Nevada Briefs - August 2002

Nevada Briefs

Museum Partners with RSCVA

The Nevada Museum of Art (NMA) and the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA) have formed a partnership to cross-promote the grand opening of the new Nevada Museum of Art, The Donald W. Reynolds Center for the Visual Arts, E.L. Wiegand Gallery, scheduled to open in May 2003. With sponsorship from the RSCVA, the NMA has secured Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Twentieth-Century Mexican Art: The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection as the premiere exhibition to be presented in the feature gallery at the new NMA. "The demonstrated success of partnerships created between convention and visitors bureaus and art museums has been seen in other communities such as Los Angeles and New York," said Steven High, NMA’s executive director. "By helping to bring the works of Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and other contemporary Mexican artists to Reno, the RSCVA has invested in the cultural marketing potential of this region and helped to place the NMA as a resource to attract tourism." Designed by architect Will Bruder, the new NMA will be a four-level, 60,000-square-foot building featuring expanded gallery space, two outdoor sculpture gardens, a café and expanded gift shop.

Pahrump Valley Vineyards Sold

Western Horizon Resorts, Inc., a Colorado-based recreational vehicle park developer, has purchased Pahrump Valley Vineyards winery and an adjacent 5-acre parcel of land for $2.65 million. The new owner plans to invest more than $2 million in improvements to the property, chiefly involving the construction of a 250-site RV resort, which it will operate in conjunction with the winery after all regulatory approvals have been received. Construction on the RV park is expected to begin this month, and it is scheduled to be completed by January 2003. The Pahrump winery, which opened in 1988, attracts more than 130,000 visitors a year and produces approximately 180,000 bottles of wine annually. Galileo Group, based in Henderson, brokered the transaction.

Alternative Fuel Vehicles Previewed

The Las Vegas Regional Clean Cities Coalition recently hosted more than 100 area fleet managers at the 2003 Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFV) Preview at the Community College of Southern Nevada. The preview was held to educate fleet operators on the benefits of using alternative fuels and to encourage them to participate in the Clean Cities program, a public-private partnership representing more than 50 organizations in Southern Nevada. Several fleets in the Las Vegas area operate 100 or more AFVs, including the city of Las Vegas, Clark County, Clark County School District, Regional Transportation Commission and Nellis Air Force Base. Currently, more than 3,000 AFVs operate in the Las Vegas Valley. The Las Vegas Regional Clean Cities Coalition is one of more than 80 Clean Cities across the United States, established in response to the Energy Policy Act of 1992, which set a national goal of reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil by 30 percent by 2010.

Fire Science Academy Reopens

The troubled Fire Science Academy (FSA) in Carlin reopened in May after an 18-month closure caused by technical problems at the 426-acre site. More than 130 people were on hand for the reopening, and officials from Carlin, Elko and Elko County expressed hopes the training center would help revitalize the local economy by bringing in firefighters and other professionals from across the country to participate in short-term programs at the FSA. Courses will include: firefighting techniques; training for industrial firefighting; crisis and emergency management; aircraft rescue; hazardous materials; rescue training; instructor training; and customized programs for large corporations such as oil and gas companies. The FSA is a program of the College of Extended Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno.