Growth, service highlighted 2006 in Henderson

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Year 2006 just drew to a close, but as Henderson residents look forward to 2007, here's a look back at a few of the notable events that occurred in 2006.

BUSINESS

* Low Calzone, 8975 S. Eastern Ave., opened its doors in January 2006 in the Anthem area. The restaurant specializes in Italian entrées that contain more whole grains than most restaurants and baked foods.

* Thirty-five Henderson businesses were honored at the seventh annual Economic Development Awards in January 2006. The companies honored represented an economic impact of $131 million in Henderson in 2005 and created 1,200 jobs.

* Capitalizing on the popularity of cupcakes, Pamela Jenkins, Laura Santo Pietris and Dawn Kalman opened the Cupcakery at 9680 S. Eastern Ave. in January 2006. When the store opened, View reported that about 1,000 cupcakes per day were flying off the shelves.

* The Galleria at Sunset mall celebrated 10 years in February. More than 300,000 people are within a 10-minute drive to the Galleria. In 2002, it expanded to 1,051,000 square feet of retail space, and now features five anchor stores and 140 specialty retail shops. The Galleria has about 3,000 employees.

* Granello Bakery relocated to Henderson in June after its old location on the south Strip burned down. The 10-year-old bakery moved into a 45,000-square-foot facility at 5045 Mardon Ave.

* The first Saxbys Coffee franchise opened in June at Horizon Ridge Parkway and Horizon Drive. Mother-daughter team Beverly Barker and Gina Betley started the store and plan to add several more locations in the Las Vegas Valley. The shop offers several regular coffee drinks, in addition to cold, blended coffees, called Frolattés, smoothies, teas and noncoffee ice blends.

* Sting Surveillance owner Jonathan Fine opened a storefront for the Henderson-based surveillance and technology store in July at The District. In the past three-and-a-half years years, the Henderson-based company has aided in the arrest and conviction of more than 300 criminals.

* Cashman Equipment Co. started the process of purchasing land from the city to relocate its headquarters from North Las Vegas sometime in 2008. The City Council in July approved an intent to sell the land to the heavy equipment dealer in August. The 53-acre parcel is on St. Rose Parkway, between Maryland Parkway and Spencer Street.

* The city Economic Development Department launched a pilot program in July to help local, small businesses. Up to a dozen companies were to be selected for the yearlong Henderson Business Star program, which provides them with free resources and consulting. The city is contracting with the UNLV School of Business to pay for the services of a business consultant

* Newlyweds Kristin Sande and Bob Howald achieved a lifelong dream in September when they opened Valley Cheese & Wine at 1770 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway. Valley Cheese & Wine carries about 150 cheeses and 400 wines, with some variation each month and season.

* Budding Green Valley and Anthem-area performers had a new place to practice in September when Shine Dance Studio and Performing Arts Academy opened at 1450 Horizon Ridge Parkway. Dance classes include ballet, jazz, hip-hop, tap, ballroom, salsa, samba and cardio funk. The academy also holds private lessons in dance and voice, as well as classes in theater. Classes are divided by skill level and age group.

* City Tower moved forward with plans to develop 2.1 acres on the southeast corner of Lake Mead Parkway and Water Street. A zone change on part of the property was approved in September, allowing the $90 million project to continue. The mixed-use development will consist of one 13-story tower with retail and office space topped off by a five-star restaurant, adjacent to a 15-story tower with residential units built above a parking garage. The project could break ground in June and is expected to completed in summer 2009.

* For the sweets connoisseur, Goodies Delivered opened to the public in October at 11115 S. Eastern Ave. The shop carries a variety of gourmet sweets, including truffles, chocolates, nuts, brittles, candy, tortes, ice cream, cakes, fondues, coffee beans, specialty teas and special-order pastries.

* The City Council approved the Lake Mead Crossing development in October. The mixed-use complex is on the northwest corner of Lake Mead Parkway and Water Street. A joint venture between Juliet Cos. and Inland Western Retail Real Estate Trust, the center will offer more than 700,000 square feet of retail and office space when it is completed in 2009, said John Stewart, vice president of Juliet Cos. Target is among the retail stores that will be there. The project is expected to break ground in May.

* A zone change approved by the Planning Commission in October began paving the way for a casino resort in the center of the future Inspirada community in west Henderson. The zone change long preceded the construction of the estimated 11,500 single- and multi-family residences that will surround a 280-acre town center where the resort will be located.

* A father-and-sons team launched Steak, a fine dining, cocktail and gaming establishment, in November at 76 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway. Steak doubles as a restaurant and lounge, with a dining area overlooking the Strip on one end and couches situated around coffee tables on the other. Patrons may browse bottles of wines from across the country and the world set in shelves lining the restaurant and the adjoined gourmet food and wine market, where some of the menu items, alcohol and food, can be purchased.

* The first local franchise of Evos, a fast-food restaurant billed as a healthier alternative to the usual American staples, opened at 10895 S. Eastern Ave. in November. According to the restaurant's menu, the burgers are made from hormone- and antibiotic-free beef, or cholesterol-free soy. The Evos Airfries are baked, not fried, and the salads are made of organic field greens. Evos offers a variety of Fruitshakes made with real fruit, and organic milkshakes mixed with milk from free-range cows.

* Ford Motor Credit announced in November that it would increase its Henderson work force by one-third and open an annex to accommodate the expansion. The company, which provides financing for Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mazda and Volvo dealers and customers, will add an additional 250 employees to its existing local work force of 500 this year. The expansion is part of parent company Ford Motor Co.'s restructuring to make itself profitable again. Fifty-nine Ford Motor Credit offices will be consolidated into six nationwide, a company official said.

* The LandWell Co. held the grand opening of its public information center at Lake Mead Parkway and Mohawk Drive last month. The site, which features 19 informational panels and vistas overlooking the valley, details an environmental cleanup that will precede development of the 2,200-acre site. The site was a chemical dumping ground for a nearby industrial complex that manufactured materials for the World War II effort.

CITY GOVERNMENT

* January 2006 marked the first time that the city held its Henderson homeowner night, when city staff members keep the office open late once every quarter to provide alternative times for people to file for permits and conduct other business.

* The City Council adopted the Eastside Redevelopment Plan in February, which will be used to guide future growth and rejuvenate the area.

* Richard Perkins was promoted to police chief in March after Alan Kerstein resigned amid ethics questions. Perkins was promoted from the rank of deputy chief.

* The City Council approved the Sage Mountain mixed-use development at the northwest corner of Executive Airport Drive and Bruner Avenue in April. The 126-acre project is being developed under a concept that residents could live, work and recreate there without ever getting into their cars.

* In August, the city completed the downtown Henderson Events Plaza. The 2.7-acre facility adjacent to City Hall on Water Street is an amphitheater and open-air plaza. The $8.7 million project started in September 2005.

* The annual plan for the municipal golf course was approved in July, which detailed a $1.5 million capital improvement plan to restore the course's condition and resuscitate the number of rounds played there. As turf conditions have declined since it opened in 2004, the course went from making a small profit to losing hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

* Meetings discussing proposed changes to the city's ordinance regulating hillside blasting for development drew to a close in October. Among the changes proposed were shorter blast durations and smaller time windows in which to conduct blasts. The City Council is expected to vote on the new ordinance this month.

* The City Council denied a live entertainment permit in November for teenage nightclub Frozen 75, which proposed hosting emcee battles and rock bands. The Planning Commission approved the permit a month earlier.

* The City Council voted last month to implement a plan to change the way residents will vote in the 2007 municipal election. Regardless of where voters live, they will be able to vote at any of a number of vote centers around the city, versus the precinct-specific polling stations that the city currently uses.

* The city annexed 3,455 acres on Dec. 14, putting the federally owned land to its southwest under its jurisdiction. City planners currently are mapping the land's future zoning and uses. Later this year, some of the land is expected to be nominated for auction sometime in 2008.

COMMUNITY

* The Lullaby Connection, a nonprofit organization, moved into a new location at 769 Middlegate Road in February. The organization, known also as TLC, mobilizes church and civic groups to make and donate blankets, clothing and other baby supplies.

* The Desert Quilters of Nevada 2006 Quilt Show opened in March at the Henderson Convention Center, featuring 250 locally made quilts

* In April, the city Building and Fire Safety Department participated in the Christmas in April program, focusing on free minor home repairs for seniors and people with disabilities. The program, created in 1973 by Texas-based charitable organization Rebuilding Together, was established locally in 1993.

* Henderson resident Aggie Roberts, a horticulturist, First Communion teacher for several Diocese of Las Vegas parishes and an activist for children, died in May at age 87. A memorial service was held at Aggie Roberts Elementary School in remembrance of the school's namesake.

* Bicycle enthusiasts from around the valley participated in the Tour de Cure in May to raise funds for diabetes research. The event included 25K, 50K and 100K routes that began and ended at Discovery Park. The events were sponsored by the American Diabetes Association and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

* Henderson resident Laurie Richardson was named the 2006 National Mother of the Year by American Mothers Inc. in May. She was recognized for the seven children she and her husband have raised over the past three decades, four of whom were adopted. The couple provided foster care to many more children, as well.

* Former Episcopal Diocese of Nevada bishop and Anthem resident Katharine Jefferts Schori was elected the first female presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States in June. She assumed her post in November.

* The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany was dedicated in June to serve the needs of Anthem, Green Valley, Seven Hills and Southern Highlands residents. The church, located at 9041 S. Pecos Road, holds Sunday worship at 10 a.m.

* About 500 trees were replanted in Anthem in July. Each 24-inch box tree was planted to replace trees that had been cut down between October 2004 and November 2005. The trees cost approximately $150,000 to replace. Douglas R. Hoffman, who faces 10 felony charges of destruction of crops and private and public property, will stand trial in July.

* Shirley Pike celebrated 50 years of being a nurse in August at the St. Rose Dominican Hospital, Siena Campus. The staff presented her with a plaque, a pearl necklace and a handmade quilt with Pike's cover shot appearance in the July issue of NurseWeek magazine, sewn into the middle. A picture of her first photograph as a nurse was placed next to the cake.

* A city grant awarded in August allowed Opportunity Village's Henderson campus to remodel and meet a growing demand. The $183,000 Community Development Block Grant is to be used to turn individual office spaces into larger rooms and expand programs. More space was needed specifically for Project Enable, a therapeutic respite program that allows people to drop off family members with severe intellectual disabilities so they can work during the day.

* The Henderson Live! Music Festival came to the Henderson Events Plaza on Sept. 9, becoming the first event held at the Henderson Events Plaza.

* Henderson environmental group Project GREEN spearheaded a September cleanup of the Pittman Wash south of Silver Springs Recreation Center. More than 100 volunteers contributed to a 2-year-old effort. Its goal is to restore and protect the natural habitat in the Green Valley area. The cleanup was part of National Public Lands Day.

* Miracle Flights for Kids founder Ann McGee was one of five finalists selected nationwide in the 2006 Voices Campaign, which highlighted women who make a positive difference in their community. McGee, a Henderson resident who in 1985 started the organization that flies children across the country for surgeries and specialized medical treatment, appeared on the "Montel Williams Show" in October and received $20,000 to support the organization.

* Sixty-one-year-old Sun City Anthem resident Mary Richard won the Ms. Senior Nevada title in August. She performed a salsa number to shimmy to the win. Richard later took first runner-up in the Ms. Senior America contest in November.

* New Song Lutheran Church moved into its newly constructed home in Anthem at 1291 Cornet Ave. in September. The Revs. David and Marta Poling-Goldenne prayed and planned for three years to get the church built. At the time, the church had about 350 members.

* The Rev. Christie Leavitt, one of the first female priests to be ordained in the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada and a Green Valley resident, celebrated her 20th ordination anniversary at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in November.

* Henderson Public Libraries hosted the third annual Library Tree Lane fundraiser event in November, which featured bestselling authors Debbie Macomber and Richard Paul Evans. The fundraiser benefits the outreach services of the Henderson libraries, including the Henderson Library District's bookmobile, youth services and deposit book collections at local senior centers, among other services.

EDUCATION

* Warren-Walker Elementary School first-grader Wyatt Schilling was selected as one of 10 grand-prize winners in the inaugural Nestle Juicy Juice/I SPY a Healthy Kid food journal program. Wyatt, 7, won a trip to New York in March, for his healthy eating habits, which he documented in a journal for the contest.

* After years of debate, the city selected the site for James E. and Rae Smalley Elementary School in April. It will be located at the corner of Greenway Road and Paradise Hills Drive and is expected to open for the 2007-2008 school year.

* Warren-Walker Green Valley Academy unveiled a new digital media recording studio in August at its upper school, located at 1165 Sandy Ridge Drive in Anthem. The room came complete with Macintosh computers, a production room and an audio recording room.

* The first two of four Nevada State College nursing scholarships were awarded in August to Kathleen Cannon and Beth Weber, who will start NSC's nursing program in the fall. Worth $4,000 each, the Amanda Howard Nursing Scholarships mark the memory of the 23-year-old Brigham Young University student who died of leukemia before she could graduate from the nursing program.

* Las Vegas Valley native Paula Naegle took the helm as principal in August at Del Webb Middle School in Anthem. Naegle said she hoped to create an environment where children enjoy going to school and to improve the school's adequate yearly progress.

* Lamping Elementary School teacher Stephanie Steckler received the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award in October. The award, which is presented to 100 U.S. teachers per year, includes a $25,000 prize. Steckler helped design the 4,300-square-foot McCool Science Center, which includes a technology center, science lab, lobby, gift shop and paleontology station. The center also contains a nutrition center and kitchen, tri-desert garden and hummingbird garden.

* Miller Middle School seventh-grade reading teacher Melanie Teemant received the Nevada Teacher of the Year award in October. As a result of winning, Teemant will be able to attend a teaching conference, meet President Bush at a national presentation in Washington, D.C., and attend NASA space camp in Alabama.

* The Green Valley High School Performing Arts Department performed the world high school premiere of the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical" in November. It was one of six schools nationwide selected to perform the play and was the first to take it to the stage.