Humboldt  County  News
Friday, November 10, 2007

"Winnemucca by Design"
"Winnemucca scores big with free landscape architecture designs for local problem areas

'Winnemucca by Design' is the title the fourth-year landscape architecture students from UNLV gave their work on planning and design projects presented to Winnemucca's City Council this week.  UNLV's 4th-year landscape architecture students have been working on those projects since September - as a class project.  Beth Scott, Visiting Professor for Landscape Architecture & Planning at UNLV worked with Mayor Paul Vesco and City Manager / Engineer Steve West to set up the opportunity for her students to do a "live" class project by working on ideas to solve some of Winnemucca's toughest landscape (or lack of landscape) challenges.  The Winnemucca City Council said the UNLV landscape architect class' opportunity ended up being an amazing opportunity for the City of Winnemucca to get what probably amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of landscape architecture and design work done at no cost.

Some of the students' presentations were presented on story boards, and others by power point.  City officials will
get copies of all of the preliminary design ideas presented this week as well as the final design presentations
 the students will make at the University of Nevada Las Vegas this Spring as their final project.

Professor Scott commented, "It has been enormously productive to use your city as a class project; we were really impressed with how far ahead of so many other cities you are - and I include Las Vegas in that - in the way you have approached landscape design in your community.  Scott noted that UNLV's Landscape Architecture and Planning students from various classes have also done design work for Elko, Ely, Caliente, Laughlin, Beatty and several areas of Las Vegas.

Individual students - or in some cases - teams of two students were given separate areas within the City to research, come to understand that areas challenges, and put their design ideas into beautifully drawn presentation portfolios.  The 20 students traveled to Winnemucca and spent several days here, then went back home and worked on ideas they developed.  They presented those ideas this week to members of the Winnemucca City Council, as well as a number of other local officials and individuals including County Administrator Bill Diest, County Assessor, Jeff Johnson, and Commissioner John Milton.

4th-year Landscapte Architecture and Design Students from UNR presented
 "Winnemucca by Design" this week to the City Council.  Their class project
 was to tackle some of the Winnemucca -area's toughest landscaping /
 design challenges and propose solutions - which they did, beautifully.

Each student made a presentation on the ideas they developed for their
particular design challenge area in Winnemucca, as their fellow students,
 Winnemucca City Councilmen, and other local officials looked on.

All who saw the presentations were very impressed with the effort the students had put forth to understand the local issues and come up with reasonable and beautiful design ideas to beautify Winnemucca.  City Councilman Patty Herzog noted how amazing it was that the design students and their teacher had perfectly identified the most problematic areas of the community.  Professor Scott said they had a lot of help from City Manager / Engineer Steve West and Public Works Director, Geno Bernardi.

The areas of town that the design projects focused on included both entrances to town off of Interstate 80, the critical downtown intersection of Winnemucca Boulevard and Melarkey Street, the Car Museum, the Sports Complex, downtown redevelopment, the Community Garden, the Sand Dunes, and other areas.  Providing attractive and affordable housing was one of the projects, developing a mixed-use residential/commercial area was another.

The students left copies of all of the work they did at City Hall.  Their professor asked the Council to please take the presentation portfolios and go over them, make comments and propose changes, share the ideas with the community and get community members' input regarding the work that's been done so far.  She promised that the students would take those suggestions and comments into consideration to refine and further develop their final projects. 

The presentation of those final projects will be given at the University. She noted that although the class members are not licensed designers, and a licensed designer would be required to develop construction documents for any of the projects the City determined to move forward with, the ideas were ours to keep.  They can be used as springboards for further ideas and additional development.  Some of the projects might be feasible in the near future, others will have to wait some time.

 Humboldt County School Board will see some new faces

While Humboldt County School Board member, Andrew Hillyer won his election and the chance to remain in his seat for another four years, there will still be three new faces on the Board starting in January.  Chris Stewart and John Hill will fill the rural representative seats on the Board, and the Board has already begun work to fill one more seat on the Board vacated by Barbara Moss, who is moving from the community. 

Chris Stewart didn't have to worry about his weeks' election, since she was the only one who filed for her seat.  Notwithstanding the lack of campaigning, Stewart says she is enthusiastically ready to work on the School Board and looking forward to being sworn into office in January. Stewart lives in Paradise Valley and has been very involved in Paradise Valley School, where her daughter is a student.  Her face is already known to her fellow board members as she visited with the board this past year on a couple of occasions about concerns at the Paradise Valley School.  Stewart says she will represent the concerns of rural schools but will also take into consideration all of Humboldt County School Districts' Students' needs.

The other rural representative on the School Board will be John Hill who won his election Tuesday.  Hill has lived and farmed in Orovada since 1960.  He says he'd though about running for School Board and then made the move to file for election after other people in the area encouraged him.  "I thought it would be interesting," said Hill this week. Hill added, "We need representation out here and sometimes it's hard to get people to serve."  Perhaps that's not too surprising given the distances these two rural Board members will be traveling to School Board meetings and their committee assignments.

Both of these new Board members, along with the appointee who will fill the seat currently vacant on the Board will be invited to attend Board training put on by the Nevada Association of School Boards.  Dr. Jarman will be talking to School Board members about that on Tuesday.  John Hill said, "I thought I was done with school but Dr. Jarman called and asked if I wanted to go to this training."  Hill is more than willing to attend training; he said,  "I think it will be good, I've never served on a board."

Returning School Board member Andrew Hiller is ready for the challenges that another term on the Board will bring.  Hillyer said he wanted to thank all of the people who supported him.  He added, "For those who did not support me, I will do my best to earn their trust and support over the next four years."  Hillyer said he was excited and looking forward to the opportunity of working with the new district administration, noting, "We have created a philosophical shift in how this district goes about carrying out its charge."

Hillyer said, "My agenda is to do what is best for all of our children through the creation and continuation of meaningful policy, academic leadership, and promotion of best teaching practices, professional development, fiscal management, and good boardsmanship."  Hillyer said he will continue to support special education programs, especially the Response to Intervention model, because those types of programs make sense.  He added, "I will do my best to insure that our school district has the necessary tools to promote the highest student achievement possible."  Hillyer concluded, "We're on our way to becoming one of the highest performing districts in the state; when the Board, administration, teachers, and staff all work together, great things can happen."

Treasurer-elect Gina Rackley says, "I wish I could start right now!"

Humboldt County's Treasurer-elect Gina Rackley is pretty excited about winning her first bid for elected office. Rackley said she was grateful for the support of so many of the county's voters, and added, "It gives me additional confidence."  Rackley also commented on the high voter turn-out, saying, "That kind of voter turnout shows people really do care who their leaders are."  She said how much she appreciated the great candidate's nights sponsored by local organizations before the elections and the good questions that were asked of the candidates.  "We have a great Community," she commented.

Her enthusiasm for getting started with her new job is high.  "I wish I could start right now!," said Rackley when we contacted her this week after the election.  Rackley added, "I'm excited about it; I know the learning curve will be tough but I'm ready to commit to training."  Having said that, Rackley acknowledged there will be plenty for her to do at her current job in the County Comptroller's office between now and January. 

County Comptroller Bruce Brooks said he'll miss Rackley in the Comptroller's office - that she has done a great job.  He said he's on the County Commissioners' agenda for Monday to request they waive the attrition policy and allow him to begin the search to fill Rackley's position immediately.

City building statistics for October

Winter weather may slow building, but as of the last City building statistics released - those for October - building was still going strong.  Six new permits for single family homes were issued - valuation for all six homes was $844,743.  One permit in the category ' Fuel Tank and Dispensers' was issued with a valuation of $100,000.  12 permits were issued for residential additions and remodels for a total valuation of $67,822.  6 permits were issued for residential garages and carports - total valuation nearly $100,000. 

The total value of October building permits within the City of Winnemucca was $12,442 - nearly $5,000 more than the value of permits during the same month last year.  Total construction valuation in October 2006 was $1,177,000 - compared to only 590,000 for October 2005.  414 building permits of various types have been issued this year compared to 332 by this time last year.  Total construction valuation for the year-to-date is more than double last year's amount.  2006 construction valuation $15,161,894.  2005 $7,763,873.

Winnemucca man arrested on outstanding warrants

Jerry Lynn Tolbert, age 40 was arrested by Humboldt County Sheriff's Office personnel on Wednesday because of three outstanding warrants from Oregon.  One warrant was for Failure To Appear, one was for Possession of a Controlled Substance and the third was for Providing False Information to Police.  Tolbert was jailed at the Humboldt County Detention Center with bail set at $45,000.

Christmas Tree permits available from the BLM November 20

November 8, 2006 – Winnemucca, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Winnemucca Field Office, will begin selling Christmas tree permits on Monday, November 20. The $3 permit authorizes the cutting of one Piñon or Juniper tree for use as a Christmas tree in a tree-cutting area located in the Winnemucca District portion of the Stillwater Range. Trees marked as seed trees are not to be cut.

The permits can be purchased in person or by mail from the Winnemucca BLM Office at 5100 East Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca NV 89445-2921.  An information sheet and map will be distributed with each permit. For further information, please call Ditha Hutchinson at the Winnemucca BLM Office at 775-623-1500.

Quiet Change - a commentary on election day

(Faxed to KWNA Radio, credited to Sara Rosett)

The line stretched from the voting machines across the courthouse lobby and wound back on itself to where I was, near the end.  We inched forward and I discussed the weather with the woman ahead of me, a mom pushing a stroller.  Then I lamented with the business woman behind me that we were wearing heels instead of tennis shoes. I shared my package of cashews and traded sections of the newspaper with a man dressed in business casual.

Reports said we were a divided nation, but that morning didn't feel like a bitter battle,  I doubt everyone voted the same way I did, but we got along.  We were even cheerful.  How fortunate I am to live in a country where political change is accomplished not with rebellion and riots, but with the touch of an electronic screen.