Around the Arch Blog

As part of Artown, musicians are playing on pianos that have been painted by local artists. Council Member Dave Aiazzi worked to get the project this July. The pianos are in different areas of town.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vgVrTBjDFc]

The City’s Recreation and Park Commissioners are adopting a number of Reno parks this summer and are hopeful that other residents will adopt parks as well. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRGPYgAPnFI]

Volunteers removed 81 tons of illegally dumped trash and invasive weeds from local outdoor recreation areas during the 5th Annual Great Truckee Meadows Community Cleanup on Saturday, May 8.

“Although 81 tons is still a lot of illegally dumped trash, we are seeing less every year,” said Christi Cakiroglu, Executive Director of Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful. “With the implementation of the 329-DUMP hotline to report illegal dumping, the continued support of the community and free quarterly bulky item weekends through Waste Management, we are making a huge dent in the problem. Education is the key!”

Over 500 volunteers worked at 14 sites from Verdi to Vista Heights to Dorothy McAlinden Park to Toll Canyon. In all, 541 yards of trash and invasive weeds were removed, including 18 tons of concrete, 500 pounds of metal, and over 300 tires, as well as Scotch and Musk thistle. Read the rest of this entry »

The City of Reno welcomes the United States Air Force Travis Brass back to town this weekend.  The Travis Brass will perform on Sunday, May 16^th at the Wingfield Park Amphitheater.  This free concert begins at 3 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

When the Travis Brass previously performed at the McKinley Arts & Culture Center, the audience was treated to hours of beautiful, patriotic music.  This year’s performance promises to delight again; the venue is wonderful and the weather forecast looks perfect for an outdoor concert.

For more information call Peggy Nelson-Aguilar, Recreation Supervisor at 775-657-4630 or visit www.bandofthegoldenwest.us.af.mil.

The Reno City Council has declared May 15-21 as Bike to Work & School Week. As a result, the City of Reno has been registered in the Commuter Challenge and encourages all employees to ride their bike at least one day during that week. Go to www.bikenevada.org and register and make sure you note you work for the City of Reno .

Register on the Bike to Work website and you’ll be entered into a community raffle with the chance to win $500 toward the purchase of a bicycle of your choice! You’ll also get a certificate for a 10% discount on commuter merchandise (helmets, backpacks, tire patch kits, leg bands, etc. – does not include bicycles) at participating bike shops.

Get a free cup of coffee on Friday, May 21, at a participating Commuter Coffee Shops.  See www.bikenevada.org  for a list.

Grab your bike and mark your calendars for May 15 through May 21, 2010. It’s Bike to Work and School Week!

At yesterday’s City Council Meeting, Mayor Cashell presented the proclamation to announce the week in hopes of encouraging all commuters to join the City of Reno and the Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance in promoting and participating in bicycling as an alternative, non-polluting form of healthy transportation. 

Commuters who travel by bicycle employ a clean, quiet, and efficient mode of transportation while helping to reduce harmful exhaust pollutants and improve air quality, saving on fuel and maintenance costs associated with driving to work or school. Moderate physical activity such as bicycling on the part of employees can in turn be a benefit to employers by reducing healthcare costs, decreasing absenteeism, and increasing productivity.

The City of Reno and Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance encourages parents and kids to bike safely by observing all safety measures, including wearing a helmet and obeying all traffic laws.

To help raise awareness about Bike to Work Week, local elected government officials are riding from Sparks City Hall to Reno City Hall on May 17 at 10 a.m. More information will be sent out in the upcoming days.

The Reno City Council has made “green” a priority by enhancing the City’s efforts to reduce its impact on the environment by providing leadership in the community to encourage residents and businesses to join in this effort. To learn more about the Green Priority and how the City is “Keeping it Green” visit www.reno.gov.

To learn more about Bike to Work and School week visit www.bikenevada.org— “Burn calories, save money, help the environment and have fun.”

Gather your neighbors and join the City of Reno, City of Sparks, Washoe County, Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful, and numerous other agencies to help clean up our community. The event is the Great Truckee Meadows Community Clean Up on Saturday, May 8 from 8:30 a.m. until 12 noon.

Once you have saved the date in your calendar please sign up at www.ktmb.org or call 851-5185.

To learn more and view the Great Clean Up flyer click here.

We hope to see you on May 8th!

Thanks to the Ward Two Central Neighborhood Advisory Board (NAB) area residents will be able to enjoy the water play feature at Yori Park.

At last Wednesday’s Reno City Council Meeting, the Council approved a request from Ward Two Central NAB for $3,000 in Community Pride Grant (CPG) funds to the City of Reno Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department. The CPG funds will be used to offset operating expenses associated with the water play feature at Yori Park.

Yori Park is a heavily used neighborhood park with a popular water play feature. Without the CPG allocation this feature would not be operational this summer due to budget restrictions. Turning the water play area on at Yori Park this summer encourages family visits while providing free entertainment and relief during the summer months.

Each NAB’s CPG funds are designed to be used for neighborhood-specific projects. These funds are allocated to projects that the City may not have budgeted for that the NAB would like to expedite. Funds are generally intended for projects that are short term in nature and quick to implement. While funding is recommended by the boards, its use and expenditure are guided by established city procurement, expenditure procedures, and ground rules.

The Spring-Summer Program Brochure produced by the Reno Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department is now available. The Brochure contains information on public art, special events, senior programs, summer camps, swim lessons & pool schedules, adult leagues, a facility & park directory and more.

Download brochure (5mb) or pick it up at one of these facilities:

* Evelyn Mount Northeast Community Center, 1301 Valley Road
* Neil Road Recreation Center, 3925 Neil Road
* McKinley Arts & Culture Center, 925 Riverside Drive
* Teglia’s Paradise Park Activity Center, 2745 Elementary Drive
* Southside Cultural Center, 190 East Liberty Street
* Northwest Pool, 2925 Apollo Way

To have a copy mailed to you or for more information call (775) 334-2262.

I’m sure many of you are tired like I am of seeing the many fliers that are plastered all over the poles throughout our city. It makes our beautiful city look horrible and I for one take pride in my town so I don’t want to see this. Not to mention, these signs often blow away and litter our city. Very bad.

Do you know it’s not only horrible to look at but it’s actually illegal to post signs just anywhere? Many individuals and businesses are finding out that posting these signs are in violation of Reno Municipal Codes. It is legal to post these signs on private property with the owner’s permission.

On Wednesday, the Code Enforcement Division spent four hours cleaning up almost 1,000 illegally posted signs in the downtown corridor. That’s just in four hours! The signs taken down advertised for a variety of businesses, bands, or concert venues. If Code Enforcement is able to track where the signs came from those business or individuals will receive a warning letter. If some have already received a letter in the past or if they continue to post after receiving the letter then the citation process starts. The first notice is $100, 2nd is $250, 3rd is $500, and 4th & all subsequent is $1000. The notice advises to remove all signs currently and not to post in the future. If it is deemed a chronic problem of a business posting illegal signs, Code Enforcement has the authority to pursue a suspension of the business license.

I think it’s great that Code Enforcement is working at improving our city especially during these times when we are trying to keep visitors, attract new ones, and keep residents enjoying our area. In case you don’t know what Code Enforcement does, the division assists to enforce the Reno Municipal Code as it applies to property maintenance, property nuisances, and other issues in residential and commercial zoning districts.