News briefs for Sept. 9, 2003

Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2003 | 11:05 a.m.

Alexander Road work to begin

The city of Las Vegas is expected to break ground on about $2 million in improvements to Alexander Road with a ceremony Friday at the intersection of Alexander and Rancho. The project aims to place new pavement, curbs, gutters, sidewalks and streetlights, and storm drainage and sewer improvements, along Alexander between U.S.-95 and Rancho.

The work is to be performed by Southern Nevada Paving Co. Work will start at Alexander and Rancho, and move west, generally during daytime hours Monday through Friday but including some nighttime work on Rancho. Ward 6 Councilman Michael Mack said in a prepared statement that motorists might see some work starting next week. Work is expected to finish by March 2004.

Three sculpture finalists selected

Three artists are competing for the right to place a sculpture in front of the East Las Vegas Community Senior Center at the corner of Eastern and Stewart, and their proposals will be on display through Sept. 30.

The building opened in October, 2002, and the architects, JMA Architecture, gave the city $15,000 to start an art fund. Steven Liguori of Las Vegas, Emanuel Martinez of Morrison, Colo., and Hank Saxe and Cynthia Patterson of Taos, N.N., are the finalists. A panel of local artists and professionals will select one of the designs at the end of the month.

The selected artist will be asked to visit the center and work with residents and the project architect to develop their design. For information, call the city's Arts Commission office at (702) 229-4631.

Parks fire restrictions lifted

Fire restrictions within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and National Park Service lands within the Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument have been lifted, Park Service Superintendent William Dickinson said Monday.

The restrictions were necessary to prevent wildfires during the hot summer months that posed a high fire danger in Nevada and Arizona, he said.

However, the use of fireworks, including "safe and sane" brands, remain prohibited at all times on all public lands.