Community briefs for January 24, 2002

Thursday, Jan. 24, 2002 | 8:46 a.m.

Jurists gather for four-day seminar

North Las Vegas Municipal Judge Warren VanLandschoot treated about 50 colleagues from around the state to a dinner at the city's jail on Thursday.

The municipal judges and justices of the peace were in town for a four-day seminar. After dinner, which included shrimp salad and went beyond regular jail food, the group attended VanLandschoot's "A Life of Crime" program.

Since its inception in December 2000, about 2,500 people, mostly teenagers, have attended the seminar, in which jail inmates talk about their criminal history. Carson City Municipal Judge John Tatro said he was interested in possibly setting up a similar program up north.

Groups eligible for small EPA grants

The Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Justice is accepting applications for environmental justice small grants from eligible community groups in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and U.S.-aligned Pacific island groups.

Grants will be awarded by Oct. 15. The ceiling is $20,000 per grant. The EPA's Pacific Southwest office has $150,000 to issue this year.

The application guidance and forms are available at the EPA's web address (es.epa.gov/oeca/main/ej/grants.html).

For more information, contact Willard Chin at (415) 972-3797 or chin.willard@ epa.gov.

The postmark deadline for submitting applications is Feb. 22.

Registration fees can be estimated

The Department of Motor Vehicles has unveiled a new online service so motorists can estimate vehicle registration fees on its website (www.dmvstat.com).

Registration fee estimates are free and completed through a short online form. Motorists enter information about a specific car, truck, motorcycle or trailer and the site returns an estimate.

Future DMV online services will include address changes, driver history printouts, personalized plate checks, late registration renewals and services for trucking and fuel industries, DMV Director Ginny Lewis said.

Luncheon to help fund seminary

The Women's League of Temple Beth Sholom, 8516 W. Lake Mead Blvd., is sponsoring a Torah Fund luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Sunday in support of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and the Ziegler School of Rabbinics (University of Judaism). Audrey Merkin and Mona Silverman will be honored for their commitment and faithful service. Call 382-8908.