Makers

One of the core principles of conservatism has always been the concept of limited government which demands giving citizens more control on how they shape their local environment and policy, which by extension places more emphasis on local government and the ability of the citizen to participate in the democratic process, giving more access of the citizen to their locally elected officials.

In a unanimous vote at their last quarterly meeting of 2013, the Carson City Library Foundation agreed to commit $33,000 toward renovating and furnishing the library auditorium to house the new Digitorium, a proposed space build-out for around 20 MacBook Pro computers, high tech software and more.

Approximately $22,000 in residual private matching monies that helped open the library’s first digital space in January of 2012 will also be used for the project, targeted for completion by late spring of 2014.

Douglas County has re-launched last year’s popular budget challenge again, inviting citizens to an online conversation that will harness their input on the County budget.

Residents can participate in one of the budgeting exercises centered on the question, “How would you spend $500 to fund what is most important to you in Douglas County?”

Residents will also have the opportunity to make general comments about the budget process, upload photos or videos to illustrate their concerns or suggestions and put a value on the priorities they think are most important.

There is a lot of energy in the downtown corridor of Carson City. Great restaurants, shopping, and character. A number of decisions, coming soon, will have an impact on the desirability of Carson City’s downtown, the city as a visitor and business relocation destination, and ultimately property values. A large faction of citizens, seem to think parking is the issue with the vitality of our downtown. Over the course of this article I’d like to uncover whether that’s really the issue or not, and bring up some important points.

Former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore said in his speech to scientists, elected officials, environmentalists, business leaders, fire department officials, students and others in the audience of the 2013 Lake Tahoe Summit, that what we’ve learned at Tahoe can help inform the rest of the world to protect their resources and communities.

From Tahoe’s mountaintops to the lake’s sandy bottom, scientists from the University of Nevada, Reno continue to study and find solutions to the breadth of issues that face the entire Lake Tahoe Basin. Their research is making a tangible contribution to the decisions, policies and practices that guide the basin’s environmental health.

Nevada Senators Harry Reid and Dean Heller and U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei (NV-2) met Wednesday with top officials from the U.S. Department of the Interior to discuss actions that can be taken to help prevent the Endangered Species Act listing of the sage grouse, as well as the negative impact such a listing would have on the economic growth and development of the Silver State.

Join instructor, Sande Rowan, in learning a few simple coil attachment techniques that will provide the fundamentals for beginning basket makers. It may also add a new dimension if you have previous experience. For this project we are fortunate to have custom ceramic bowls from Nevada Potter Kym Maehl as the attachment base. You will learn how to begin by attaching to the top of the bowl, how to build the coiled walls, how to add beads, and how to finish the rim. Pine needles will be used as the core material, with either twine or raffia as the binding.

The FIRST NV organization, organized the Second Annual Northern Nevada FIRST TECH Challenge was held Saturday at Carson High School in Carson City. High school teams from Nevada, California, Oregon, and Utah competed in a full day robotics competition for two seeds to the World Festival Robotics Competition to be held in April.

Health agencies in Carson City and Washoe County have each received a $125,000 two-year grant that will be used to explore ways to partner, otherwise known as "cross-jurisdictional sharing."

The Carson City Health and Human Services and Washoe County Health District are recipients of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grants that will aid in the mission of protecting and promoting health in both counties, according to a news release.

More than 100 residents from around the area set to make good on their New Year's resolutions gathered Saturday at the Carson Nugget ballroom to take advantage of the free Carson City Chamber of Commerce Health, Wellness and Beauty Faire.

Go easy on yourself in 2013 was among the many themes at the heath faire, where guests walked through to get their blood pressure checked, sample tasty health foods, compare insurance options and home health care needs, get free flu shots and learn about the many ways to maintain good healthy habits for the year.

Seventy-two-year-old L. Brown of northern Nevada first learned he had prostate cancer back in 1995. “I tell people who are diagnosed, there is no need to panic, although I certainly did, at least 52 times or more,” he said laughing. “I’ve learned this is something you can control and live with because it is manageable. “

For the first time since 1987, Lake Tahoe has a new regional plan for development and land use.
Twelve of the 14 voting members of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency's governing board voted in favor of the new plan, with one member voting against it and another abstaining, according to TRPA spokesman Jeff Cowan.

Business interests say the plan is an overdue overhaul of regulations that will jump-start Tahoe's tourism economy while also protecting its environment.

CARSON CITY – The impacts of the so-called “fiscal cliff” on Nevada’s state budget would likely be less significant than for many other states because of our lower dependence on federal spending, according to an analysis by the Pew Center on the States.

CARSON CITY – The long-term unfunded liability of Nevada’s public employee retirement plan improved slightly in fiscal year 2012, up to 71 percent fully funded from 70.2 percent in the previous year, a state official said today.

The plan saw the modest improvement even though the return on investment for the fiscal year was only 2.9 percent. The small gain came after a record 21 percent investment gain in 2011.

A new report released by Elance on November 14, shows that U.S. professionals in economically hard-hit areas like Carson City with 11.6 percent unemployment are tapping online resources like Elance to escape their local economies and get back to work.

I told you so, again and again for four years. OK, so Obama did not cancel the elections; he did one better, he put the veneer of the "will of the people" on it. Voting is the best revenge...? He never had to say, against whom.

CARSON CITY – From double-dipping employees to the questionable use of credit cards, the newest edition of the Nevada Policy Research Institute’s “piglet book” released today offers highlights of recent questionable government agency actions.

CARSON CITY – Nevada is among the states with the highest amount of government debt per capita at $14,949, according to a new report from State Budget Solutions (SBS), a non-partisan advocate for state budget reform.

The level of debt put Nevada at 37^th highest among the states.

CARSON CITY – As Nevada policy makers work to ensure that ineffective teachers are removed from classrooms around the state, a new report released today provides evidence to support the use of test scores to measure how much individual teachers contribute to pupil achievement.

Lake Tahoe will be thrust in the spotlight again when scientists, public agencies and elected officials meet Aug. 13 for the 16th annual Lake Tahoe Summit. To be discussed with great interest is the protection and health of Lake Tahoe's fragile environment and economy.
“The health of the environment and the health of the economy at Tahoe are linked,” Derek Kauneckis, political science professor and researcher at the University of Nevada, Reno said. “And the collaborations that have been established at the Lake have set the stage for future efforts.”

Douglas Boyle is Nevada's new state climatologist. He will oversee operations of the Nevada State Climate Office, a public-service department in the College of Science at the University of Nevada, Reno.
The state climatologist and the Nevada Climate Office collect, maintain and interpret Nevada’s climate and weather data information, publish a quarterly report and provide leadership on climatic hazards and drought planning in the state through work and consultation with the governor's office and state agencies.

The Lake Tahoe Science Consortium collaborated with University of Nevada, Reno’s Department of Art to create “Visualizing Change,” a photographic art expedition intended to convey concepts in environmental restoration at Lake Tahoe to the scientific community and general public. The exhibit is located in the Prim Desert Research Library at Sierra Nevada College at Lake Tahoe’s Incline Village. It features photography and oil painting contributions from eight noted artists and is free and open to the public through July 27.

CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval said today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Arizona immigration law case points out the need for Congress and the president to come together and reform the country’s immigration laws.

CARSON CITY – Nevada is one of four states to receive an “F” grade for student access and success in its higher education system from the Institute for a Competitive Workforce (ICW), an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in a report released this week.

CARSON CITY – The National Retail Federation has launched a nationwide 60-day campaign to raise awareness among lawmakers and the public on how what it calls a loophole exempting online sales from sales tax is hurting local communities and job creation.

If Nevada’s five-member Congressional delegation is any indication, the group has its work cut out for it, with three members opposed and two supportive of the idea to allow states to tax online sales.

CARSON CITY – With education reform a top priority of Gov. Brian Sandoval, the new alignment of the state Board of Education – with four seats up for grabs on the November ballot – is taking on more importance than ever before.

One of the four seats, District 2 which mirrors the new Nevada 2^nd Congressional District from Reno and Carson City east across rural Nevada, has attracted five candidates, two of whom are serving now on the 10-member elected board. The race is nonpartisan.

More than 350 scientists, environmental policy makers and economic stakeholders will discuss Lake Tahoe and its environmental and economic future at the annual Tahoe Science Conference “Environmental Restoration in a Changing Climate” May 22 to 24 at Incline Village.
The conference, this year being held at Sierra Nevada College, features a scientific poster session and the opening of “Visualizing Change, a photographic exhibition,” on Tuesday evening followed by two full days of seminars and workshops covering more than 20 topics in three main areas:

CARSON CITY – A little-known benefit of Nevada’s public employee pension plan is the right to purchase up to five years of service towards retirement.

Referred to by some as “air time,” or the ability to add years of retirement without actually putting in the time in a public sector job, the benefit can allow state and local government workers to retire early, collecting annual pensions years before they would be eligible otherwise.