Thank you, washoevalley.org!
Threatening weather didn’t dampen the spirits at this year’s annual Celebrate Washoe Valley event. We arrived early and things were already getting lively 
with a great blue grass band providing entertainment. Trying to navigate all the booths was daunting. So much information in a short amount of time! I spoke to Nathan from the Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation, something I didn’t even know existed. The group promotes the parks and hosts fun events. Next I learned more about our local county parks and the progress on the Washoe Valley Scenic Byway Corridor from Cheryl of Washoe County Parks. The Byway has been approved and now work is being done to implement the plan. I was also encouraged by the amount of trails and other outdoor recreation work being done that will continue to help the local economy diversify.
Next up was Donna and Bill with the Washoe Valley Garden Group. They were giving away free onion plants and offering garden advice. The group is very successful and has many members in the valley. Not only do they bring in local experts and visit local gardens, but they have pot lucks! Sounds like a fun club. Call Donna at 775-772-4953 to sign up for their email notifications of future meetings. They are always looking for new members. Bill is also involved in the Community Horticulture & Cider Making project. More on all those topics in future posts.
Long time west valley residents had a display of old photographs of the Franktown School and teacher’s and students from the 1940s and ’50s. I saw a lot of names I recognized from the old ranches. Our valley has a lot of great history to be proud of and it was great to be able to meet and chat with some of the folks that are not only descended from the pioneers but have made history themselves. I hope to see more of them in the future and get their stories.
The local boy Scout Troop did a fine job providing grilled burgers and dogs and all the fixings. The state tree nursery on East Lake Blvd had a display and handouts on the plants and trees that will be available when they officially open next Saturday on the 23rd of May. The Lahontan Audobon Society had a great display of local stuffed birds, handouts, books and knowledgeable birders. I picked up a local wildflower guide and a Western Nevada area birding guide. The Nevada Land Trust was there also. They have done a fabulous job working with the federal agencies to buy and protect open space in our valley. Developer’s in Las Vegas want urban BLM land to develop and we want our rural vistas so it has been a symbiotic relationship.
Tables and representatives I did not get a chance to talk to because they were so busy were the Washoe Tribe, BLM and Forest Service. The Washoe Tribe had what looked like freshly made baskets and other items made in the traditional manner with reeds. That was great to see that that amazing tradition still lives. I wanted to talk to the BLM about the management plan for the Winters Ranch acreage that they have acquired. Next year we will definitely dedicate more time for this event.
In the parking lot, the Forest Service had a monstrous brush truck, Truckee Meadows Fire had two trucks and our local volunteer Fire Dept had their quick response truck. I managed to talk to them briefly and learned more about the standardized house number signs they are providing. Many times homes are hard to find because house numbers are not displayed clearly, properly or not at all. The department wants to be able to find your house as fast as possible in an emergency. I will publish a post with all the information.
Most of the services described above deserve a separate post and I will be publishing them in the coming weeks. It was really fun to meet the people behind all the services we enjoy. It was another great event and the members of the Washoe Valley Alliance deserve a big “Thank You” for putting on this event!
