Air Quality Isn’t Good In Las Vegas And Clark County: ALA

LAS VEGAS, NV – The American Lung Association released its "State of the Air 2018" report Wednesday and, according to the data analyzed, Las Vegas is 12th most polluted city in America by smog, and 24th most polluted city by year-round particle pollution.

The "State of the Air 2018" report concluded that ozone pollution overall worsened significantly in America from 2014-2016 compared to its previous report, which looked at 2013-2015. In Las Vegas, ozone pollution improved compared to last year’s report, but the number of unhealthy days is "still too many more than are safe."

"The 2018 ‘State of the Air’ report finds that unhealthful levels of ozone in Las Vegas put our citizens at risk for premature death and other serious health effects such as asthma attacks and greater difficulty breathing for those living with a lung disease like COPD," said Kristina Crawford, executive director of the Lung Association in Nevada. "Across the nation, the report found continued improvement in air quality, but still, more than four in 10 Americans – 133.9 million – live in counties that have unhealthful levels of either ozone or particle pollution, where their health is at risk."

Though the report revealed some harsh truths about Sin City air, it also showed that things are improving. Data compiled for the 2018 report showed that Las Vegas reported the fewest number of unhealthy ozone days ever. It also said that short-term particle pollution decreased from last year, continuing a downward trend of what the report described as "extremely dangerous and even lethal," pollution.

Many cities had more days when ground-level ozone — known as "smog" — reached unhealthy levels, the report said.

Statewide in Nevada

When it comes to the number of high smog days in Nevada, besides Carson City, the six counties where data was recorded didn’t fare well. Carson City received an admirable "B" grade, but the two most populous counties – Clark and Washoe – each got an "F." Lyon County received a "D" and White Pine and Churchill each received "C" grades.

Many counties across the country received either an INC grade — meaning there was incomplete monitoring data — or a DNC grade, indicating there was no monitor collecting data.

When it comes to soot, Clark County and Carson City each received the highest grade, with a "C." Washoe County received a "D" and Douglas County received an "F."

Here’s the grades for the counties in Nevada that provided enough data to assess:

Clark CountySmog grade: FSoot grade: CWashoe CountySmog grade: FSoot grade: DCarson CitySmog grade: BSoot grade: CDouglasSmog grade: DNCSoot grade: FChurchillSmog grade: CSoot grade: DNCWhite PineSmog grade: CSoot grade: DNC
Across the country

More than 40 percent of Americans live in counties with an unhealthy level of either smog or soot, the study said. California had many cities with the most air pollution.

Eight of the 10 smoggiest cities and eight of the 10 most soot-ridden cities reside in California. Among these were Los Angeles, Fresno, Bakersfield and Visalia.

"Los Angeles remains the city with the worst ozone pollution as it has for nearly the entire history of the report," the authors wrote.

For the first time, Fairbanks, Alaska, ranked as one of the most polluted for year-round soot levels, while Bakersfield maintained its badge of shame as the city with the worst short-term soot levels.

The study used the latest quality-assured data available and examined soot levels in two ways: averaged year-round and over short-term levels, defined as 24 hours. The analysis also used a weighted average number of days. Click here to read the full methodology.

Ramifications

The authors emphasized the need to keep the Clean Air Act intact, funded and enforced — something some lawmakers have targeted for repeal. The study says the number of people exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution increased to nearly 134 million people, up from 125 million in their previous report.

Furthermore, the authors said climate change contributed to worsening smog levels, particularly with record-setting heat.

"The spike in ozone demonstrates the public health impact of increased temperatures from the changing climate on the nation’s air quality," the report said. "With 2016 marking the second warmest year on record, the higher temperatures provided fuel to increase the formation of ozone from the still under-controlled emissions of the precursor emissions."

Ozone and particle pollution are associated with premature death, developmental harm, reproductive harm, lung cancer and heart damage, the ALA says.

Patch reporter Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

Photo credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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Historical home in east Las Vegas lists for $680K

The original owner Arthur Marshall of Marshall Rousso, liked to entertain celebrities at the Huntridge neighborhood home. (Berkshire Hathaway Home Services)
Berkshire Hathaway Home Services This historical home at 1404 Maria Elena Drive is on the market for $680,000.
Entertainers and business owners Ron Decar and Jamie Richards purchased this Las Vegas historical home at 1404 Maria Elena Drive in n 2002 for $285,000. (Tonya Harvey Real Estate Millions)
Owners of Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel, Ron Decar and Jamie Richards, purchased the 1966 home that Arthur and Jayn Marshall of Marshall Rousso stores built. It is on the market for $680,000. (Tonya Harvey Real Estate Millions)
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What is considered a historical home in a city as young as Las Vegas, barely a hundred years old? It’s where midcentury modern is about as dated an architectural style as you can find — and new again, simultaneously?

The national standard is the house must be at least 50 years old, according to Heidi Swank, executive director of the Nevada Preservation Foundation, which strives to save the state’s noteworthy older buildings. “It’s not just about the age, but also the story of the home and how much it’s altered over time,” she said.

The property for sale at 1404 Maria Elena Drive in Las Vegas could be historically important, Swank speculated, because of its original owners. “Given this was Art and Jayn Marshall’s house, and they were very significant to Las Vegas history.”

In 1955, Arthur Marshall and his brother-in-law, Herb Rousso, founded Marshall Rousso, a chain of specialty retail clothing stores in casinos and airports. In 1966, the Marshalls had a custom home built in Ridgeview Estates, where they frequently entertained celebrities and politicians, such as Red Skelton and Winston Churchill III, as seen in Marshall’s book “The Marshall Plan,” co-written with Jack Sheehan.

“He knew a lot of celebrities, because of having fairly high-end clothing stores in many Strip hotels. I’m sure Ann-Margret, Lola Falana, Liza Minnelli and women like that who were headlining in Las Vegas, I would say it’s a certainty that they shopped in Marshall Rousso stores,” Sheehan said. “Art always loved celebrities, and I’m sure he would have made a point of introducing himself, and he was very close friends with Red Skelton. Art had a custom-made Rolls Royce and Red Skelton fell in love with the car, and begged Art to sell it to him,” which he did, reluctantly.

The house is in the Huntridge neighborhood, and all the lots on the street measure 0.35 acre or more. Located north of Oakey Boulevard and east of Maryland Parkway, it is close to Sunrise Hospital, the north end of the Strip and downtown businesses. The mature tree-lined streets were designed to be pedestrian-friendly. Many local family names including Molasky and Boyd appear in the street’s property records. It is around the corner from homes that have been owned by many prominent Las Vegans, including Liberace and County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani.

“Needless to say, that was a very upscale neighborhood in the 1960s. There was a lot of business deals that transpired between people in that area who grew up together and stayed friends through the years.” The neighbor across the street was Bill Boyd, retired CEO of Boyd Gaming, Sheehan said. “They’ve been lifelong friends, and from that friendship a lot of business transpired, including Art becoming chairman of the board of Bank West of Nevada, which Bill Boyd started.”

Does that type of networking still take place in today’s luxury gated communities, many of which are double and triple-gated?

It’s hard to say, Sheehan said. “A lot of upscale businessmen, who were successful in Las Vegas at that time, would have no trouble meeting up, because the town was so much smaller,” he said.

The homes’ fourth set of owners are Ron Decar and Jamie Richards, co-owners of Ron Decar’s Event Center and the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel, which they bought from Stratosphere owner Bob Stupak.

Decar sang lead in the “Folies Bergère” show at the Tropicana for many years; sang in the Las Vegas Hilton’s “City Lights”; and performed with Las Vegas headliners Debbie Reynolds, Jim Nabors and the McGuire sisters. Richards was an ice skater and dancer, appearing in the “City Lights” and “90 Degrees &Rising” productions and the movie “Carmen On Ice.”

Richards grew up in Las Vegas.

“The first movie I saw was ‘Mary Poppins,’ at the Huntridge Theater,” he said.

The pair bought the property in 2002 for $285,000. At the time, they were living in a house close by at Franklin Avenue and 15th Street, and when they heard the Marshall house had come on the market, they wanted to bid on it. It was bank-owned, Decar recalled, and “there were three people in front of us, and I just happened to have a nice chunk of change in the bank at the time,” which he offered to put down. The next day, the Realtor called to tell them they could move in within 30 days.

Richards and Decar have done their share of entertaining there as well, utilizing the large family room, den, formal dining room and outdoor areas for gatherings of 200 or more.

“Being entertainers, we used the house a lot in the beginning for parties,” Decar said. “All of our friends would come over and we’d have a karaoke machine and everyone would be singing and dancing. His (Richards’) mom and dad were dancers … very Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.”

Show business is apparently deep in their family histories. The house contains many photos of their family and friends, including Charo, Liza Minnelli and Julie Andrews, who was a longtime friend of Decar’s late friend and dancing partner, Carol Baker. He visited Baker at her childhood home in England in the 1980s, and ended up bunking next door at the home of Andrews’ parents. Even though Andrews was long gone by then, “it was probably one of the best times of my life,” he said.

The couple converted part of the back patio closest to the house into an enclosed lounge, adding a large custom bar and sliding glass doors into the backyard. Hanging above the bar are a set of framed, original costume designs by the renowned designer Bob Mackie, as well as a photograph of them with Mackie.

The house came with a Tango-built pool (a top pool company at the time, later bought by Anthony Sylvan), which Decar and Richards refurbished, adding a large spa and water feature. They installed palm trees and a flagstone fireplace against a wall. They downsized an outdoor bath to a stand-alone shower, enclosing it with stone and glass blocks, and used the square footage gained to expand the shower in their master bath.

Some of the bedrooms have the original hardwood floors; the others are carpeted. Three have en suite baths. The master bedroom includes a spacious 18-foot-by-12-foot loft, with a wooden railing that Decar stripped and restored to its natural finish.

The master bath came with top-of-the-line fixtures, including a Jacuzzi tub, dual sinks, and all the toilets in the house are wall-mounted, which was super fancy at the time, Richards said. “We had it appraised when we bought it, and the guy said, luckily everything they did in this house, even though it was 1967, was top-notch for the day, so even though it’s an old house, how it was built (was) way ahead of its time,” he said.

The couple, who are married and have been together for 28 years, are selling now to downsize, and are thinking about moving into a condo they own in the Palms Place. “We want to scale down. We’ve looked at homes, but the issue is being too far away from work,” Decar said. “Since both of our dads recently passed away, we’ve seen what it’s like to get rid of stuff, especially when you’re older, and that’s not fun, so we though why not think about that and scale down.”

They also have a home in Puerto Vallarta, Decar said, “that we never have time to get to, called Villa Tesoro Del Mar, which is rented frequently, near where Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor filmed ‘Night of the Iguana.’”

The neighborhood is one of the most stable in the downtown area, the pair said, adding that on their block, three homes are owned by the original buyer. They hope whoever buys their home will appreciate the snapshot of Vintage Vegas this neighborhood and its residents offer as much as they have.

About the House

Price: $680,000

Location: 1404 Maria Elena Drive, Las Vegas in the Ridgeview Estates, near Huntridge

Size: 4,684 square feet, 0.36 acre lot, five bedrooms, four baths

Features: Retro architectural details, Floridian-style windows, wood beams, custom built-ins, multiple fireplaces and entertaining areas, kitchen island and pantry, laundry room, adjacent bedroom with separate entrance; large pool, spa and water feature; poolside shower; four-car garage with six-space carport; master bedroom with loft/office; single story.

History: Originally built in 1966 by Arthur and Jayn Marshall of Marshall Rousso stores; sold in 1994 to James Corey, who served on the Las Vegas City Commission from 1967-1971. Bought for $280,000 in 2002 by entertainers and business owners Jamie Richards and Ron Decar.

Listing: Bill Berning, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services

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Stretch of North Las Vegas’ Craig Road to be ‘restaurant row’

Construction is expected to start April 9 on Cafe Rio, Blaze Pizza and other restaurants on Craig Road and Bruce Street in North Las Vegas. (Darryll Brandwine, d3 Design Studios)

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Construction is expected to start April 9 on the first Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Southern Nevada, along with Jersey Mike’s, Blaze Pizza and Cafe Rio, on a stretch of Craig Road that has been designated as “restaurant row” of North Las Vegas.

The eateries are slated to open this year on vacant land on the northeast corner Craig and Bruce Street and catty-corner to the Cannery, developer Mitch Ogron said.

Within the next few months, Ogron said, he will start looking for additional chain restaurants to move to the northwest corner of the intersection. And by the end of 2019, a mix of eateries and automotive-service businesses are slated to open on the southwest end of the intersection.

“The tenants want to be here because Craig Road is the most heavily traveled east-west arterial road in North Las Vegas …” Ogron said.

Mayor John Lee referred to North Las Vegas as a “food desert” with few options back when a handful of residents opposed the arrival of a Jack in the Box at Aliante and Centennial parkways in November 2016.

The City Council narrowly approved that project, and city officials have since made an effort to attract high-quality chain restaurants with a focus on Craig Road.

“It’s truly transformational,” said Gina Gavan, economic and business development director for North Las Vegas. “In the next 10 to 12 months, the whole corridor is going to be unrecognizably different.”

As part of that transformation, Gavan and Lee are trying to strike up a deal to develop 40 acres owned by Nellis Air Force Base at Craig Road and North Fifth Street.

A chain link-fence surrounds the vast property, where the Air Force has a pair of small wells that connect to a water line leading to Nellis.

Gavan said that negotiations are underway to consolidate the wells into a single water source so the rest of the land can be developed into businesses that are “mutually beneficial” to the city and the Air Force.

“As we’ve grown, the Air Force has started to realize that it’s important for us to reach some sort of agreement on how to develop this land that’s essentially at the center of our city,” Gavan said.

Farther west, developers plan additional restaurants and medical offices on the vacant land surrounding the Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican Hospital at Craig and Camino Al Norte/Martin Luther King Boulevard.

The property recently was rezoned for commercial use, and underground infrastructure is being laid, said Dan Sullivan, director of development for Eastern Real Estate.

Sullivan declined to name prospective tenants for the area, but Ogron said construction will start May 1 on a Starbucks at Craig and Scott Robinson Boulevard.

“North Las Vegas has rebounded substantially,” Sullivan said. “I think the market has finally corrected itself to make these projects possible.”

Contact Art Marroquin at amarroquin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0336. Find @AMarroquin_LV on Twitter.

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Coalition: Nevada rental housing is least affordable in US | The Modesto Bee

Rising housing costs have broken a 10-year-old record in Reno, and the most recent data shows Nevada ranks last among all states for providing affordable rental housing for its poorest families.

A report released this week based on 2016 figures also ranks Las Vegas last among U.S. metropolitan areas for the second year in a row in terms of affordable rental housing. It’s the fourth year in a row Nevada has finished last statewide in that category, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

The Reno/Sparks Association of Realtors says the combined median price for an existing single-family home in Reno and Sparks reached $370,000 last month.

That tops the previous record of $365,000 set in January 2006 during the height of the housing bubble.

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Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said the statewide ranking for affordable rental housing is attributable to Nevada’s small supply of subsidized housing, its abundance of low-wage jobs and the lasting effect of the nation’s housing crisis. The coalition advocates for public policy that assures people with the lowest incomes in the U.S. have access to affordable homes.

"Las Vegas, of course, was one of the areas most impacted by the foreclosure crisis and is a really good example of people losing their homes and becoming renters," Yentel told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The rental housing supply has not kept up with demand, she said. "That’s increased costs for everyone, and the lowest income people are impacted the hardest."

Titled "The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes," the coalition study used the latest available U.S. Census survey data to identify rental housing that is affordable and available for "extremely low income" families. The federal government defines such families as making 30 percent or less of an area’s median income.

For a family of four in the Las Vegas metro area, that’s about $24,600 or less a year.

The study assumed that for housing to be considered affordable, a family should spend no more than 30 percent of its income on rent and utilities.

Las Vegas had 10 affordable rental units for every 100 extremely low income households. Nevada had 15. The national average was 35.

Las Vegas-Henderson was the only Nevada market detailed in that report.

In Reno-Sparks, prices are expected to "inch up" this year as the area enters residential real estate’s busy spring and summer season, according to Doug McIntyre, president of the Reno/Sparks Association of Realtors.

"The good news is there has been a 10 percent increase in new listings (at 532 units)," he told the Reno Gazette Journal. "With spring approaching, it’s traditionally a time when more people put their homes on the market."

Tight supply resulting from near-zero construction during the recession combined with strong demand from buyers has fueled a housing crunch in Reno marked by skyrocketing home values.

Housing supply for Reno-Sparks, which calculates how fast the current supply will sell out at the current pace of sales minus new inventory, is at just 1.3 months compared with 2.7 months a year ago.

Supply is especially limited at the lower end or entry-level part of the market. The Biggest Little City closed last year and opened 2018 with fewer than 100 existing single-family homes in the market priced below $300,000. Reno’s median household income, which has hovered between $50,000 and $55,000 in recent years, is also unable to comfortably afford the area’s median home price.

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Silver State Film Festival Invites Independent Filmmakers from Around the World to Come and Experience Las Vegas

Submissions for features, shorts and competitive projects are open on FilmFreeway at https://filmfreeway.com/SilverStateFilmFestival.For more information, please visit the website at http://silverstatefilmfestival.com."After so many months of planning, preparation, and strategizing, we are happy to be launching finally. The city of Las Vegas will be hosting very distinctive creatives from different parts of the world. Our platform provides an opportunity for independent filmmakers to find exposure and present their ideas in an environment that is receptive, engaging, appreciative, and saturated with creative people who value the arts. We hope to make this event worthwhile and beneficial for many who are looking for ways to project their films and ideas," said Jon Gursha, Festival Director of Silver State Film Festival.Silver State Film Festival is going to be one of a kind. Apart from providing a smooth submission process for creatives and filmmakers all over the world, it will also proffer an opportunity for many people to showcase their talent in the perfect environment. The festival will bring together independent filmmakers from around the world who will be screening their films, taking part in different activities and events, and networking.Silver State Film Festival will involve screening of features, shorts, and competitive projects. There will also be discussions, workshops, seminars, and exhibitions, where every participant will be able to connect and network. Filmmakers will also have the opportunity to sit on a panel, get their work reviewed, win awards, and gain more fans and popularity for their work. “We are excited to create a world class Festival in Fabulous Las Vegas," said Peter Greene, Program Director of Silver State Film Festival.There are many benefits to taking part in film festivals, especially when it is hosted in Las Vegas. Filmmakers and participants get to meet film marketing agents and have a chance to strike a distribution deal. Participants will also have the opportunity to connect and network with other filmmakers, discover new talents, and get the thrill of seeing people watch their creative work. “This year’s Festival is designed to bring together International and local Independent Filmmakers from around the world We are bringing some of the best indie filmmakers together in Las Vegas," said Eric Vollweiler, Co-Producer of Silver State Film Festival.About Silver State Film FestivalSilver State Film Festival is an independent film festival held annually in Nevada. The organizers desire to bring independent filmmakers from all over the world to Las Vegas, to come and experience a great time, network, and get discovered. For more information, please contact 818-633-5404, silverstatefilmfestival@gmail.com, or visit http://silverstatefilmfestival.com.

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Las Vegas Mansion Offers Luxurious Living, Inside And Outside

LAS VEGAS, NV — The layout of this Las Vegas mansion blends a beautiful, spacious interior with an outdoor living area that’s as exquisite. The modern day interior blends seamlessly into the outdoor space and it’s hard to decipher where the line is drawn in some parts of this spectacular Wow! House. Built in 2011 and offering nearly 8,500 square feet, this home can be yours for $3.75 million. If that’s out of your price range, at least take a look at the photos of this amazing home

This listing originally appeared on realtor.com. For more information and photos, click here.

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Retired Las Vegas 911 Dispatcher Turns Successful Realtor with Bentley Realty Group and Pays It Forward in K-9 Community

After Erika Bentley retired from being a 911 dispatcher she launched a new career in 2016 – real estate. She and her partner, John Kelley, decided to give back to the community when her real estate business started to take off. In 2017, alone, Bentley did $10 million in sales and within 16 months she was named one of the top 10 agents in the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices franchise for the state of Nevada. After Erika Bentley retired from being a 911 dispatcher she launched a new career in 2016 – real estate. She and her partner, John Kelley, decided to give back to the community when her real estate business started to take off. In 2017, alone, Bentley did $10 million in sales and within 16 months she was named one of the top 10 agents in the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices franchise for the state of Nevada.“That’s a really impressive number for someone just starting out,” Kelley says. “She picked it up quickly and is just great at what she does.”Bentley’s experience working in the community helped her to develop relationships with groups like the police and fire departments. As a result, she has developed a niche in the real estate market and does a great deal of business with these entities.So, when the time came for her to give back, she decided a partnership with the NLVPD would align well with her business.“It’s also one of the smallest in the area, so our support has been welcomed,” Kelley says.Sgt. Scott Salkoff of the NLVPD said that when Erika reached out to them they were thrilled. “The donation will be used to benefit the overall health, safety and training of our police dogs and will go towards items for eye and hearing protection as well as medical costs. Erika’s generous donation will go a long way to help keep our canine partners comfortable and safe.”So, what’s in store for 2018?“We’re planning to add more staff and will continue to find houses that people can call home,” Kelley says. “We’re working to build the best Las Vegas real estate team out there while giving back to the community we care about.”

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