street
Disturbing the peace 12:25 p.m. Wed., Dec. 2, 100 block S. Buteo Woods Lane
Disturbing the peace 8:27 p.m. Sat., Dec. 5, 100 block Royal Ascot Drive
Burglary 11:45 a.m. Mon., Dec. 710800 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Auto Theft 12:27 p.m. Wed., Dec. 2, 9000 block Alta Drive
Disturbing the peace 11:37 a.m. Sat., Dec. 5, 9400 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Auto Theft 12:36 p.m. Wed., Dec. 2, 9200 block W. Charleston Boulevard
Assault 8:29 a.m. Fri., Dec. 4, 9900 block La Paca Avenue
Disturbing the peace 7:36 a.m. Fri., Dec. 4, 1400 block Iron Hills Lan
Summerlin Shorts
Expect delays on Del Webb until Superbowl
Traffic to one lane in each direction
Traffic is expected to be slowed on Del Webb Boulevard for the next two months as construction crews repave between Lake Mead Boulevard and Rampart Boulevard.
Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction through January with crews working from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the city of Las Vegas.
To avoid delays, the city suggests using Lake Mead Boulevard to travel east to west and Rampart for south-to-north travel.
Milling and repaving of the road will take “approximately two weeks within the eight-week schedule, subject to equipment availability,” according to a notice from the city.
Afterward, utilities and manholes will be adjusted to level them with the raised street.
Las Vegas Paving is the contractor on the $1.3 million city project. It is funded in part from a fuel tax collected by the Southern Nevada Regional Transportation Commission, according to the city.
The work comes about a year after the city upgraded the curb and gutter on Del Webb while also improving the sidewalks as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Published Dec. 9, 2020
Sun City Committee meets Thursday by Zoom
The Architectural Review Committee in Sun City Summerlin is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting by Zoom at 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec, 10.
The committee is scheduled to consider a request from the Sun City Softball Club regarding a flagpole at the Pinnacle Field in Sun City and other matters, according to the group’s agenda posted last week.
To join the Zoom meeting on your computer or other device, according to the Sun City Community Association, go to
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86262681431?pwd=aitwVUFhcjlxam1BZ0F6dEZTR1dkZz09
Use meeting ID: 862 6268 1431 and Passcode: 123080
Published Dec. 9, 2020
Veterans Memorial offers camp during school break
Registration required -$25 per day - space limited
Veterans Memorial Community Center will offer day-camp weekdays during the holiday break later this month.
Sign-up for camp started Tuesday, Dec. 1. It costs $100 for each four-day week. Space is limited and advance registration is required, according to the city of Las Vegas.
Supervisors host children from kindergarten through eighth grade. Activities include sports, music and arts and crafts.
Masks, social distancing and health screenings are required, according to city rules.
Camp will operate Mondays through Thursdays Dec. 21 through Dec. 31. Camp hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. , Monday to Wednesday and on 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday.
Veterans Memorial is at 101 N. Pavilion Center Drive near Palo Verde High School and across from Desert United Methodist Church.
For information, call 702-229-PLAY (7529).
Published December 2, 2020
COVID-19 cases skyrocket across Summerlin
Neighborhoods see increases of 20% to 40% in late November
By Frank Geary
Coronavirus cases in Summerlin jumped as much as 40% late last month, based on data released this week by the Southern Nevada Health District.
An analysis of health district data shows the number of Summerlin cases in the last two weeks of November was nearly double the monthly average of total cases since the pandemic begain in March. COVID-19 Update Page
A spokeswoman for Summerlin Hospital, owned by Valley Health System, declined to provide data on admissions, occupancy or anything connected with coronavirus.
The number of cases in and around the Sun City Summerlin retirement community - between Summerlin Parkway and Cheyenne Avene - increased 40%, based on data reviewed Wednesday, Dec. 2.
Cases in West Summerlin, at the gateway to Red Rock Canyon, jumped 24%, based on Health District data specific to each zip code in Summerlin.
The Summerlin North area - between Charleston Boulevard and Summerlin Parkway - saw the number of cases rise 23% in the past two weeks.
In an area that straddles the 215 Beltway south of Charleston Boulevard, cases jumped nearly 30%.
Meanwhile, areas east of Summerlin - which have had higher case totals for months - saw increases of about 10% in late November.
According to the health district - which doesn’t break down hospitalizations or deaths for specific areas - there were 495 new hospitalizations and 135 deaths across Southern Nevada in late November.
An analysis of health district statistics available on Wednesday, Dec. 2 also shows:
In the Sun City Summerlin zip code of 89134, there were a total of 533 cases two weeks ago. Data for Nov. 30 shows a total of 750 cases, which is an increase of 217 in two weeks.
The case total two weeks ago equates to an average of about 67 cases per month since mid-March. In the past two weeks since then, the number of new cases was more than three times that monthly average.
In the 89138 zip code for Summerlin West, there were 629 total cases two weeks ago. Data for Nov. 30 shows a total of 783, which is an increase of 154 cases in two weeks.
The recent two-week increase is nearly double the monthly average of 79 cases between mid-November and mid-March.
In the Summerlin North zip code of 89144, there were 611 total cases two weeks ago. Data for Nov. 30, shows a total of 756 cases, which is an increase of 145 cases in two weeks.
The increase is nearly double the monthly average of about 76 cases up to mid-November.
In the area that straddles 215 Beltway south of Charleston Boulevard, there were 911 total cases two weeks ago. As of Nov. 30, there were 1,177 cases, which is a jump of 266 cases in two weeks.
The increase is more than double the monthly average of about 114 new cases.
Published December 2, 2020
Pavilion Pool to reopen after $725,000 facelift
After upgrade, capacity to be limited due to COVID-19
By Frank Geary
Cement-mixers churned and churned last week at the doorway of Summerlin’s treasured Pavilion Pool.
Day after day, construction workers poured untold tons of wet concrete inside the massive public pool when it was closed and nobody was watching.
Not to worry, though. The city of Las Vegas is not filling in the pool or replacing it with basketball or tennis courts.
The massive pool, which is expected to reopen this month after closing in August, is undergoing a long-awaited facelift that costs taxpayers $725,000, according to city officials.
The pool is expected to receive new plaster and tile, and the pool deck will be replaced for the first time since the city acquired the pool in 2002 as part of a land exchange with Howard Hughes Corporation.
In addition, new drains will be installed as part of the new pool deck, and the outside of the field house that holds the pool will be painted, according to city officials.
The project is in its final month at the same time another significant upgrade is underway next door at Palo Verde High School.
The school is replacing grass on the football field as part of a $45 million effort to replace old turf at 29 high school across Southern Nevada. That project is scheduled to be completed in February or March.
Contractors on the Pavilion Pool project include Adams Tile and Plaster of Las Vegas and Vergith Contracting, according to the city.
The year-round pool, which hosts about 300 guests a day this time of year and 500 daily during summer, will have reduced capacity as part of its coronavirus precautions.
In addition, locker rooms and showers will be closed, and swim meets and other large events are canceled due to COVID-19, according to City Hall.
The 14-lane competitive pool includes a diving area with a regular, one-meter board and a three-meter high-dive. In addition, there are outdoor patios with shade and apparatus to assist handicapped swimmers.
A previous, significant renovation was 10 years ago. The city paid $6.8 million to erect a roof and open-air structure that blocks the sun’s harmful rays but allows fresh air to circulate through doors that roll up like in a garage.
Services at the city of Las Vegas pool cost less than those at Summerlin pools, and include youth swim lessons, swim teams, water-exercise classes, water-polo teams, diving teams, synchronized swimming classes, log rolling, water-safety and first-aid classes.
In the summer, the pool hosts community activities, such as a Fourth of July celebration and several Dive-in Movie Nights; at which guests cool off in the pool while watching children’s films.
Pavilion Pool hosts high school swim meets, and is used regularly by private swim clubs like Sandpipers, the Masters or the Las Vegas Swim Club - which include some of the finest youth and adult swimmers in Southern Nevada.
Published December 2, 2020
Summerlin West a village now, but Red Rock gateway expected to grow 300%
Community Profile: Summerlin West
The chart above compares quality-of-life information for Summerlin West with data for Las Vegas overall. The information is included in the city of Las Vegas' 2050 Master Plan, and comes from government and industry reports, such as from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Labor.
By Frank Geary
Summerlin West is expected to grow 300%, according to a new 30-year blueprint for the picturesque acreage adjacent Red Rock Canyon.
Dramatic changes are planned across the largely vacant area - between Red Rock and the 215 Beltway and from Charleston Boulevard south past Summerlin Parkway, according to the city of Las Vegas' recent 2050 Master Plan.
Recently completed, in construction or under consideration are hundreds of new homes, two resort-casinos, shopping centers, condominium complexes, more bike paths, additional open space, new schools and police and fire stations.
The Master Plan states, “Summerlin West will continue to develop a range of upscale auto-oriented, gated, and exclusive single-family and multifamily developments. At build out, Summerlin West will have approximately six more villages with 20,250 homes, including a new mixed-use town and employment center near Summerlin Pkwy and I-215.”
Most of Summerlin West is raw land presently, with only four of its 10 proposed villages currently being developed.
According to the 2050 Master Plan blueprint, the population of Summerlin West is scheduled to skyrocket from the current estimate of 18,748 to about 74,788 people.
Housing density is expected to swell from less than one home per-acre to 3.35 homes per-acre; which includes condominiums or apartments where vacant land now sits .
Also, the Master Plan includes plans for 5.85 million square-feet of commercial property, office space and the possibility of two casinos overlooking Red Rock Canyon.
In addition, a new Las Vegas Metropolitan Police substation opened this year in Summerlin West, and Las Vegas Fire Station No. 47 serves Summerlin West and the surrounding area.
According to the Master Plan, other quality-of-life concerns moving forward for the largely undeveloped area include:
Summerlin West residents are far more likely to live near a park than residents in other parts of Las Vegas, but are further from stores and schools. About 95% of current residents live within a half-mile of a park or open space, compared with 56% on average across the city. Only 18% of Summerlin West residents live within a half-mile of a school compared to 31 percent citywide. And, only 4% of residents live within a half-mile of a store compared with 19% citywide.
Summerlin West residents are highly unlikely to work near their home. Ideally, there would be one job for every home nearby. Across the city, there are 0.90 jobs for every home nearby. In Summerlin West, it’s less than 10% of the city average at 0.07 jobs for every home nearby The 25-minute average commute is comparable with the city overall. Unlike other neighborhoods, however, only 1.3% of households do not own a car compared with 9.7% on average in the city.
All but about 2% of Summerlin West residents live within a half mile of a bike path or other “bike facility” compared with 80 percent on average across Las Vegas. But, less than 2 percent of residents live within a quarter-mile of a bus stop compared with 35 percent citywide.
Published December 2, 2020
Sokolski, Crawford face challengers in race for powerful Sun City Board
Election set for early next year in 55-plus community
Candidates were announced this week for the Board of Directors for the Sun City Summerlin Community Association, according to a news release from the association.
Incumbents Gerry Sokolski, treasurer on the board, and Director Leo Crawford are facing challengers John Berthelsen, Erik Braun, Larry Cohn and Dick Gulch.
Sun City, a luxurious retirement community with one of the largest homeowners associations in Nevada, is a jewel in the crown that is Summerlin North.
The community includes three 18-hole golf courses, four community centers with fitness facilities, a softball diamond, 10 Pickleball courts, 12 tennis courts, a volunteer police patrol, a theater, a ballroom, restaurants and its own library.
The community also offers residents dozens of clubs and activities, such as Art Club, Computer Club, Spanish Club, Irish Club and many others.
The community was established in 1989 when Summerlin was in its infancy, and has grown to 7,779 homes.
It is adjacent 215 Beltway to the east, and stretches from Summerlin Parkway south to about Cheyenne Boulevard.
Published December 2, 2020
Covid sidelines sports, but new field worth wait
By Frank Geary
At high schools for more than a century, Thanksgiving is all about the rivalry-game.
Across Southern Nevada, unfortunately, the coronavirus and restrictions aimed at slowing it have closed schools and side-lined football players and other autumn athletes until February or March – at the earliest.
No hail-marys or pick-sixes. No hat tricks or bicycle kicks. No cheerleaders. Mascot? Likely, locked in a drama-club closet.
At Palo Verde High in Summerlin, construction crews are capitalizing on the down time and dormant campus to complete a most compelling homecoming for the school’s nearly 3,200 students.
“It will be great,” Jim Friel, athletic director for the Palo Verde Panthers, said.
Work is underway on the football field. The grass is scheduled to be replaced with artificial turf with help from Hellas Construction, one of the companies that laid the turf at the Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium, according to the Clark County School District. In addition, Hellas installed turf at the Los Angeles Rams' new Sofi Stadium, the Dallas Cowboys' At&T Stadium and the Miami Dolphins" Hard Rock Stadium, according to its Facebook page.
At Palo Verde High, north of Alta on Pavilion Center Drive, the goal posts are down and the blocking sled is pushed aside. In their place are backhoes, a bulldozer, men wearing hard hats, mounds of dirt and stacks of black pipe presumably for drainage under the man-made turf.
Palo Verde’s football players, soccer players, track athletes and others will be thrilled to compete on a brand new field, Friel said. And replacing natural grass will make the field easier to maintain and help to avoid torn-up turf or weather-driven delays.
“It’s hard to maintain those fields. It’s a struggle,” he said, but with the new turf” you are assured the surface will be consistent week to week… You could play football one night and play soccer the next without any problems.”
The new gridiron is part of a $45 million overhaul approved by the Clark County School District that involves replacing old, and, in some cases, dangerous football fields at 29 high schools with new turf designed to curtail concussions and other injuries.
“Athletics are an important part of keeping students engaged in academics and improving their overall health,” Cark County School Superintendent Jesus F. Jara said. “This long term investment in our schools will provide our student-athletes with high-quality turf that will give more students greater access.”
The fields, located in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson and more rural outposts like Laughlin and the Moapa Valley, are scheduled to be completed by April.
The vast majority of the projects are funded through Government Service Tax (GST) revenue dedicated for capital projects, according to the school district. Other turf projects are paid for through the Capital Replacement Fund.
The construction work has created an estimated 900 temporary jobs, according to the school district..
Frank Geary is an award-winning journalist with 23 years experience in California and Nevada. He writes from Summerlin, Las Vegas, NV.
Published on November 25, 2020
Summerlin North more snug, but amenities make for a comfortable fit
Community Profile: Summerlin North
The chart above compares quality-of-life information for Summerlin North with data for Las Vegas overall. The information is included in the city of Las Vegas' 2050 Master Plan, and comes from government and industry reports, such as from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Labor.
By Frank Geary
Housing in Summerlin North is denser than much of Las Vegas, but residents are far more likely to live near a community center, park, bike path or bus stop, based on a new long-term blueprint for development in Las Vegas.
According to the city of Las Vegas’ 2050 Master Plan, housing in Summerlin North is about 14 percent denser than the city overall.
The density is expected to increase, according to the Master Plan, which forecasts an additional 1,390 condominiums or apartments will be built. Conversely, not even one new single-family home is expected to take root in the coming decades, the plan says.
Meanwhile, Summerlin North’s population estimate of 60,748 is expected to grow by 3,155 residents - or 5.2 percent- in the coming decades.
The Master Plan also anticipates Summerlin North will use less water in the future, but will continue to consume more than the citywide average as the entire region hopes to conserve more and more over time.
With most of the area built up as mapped out long ago, there isn’t much new-and-different planned for the future of Summerlin North other than two transportation upgrades. The plan forecasts a wider, better Summerlin Parkway and a more efficient bus service.
Other characteristics of Summerlin North and comparisons to other parts of the city outlined in the Master Plan include:
Household income in Summerlin North is 12% higher than the citywide average, and a mortgage in Summerlin North is 6 percent higher and monthly rent is 17% higher than the citywide average.
Summerlin North residents are far less likely to live near their job than the average city dweller. In a city planner’s ideal world, there would be one home for every job nearby. The city average is close at .90, but the number in Summerlin North is .65.
Residents are far more likely to live near a community center than people elsewhere. In Summerlin North, 63% of residents live within a half-mile of a community center compared with a citywide average of 45%.
Residents are more likely to live near a park. In Summerlin North, 73% of people live within a half-mile of a park compared with a citywide average of just over half.
Residents are less likely to live near schools or stores. In Summerlin North, 10 % of residents live within a half-mile of a store while citywide it’s 19%. Across the city, 31% of residents live within a half-mile of a school, and 17 % do in Summerlin North.
Less than 5% of Summerlin North residents do not own a vehicle compared with nearly 10 percent of residents citywide.
The average commute time in Summerlin North is about two minutes shorter than the citywide average of 25 minutes.
Residents are likely to live closer to “bike facilities” and bus stops. In Summerlin North, 100% of residents live within a half-mile of a bike facility compared with 80% citywide. With bus stops, 40% of Summerlin North residents are within a quarter-mile of a bus stop compared with 35% citywide.
Frank Geary is an award-winning journalist with 23 years experience in California and Nevada. He writes from Summerlin, Las Vegas, NV.
Published November 25, 2020
Summerlin Wild Desert Tortoise
(The following is one in a series on wildlife, plants, insects and other creatures that live in Summerlin, Red Rock Canyon and other areas nearby.)
By James Geary
With more Summerlin homes being built on the border of Red Rock Canyon, it is important residents know the area’s natural inhabitants.
The Gopherus Agassizii or Desert Tortoise is one of the more high-profile of our indigenous neighbors. It is the largest reptile in the southwestern United States, and it is one of few gentle reptiles in Red Rock Canyon.
In 1984, they were added to the Endangered Species Act to boost population Thirty years later, the efforts were recognized when the species in 2015 was moved to the list of "threatened" species.
Desert tortoises can live to 50 years, but many are cut down early due to disease. And, although they spend most of their time in burrows, the tortoises are easy prey for kit foxes, ravens, and even fire ants.
Females, between the age of 12 and 20 years, can lay up to 14 eggs per year, but only one to five hatchlings will survive to adulthood. Tortoise hatchlings are 3 inches and easy prey. Mothers will lay more eggs with good rainfall, and may miss a season altogether when water is scarce. An incredible evolutionary trait, the female can store sperm for up to 5 years before eggs are fertlized.
Tortoises can live up to one year without water, and they eat grass, flowers, cactus and fruits. They hibernate in burrows for the winter, and have a "home range" of 25 to 200 acres based on maturity.
It is crucial, according to Red Rock officials, for residents who come across these rare creatures to not move them "unless they are in imminent danger.”
According to park officials, when seeing a Desert Tortoise on the road, “Stop your car in a safe place along the roadside, quietly approach the tortoise, note the direction the tortoise was heading, carefully pick up the tortoise using both hands and hold it upright in its normal walking position, carry it carefully across the road in the same direction it was heading, and take it no more than a few hundred yards into the desert, place the tortoise in the shade, wash your hands thoroughly even when you have had only passing contact with a wild animal.”
To learn more about these magnificent creatures and how to approach them, visit https://www.redrockcanyonlv.org/tortoise-habitat/
Published November 24, 2020