Once again, Kiley Ranch will hold its Fall Harvest Festival 10:00am to 2:00pm on October 18th at the Kiley Ranch Welcome Center. We will be partnering with the Food Bank of Northern Nevada to collect food and monetary donations and in exchange, will be giving away free pumpkins. All we ask is that you give a $5 cash donation or five cans of food, and you’ll get a free pumpkin  while supplies last (one per child please). Come out and enjoy face painting, a farmers’ market, and activities and fun for the whole family. Can’t wait to see you there! For more information, please contact Alyssa Barnes at abarnes@kileyranch.net.

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August 27 kicks off the 20th Annual Best in the West Nugget Rib Cookoff in Victorian Square in Sparks that will run through September 1.  In addition to all the glorious ribs and other tasty treats, there will be craft vendors, live entertainment, and activities for the whole family.  For more information, check out www.nuggetribcookoff.com.

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Cover the Waterfront - 15 green books you can actually read at the beach
by Michelle Niijhuis

So maybe you’ll finally have a chance to catch up on some reading this summer. But so many of those books about the environments seem kind of…well, homework-y. What’s a vacationing enviro to do? Turn to Grist for advice, of course! Here are 15 recent page-turners just perfect for stuffing in your beach hemp tote.

1.  The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring
Richard Preston, Random House, 2007

Think nature writing is boring? The Wild Trees is about as boring as a car chase. Master storyteller Richard Preston follows a motley group of professional and amateur botanists into the canopies of the tallest tree in the world, where they explore a sky-high ecosystem almost entirely unknown to humans. A great tale of science and adventure — and a love story to boot.

2.  Farewell, My Subaru: An Epic Adventure in Local Living
Doug Fine, Villard, 2008

A breezy journal of Doug Fine’s attempts to live a low-carbon life in rural New Mexico, despite his lack of gardening and electrical skills. After a year of wrestling with weather, goats, and tax assessors on the Funky Butte Ranch, Fine concludes that “…the greatest impact we can have on crafting a sustainable future is not just by buying ‘green products,’ but rather by actively understanding that every part of life can and should be infused with carbon reduction.”

3.  The Zookeeper’s Wife: A War Story
Diane Ackerman, W.W. Norton, 2007 

During World War II, Antonia Zabinski, the wife of Polish zookeeper, rescued Resistance fighters and Jews by hiding them in her Warsaw villa — and in the empty zoo cages surrounding it. In this real-life historical drama, Diane Ackerman shows how Antonia’s love for the animal world inspired heroism, even as Nazi romanticism about nature led to grossly different acts.

4.  Winter Study
Nevada Barr, Putnam Adult, 2008

The 14th installment in Nevada Barr’s reliably entertaining National Park Service mystery series is one of her darkest and scariest yet. Winter Study takes our heroine, park ranger Anna Pigeon, to a wolf study at Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior, where she contends with all sorts of mayhem, from interagency rivalry to bitter cold to a canine — or human — with murderous intent.

5.  World Made By Hand
James Kunstler, Atlantic Monthly, 2008

An absorbing and disturbing novel about the near future. After a constellation of plagues — war, disease, declining oil supplies, climate change — fracture U.S. society into isolated outposts, former insurance salesmen and software executives are forced to grow their own food, build their own houses, and defend their communities against violence and fanaticism. As dark as Kunstler’s world gets, hints of rural romanticism keep the reader guessing.

Try our locally owned bookstore Sundance Bookstore for these and other environmental books.

Amazon.com, of course, has its own list Enviro Books. Take a look! Amazon.com/Environmental

–Stacey Crowley, Director of Master Planning and Environmental Initiatives - scrowley@kileyranch.net 

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Pyramid at Lazy 5, Friday, July 25, 9 p.m. to Monday, July 28, 5:30 a.m.
Traffic will be reduced to a single lane in each direction on Pyramid Highway beginning Friday, July 25 at 9 p.m. through Monday, July 28 at 5:30 a.m. for improvements. Activity will include construction of a trench to bring underground utilities across Pyramid at Lazy 5. In addition, Sierra Pacific Power Company will be installing a hot gas tab.

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The interconnect, designed and paid for by Kiley Ranch Communities, is a safety measure that will provide a crosswalk and traffic light for students walking to the school.

Kiley Ranch Communities is completing the roadway improvements to accommodate future traffic issues and increase safety on the Pyramid Highway in Spanish Springs. Construction on the improvements began the first week in June and will continue throughout the summer months.

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1.  Why mow when you can peddlemow?

The alternative to the gas or electric powered mower has always been the hand mower, but recently creative individuals have turned their daily commute into a mowing machine.

2.  Solar Burger

We all know that the “charcoal briquettes with combustible lighter fluid” grilling method is somewhat passé and emits more carbon monoxide into the air. Now, with propane, electric and even solar powered grills, you can reduce your footprint and still enjoy an outdoor BBQ.

* Don’t forget that grilling leaner meats can reduce the carcinogens that get released from the fat when grilling at high temps.

3.  Repel naturally

Use DEET-free repellents and avoid the harmful chemical that has been linked to neurological problems in children. Although you may need to apply more frequently, natural bug repellents are safe, kid-safe, and a good habit to get into.

• While grilling, throw sage or rosemary on the rack to repel mosquitos.
• Try mixing one part garlic juice to five parts water in a small spray bottle. Shake well and spray lightly on exposed body parts for an effective repellent lasting up to six hours. Strips of cotton cloth can also be dipped in this mixture and hung in areas, such as patios, as a localized deterrent.

Try an herbal repellent, found in stores and online such as Burt’s Bees Herbal Insect Repellent.

When having friends and family over for backyard fun, think about how much waste can be accummulated from paper plates, napkins and plastic cups. Invest in cloth napkins, earth friendly, recyclable or washable plates, cups and silverware and limit the waste. Buy locally, recycle bottles and cans and compost what you can.

Cheers!
scrowley@kileyranch.net

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If you would like to get involved with the Kiley Ranch Food Bank Garden, feel free to email abarnes@kileyranch.net for more information.

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The work is part of roadway improvements that will widen Pyramid Highway and “acommodate future traffic issues and increase safety on the Pyramid Highway in Spanish Springs,” said a press release from Kiley Ranch.

Work began during the first week of June and is expected to continue for several months.

“Appropriate access from Pyramisd Highway into Kiley Ranch is vital,” said Paul Curtis, Kiley Ranch Communities CEO, in the news release.”

“It has to be done in a safe fashion with an eye toward future traffic conditions. We’ve worked closely with Washoe County, the city of Sparks and with RTC to comply with NDOT’s requirements to improve and meet state and national standards for safety capacity on Pyramid Highway.”

In cooperation with RTC and the city of Sparks, Kiley Ranch has set aside approximately 25 acres of prime commercial land for the future construction of a potential freeway along Pyramid Highway.

Immediate improvements to Pyramid Highway will include:

• Widening Pyramid Highway to add deceleration and acceleration lanes for ingress and egress to the commercial portions of Kiley Ranch.
• Intersection safety improvements at Lazy 5 Parkway - such as dual left turn lanes and infrastructure for a traffic control signal.
• Installation of center lane median islands from Sparks Boulevard to Dolores, with a break at Lazy 5 Parkway. This will eliminate conflicts from left turns on Pyramid Highway, and is a safety and capacity mitigation initiative.
• Landscaping.

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Once again, Kiley Ranch is the 2008 presenting sponsor for the Lazy 5 Summer Concert Series at Lazy 5 Regional Park. Get your chairs, blankets, coolers and kids and come out to enjoy the music June 25 - August 13, every Wednesday evening from 6:30 to 8:00. 

June 25th: Hitmen (Classic Rock)
July 2nd: Mark Castro Band (Classic Rock)
July 9th: Escalade (70s Dance, Funk, Party)
July 16th: Blue Haven (Blues, Rock)
July 23rd: Runnin’ for Cover (Classic Rock & Roll)
July 30th: Hot Two (Ragtime)
August 6th: Hard Rain (Original Rock & Blues)
August 13th: Colin Ross Band (Swing, Blues, & Americana)

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If you are a frequent reader of the Kiley Ranch blog, you have undoubtedly caught one of Stacey’s informative and insightful “Green Byte” posts. If not, you should definitely make it a point to read one or two…or ten.  You may not know that aside from serving as the Kiley Ranch Director of Environmental Initialtives, Stacey possesses many other qualities that make her an outstanding candidate to receive this honor.  Stacey sits on the board of the Nevada Land Conservancy, Scenic Nevada, Reno Tahoe Young Professionals’ Network, and the Kiley Ranch Preservancy Foundation. She was a 2005 Scenic Nevada “Hero”, won a 2007 “20 Under 40″ award, vice-chaired the Truckee Meadows Growth Task Force and chaired Nevada’s first Governor’s High Performance Building Summit. Stacey is a graduate of the University of Michigan and received a masters from the University of New Mexico. She is an architect, a LEED Accredited Professional, and is the Director of Master Planning and Environmental Initiatives for Kiley Ranch. She was an All-American swimmer in college but now spends her free time cycling and skiing with her husband, Tim.

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