Non Hotel Press Releases
SPRINGS PRESERVE HOME TO HISTORIC RAILROAD COTTAGES PROVIDES LINK TO VEGAS OF THE PAST
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The first homes in the Las Vegas Valley tell the story of early residents
WHAT: The Springs Preserve hosts its first Untold Stories of 2009, "The Railroad Cottages" on Thursday, February 5. Join urban historian Brian Paco Alverez, longtime Las Vegas resident Donna Andress, Eileen Fitzgerald Carson whose father managed the railroad roundhouse, and Paul Stewart, noted expert on the history of the cottages, as they provide a look at the significance of these homes, how local citizens mobilized to save them and the role of the railroad in establishing Las Vegas.
The valley's famous railroad cottages date back to the early days of Las Vegas when the railroad was a vital part of our community. Once built for employees of the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad, these cottages were slated for destruction before a concerted effort to save them during the 2005 centennial celebration of Las Vegas. Because of efforts by the City of Las Vegas, Clark County and historic preservation groups, a number of cottages were relocated to the Clark County Museum and the Springs Preserve to ensure they would not be lost to history. This program is made possible in part by a grant from Nevada Humanities, a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Tickets are $12 for non-members, $10 for members, $6.50 for children
WHO: Curator of the Las Vegas News Bureau, Brian Paco Alverez
Longtime Las Vegas Resident, Donna Andress
Daughter of the manager of the railroad's roundhouse, Eileen Fitzgerald Carson
Paul Stewart, Railroad Cottage Historian
Interviews are available upon request.
WHERE: Springs Preserve
333 S. Valley View Blvd.
(At Meadows Lane, between Alta Drive and US 95)
WHEN: Thursday, February 5
7-8:30 p.m.
INFO: For more information or to reserve your space for the event, call 822-7786. Advanced ticket purchase required - space is limited.
TECHNOLOGY REVEALS SIGNIFICANT ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERY AT THE LAS VEGAS SPRINGS PRESERVE
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LAS VEGAS, NV - In addition to the more traditional archaeological excavation of a pre-historic pithouse currently underway at the Springs Preserve, remote sensing technologies have revealed the possible existence of two additional pithouses in close proximity. This new archaeological find indicates evidence of an ancestral Puebloan human settlement at the Springs Preserve.
"We believe we've found a small intact community near the center of Las Vegas in an area that has been virtually undisturbed by urban growth. This is a prime example of the value of protecting and preserving our links with the past," said Springs Preserve Archaeologist Dr. Patti Wright.
The partially excavated pre-historic pithouse is believed to have been a dwelling constructed by the Ancestral Puebloans. Plant charcoal remnants found in the pithouse hearth have been carbon dated at 700 AD. The excavation has also uncovered chipped and ground stone, ceramics, and a shell bead from the California coast, which indicate that these ancient peoples engaged in trade.
A noted expert in development and use of remote sensing technology Dr. Michael "Bodhi" Rogers, Professor in the Physics Department at Ithaca College is conducting remote sensing research at the Springs Preserve. "Depending on the scope of the project, we can obtain information much more quickly with remote sensing technology," says Dr. Rogers, "accomplishing in days what might take years using traditional methods."
Rarely utilized in Southern Nevada, remote sensing techniques such as ground-penetrating radar (GPR), magnetometry and electric resistivity use non-destructive energy waves to locate subterranean archaeological remnants. The process began with laying out a grid system on the ground's surface to map out their subsurface findings obtained with the remote sensing technologies.
"This collaborative effort between geophysicists and archaeologists may uncover an extremely significant find which highlights the transition from nomadic to semi-sedentary," says Dr. Alan Simmons, Professor Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas.
CINEVEGAS TO HOST NEW GREEN FILM SERIES AT THE SPRINGS PRESERVE
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Series Highlighting Environmentally Themed Films to Premiere January 24
LAS VEGAS - CineVegas will host the new CineVegas Green Film Series at the Springs Preserve every other Saturday for four weeks, beginning Saturday, January 24. Featuring environmentally themed films, the screenings will be held at 7:30 pm in the Big Springs Theater.
"This is the perfect partnership between CineVegas and the Springs Preserve. The new green series allows CineVegas to have a presence in Las Vegas throughout the year, and it also reflects the Springs Preserve's dedication to sustainability," said CineVegas Artistic Director Trevor Groth. "The series will give Las Vegas locals a unique opportunity to come together to watch films about some of the most important issues affecting our environment, and start discussions on resolutions."
General admission tickets are $10 each, and the "Food and a Flick" package is also available for $25 per person, which includes a pre-movie dinner at the Springs Preserve Café by Wolfgang Puck. Dinner seatings will be held at 5 pm, 5:30 pm, 6 pm and 6:30 pm. A 10% discount will be given to all Springs Preserve members, and a film four-pack is also available, where filmgoers receive 10% off when they purchase the package to all four screenings. Concessions will be available for purchase inside the theater, however outside food and beverages are not permitted. Tickets can be purchased at the Springs Preserve box office or by calling (702) 822-7705. For more information, log-on to www.cinevegas.com/green.
Kicking off the series on Saturday, January 24 is FLOW: FOR THE LOVE OF WATER, director Irena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st century - the world water crisis. Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel. Beyond identifying the problem, FLOW also gives viewers a look at the people and institutions providing practical solutions to the water crisis and those developing new technologies, which are fast becoming blueprints for a successful global and economic turnaround. FLOW was a selection at last year's Sundance Film Festival and also won the International Jury Prize at the Mumbai International Film Festival and Best Documentary at the Vail International Film Festival.
The series continues on Saturday, February 7 with STILL LIFE, from Chinese director Jia Zhang-ke, which recently won the LA Film Critics Award for Best Foreign Film and Best Cinematography. STILL LIFE tells the story of two people searching for their spouses in Fengjie, a small village on the Yangtze River, which some state is slowly being destroyed by the building of the highly debated Three Gorges Dam. While it is the largest hydro-electric power station in the world, there are concerns over the dam's potential negative effects, including the relocation of people, siltation, loss of archaeological and cultural sites and the impact on the regional ecosystem. STILL LIFE had a successful film festival run, with screenings at the Toronto Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Golden Lion award.
On Saturday, February 21, the series will feature MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES, the striking documentary from director Jennifer Baichwal on the world and work of renowned artist Edward Burtynsky. Internationally acclaimed for his large-scale photographs of "manufactured landscapes"quarries, recycling yards, factories, mines and damsBurtynsky creates stunningly beautiful art from civilization's materials and debris. The film follows him through China, as he shoots the evidence and effects of that country's massive industrial revolution. With breathtaking sequences, such as the opening tracking shot through an almost endless factory, the filmmakers also extend the narratives of Burtynsky's photographs, allowing us to meditate on our impact on the planet and witness both the epicenters of industrial endeavor and the dumping grounds of its waste. MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES played at a number of film festivals around the world, including Toronto, Sundance and Cannes.
The series concludes on Saturday, March 7 with a special sneak preview of a new green film, to be announced at a later date.
About CineVegas
The 11th Annual CineVegas Film Festival will be held in June 10 - 15, 2009 at the Palms Casino Resort and Brenden Theatres in Las Vegas. The CineVegas Film Festival is a platform for artists and art lovers who are drawn to the edge. Held amidst the unique, unpredictable and intoxicating environment that is Las Vegas, the CineVegas Film Festival pushes the boundaries of cinema. The Festival annually presents work by innovative, uninhibited, and renegade artists to an audience of local and national film lovers, journalists, and film industry representatives. Robin Greenspun serves as the festival's President, Trevor Groth serves as Artistic Director and Dennis Hopper serves as the Chairman of the Creative Advisory Board. For more information on the CineVegas Film Festival, please call 888-8VEGAS8 or visit www.cinevegas.com.
About the Springs Preserve
The Springs Preserve is a 180-acre national historic site that is the original oasis of Las Vegas and a beacon for a sustainable future. This cultural and historic attraction is located three miles from the Strip and offers many indoor and outdoor experiences to create a fun and educational visit for all ages. Outdoor experiences at the Preserve include 8-acres of botanical gardens, a series of walking trails leading to historical structures and a restored wetlands, live desert wildlife exhibits, a child's play area, and a 2,000-seat amphitheater. Indoor experiences include a technologically advanced learning center, over 300 state-of-the art interactive museum exhibits and an immersive theater experience. Award winning Platinum LEED architecture and water smart desert landscaping highlight the Preserve's dedication to sustainability.