Home Means Las Vegas

April Corbin at the Las Vegas Weekly has a wonderful article this week about the multi-generations of people who have called Las Vegas home for the last 75 years.  One of those in the spotlight is Gretchen Payne, wife of former Las Vegas News Bureau Manager Don Payne.  But Gretchen's roots in the community go back to her childhood.  She was born in a small house on Fremont Street back in 1935 and has called Las Vegas home ever since.

Her father taught science at Las Vegas High School and she is a wealth of information not only on the history of the high school but also all the changes she has witnessed as Las Vegas grew from a dusty railroad town to the entertainment capital of the world to the metropolis of the 21st Century.

Ms. Corbin also spotlights a number of natives who are all glad to call Las Vegas home.

Check it out:  Las Vegas Weekly

Historic Preservation Office wants to hear from you!

LAS VEGAS RESIDENTS ASKED TO HELP GUIDE HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN
 
The Nevada State Historic Preservation Office will hold a public meeting at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas in Lorenzi Park on West Washington Avenue near Rancho Drive on Wednesday January 12, 2011 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The state agency wants to know what kinds of archaeological sites, historic buildings and other cultural resources the public would like to see preserved for the future.  Information received in public meetings across the state and through on-line surveys will guide the agency in setting priorities for funding projects that identify and record these resources, recognize them through listing on the National Register of Historic Places and provide funding for rehabilitation and interpretation.  The priorities identified by the public, historic preservation organizations and agencies will serve as the basis for the new comprehensive historic preservation plan for the state of Nevada. 
 
The State of Nevada is in the depths of a recession, and federal and state funding will remain limited for some time into the future.  What should be historic preservation priorities for the next eight years, the life of the new plan? “The recent incident of tagging a rock art site at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area illustrates a need for public education to a broader spectrum of people on the importance of these ancient sites.  Rock art reflects the rituals, beliefs and practices of their makers, unlike individual acts of graffiti,” says Ronald James, State Historic Preservation Officer.  “What kinds of education, and what other actions should be taken to deter people from damaging and destroying ancient archaeological sites?  How do we actively engage people in preserving important historic and prehistoric sites?”   This is only one of the issues facing Nevadans as they are asked where limited funding should be spent to preserve historic buildings and identify and protect archaeological sites. 
 
If you would like more information on the meeting, please call Sali Underwood at 702-486-5011.   If you can’t attend the meeting but want to provide your views on-line visit the State Historic Preservation Office web site at www.nevadaculture.org .
 
The State Historic Preservation Office is an agency of the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs.  The Department serves Nevada’s citizens and visitors through cultural and information management, presentation, and promotion of cultural resources, and education.  The Department also includes the Division of Museums and History, Nevada State Library and Archives, Nevada Arts Council, Comstock Historic District Commission, Literacy Coalition, Advisory Committee on Participatory Democracy, and Commission for Cultural Affairs. 
 



New Year's Eve in Las Vegas!

 Las Vegas Blvd. South between Sahara Avenue and Russell Road will close to vehicular traffic at 6:30 pm on Friday evening Dec. 31st and will only reopen at 3 AM after the revelers have dispersed and the street cleaners have done their jobs.

The Nevada Highway Patrol will begin shutting down the following onramps and exit ramps on I-15 at 5;30 PM, Tropicana Avenue, Flamingo Road and Spring Mountain Road.  The Harmon Overpass and all Strip pedestrian walkways will close at 6.

The overnight low is forecast to be in the 20s so be sure to bundle up.

 

With New Year's Eve kicking off a long-holiday weekend this year, it was announced that firework displays will return to famed Las Vegas Strip.

Las Vegas Events and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority  announced today that the New Year’s Eve celebration known as America’s Party: Las Vegas New Year 2011 will include a spectacular fireworks show fired from seven rooftop locations along the Las Vegas Strip.

The firing locations (from the south, heading north) include the following resort properties:  MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood, Aria, Caesars Palace, Treasure Island (TI), Venetian and the Stratosphere. 

Fireworks by Grucci of New York will again coordinate the pyrotechnic display.   Locally, Fireworks by Grucci has produced many of Las Vegas’ largest special events and grand openings, including the official Las Vegas Centennial celebration.

 In addition to designing the pyrotechnic display, Fireworks by Grucci will, once again, work directly with the Clark County Fire Department and Building Services to ensure both fire and structural safety guidelines.

The Fremont Street Experience will have live music with 13 Tribute bands performing under the canopy on Fremont Street.  Music from Green Day, Led Zeppelin, Heart and others will play well into the new year and keep an eye out, Mayor Goodman says he will be there, as he has for the last 12 years, intermingling with the crowds.