Nevada Briefs - May 2003

Nevada Briefs

Ocean Spray Plant Sets Safety Record

Ocean Spray Cranberries, one of America’s leading producers of juice products, has set a state record for the most consecutive hours worked with no recordable lost-time accidents. The plant recently passed the 1 million-hour mark for accident-free operations, which translates into 25,000 40-hour workweeks. Ocean Spray celebrated the landmark by holding a dinner for employees, at which the company received a commendation from the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The nine-year-old plant located at Stephanie Street and American Pacific Drive in Henderson is one of Ocean Spray’s largest and most modern facilities, with about 200 employees. It runs two bottling lines and ships the company’s juice products throughout the western states.

Four Reno Hotel-Casinos Form Partnership

Four downtown Reno hotels – Circus Circus Reno, Eldorado Hotel Casino, Harrah's Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino – have formed a joint partnership to promote entertainment, gaming and special events. The first such alliance among the city’s major gaming properties, the partnership will leverage each property’s unique features and resources to feature gaming promotions, concerts and other special events several times a year. The group also seeks to position downtown Reno as the center of tourism in Northern Nevada and to meet the challenges of expanding Native American gaming. The $8 million venture includes a $5 million advertising campaign in print, radio and television, both locally and in key visitor markets such as Sacramento and San Francisco. It also supports joint publication of a monthly magazine distributed at the four properties and other visitor areas, top-name headlining concerts, gaming promotions, special events, festivals and sporting events.

Newmont Supports UNR School of Mines

Newmont Mining Corporation recently announced it has pledged $2.5 million to the Mackay School of Mines at the University of Nevada, Reno. The gift will fund faculty positions, provide initial funding for an endowed chair in minerals engineering, support research, aid scholarships and student travel, and assist K-12 science education. The School of Mines, with around 300 students, is reportedly experiencing increasing enrollments as other similar schools are closing down. "Mackay graduates and researchers play a key role in the economic development of Nevada," said Richard M. Perry, a Mackay graduate who currently serves as vice president and managing director of Newmont Mining Corporation. "We at Newmont would like to encourage Nevda high school students to consider enrolling in one of Mackay’s numerous degree programs if they are interested in a career in the fields of earth science and engineering." Newmont, based in Denver, is the world’s largest gold producer, and its Nevada operations produce more than 2.5 million ounces of gold annually.

Henderson Airport Opens New Runway

Henderson Executive Airport recently opened the newest runway in the Clark County airport system. At 6,500 feet, runway 17R-35L is the longest general aviation runway in Southern Nevada, and is the first of two parallel runways planned for the Henderson airport. The new runway was constructed 13 degrees west of the original runway, creating greater operating efficiencies and directing air traffic away from neighboring communities in the fast-growing southern edge of the Valley. Its pavement is stressed to accommodate aircraft weighing up to 75,000 pounds, making it usable by small corporate aircraft as well as private planes. The airport, originally named Sky Harbor Airport, was purchased by Clark County seven years ago and has been undergoing renovations and improvements that are expected to continue over the next several years. Construction is already underway on a second runway parallel to 17R-35L, and a new control tower and terminal building are expected to break ground early next year.

Ely Resource Management Plan Underway

The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Ely Field Office has begun work on the Ely Resource Management Plan (RMP) and associated environmental impact statement (EIS). The Ely RMP will provide direction for all BLM programs in the Ely District for the next 20-plus years. The district includes 11.4 million acres of public land in White Pine, Lincoln and Nye Counties. Earlier this spring, BLM officials participated in a series of presentations about the RMP, seeking input from tribal, state and local governing boards, as well as the general public, on issues such as: wildlife grazing practices, utility corridors, mineral leasing, off-road vehicles, endangered cultural resources and fire control. The draft proposal and its accompanying EIS will be presented for public review in fall 2004.

Women of Distinction Honored

The Southern Nevada Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) held its fifth annual Women of Distinction Awards dinner recently, recognizing the achievements of leading women executives. The honorees were: Debra Baez, Baez Design; Nancy Becker, Nevada Supreme Court; Phyllis Cadoff, DPN Inc.; Lisa Hammond, Femail Creations; Carol Harter, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Charlotte Hill, KLVX Communications Group; Suzanne LeBlanc, Lied Discovery Children’s Museum; Maureen Mullarkey, International Game Technology; Deborah J. Pierce, Ameristar Casinos; Susan Schwartz, ConvExx; Carolyn Sparks, International Insurance Services, Ltd.; Shari Sutton, Sutton Watkins Advertising & Design; and Lisa C. Wright, Private Advisory Group. Doris Charles of Wells Fargo Bank received the Glass Ceiling Award, presented annually to a woman who has defied the odds by making great strides in the corporate world.