Community news briefs for December 29, 2004

Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2004 | 10:22 a.m.

Youth concert series scheduled

Performances in the sixth annual Las Vegas Philharmonic Youth Concert Series will be 10:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. Jan. 4, 5, 7 and 10 at UNLV's Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall.

Philharmonic Associate Conductor Richard McGee and the orchestra will perform Rossini's "Barber of Seville" and "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from the Peer Gynt Suite.

The series' goals include music appreciation, introducing students to the variety of instruments and encouraging them to become involved in music.

UMC will host blood drive

University Medical Center is holding a blood drive and a bone marrow registration drive from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday at UMC, 1800 W. Charleston Blvd.

A blood drive is held each month at UMC to help replenish the community's blood supply for United Blood Services.

During the bone marrow registration drive, people can register to become a bone marrow donor and have a blood sample taken. The blood sample will then be tissue-typed to determine if there is a match for Rocio Jansen, who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2001 and is now in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. Jansen's sister, April Martinez, a speciality imaging tech at UMC, is not a match, but hopes that someone in Southern Nevada is a match.

There is a $65 fee for tissue typing. For more information, call 383-2454.

Want to help with tax returns?

Las Vegas and North Las Vegas are looking for "site coordinators."

If you have a tax or business background, have some computer skills and would like to earn a couple of thousand dollars to offset those holiday bills, a site coordinator position with the Vegas Valley Coalition might be right for you.

Coordinators will be in charge of assisting volunteers in preparing free tax returns for low to moderate-income individuals during the 2005 tax season. Coordinators will need to have flexible hours conducive to the various site locations and hours of operations. For more information, contact Jackie Ingram with the Vegas Valley Coalition at 765-1965.

Volunteer tax preparer positions are also available to individuals looking to help people and possibly learn a new skill.

Training will be provided by the Internal Revenue Service for both site coordinators and volunteers.

For further information or to register for the training classes, call Jackie Ingram at 765-1965.

The second annual Holiday Mixer

will be 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. today at the Moulin Rouge and Cultural Center, 900 W. Bonanza Road, Suite 140. You will receive with your $10 donation, refreshments, libations, a Kwaanza celebration and museum membership. RSVP by calling 648-2939.