Henderson Libraries host events celebrating Hawaiian heritage

Activities, events begin in January, continue through the spring at library locations

HENDERSON, Nev. – In celebration of Hawaiian Heritage, Henderson Libraries will host a series of themed events beginning with a Jan. 28 Hawaiian Monarchy and Sovereignty Kickoff at the Green Valley Library. Running through June, the events will focus on Hawaiian culture and have been planned by a committee of library staff and key members of the Hawaiian community. All events are free and open to the public of all ages. The events feature live performances with commentary, displays, hands-on activities and snacks donated by Trader Joe’s.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,784 native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders live in the Las Vegas Valley, which includes Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson. Four main events, taking place at four of the six library locations, will celebrate the history, culture, music and dance of Hawaii. They include:

• “The Hawaiian Monarchy and Sovereignty,” 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, Green Valley Library, 2797 N. Green Valley Parkway. Participants will create feather crafts, play games, learn hula, discuss, view movie screenings and enjoy live music presenting the history of the Hawaiian royalty and issue of a sovereign Hawaii.
• “Ho’oipoipo ‘o Hawaii: The Romance of Hawaii,” noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, Gibson Library, 100 W. Lake Mead Parkway. Participants will learn about the romance of Hawaii through painting, sculpture, poetry, songs, dance and crafts.
• “The Spirit of Hawaii: Hawai’i’s Religion and Gods and Goddesses,” noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25, Galleria Library, inside the Galleria at Sunset, 1300 W. Sunset Road. Interactive Hawaiian cultural displays, informative history lectures, stories by traditional Hawaiian practitioners and a showcase of ancient and contemporary hula will be available for patrons seeking to capture the essence of Hawaii’s gods.
• “Hawaii is Home,” 1-5 p.m. Saturday, March 24, Paseo Library, 280 S. Green Valley Parkway. The event will celebrate Hawaii as a blend of cultures and people. Participants will be able to see the impact of the various cultures and customs through simple displays, songs and dance by a variety of performers.

Throughout the spring, the library locations will continue to host a variety of additional Hawaiian cultural programs. For a complete event listing of programs, visit the Henderson Libraries event calendar on the website, www.mypubliclibrary.com. The libraries also are seeking donations of quality Hawaiian books, music and movies, which may be dropped off at any Henderson Library location. For additional information on these donations, call 702-207-4274. These events are funded through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services in conjunction with the Nevada State Library.

Established in 1943 as a single library in Downtown Henderson, Henderson Libraries operates six locations throughout Henderson. Henderson Libraries cooperates with other public libraries in Southern Nevada, the Nevada System of Higher Education, the Clark County School District and all other libraries around the state to provide quality service for Nevada’s residents.

For additional information on Henderson Libraries, visit www.mypubliclibrary.com or call 702-492-6581.

40th Annual International Sheet Metal Competition comes to Las Vegas

March contest to include participants from U.S., Canada

LAS VEGAS – More than 275 sheet metal contestants and their families will come to Las Vegas March 5-9 to take part in the 40th Annual International Sheet Metal Competition, which allows apprentices and journeymen from throughout the United States and Canada to demonstrate their skills.

The competition will take place at Caesars Palace – located at 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South – as well as at the Sheet Metal Local #88’s Joint Apprenticeship Training Center – located in Las Vegas at 2540 Marco Street, just off North Nellis Boulevard and East Carey Avenue. The competition is held in conjunction with the 2012 Partners in Progress Conference, which is hosted by a partnership between the Sheet Metal Workers International Association (SMWIA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA).

For the second year, the detailing competition allows journeymen, as well as apprentices, to show their experience and skill as they compete for a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Lo motorcycle provided by Henderson Harley-Davidson.

This year, Sean Edwards, an apprentice from Rock City, Ill., tested and qualified as one of the top 12 finalists. The detailing category is the only category that permits journeymen to enter. Apprentice contestants will compete in five sheet metal disciplines including HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning), industrial/welding, service, architectural, and Testing, Adjusting and Balancing (TAB) in heating and air conditioning. Each competition, no matter the discipline, may consist of a written test, sketching projects, shop project and blueprint reading test.

“It’s exciting to have the detailing category included for the second year and with such diversity. Not only do we have an apprentice competing alongside journeymen, but Amelia Kelsay is the only female to test and become a finalist,” said James Shoulders, executive administrator for ITI. “The competition is a fun way to bring all these different talents from different backgrounds together in one place. It really showcases the talent and skill level of members in our industry.”

Hosted by the ITI, apprentices will compete Tuesday and Wednesday, March 6 and 7, with the detailers contest on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, March 6, 7 and 8. Apprentice Partnership Sessions, hosted by Partners in Progress, are scheduled for Thursday, March 8 with regional and industrial breakout sessions on Friday, March 9. The reception and awards banquet will take place the evening of Friday, March 9.

The Partners in Progress Conference, held every other year, will feature a new program format and emphasize creative collaboration for labor and management through breakout sessions and educational opportunities. This year’s theme is “We Mean Business.”

More than 15,000 apprentices are registered at training facilities in theUnited StatesandCanada. The International Training Institute (best known as ITI) is jointly sponsored by Sheet Metal Worker’s International Association (SMWIA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA). ITI offers apprenticeship and advanced career training for union workers in the sheet metal industry throughout theUnited StatesandCanada. Located inAlexandria,Va., ITI produces a standardized sheet metal curriculum supported by a wide variety of training materials free of charge to sheet metal apprentices and journeymen.

For more information about the contest or ITI, visit www.sheetmetal-iti.org or call 703-739-7200.

Visiting Angels caregiver uses training to save Las Vegas man

All of Visiting Angels’ caregivers are trained in CPR, fall prevention, more

HENDERSON, Nev.  – Every morning, Tony May arrives at the Belew home to help Tony Belew get ready for the day. As a caregiver with Visiting Angels, May assists the 51-year-old with everything from a shower to breakfast.

Because Belew is approximately 6 feet tall and 300 pounds, it’s physically impossible for Linda Belew to help her husband with these tasks. Last year, while taking a shower, Belew suffered a stroke and lost consciousness. Although Belew outweighs May by 100 pounds, he was able to gently lower Belew to the floor and begin CPR while Linda Belew called paramedics.

A professional caregiver for five years, this was the first time May had to use his training to save a life.

“I was always afraid if something happened I’d be scared, but my instincts kicked in and I knew what to do,” May said. “I’m really happy what I learned saved his life.”

Linda Belew, shaken and distraught, was amazed May was able to take such gentle care of her husband during a delicate, and slippery, situation.

“That was a super human feat,” she said. “The reason I thought it was so heroic is my husband is a big man. Tony was so calm under pressure. I was pretty much panicking,” she added. “I shudder to think what would’ve happened if he went into that type of seizure and Tony wasn’t here. We were very appreciative of his skills that day.”

Michael DiAsio, co-owner of Visiting Angels in Henderson and Summerlin, said feats like this aren’t common but illustrates the level of skill caregivers possess.

Along with CPR, caregivers undergo additional training when they join the Visiting Angels team, no matter what their medical background may be. Some of the topics covered during the two-day training are household safety, body mechanics and transfer techniques, elder abuse signs, nutrition and hydration, Alzheimer’s disease communication, and fall prevention. Caregivers also learn how to care for themselves as to prevent injury on the job.

“There have been other incidents where the training caregivers received saved lives. They are there to help care for people who need assistance caring for themselves or, like in Mrs. Belew’s case, where family members can’t either,” DiAsio said. “Caregivers are there to make sure their clients are safe and have their activities of daily living met. It allows them to stay at home instead of going to a specialty care facility, as Visiting Angels’ care is typically more affordable and ‘one-on-one.’”

After a stroke in May 2008, Tony Belew spent 13 months in specialty care centers and a nursing home before he was able to come home in April 2009. Tony May started assisting the family the day after Tony Belew’s 49th birthday. Since then, May has become almost like an extended member of the Belew family.

“His father calls me their other son,” May said. “I’m very close to the family as well.”

There was a time when Linda Belew thought she wouldn’t be able to bring her husband home. Now, with the help of Visiting Angels, she has the help the family needs to stay together.

“I love Visiting Angels. They are so wonderful. We wanted him home, but we weren’t able to afford it at the beginning,” Linda Belew said. “I would never be able to care for my husband if it wasn’t for them.”

Visiting Angels is senior home care with more than 400 franchises across the United States. With two franchises in Southern Nevada, the Green Valley Parkway office – located at1701 N. Green Valley Pkwy.– is owned by the DiAsios and is the largest in Southern Nevada. It serves Henderson, the south, southwest, west and northwest regions ofLas Vegas. Due to an increase in need, the DiAsios have opened a satellite office in Summerlin off Lake Mead Boulevard and Rampart Road. Between its Henderson and Summerlin locations, Visiting Angels now employs more than 225 caregivers like Tony May who assist roughly 400 clients every day.

For more information on Visiting Angels or to apply for a position as a caregiver for the company, visit www.visitingangels.com or call 800-365-4189.

Fire life safety inspections, services means success for contractor

Indiana’s Mechanical Test and Balance has earned $200k since start of 2010

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The economy in recent years has been less than desirable, to say the least, and sheet metal contractors are still seeking ways to supplement their profit to create a more stable environment for their businesses.

Fire life safety is an emerging market with a growing demand. Dampers confine fire and smoke to one floor or section of a commercial building, keeping the rest of the building free of smoke, contaminants and particulate matter. The proper maintenance and inspection of these dampers could mean the difference between life and death. After an introduction to fire life safety at the 2008 Annual TABB Conference in Southern California, Jim Larsen, president and owner of Mechanical Test and Balance in Crown Point, Ind., was motivated to bring the service to his company.

After laying the groundwork, and earning his ICB/TABB Fire Life Safety Level I and Level II Technicians certifications, Larsen brought the service on at Mechanical Test and Balance. To start, project managers visited hospitals and schools, and fire life safety information was placed in the company’s newsletter to educate clients old and new on the value of fire life safety.

Every new client – from architects and engineers to building owners – was introduced to the information via a short presentation and packet containing available services.

“That was the key,” Larsen said. “It’s in the best interest of their employees and anyone who comes into the building. It’s fire life safety. It’s a no brainer.”

Mechanical Test and Balance’s first fire life safety client was a hospital in northwest Indiana. Once the company was off and running with the project, they could use the project as a model to show other clients what was possible. A hospital can lead to steady work for multiple employees at a time, because inspection and maintenance takes place in one section of a building at a time. Every damper is inspected and documented with any problems reported back to the client, and instead of hiring out, the company can perform any repairs, as well.

Offering inspection and repair services together is a large benefit and makes the company a one-stop shop for clients. If a hospital can count on a company for detailed documentation that helps them easily pass their safety inspections, the company has a client for life, Larsen said.

“Because of the size of a hospital, by the time you get through the building, it’s almost time to start over,” he added. “Ninety percent of the time the client asks us to come back and make modifications. We do all the repair work.”

In nearly two years, Mechanical Test and Balance is at a comfortable place, largely due to the introduction of fire life safety and Larsen’s forward thinking.

“We don’t have to look for work,” Larsen said. “Our reputation is set on honesty. We give them complete documentation. That’s very important. It’s been very good to us. It keeps us busy during the winter months. For the most part, one good job leads to another, but all my project managers know, if there is an engineer or building owner who doesn’t know what testing and balancing is … we go in and explain.”

Mechanical Test and Balance currently has one branch with 15 employees in Bolingbrook, Ill., in addition to the headquarters in Indiana. But companies don’t have to be of comparable size to make fire life safety work for them, Larsen said.

Since the beginning of 2010, Mechanical Test and Balance has earned $200,000 in business due to fire life safety inspections, maintenance and repairs.

“If smaller companies don’t have a fire life safety component, they’re missing a huge opportunity. For some of these smaller guys with one- to two-man shops, $100,000 a year is a big deal. That’s 1,000 man hours. That keeps a guy busy for half a year,” Larsen said.

Mechanical Test and Balance, Inc., headquartered in Crown Point, Ind., provides services including HVAC system commissioning, total system analysis, air and hydronic testing and balancing, pressure testing of ductwork, sound measurement and analysis, and fire and life safety inspections to clients, from hospitals and schools to high-rise, commercial and industrial buildings.

Since 1995, the company has been committed to providing excellent customer service along with a wide range of services to meet the public’s needs today and in the future.  Mechanical Test and Balance remains at the forefront of its industry through continued education and the employment of trained, certified sheet metal workers and pipe fitters.  The company is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited and is a member of the United States Green Building Council, Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau; Indiana Society for Healthcare Engineering, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association, and the National Fire Protection Association. For more information please call 219-746-1126 or visit www.mechanicaltestandbalance.com.

For more information on emerging market opportunities in the sheet metal and air conditioning industry, contact the National Energy Management Institute (NEMI) at www.nemionline.org or call 703-739-7100.

Henderson Libraries Foundation teams up with Las Vegas Wranglers

Portion of advance ticket, puck sales on Feb. 4 will benefit Libraries’ six locations

HENDERSON, Nev. – The Henderson Libraries Foundation has partnered with the Las Vegas Wranglers hockey team in a fundraiser to benefit the Henderson Libraries’ six locations.

The Foundation is selling advance tickets to the Wranglers vs. Alaska Aces game, which will take place at 7:05 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Orleans Arena, 4500 W. Tropicana Ave. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased from the Henderson Libraries Foundation by calling Matt Hortt or Trudy Casey at 702-492-6580 or emailing Matt at mhortt@hdpl.org through Wednesday, Feb. 1. A percentage from each ticket will be awarded to the foundation, the nonprofit, fundraising organization that supports Henderson Libraries.

The Chuck-A-Puck Program allows fans to purchase pucks to throw onto the ice during the game’s intermission at each home game to win Wranglers prizes. The foundation will sell pucks for $2 each or six pucks for $10 at the game and will receive 30 percent of the night’s sales in addition to tickets purchased in advance.

The money raised will go toward the building the book and other library material collections at the six Henderson Libraries locations.

The Henderson Libraries Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization funded by donations of gifts, grants and bequests, helps Henderson Libraries in its mission to create a literate community by providing financial support over and above the annual operating fund. Henderson Libraries relies on the support of the Foundation to continue to provide funds for the following areas: library collections; outreach services; innovative technology; capital projects; and scholarships.

Established in 1943 as a single library in Downtown Henderson, Henderson Libraries operates six locations throughoutHenderson. Henderson Libraries cooperates with other public libraries in Southern Nevada, the Nevada System of Higher Education, theClarkCountySchool Districtand all other libraries around the state to provide quality service forNevada’s residents.

For additional information on Henderson Libraries and its many services and resources, visit www.mypubliclibrary.com or call 702-492-6581.

Community Management Group manager earns designation

Maria NeSmith earns CMCA designation, continues education in career development

LAS VEGAS – In a constant effort to continue her education, Maria NeSmith, community manager with Community Management Group, recently earned her Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) designation, a national certification for community management and general practices of community management professionals.

Since NeSmith has already earned a Supervising Community Manager’s License, which is the top-rated requirement to practice community management in Nevada, obtaining the CMCA designation was purely optional. However, additional certifications are proof of a manager’s commitment to the profession and the communities they serve.

“I felt it was important to further my education for the benefit of the communities and volunteer board of directors to help them in their task of making sound decisions for their communities,” NeSmith said. “Holding more certifications and actively showing examples of educational benefits help encourage board members to consider the advice of the community manager more when making decisions for their community.”

To earn CMCA designation, community managers enroll in a professional management development program course, which studies the essentials of community association management. After completion of the course and the application, students complete an exam.

In addition to CMCA, NeSmith also has completed the requirements for the Associate Management Specialist (AMS) certification, the second level of career development for community association managers, and is currently completing the application process.

“It goes to show our community managers take their careers seriously, and it’s comforting for homeowners to know they have true professionals working for their best interests,” said Courtney Murphy, president and supervising community manager for Community Management Group. “Continuing education also makes me certain our community managers are as up to date on their career field as possible as well as it shows a commitment to quality.”

Established by longtime Las Vegan Courtney Murphy in 2009, Community Management Group is a Nevada-based community association management company serving assorted planned unit developments in the Las Vegas Valley.

Providing top customer service in all facets of its work, CMG works with homeowners, HOA board members and vendors to assist in decisions to maintain communities’ property values and ensure the preservation of associations’ financial health. The company’s services – handled by a team of certified managers – balance fiscal responsibility, cutting edge technology (which is unique in the field), homeowner education and a positive atmosphere for all its clients, from single family and business parks to condominiums and master planned communities.

For more information on Community Management Group, visit www.cmg-hoa.com, call 702-942-2500, or follow the company on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CMGlv.  

Top 12 detailers from around the country compete for grand prize

Sheet metal detailers vie for new motorcycle during international competition

LAS VEGAS – The International Training Institute (ITI) recently announced 12 of the nation’s top detailers have tested and qualified as finalists to participate in the detailing category at the Annual International Sheet Metal Competition March 5-9 in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace and the Sheet Metal Workers Local #88 in northeast Las Vegas.

The competition is held in conjunction with the 2012 Partners in Progress Conference, which is hosted by a partnership between the Sheet Metal Workers International Association (SMWIA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA).

The detailing category, which allows certified apprentices and journeymen to compete for a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle, is only in its second year with the annual competition. Prior to 2011, only apprentices were permitted to compete. The detailer category brought journeymen to the competition, and it is the only category in which they are allowed to take part.

Sean Edwards, of Rock City, Ill., is the only apprentice who qualified to be a finalist in the category. Although his sheet metal education has focused on computer-assisted drawing, he says he’s honored to be in the company of such experienced journeymen.

“I definitely feel like I’m in the spotlight even more knowing that I’m the only apprentice,” he added. “I look forward to seeing what the rest of the competitors bring to the table as well as the experience I will gain from the event.”

The winner of the detailing category will drive away from Las Vegas on a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Lo provided by Henderson Harley-Davidson.

The top 12 finalists represent different parts of the United States, including Hawaii. The finalists are Dan Beyersdorf, Saginaw, Mich.; James Brierley, Spanish Fork, Utah; David Dias, San Ramon, Calif.; Sean Edwards, Rock City, Ill.; Jaymes Fleming, Woodinville, Wash.; Clyde Fujimoto, Honolulu; Douglas Haase, Washougal, Wash.; Anthony Belluardo, Aurora, Ohio.; Joey Hovarter, Moore, Okla.; Ryan Israel, Olathe, Mo.; Amelia Kelsay, Portland, Ore.; and Josh Menz, Rochester, N.Y.

Unlike Edwards, Fujimoto is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. He sees the competition as another chance to shine. He also competed in 2011, the first year the detailing category was admitted to the contest.

“I enjoy competing now just as much as in my apprenticeship days,” Fujimoto said. “I have learned that competition helps in many ways in your career and provides opportunities for advancement. It’s a great honor, yet humbling.”

Kelsay, the only female to test for the detailing category and a finalist, is looking forward to the learning opportunity. Although she has yet to find full-time work, she is a part-time instructor at the training center in Portland.

“The Benchmark certification has provided me the education and knowledge to take the next step in my career goal of becoming a union detailer,” she said. “I am going into this competition without any expectations. Any success or jobs that may come from this would be icing on the cake.”

In addition to the detailing category open to apprentices and journeymen, apprentices will compete in five sheet metal disciplines including HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning), industrial/welding, service, architectural and TAB (Test Adjust Balance in heating and air conditioning).

Hosted by the ITI, apprentices will compete Tuesday and Wednesday, March 6 and 7, with the detailers contest on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, March 6, 7 and 8. Apprentice Partnership Sessions, hosted by Partners in Progress, are scheduled for Thursday, March 8 with regional and industrial breakout sessions on Friday, March 9. The reception and awards banquet will take place the evening of Friday, March 9.

The Partners in Progress Conference, held every other year, will feature a new program format and emphasize creative collaboration for labor and management through breakout sessions and educational opportunities. This year’s theme is “We Mean Business.”

More than 15,000 apprentices are registered at training facilities in the United States and Canada. The ITI is jointly sponsored by Sheet Metal Worker’s International Association (SMWIA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA). ITI offers apprenticeship and advanced career training for union workers in the sheet metal industry throughout theUnited StatesandCanada. Located inAlexandria,Va., ITI produces a standardized sheet metal curriculum supported by a wide variety of training materials free of charge to sheet metal apprentices and journeymen.

For more information about the contest or ITI, visit www.sheetmetal-iti.org or call 703-739-7200.

Michael Jackson bobblehead manufacturer to donate $1 from every sale to the Salvation Army

LAS VEGAS – Southern Nevada-based urban merchandising company EXD3 has partnered with the Salvation Army to help the organization achieve its mission of helping those in need.

EXD3 will donate $1 from the sale of each of its UrbanHeadz Michael Jackson bobbleheads, available at www.TheUrbanHeadz.com. The Jackson bobbleheads, which retail for $19.99, are an officially approved product by the Michael Jackson estate.

When all of the existing line of Michael Jackson Bobbleheads is sold, EXD3 will make a $34,000 donation to the Salvation Army.

“We chose the Salvation Army because they help all kinds of people in need,” said W. Monroe Britt, EXD3 owner and CEO. “Everyone needs a leg up sometimes, and the Salvation Army provides that assistance to those who need it.”

EXD3 also donated 700 bobbleheads to the Salvation Army in Las Vegas and Chicago for kids who wouldn’t otherwise have Christmas presents.

“We are organizing two Christmas gifts for each of about 5,000 to 6,000 children who would very likely receive nothing for Christmas. These bobbleheads will make great gifts for the older children,” said Leslee Rogers, public relations officer for The Salvation Army. “Additionally, we are excited to work with EXD3 to designate where their monetary donation will go. We have many worthy programs and are honored they have chosen to partner with our organization, allowing us to continue ‘Doing the Most Good’ here in Southern Nevada.”

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in Christ’s name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that include providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. Approximately 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide.

For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.

Founded in 2007 by W. Monroe Britt, EXD3’s The UrbanHeadz is an urban merchandising company. The company’s bobbleheads are created by expert craftsmen. The company has a number of bobbleheads available for purchase at www.theurbanheadz.com.

For more information on The Urban Headz, visit www.theurbanheadz.com or call 702-321-1812.

Businesses find useful information at Roadmap to Success Jan. 5

Henderson Chamber series discusses how small businesses can save big

HENDERSON, Nev. – The next topic to be featured in the Roadmap to Success Series – hosted by the Henderson Chamber of Commerce and the Henderson Business Resource Center – will be “Tax Strategies and Updates: Small Businesses Can Save Big.”

Featuring Rick Douglas, partner with Barlow and Douglas CPAs, the workshop will take place from 7:30-9:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, at the Henderson Business Resource Center – located at 112 Water St. near West Pacific Avenue in downtown Henderson.

Free to Henderson Chamber members, the Roadmap to Success Series continues through May with a break for the holidays. The series includes 16 workshops covering topics including finance, legal, marketing, and operations and sales.

During the workshop, Douglas will discuss how small businesses can save money with smart decisions and strategic business moves.

All chamber members and the public are invited to attend. There is no cost for Henderson Chamber members. Cost for non-members is $25. To RSVP, call the Henderson Business Resource Center at 702-992-7200 or e-mail perickson@hendersonchamber.com.

The Roadmap to Success Workshop Series covers all aspects of business critical for business owners to understand and properly execute to stay afloat, especially when times are tough.

The workshop series is sponsored by the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, the City of Henderson, Imagine Communications and Mikels Fine Art Photography.

The Henderson Business Resource Center is a nonprofit organization under the Henderson Chamber of Commerce Foundation designed as a business incubator to strengthen and diversify the local economy.

For more information about the Henderson Business Resource Center or the Roadmap to Success Series, visit www.hendersonbizcenter.com.

Las Vegas to receive 12 Days of Christmas beginning Dec. 13

In12Days to bring peace, hope, joy and love to all of Las Vegas, a city still struggling to recover from 2008’s economic downturn

LAS VEGAS – The Las Vegas Valley used to be a place of promise, where people from across the nation moved their businesses and homes to find better lives and invest in their futures. Today, residents are searching for signs of hope and a glimpse of the lives they once thought existed just past their fingertips.

The holidays are on their way, and resident Suzanne Lea doesn’t want another Christmas season to go by without hope, love and support for the city she calls home.

Lea’s In12Days aims to inspire the people of Las Vegas and Henderson to dream again, and during 12 days this Christmas Lea and her team of national sponsors will transform the bleak landscape to a holiday vista where drummers drum, lords leap and ladies dance. Lea’s holiday love letter to the city she loves begins Tuesday, Dec. 13, and she will parade her project of hope around the Las Vegas Valley through Christmas Eve.

The details of each day are a secret, but the idea is simple.

On Dec. 13 (Day 1), at least 12 groups, families and organizations will receive a huge basket of fat green pears and pairs of gloves and slippers for everyone in their household. Inside are further instructions about their role in the upcoming 12 Days of Christmas festivities.

But they aren’t the only ones who will be a part of the magic; pears will parachute down all over Las Vegas, sharing the news of the upcoming 12 days to groups of people everywhere. From this day on, everyone will want to discover, “What is In12Days? Who are the 12 groups that have been selected, and why? What will happen next?”

The list of sponsors already enlisted to help pull off this extraordinary event in Las Vegasis extensive. Some of the major sponsors include Blue Man Group, Cirque du Soleil, FedEx, Trader Joe’s, UNLV Rebels, Michael Minden Diamond Jewelers, Loews Hotels, Lake Las Vegas Resort, Ravella Hotel, The Village Lake Las Vegas, The Golf Club at SouthShore, Kristen Hertzenberg and members of Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular and Castle of Cakes.

In12Days was born from great loss. When Lea’s beloved husband, Bryan, died in April 2008, she knew Christmas would be hard for her and her two young sons. Little did she know, her friends at St. Viator’s Catholic Church had other plans.

On a gray morning Dec. 13, 2008, Lea’s doorbell rang. She and her sons opened the door to find a bowl of green pears with a note that read, “Count down the 12 days of Christmas with us! It starts today! For 12 days, a bit of cheer will arrive, so please check by your door.”

On each of the 12 days of Christmas, Lea and her sons received themed gifts – even a group of nine church ladies dancing in the street on Day 9. By the end of those 12 days, the sadness and pain had lifted from the Leas’ hearts.

From that point on, it became Lea’s mission to pay it forward. As a result, In12Days has delivered extravagant 12 Days of Christmas events to individuals and organizations for the past three years – and not just at Christmas. Last year, In12Days brought the 12 Days of Christmas to 80 foster children and leaders at St. Jude’s Ranch with the help of 1,000 volunteers and sponsors nationwide.

For more information on In12Days, call 702-509-0555, visit www.In12Days.net, or follow them on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.