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Dr. William U. Pearson Community Center Grand Opening May 31
After much anticipation, the Dr. William U. Pearson Community Center is opening.
Family of the late Dr. Pearson will be on hand for the May 31 grand opening ceremony of the 40,000-square-foot center near the intersection of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Carey Avenue.
The center was built by the county, which has hired the Las Vegas-Clark County Urban League to operate the center, which includes a gym, fitness and computer rooms, senior and teen rooms, and additional classrooms.
The center will house many educational programs such as writing, literacy and college preparatory classes.
It is only fitting that such a dynamic and community-oriented center be named after "Doc" Pearson.
Dr. Pearson was a longtime leader in our community. He was the first African-American to serve as a Las Vegas City Councilman and later a Clark County Commissioner.
During his years as a commissioner, Dr. Pearson served on the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, was chairman of the University Medical Center board and was instrumental in securing funding for the hospital's trauma center. He died in February 2004.
MLK/Carey Early Childhood Development Center Opens
Commissioner Weekly welcomed the Early Childhood Development Center to the community with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in March.
The 15,000-square-foot center is next to the Pearson center near the intersection of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Carey Avenue. It is the newest Head Start center in Clark County and serves up to 100 children ages 3 to 5 year-round.
"This is a great asset for our community," Commissioner Weekly said. "This center is a safe and loving place for children to grow their bodies and minds. I'm proud we have been able to support this project and in doing so support the families with children enrolled there."
The center was built and is owned by Clark County. The non-profit organization Community Development Institute (CDI) Head Start Serving Clark County, Nevada operates this center along with 12 others throughout Southern Nevada.
Mother's Day Celebration
Commissioner Weekly salutes mothers in District "D" with his annual Mother's Day Luncheon on May 8.
The commissioner's "Mothers are the Center of the Heart" event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Dr. William U. Pearson Community Center at 1625 W. Carey Ave.
As many as 200 mothers will be invited to the event. They all come from local housing authorities senior apartments or are regulars at area senior center.
This year mothers will enter on red carpet and through a 7-foot heart of balloons. All the mothers in attendance will wear red. There will be entertainment, gift raffles and much more in recognition of Mother's Day during this event.
District D Outstanding Citizen Award and Nominations
Every day there are citizens who make District D a better place to live. To recognize their efforts and thank them for doing their part to improve our community, Commissioner Weekly launched the District D Outstanding Citizen Program.
The first recipient of this honor is Cari Fridenberg, whose dedication to keeping District D clean and fighting crime has improved our community.
Cari is a Neighborhood Pride Zone captain who has initiated several community improvement projects including painting curbs and fire hydrants. She has also been involved in graffiti clean-up efforts in our community.
"She is a real jewel," Commissioner Weekly said. "She is always reaching above and beyond to improve the quality of life in District D.
Nomination forms can be obtained through Commissioner Weekly's office at the Clark County Government Center at 500 S. Grand Central Parkway. The forms are also available on the commissioner's Web page at http://www.accessclarkcounty.com/depts/Commission/Pages/Weekly.aspx
Nominees should reside in District D. Elected officials are not eligible for the award.
Outstanding Citizens will be recognized during regular commission meetings.
High School Students
Win Help with Prom
Commissioner Weekly, sitting middle, with winning students from left Erick Alcantar, Narcisa Zepeda, Mario Hawkins, TaJane Perry, Kristyna Manley and Cruz Mayfield. Not pictured Anthony Williams and Kimberly Cummings.
Commissioner Weekly helped a group of high school students afford their proms.
The students were required to write essays about school safety and the role students have in creating safer environments for youth events. All of the students attend high schools in District D.
The commissioner said he was also glad that this contest gave him another chance to hear from the students about school safety.
"The students live with this critical issue every day and it is important for us to listen to their concerns and ideas," he said.
Also on April 26, the students competed in several games to determine who would win the first, second, third and fourth-place checks.
"Prom is a big deal for these kids and something they will remember for the rest of their lives," Weekly said. "But prom is also very expensive nowadays. I am just glad to be able to help some of these students have a great prom."
Walking with Weekly
More than 200 people went "Walking with Weekly" and took advantage of a beautiful April morning to get a little healthier.
Commissioner Weekly's annual fitness walk, breakfast and health fair was held this year at the College of Southern Nevada's Cheyenne Campus in North Las Vegas.
There were martial arts demonstrations, massages, and fitness trainers were on hand.
Also, staff from University Medical Center were there providing free blood pressure checks during the event, which was free to attend.
'State of Our Schools:
A Conversation about
School Violence'
Commissioner Weekly co-hosted a town hall-style meeting with high school students in early April to discuss school violence and ways to make our community safer.
The event titled "State of Our Schools: A Conversation About School Violence" involved more than 250 students from northern and southern Nevada. The students were linked by a video conference so they could see and hear each others' ideas and concerns.
In Clark County, about 150 students participated from a conference room at the Grant Sawyer Building on Washington Avenue.
"It was great to hear directly from our youth about the concerns and issues they are dealing with," Commissioner Weekly said. "We had a productive and thoughtful discussion that got the students speaking to each other and us."
The commissioner co-hosted the discussion with Nevada State Senator Steven Horsford.
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Graffiti Clean-ups
In recognition of April being Graffiti Awareness Month in Clark County, Commissioner Weekly and some of his fellow commissioners took brush to wall to cleanup graffiti with hundreds of volunteers.
During the month of April county staff provided free graffiti cleanup supplies - paint and brushes - to many neighborhood and community groups, and organized Saturday morning cleanups around the county.
"This is all about taking pride in your community," Commissioner Weekly said. "Graffiti is a crime that hurts us all. It is a stain on any neighborhood and it attracts crime and lowers property values."
In all, more than 400 volunteers took part in the Graffiti Awareness Month cleanups.
"It was really exciting to see the citizens take back their neighborhoods," the commissioner said. "These cleanups had an immediate impact on the community."
In Southern Nevada local governments, businesses and citizens spend an estimated $30 million a year cleaning up graffiti.
In addition to the Graffiti Awareness Month activities, the county manages the Southern Nevada Graffiti Hotline at 455-4509. Residents may call the hotline to report graffiti, request paint for cleanups, or volunteer for cleanups. More information about the county's anti-graffiti efforts is available online at www.accessclarkcounty.com.
A couple weeks before the cleanups, Commissioner Weekly and officials with the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada and DARE unveiled an anti-graffiti bus wrap designed by a local student.
Women's History Month Recognition recipients from left Jewel Jeppe, Vida Chan Lin, Irene Bustamante Adams, Dr. Eleanor Chow, Judge Valorie Vega and Jani Jeppe.
In honor of Women's History Month in March, Commissioner Weekly recognized the following outstanding women in our community.
Irene Bustamante Adams - Director of Construction Diversity, MGM MIRAGE City Center also newly elected Latin Chamber of Commerce, Chairwoman.
Judge Valorie Vega - She has been a pioneer of new court programs through out her many years of service.
Vida Chan Lin - Vice President of the Asian Chamber of Commerce and very active in the Asian community.
Dr. Eleanor Chow - was recently honored by the Asian Chamber for all her dedication to promoting education to our youth.
Virginia Valentine - Clark County Manager.
Jani & Jewel Jeppe - Community Advocates for young girls
Artists, Dancers Educators, choreographers, Cosmetologists, Role models
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