Parks board approves alcohol sales

No one denies that a lot of alcohol is consumed at the Frank E. Peters Municipal Golf Course, despite city ordinances prohibiting it.

Wednesday night the Nevada Parks Board took the first step toward changing that when they voted 5-0 to send a positive recommendation to the city council "allowing the sale of intoxicating liquor at the Frank E Peters Golf Course and delegate the Parks Board with the authority to regulate those sales to ensure no beer or intoxicating liquor will be permitted on the golf course unless purchased on premises and consumption will be restricted and conditioned in a manner consistent with the City's responsibility to maintain the course as an attractive recreational site for the entire public."

Now this issue is up to the city council which during their Jan. 22 meeting said that they wanted a recommendation from the parks board before they moved ahead on a new clubhouse at the golf course. If alcohol is to be sold at the golf course the club house needs to be designed to accommodate that need.

Council member James McKenzie said at the Jan. 22 council meeting that if they ultimately decide to not sell alcohol, the added space can be used for storage.

This item is slated to be on the agenda for the council's Feb. 5 meeting.

"There's a lot of money spent out at the course (for alcohol purchased elsewhere) and it's a shame not to get any of it," parks board member Warren Schooley said.

Nevada Parks and Recreation director Dana Redburn told the park board Wednesday, that even if they sent a positive recommendation to the council, there are a lot things that have to be done before alcohol can be sold at the course, and it might never happen.

Redburn told the parks board they had received $2,430 as the city's share of the donations collected from people who drove through the Christmas light display at Radio Springs Lake this year, which is $70 less than last year.

"We replaced about 1/3 of the lights with LEDs," she said.

Redburn said that they had solicited money from the community this year to help cover the cost of replacing the current lights with LEDs, which will cost less to operate and take less time to maintain since they do not burn out as quickly.

She said that they put up signs in the park with the names of the donors.

For next year she said they are looking at replacing the inflatable displays with lights on metal frameworks.

She said they will talk to the welding class at the Nevada Regional Technical Center about making the frames.

Redburn said that although it seems to be early to start working on the next Christmas light display, there are advantages.

"The more we do now, the more lights we will be able to replace next year. This is also the time of year we can get lights on clearance," she said.

Redburn told the board they will be holding a father-daughter dance on Feb. 8 at the community center.

"We've had a great response," she said, adding that they had a dress exchange last Saturday and still have a few dresses left if anyone needs one.

Tickets for the dance are $5, for the dad only, who can bring unlimited numbers "daughters," who do not have to be their own.

And there is no age limit.

"Some older women are having their father's bring them to the dance," she said.

The idea is to show that girls and women should be treated with respect, she said.

"It would be great if we had 50 fathers, but if there is only a handful, it will be a success," she said.

And on March 2, from 9 a.m. to noon, Redburn said they will hold the Second Annual Youth Expo at the community center.

Anyone with kids programs can come and provide information to parents about what is available and how they can sign their kids up for the program.

On the same day she said they will hold a Legos Showcase to give the teams who participated in the First Legos League tournament in Kansas City an opportunity to showcase their projects.

Redburn said that Pittsburg, Kan., is now a partner with the First Legos League and is able to schedule tournaments, which means there is a chance for Nevada to host a tournament this year.