Reno / Tahoe

Did you know that Center Street was once the heart of business and gambling activity in downtown Reno? That where the closed Moana Pool sits used to be the site of a thriving hot springs and entertainment complex? Learn about these pieces of Reno history and more by attending a series of free lecture programs from the Historic Reno Preservation Society.

These Free Lectures from the Historic Reno Preservation Society are offered on the fourth Wednesday of the month. The talks start at 7 p.m. and are at the Mt. Rose Elementary School, 915 Lander Street in Reno.

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The initial phase of Burning Man's new ticket system is over and things didn't go well. It seems that way more applications were received than Burning Man anticipated, reportedly because some folks registered multiple credit cards and had everyone they knew do the same. The idea was to increase one's chances of being chosen to buy tickets, but it ended up shutting out lots of loyal attendees, including most of those who create big art and theme camps. I recently spoke to a regular Burner who does a theme camp with a bunch of friends and none of them got tickets. He was pretty unhappy with the whole thing.

Some 43,000 tickets have been sold through lottery system, making it a little late to back up and start over. In order to facilitate the resale of some of those tickets, Burning Man is setting up a secure ticket exchange site called the Secure Ticket Exchange Program (STEP). The idea is to have a marketplace where Burners can sell extra tickets to those who want them, and at face value - no scalping allowed. In addition, there will be a first come open sale of 10,000 tickets starting at 12 noon, (Pacific Standard Time), on March 28, 2012.

Go directly to Burning Man for more information about the ticket hassle and what's being done to help things be a little less screwed up. Here are a couple of links...

• Burning Man 2012 Ticket Information
• Burning Man 2012 Tickets: After the Main Sale
• Burning Man Tickets FAQ

Burning Man 2012 will be from August 27 to September 3. This year's art theme is Fertility 2.0.

Sources: Burning Man website, Reno Gazette-Journal.

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Our Washoe County Library continues to feature outstanding programs and activities each month and February is no exception. The variety is amazing, with reading programs for children and teens, family movies, and activities for adults and seniors, to name just a few. All of this is free to library patrons.

Some activities, such as the Winter / Spring Reading Program, span the system and others are specific to certain branches. The library activities I've listed give you a look at what's going on during the month, but each branch has additional activities just at that branch. Contact the library near you for details.

Of particular interest right now might be getting your taxes done. People seeking assistance can get free help at various branches from now until the big day on April 15. Check out my Events and Activities at the Washoe County Library article for details.

If you haven't visited the library lately, be sure to read about recent changes to open hours and days from my Washoe County Library Hours and Services article before heading to your favorite branch.

Source: Washoe County Library System.

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The Reno Aces and concessionaire Levy Restaurants are looking to hire as many as 300 people to fill a variety of positions for the 2012 baseball season. The 2012 schedule is set and the opening home game is on April 5 vs. the Colorado Springs Sky Sox.

Jobs for which applications are being accepted include guest services guides, valet attendants, maintenance workers, custodial staff, camera and audio operators, on-field entertainment crew, marketing and promotions interns, and ticket office staff. Levy Restaurants is looking to fill food service positions.

Beginning on Monday, February 13, applications for Levy Restaurants and ballpark operations will be accepted at the Aces Ballpark security office, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Applications are already being accepted for other positions. Get detailed job descriptions and apply online at the Reno Aces Employment Opportunities web page.

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There is an exciting new exhibit opening in February at the Nevada Museum of Art. Actually, Celebrate Art of the Tiffany Era is a collection of three distinct exhibits about various aspects of Tiffany family design. There is more to Tiffany art than I realized. The exhibit opens on Saturday, February 11. Check out Events at the Nevada Museum of Art for events related to the Tiffany exhibit and more during the month of February, 2012.

If just so happens that the opening of Celebrate Art of the Tiffany Era is on the second Saturday of the month. That means admission is free for everyone. It is also the day for hands/ON! on 2nd Saturdays, so families and kids can enjoy a day of fun like art projects, docent-led gallery activities, storytelling, and performances in the theater.

The hands/ON! on 2nd Saturdays February theme is the culture of Mexico and Carnival. Here is the schedule...

• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Create your own Carnival masks.
• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Create your own maracas.
• 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. - Learn about Mexican Carnival slideshow.
• 10:30 a.m. & 11 a.m. - Fiesta storytelling in the Gallery.
• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Face painting.
• 12 noon & 1 p.m. - Metzonali: Ballet Folklorico.
• 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. - Learn about Mexican Carnival slideshow.
• 2:30 p.m. & 3 p.m. - Fiesta storytelling in the Gallery.

And finally, there is the Valentine's Day Trunk show at the Museum Store. From noon to 3 p.m., shop for a unique Valentine's Day gift from items created by local artist Virginia Vogel.

Source: Nevada Museum of Art.

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It's not too late if you haven't figured out what to do with or for your significant other for Valentine's Day. Check out all the Valentine's Day options I've found and I'll bet there is something that will strike your fancy.

If all else fails, you can take your honey to the movies. Not sure which flick he or she may want to see? Try a movie gift certificate - always a hit, and you can personalize these to suit the occasion.

And don't forget flowers, the traditional Valentine's Day gift for lovers. Reno has several excellent florists to meet your flower gifting needs. If need be, you also have the option of ordering flowers online for Valentine's Day delivery.

Taking your Valentine out on the town is always a hit. There are numerous Valentine's Day dining specials around the Reno area.

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If you want to learn about various aspects of gardening in our northern Nevada environment, these free classes are for you. This series, titled Gardening in Nevada: The Bartley Ranch Series, starts on February 7 and continues through March, 2012. It is presented by Washoe County Regional Parks and Open Space and University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.

All classes are from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will be held at Bartley Ranch Regional Park, 6000 Bartley Ranch Road in Reno.

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Deadline for applications to attend the spring session of the Reno Citizens Institute (RCI) is February 22, 2012. This excellent program is an eight week course about the workings of Reno city government. By investing the time and effort into RCI, you will become an informed citizen and better able to participate in the civic life of the city. You might even find some volunteer opportunities where you can share your special expertise or knowledge. RCI is always popular, so apply right away or you might not get a spot.

RCI is a first-class operation, facilitated by Reno Neighborhood Services. I graduated from the spring 2008 session and feel it was well worth the time. If you are interested in public service (elected office, boards and commissions, etc.) or just want to learn more about how things work in Reno, RCI is for you. Apply for this next session, which begins February 28, by filling out and faxing the simple application available from a link on the RCI website. Participants must be at least 18 years old and work or reside in the Truckee Meadows. A minimal background check is required, primarily to make sure participants do not have outstanding warrants. For more information, call Reno Direct at (775) 334-INFO (4636). There is a limit of 25 participants. The schedule for this upcoming Reno Citizens Institute is below.

Sessions are on Tuesday evenings, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• February 28 - City Manager's Office
• March 6 - Community Development / Code Enforcement / Redevelopment / Business License
• March 13 - Parks, Recreation and Community Services
• March 20 - Reno Fire Department
• March 27 - Public Works
• April 3 - Reno Police Department
• April 10 - Municipal Court and City Attorney's Office
• April 17 - Human Resources, Finance and Communications & Technology
• April 25 - Graduation at the Reno City Council meeting

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The Wilbur D. May Museum in Reno's Rancho San Rafael Regional Park is bringing us yet another outstanding exhibit. From now through May 23, 2012, you can enjoy the splendors of ancient Egypt by visiting King Tut: "Wonderful Things" from the Pharaoh's Tomb at the museum.

The King Tut exhibit features some 130 reproductions of artifacts discovered in the boy pharaoh's tomb in 1922. The reproductions were prepared by artisans from the Pharaonic Village in Giza, Egypt. Museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Admission is $9 for adults, $8 for children under 18 and seniors 62 and over. It's $6 per person for groups of 15 or more. For additional information, call Washoe County Parks at (775) 823-6500.

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Early this Groundhog Day morning up on Gobbler's Knob, Punxsutawney Phil emerged to pronounce his yearly prognostication about the duration of winter. Since Phil has been 100% correct for over 120 years, we would do well to heed his prediction. The Sierra snowpack and the water storage it contains are in bad shape right now, but you never know what the next couple of months might bring. It's good to pay attention to Phil so we know what's coming up and can plan accordingly.

In 2011, Phil did not see his shadow. For those unfamiliar with the legend, it is explained thus - if Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If not, there will be an early spring. How this translates to far flung locales like Reno is part of Phil's mysterious powers of prediction. Ours is only to have faith and believe. If it doesn't go the way we want, we'll just have to deal with it.

On this Groundhog Day morning, Punxsutawney Phil made his forecast for 2012... Phil surveyed his surroundings and saw his shadow, so six more weeks of winter it will be. Since he is always right, we can (hopefully) look forward to some nice storms to boost our anemic snow pack.

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