Page 10 - 2007 DT 12 Issues
P. 10

The Gift                             realized we had broken our oath by   Wolin, who presented a thumbnail
                                             taking some rocks. We thought it best   sketch of all the grunt work our vol-
               ast Friday morning before the   to return them. Merry Christmas!”  unteer perform, day in and day out;
               holidays, I went to pick up the                                    Vice president Gracia Friesema; and
                                                 It was a warm feeling to realize
        Loffice mail by the Red Rock          that such a simple program can create   Director Blaine Benedict. Details on
        Canyon Visitor Center. It was a typi-                                     the availability of the plate will be
        cally quiet day for us, as the hubbub of   behavior change and the realization of   forthcoming.
        the holidays was sweeping people into   a person’s place in their environment.   Our request for the plate, spon-
                                             This was a great gift for all!
        their gift giving focus and away from                                     sored by State Senator Dina Titus,
                                                 —  Kathy August,  Park  Ranger,
        the natural areas outside their doors.   RRCNCA, 12/26/06                 was denied last year by the Nevada
        Little did I know what gift                                               Legislature Committee, however, we
        awaited me.                                                               were urged to present our case again.
            As I opened the large                                                 The  new  Commission  was  put  in
        metal mail box that held the                                              place this year to relieve the over-
        day’s drop-off, I couldn’t                                                burdened Legislature from dealing
        help  but  notice  a  large                                               with such issues.
        priority  mail  package.  It                                                 Friends  had  collected  approxi-
        practically filled the two-                                                mately 2,000 signatures supporting the
        square-foot  container.  It                                               plate for the original attempt. NOW
        was not like a lot of our typ-                                            it’s up to members, their families
        ical business mail, either,                                               and friends to purchase the plate so
        due to its bulky contents,                                                that minimum purchase requirements
        which shifted heavily as I                                                are met. Friends will receive funds
        lifted it out of the box.                                                 with each plate sold.
            I was, at first, cautious,
        as it’s ingrained in us to be                                             January Board Notes
        of “unusual” items, but the
        return address from “A. Lang, Jr. Park  Red Rock Canyon                       Board members Pat Williams,
        Ranger” caught my attention. Our Jr.  License Plate                       Gracia Friesema and Blaine Benedict,
        Ranger program here is quite popular                                      along  with  License  Plate  Project
                                                                                  Leader Norman Wolin will attend a
        and it wasn’t extraordinary for kids to      n  Monday,  January  22,  at   hearing on January 22 in Carson
        send us their completed booklets to          a  Commission  hearing  in   City  regarding  approval  of  a  Red
        check. The bumpy nature of this pack- OCarson City, our Red Rock          Rock Canyon license plate.
        age was different, however.          Canyon license plate was finally ap-      Treasurer  Helen  Barrett
                                                                                  reported  total  current  assets  at
            As I opened the bag and peered  proved! The proceeds from the sale    $261,780.79.  We  were  advised
        inside, two fist-sized objects caught  of the plate to Nevada residents will   by  our  accountant,  Danny  Riddle,
        my attention. Their familiar dull grey  provide funding for Canyon projects,   that having all our assets in one
        coloring gave away the identity of the  environmental  education,  at-risk-  bank is a concentration of risk.
                                                                                  A new CD account will be opened
        common limestone rocks which cap  school bus scholarships, cultural and   in  a  different  bank  at  the  end
        the famous red sandstone hills here. A  natural resource protection and a host   of  February  upon  maturity  of  our
        torn yellow sheet, obviously recycled  of other services Friends donates to the   current CD.
        from another life, poked out between  Conservation Area.                      Income taxes were filed in
        the stones. Pulling them all out re-     The  hearing  was  attended  by   late  December  by  our  pro  bono
                                                                                  accountant  Danny  Riddle.  He
        vealed the following message:        President  Pat Williams,  who  gave   also  provided  a  comprehensive
            “After we came home, we reviewed  an overview of the Friends’ mission;   report  compiled  for  submission
        the Jr. Park Ranger oathe [sic] and  License Plate Project Leader Norman   to  the  state  for  our  license  plate

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