Neighborhood news

Voting for city of Las Vegas municipal primary elections is at the City Clerk's office, 400 Stewart Ave.; Meadows Mall, 4300 Meadows Lane; and dozens of neighborhood sites. The primary is April 5, and the general election is scheduled for June 7.

For more information about the election, voting sites or the candidates, visit lasvegasnevada.gov/elections/election_2011.asp or viewnews.com.

Hospice of Las Vegas needs volunteers

Hospice of Las Vegas, 5765 S. Rainbow Blvd., Suite 111, is seeking volunteers to help patients and families in need. A training class is scheduled for April 16 and will cover hospice services and philosophy. Training is free, and lunch will be provided. Deadline for class registration is April 11.

For more information or to RSVP, call Tara Babcock at 853-9063.

AFAN to host 21st AIDS Walk Las Vegas

Aid for AIDS of Nevada is scheduled to host the 21st annual AIDS Walk Las Vegas at 8 a.m. April 17 at the World Market Center, 495 S. Grand Central Parkway. Early sign-in is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the AFAN Headquarters, 701 Shadow Lane, Suite 130. Penn & Teller are set to serve as grand marshals for the 10th consecutive year.

For more information on how to get involved, call 382-2326 or visit afanlv.org to register. Registration is free, but a minimum $50 donation per person is encouraged.

Fundraiser scheduled to raise money for autism treatment

Families for Effective Autism Treatment of Southern Nevada is scheduled to host Autism's Angels Gala 2011 at 7 p.m. April 16 at Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, 888 W. Bonneville Ave. For more information, call 325-5678 or 368-3328 or visit featsonv.org.

West Las Vegas arts center to host young women's conference

The Young Women's Conference 2011 is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 9 at the West Las Vegas Arts Center, 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd. The free event is for women 17 to 25. Advance registration is required. For more information, call 229-4800.

Nevada Cancer Institute offers smoking cessation courses

The Nevada Cancer Institute is offering A Smoke-Free Life, a free six-week tobacco cessation course for companies looking to reduce health care costs.

A Smoke-Free Life addresses the challenges of ending tobacco use. A certified tobacco treatment specialist will help employees quit successfully by creating a quit plan, providing information on nicotine replacement therapy and helping participants develop the coping skills to stay smoke-free.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, killing approximately 1,200 people every day, which is more than alcohol, AIDS, motor vehicle crashes, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined. Each year, Nevada spends $565 million in health care costs that are directly related to smoking. Only 22 percent of Nevadans currently smoke, according to Dr. John Ruckdeschel, director and CEO of Nevada Cancer Institute.

Companies interested in offering the course can call 822-5299 or email jquade@nvcancer.org.

Hispanic museum of Nevada to host comedy night

The Hispanic Museum of Nevada is scheduled to host comedy night auditions from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the East Las Vegas Community Senior Center, 250 N. Eastern Ave. Call 773-2203 for more information.

Chicken Coop Tour open to participants

The second annual Las Vegas Valley Urban Chicken Keepers Coop Tour is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, with participants visiting coops around the valley to observe and speak with coop owners. Tickets are $4.

For details, visit cluck@cox.net or call 490-5217.

United Way offering free tax preparation service

United Way of Southern Nevada's Earn It Keep It Save It collaboration encourages residents to beat the April tax deadline rush and use its free tax preparation services.

Those who earned less than $49,000 in 2010 can access the 30 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites located across the Las Vegas Valley through April 18. IRS-certified volunteers and community partners will be on site to assist with free tax preparation. For locations and hours, dial 2-1-1 or visit uwsn.org.

USA SONGWRITING COMPETITION
ACCEPTING ENTRIES

The 16th annual USA Songwriting Competition is accepting entries. Winning songs will receive radio air play in the United States and Canada. The top prize is more than $50,000.

Contestants may enter via songwriting.net, sonicbids.com or broadjam.com.

Free tax returns offered
at goodwill of Southern Nevada

People who earned less than $49,000 in 2010 can receive free tax preparation if eligible at Goodwill of Southern Nevada at 1280 W. Cheyenne Ave., or 3345 E. Tropicana Ave.

For more information, call 214-2056 or visit sngoodwill.org.

Helldorado parade applications available through april 25

Applications are available for the Helldorado Parade. There is no fee to enter, and the city will accept the first 120 entries through April 25. The May 12-15 event marks the 106th anniversary of the founding of Las Vegas.

Entries will be judged on appearance, theme and creativity. The winner will be notified after the parade. For more information, call 229-6672 or visit elkshelldorado.com.

YMCA locations to celebrate
healthy kids day April 16

The YMCA of Southern Nevada is scheduled to host a free event scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon at all locations -- Heinrich YMCA, 4141 Meadows Lane; Durango Hills Community Center YMCA, 3521 N. Durango Drive; and Centennial Hills Community Center YMCA, 6601 N. Buffalo Drive -- on April 16 during Healthy Kids Day, the nation's largest health day for families.

The free event is set to feature games, face painting, family entertainment, wellness screenings, a vendor fair, hands-only CPR training and demonstrations in everything from martial arts to Zumba.

For more information, visit lasvegasymca.org.

Earth Day green living expo
scheduled for april 23

The Las Vegas Green Living Family Expo is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 23 at Tonopah Community Garden, 711 N. Tonopah Drive. There will be information and resources available about green living, children's activities and entertainment.

For more information, call Mitzi Reed at 547-4075.