Councilman’s Corner
It is my pleasure to send you my first Ward 5 Online Newsletter. This newsletter will provide you with important information about what is happening in your community. In addition to the newsletter, you will also receive a monthly calendar that will include upcoming meetings, activities and events in your neighborhood. We hope you enjoy this issue and look forward to your feedback and suggestions.

Many of you have met my liaisons Steven Brooks and Ydoleena Yturralde. Please help us in welcoming Tanya Jackson-Renter, who recently joined the Ward 5 team as my executive assistant. You can contact Tanya or anyone in the Ward 5 office by using the e-mail links provided to the right.

Many of you know that one of my priorities is removing graffiti in Ward 5. Graffiti causes blight and sends a negative message about the health of a community. To help accomplish this, I rolled out plans for the Clean Ward 5 campaign at eight town hall meetings this past February. My office is working with the Neighborhood Services Department and residents to take proactive steps to find and paint over graffiti along the streets and in the neighborhoods. Rapidly removing graffiti discourages vandals from tagging a site repeatedly. 

Ward 5 staff worked with residents at my recent town hall meetings to help identify their top concerns for the community. The Clean Ward 5 campaign will include strategies to address these key issues, which include property maintenance, abandoned or inoperable vehicles in neighborhoods, trash and debris, vandalism and abandoned shopping carts. I encourage residents, organizations and businesses to join in the effort to beautify Ward 5. Contact my office to find out how you can help.

Through the Clean Ward 5 Campaign, local residents will have opportunities to reshape our vision and say “Welcome to Fabulous Ward 5: Historic, Proud, Progressive.”

Clean Ward 5 Campaign Partners with Republic Services
The city of Las Vegas along with many other agencies and organizations throughout the country are experiencing difficult financial times. In an effort to streamline services and save taxpayer dollars, Councilman Barlow has taken the Clean Ward 5 campaign one step further by teaming up with Republic Services to offer Neighborhood Cleanups. Through this public/private partnership, the city is able to continue offering residents the opportunity to dispose of large unwanted items while more efficiently serving the community and saving taxpayer dollars. This is a win-win for everyone. The city saves on staff and money while still offering residents opportunities to keep their neighborhoods clean. Neighborhood Cleanups create increased cooperation among neighbors, neighborhood associations and city staff.

Ward 5 Partnerships in the Community

Operation Lasting Peace
Operation Lasting Peace is continuing its growth in 2008 with its partnership and support of Safe Village in West Las Vegas through their operation Lasting Peace (OLP) Community Mobilization Initiative. This past February, OLP celebrated its first year partnership with Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Bolden Area Command. A press conference and community celebration was held at Victory Missionary Baptist Church.

This initiative’s unique combination of law enforcement and community efforts has truly made a mark in West Las Vegas. OLP is helping change the norm of violence and addressing community needs. Its mission is to build stronger communities by working with residents to reduce violence. OLP helps residents improve and strengthen the health and safety of their community through partnerships with community/business groups and agencies and faith-based organizations.  For more information about how you can get involved in Operation Lasting Peace, contact our office.

Matt Kelly School Beautification and Safe Summer Nights
On May 3, Councilman Barlow, in partnership with the Nevada Youth Alliance, Matt Kelly Elementary, the city of Las Vegas Neighborhood Services Department, the Southern Nevada Community Gang Task Force and Operation Lasting Peace, kicked off the summer with a mural painting project and a Safe Summer Nights event. Students, parents, school staff and resident volunteers worked with a local mural artist to create a colorful and fun kindergarten play area at Matt Kelly Elementary School. Next school year, kindergarten students will have a bright and cheerful area to enjoy the outdoors.

Safe Summer Night activities included face painting, jump houses, games, food and a disc jockey. The event also included a youth literacy program hosted by the Clark County School District, and other agencies and organizations provided additional information to the community about health and education and summer activity opportunities. More than 600 attended and enjoyed the day along with receiving important information for their families.
 

All event activities were sponsored by the Nevada Youth Alliance and food was donated and served by the Alliance of Black Culinarians.

Councilman Barlow, in partnership with the Nevada Youth Alliance and Operation Lasting Peace, will be holding additional Safe Summer Nights events for families on July 24 and August 21. Watch for more details in the Ward 5 community calendar sent each month.

Vegas Heights Organizing Meeting
Councilman Barlow met with residents and nonprofit organizations in the Vegas Heights neighborhood in Lubertha Johnson Park on May 29 to discuss the benefits of neighborhood organizing and the steps to move forward.  
 

The city of Las Vegas Neighborhood Services Department has a variety of services and programs designed to help residents organize into neighborhood associations. Neighborhood associations are voluntary organizations of residents who work together to improve and maintain the quality of life in their communities. Once organized, the department’s neighborhood planners work with neighborhood associations to organize cleanups, set up neighborhood classrooms and other activities that strengthen communities. 

Please contact the councilman’s office if you would like to help organize your neighborhood.

Coleman Park Cleanup and Neighborhood Organizing
Councilman Barlow and staff, along with metro police officers from the Bolden Area Command, met with residents from the Coleman Park neighborhood on a recent Saturday as part of a neighborhood cleanup and organizing event. Residents learned about the Clean Ward 5 Campaign, Metro’s Neighborhood Watch program and the advantages of working together to maintain a clean, beautiful and safe community.

Residents surrounding Coleman Park received a mailer with detailed instructions about leaving large items curbside for the cleanup. Festivities at Coleman Park included a jump house and ice cream for the children. Residents relaxed at the Neighborhood Porch where they discovered the opportunities available through neighborhood organizing and the Neighborhood Services Department. 

Vegas Heights Neighborhood and Community Center Beautification
On March15, volunteers were called to join the city of Las Vegas and many community partners for an event to beautify the Vegas Heights neighborhood and the United Firefighters of Southern Nevada community center. Volunteers and the city’s Rapid Response team moved through the area to pick up large items in need of disposal, clean empty lots, and paint curbs, fire hydrants and light poles. A senior gardening project also received some attention during the event.  
 

The event involved an impressive collaboration of community partners including: Principium a non-profit organization, United Firefighters of Southern Nevada, Goshen, Las Vegas Printers, The Embracing Project, XS Entertainment, Doolittle Senior Center, ACORN, Mario’s Westside Market, 10,000 Kids, Nevada Community Foundation, KCEP 88.1 FM, TWC Construction, Premier Painters, Carpets ‘n’ More, Bell Technologies, Norton Arts, Dunn Edwards and The Appreciated Painter.

Sierra Oeste Neighborhood Barbecue
Councilman Barlow joined members of the Northwest Area Command at the Sierra Oeste neighborhood on May 3 for a community barbecue. The purpose of this neighborhood barbecue was to improve communication between residents who live in the community, Metro and the city. Metro officers were on horseback and provided hot dogs, hamburgers and beverages to the neighbors. The city of Las Vegas provided the Neighborhood Porch, which allowed the Neighborhood Services Department staff, as well as Councilman Barlow, an opportunity to speak with members of the community. The barbecue was a success and residents were able to get important information about available social service providers in the community. 

Desert Rose Mother’s Day Event
Councilman Barlow and his staff joined the retirement community of Vintage Desert Rose for their annual Mother’s Day Tea and Luncheon. The ladies were beautiful in pink and the decorated club house was festive and buzzing with excitement. Each table was beautifully draped and had centerpieces with pink and white roses with babies’ breath. It was only appropriate to have original, elegant, porcelain tea pots and dainty tea cups on the tables; there was one for each guest. The gentlemen, including Councilman Barlow, put on “aprons” to serve the ladies.

This was a beautiful event and Councilman Barlow and his staff were honored to have the opportunity to take part. We would like to thank the Vintage Desert Rose staff and Office Manager Michelle Woodward for the invitation.

Barlow Bingo Palace
Councilman Barlow held the first annual “Barlow Bingo Palace” at Cashman Center this past March. About 100 seniors from the Las Vegas City Housing Authority were present. This was a phenomenal event. The seniors were greeted by Councilman Barlow and given a Barlow Bingo Palace T-shirt and bag. From there they visited with thirty vendors and enjoyed a continental breakfast. The festivities began after everyone received a free raffle ticket. Gifts, including a fifty dollar grocery card to Wal-Mart, gift baskets, concerts on the strip and a 32- inch flat screen television, were raffled off. The grand prize was six months paid rent! Seniors played 10 rounds of bingo with various prizes given to the winners. If you missed this event, make sure you mark your calendars for next year.
 

WARD 5 DEVELOPMENT

Long-Awaited Grocery Store to Open in West Las Vegas
Extensive efforts put forth by Councilman Barlow and city of Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency officials have resulted in a pending agreement between Vons, Buy Low Market, Inc. and the Redevelopment Agency to open a new grocery store in West Las Vegas.

A sublease agreement has been executed between Vons and Buy Low Market, a community-minded, full-service grocery store to be located at Edmond Town Center, located at the intersection of Owens Avenue and H Street.
The 43,000-square-foot anchor space, located on Edmond Town Center’s west side, was formerly occupied by a Vons grocery store, which closed in August 2004.

Vons will be subleasing to Buy Low Market, Inc., the owner of which is a principal of K.V. Mart Co., which currently operates several grocery store brands in California. These companies operate a number of Top Valu Market grocery stores and Valu Plus Food Warehouses, along with an Amar Ranch Market, a Price Rite and several Buy Low Markets.
Construction and tenant improvements on the Buy Low Market in West Las Vegas are expected to begin subsequent to all city of Las Vegas and Redevelopment Agency approvals. The projected opening for this grocery store is late 2008.
Buy Low Market, Inc. specializes in providing “inner-city residents with affordably-priced foods in their local neighborhoods,” according to company officials.

Buy Low Market’s operational credo is that older, smaller structures provide lower break-even points due to lower rents and operating costs, and when these stores are properly run they produce higher sales than what the major chain operators have been able to generate. In addition, officials assert that all of their stores cater to the tastes of the surrounding ethnic communities and that Buy Low Market strives to hire unemployed members of the local community to work in Buy Low stores. Grocery experience is not necessary as the company provides training.

The city of Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency offered Buy Low Market, Inc. several financial incentives to entice the development of a much-needed and desired full-service grocery store for the West Las Vegas area.

The Buy Low Market grocery store is projected to provide approximately 85 jobs with an estimated annual payroll of $1.6 million.

West Las Vegas Residents Team with Planners for a One-Day Workshop to Brainstorm Revitalization for the Historic Community

West Las Vegas residents teamed up with certified planning professionals from across the country for a day-long workshop in April. The workshop was part of the American Planning Association’s 100th national planning conference that recently took place in Las Vegas.

Planning experts paired with those who call West Las Vegas home to share their collective expertise in revitalizing communities. The purpose of the Historic West Las Vegas Community Planning Workshop was to create a community vision that could include design standards and possibly a neighborhood pattern book to specify the priorities for the area. A revitalized historic West Las Vegas has the potential to become a walkable urban community that celebrates its rich history and provides a balanced mix of residential and commercial uses.

The goal for each workshop session was to focus on three areas, community connectivity, housing and revitalization, in an effort to develop a comprehensive community vision. Community stakeholders were able to explore these three areas through a series of community meetings, which resulted in the following:

Community Connectivity
• The West Las Vegas community discussed creating a theme, which is the community vision that could include design standards and possibly a neighborhood pattern book.

• The community felt it was important to create a positive image, which would include West Las Vegas as a destination to the broader Las Vegas valley.

Housing
• The community listed several housing concepts such as mixed income housing (market rate and workforce), assisted living, workforce housing, rent-to-own units and artists’ studios (rental or condominiums).

Revitalization
• The community discussed marketing West Las Vegas once the community vision is developed, since developers continue to be attracted to cities, communities and neighborhoods that have a consensus. Therefore it is imperative that the city and the community are working together to achieve specific goals. This will include consensus on zoning modifications and land assemblage (market and workforce housing) in order to achieve the community vision. 

• The West Las Vegas neighborhood lends itself to a walkable urban neighborhood. This is both a tremendous asset and a unique opportunity given the geography of the West Las Vegas community, its grid system and design potential for creating enclaves of desirable activities throughout the area. Once a vision is developed through consensus, the range of possibilities for potential neighborhood retail within walking distance of most residents will become clearer to the community.

Following the one day workshop, community participants had an opportunity to share what they learned with the broader community to involve more stakeholders to actualize the community’s vision.

Lorenzi Park Improvements Are Underway

The east half of the 60-acre Lorenzi Park is now closed to make way for an $11.4 million improvement project. Construction on the park will take approximately 12 months to complete.

Crews have begun work on the park makeover project. Work includes renovating the tennis courts and softball fields, improving and upgrading the field lighting, and constructing a new special events area, new playground and additional parking spaces. Work is being done during the daytime hours.

All of the facilities located to the west of the park pond will remain open. Special events at Sammy Davis Jr. Festival Plaza, along with buildings for adaptive and senior programs, the Nevada State Museum, the Nevada Garden Park Society Rose Garden and the fishing pond will stay open, although fewer parking spaces will be available while work is underway.

Upcoming Events and Activities

Las Vegas 51s Game
Saturday, July 12, 7 p.m.
Councilman Barlow will sponsor a group of Little League players at the upcoming 51s game.

Safe Summer Nights
Thursday, July 17, 6 to 9 p.m.
Doolittle Avenue and J Street

Thursday, Aug. 21, 6 to 9 p.m.
Location to be determined

Levy Senior Center Trip to Mt. Charleston
Thursday, July 24
Levy Center seniors enjoy a trip to Mr. Charleston, bingo and lunch served at the Mt. Charleston Lodge

Doolittle Summer Splash
Saturday, July 26, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Doolittle Pool, 1950 N. J Street
Free swimming and hot dogs, while supplies last. Enjoy entertainment by a disc jockey.

Buy Low Job Fair
Saturday, Aug. 16, time to be announced
Buy Low Market, which will open next year in the Edmond Town Center, will hold a job fair to hire local residents for the store.

Ward 5 Back-To-School Fair
Saturday, Aug. 23, time to be announced
Doolittle Community Center, 1950 N. J Street

Teen Town Hall
Tuesday, Sept. 23
Councilman Barlow speaks with youth from various high schools to voice their concerns and opinions about special events.

 

I hope you enjoyed this first edition of the Ward 5 Online Newsletter. Please contact my office with ideas and suggestions for future newsletters. We want to provide you with all the information you need to enjoy living in Ward 5.