NORTHERN NEVADA FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012
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SPARKS
Arts in Bloom festival adds wine to the mix
FOCUS ON: COMMUNITY
By Michael Martinez mmartinez@rgj.com
The city of Sparks’ 10th annual Arts in Bloom Festival will be a little different this year. It’s moving from May to July, it will be affiliated with the monthlong Artown events and John Ascauga’s Nugget will host a wine tasting. The Arts in Bloom & Wine Festival will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday at Sparks Victorian Square Plaza across from the Nugget. Local artists, food and art vendors and more than a dozen wineries will be represented during the event. Local groove band Escalade will provide music. “We all know the kind of weather a Mother’s Day would bring,” said Francine Burge, the city’s special events coordinator. “It’s always been a wonderful event, getting a great response from artists, but the weather has always been kinda dicey.” Burge said the city decided to move it to Artown “to be part of that whole art machine.” “And not only is Arts in Bloom being part of Artown this year, but the Nugget has stepped up and had several concerts during Artown,” she said. “It’s really nice to hear Sparks is Artown as well.” One of the highlighted artists will be Emily Spaulding, a 16-year-old Spanish Springs High School student and an award-winning chalk artist who will draw on a corner of the Plaza as the event takes place. “She wants to do an animal-related project and draw it right down the sidewalk,” Burge said. “That will be her canvas.” The Nevada Quilt Guild from Fallon also will display recent projects. Artists’ booths with painting, ceramics, photography, jewelry, glass works and sculpture will offer works for sale. About mid-afternoon, Escalade will hit the stage near the Plaza fountain. “They’ve always been the warm-up band, but they have such a great following and they really get people moving,” Burge said. Some of the new food vendors include Goodie’s, Isabel’s Bakery and Divine Plate Catering. “We’re going to do it at different hours, so we know that with the wine tasting, they’re going to need good food to go with it,” Burge said. Among the wineries confirmed are: Acrobat, Apothic, Civello, Ecco, Guenoc, Kenwood, Korbel, Row Eleven, Stratton Lummis, Vino Noceto and William Hill. The event cost the city of Sparks just under $5,000, Burge said.
ARTS IN BLOOM & WINE TASTING WHAT: Arts in Bloom & Wine Festival WHEN: 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday WHERE: Victorian Square Plaza, Sparks COST: Free DETAILS: eventinfo@cityofsparks.us
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The Architectural Design Group’s rendering of a new building that would serve as a youth center for the Boys and Girls Club. PROVIDED TO THE RGJ
OLD SPACE NEW FACE Boys & Girls Club could build at YMCA site on Foster Drive By Siobhan McAndrew smcandrew@rgj.com
The Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows is hoping to bring life back to the site of the closed YMCA at 1300 Foster Drive. “People care about that neighborhood and site,” said Mike Wurm, chief professional officer of the Boys & Girls Club, a nonprofit organization that provides before- and after-school programs, sports leagues and education at 19 locations across Northern Nevada. The longtime Reno landmark, across from Reno High School, was home to the YMCA for almost 60 years. The site closed in December 2011. The William N. Pennington Foundation, a longtime contributor to local causes, approached the club about the area, which includes the adjacent E. L. Wiegand Youth Center at 1270 Foster Drive, Wurm said. The foundation has promised more than $9 million to revitalize that area. The Boys & Girls Club is in the process of raising an additional $3.5 million this year to go forward. “Part of the condition with the foundation is that we move on this now,” Wurm said. “That area has been sitting there, and the foundation wants to be aggressive.” The city of Reno purchased the building in 2007, in part so the land would not be bought by developers who wanted to build condominiums on the site, said Reno City Councilman Dan Gustin. The 2007 purchase price was $3.4 million and plans at the time called for a community center. The city will have to vote on whether to donate the land to the Boys & Girls Club. Gustin said it’s not yet a done deal. Gustin said he is on board with the mission of the Boys
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The E.L. Wiegand Youth Center stands across from the location at 1300 Foster Drive.
The former YMCA site is currently condemned and surrounded by a fence. PHOTOS BY DANNY DAMIANI/RGJ
& Girls Club, but it would need to be determined if this is the right move for the city and the original plan for that location to serve all ages, including seniors. The plan could be voted on as soon as August. Wurm said the spot would be used to serve children up to age 18, with youth, tween and teen centers. He said more than 26,000 children live within a 3-mile radius of the site. Plans developed by Architectural Design Group for the Boys and Girls Club include tearing down the building at 1300 Foster Drive. The existing structure has mold, asbestos and structural problems. Renderings call for a new, 45,000-square-foot building. Operations at the E.L. Weigand Youth Center at 1270 Foster Drive would not be affected. In 2008, the Boys & Girls Club signed a long-term lease with the city to operate a preschool program. It has been a worthwhile venture, said both the club and the city.
WAYS TO DANCE THIS WEEK
Feet are tapping and swirling all over town this weekend. Opportunities to watch dance include AVA’s Rock Ballet “Vortex” (8:30 p.m. today, Bartley Ranch’s Hawkins Amphitheather); folklore dancing at the Basque Festival (Saturday, Wingfield Park); Dance Works Dance Studio (2:30 p.m. Saturday, Reno-Tahoe International Airport); and Broadway Twisted Dance (5:30 p.m. Saturday, CommRow). Even tonight’s Movie in the Park is “Strictly Ballroom” (9 p.m., Wingfield Park). But for those who want to break some moves themselves, here are three opportunities to dance:
A CONSCIOUS DANCE EXPERIENCE Participants are invited to experience conscious dance in this Artown event at 8 p.m. today at River School, 7777 White Fir St. The trio Mandra will lead the dance experience with waves of music, opening dancers to express their inner dance in vibra-
The former YMCA building has been determined to be beyond repair and will be demolished.
The Boys and Girls Club received a $9 million grant to take over the former YMCA location at 1300 Foster Drive.
If the Boys & Girls Club take over Foster Drive, it would be the club’s 20th location. However, it would only be the second building the nonprofit owns, adding to the club’s East Ninth Street location. Most of the club’s operations are in existing sites at Washoe County schools. The Pennington Founda-
tion is named for longtime casino pioneer William Pennington, who died in 2011. Even before Pennington’s death, the foundation was a generous contributor to local charities, including those involving education and medicine. A representative from the foundation could not be reached for comment.
tion with instruments and voice. Cost: $10. Details: 775-747-2222.
BRING IT ON, DANCE OFF Calling all dancers ages 8 to adult who think they have the right moves and want to show them off. This Artown event from 4-8 p.m. Saturday at Art in Motion offers nonprofessional dancers the chance to compete. Ages 8-15 dance from 4-6 p.m.; teens and adults 16 and older are from 6-8 p.m. Grand prize is $100. Solo, duet and group dances can all apply. Art in Motion is at 129 Los Altos Pkwy., Suite 111. Cost: $20. Details: 775-626-6235, artinmotionreno@att.net or artinmotion-reno.com.
GOZALO FUNDRAISER Arthur Murray Dance Studio of Reno is throwing a fundraising party beginning at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the studio, 2920 Mill St. Salsa lessons begin at 6 p.m., followed by a bachata lesson at 7:30 p.m. Socializing and dancing with the Gozalo Dance Company is from 8:30-11 p.m. with performances at 9:30 p.m. All proceeds go for costumes for the Gozalo Dance Company. Cost: $10 advance, $12 at the door. Details: 775-813-1143 or www.SalsaReno.com.
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