Charlene Hamilton

Recently, the Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center celebrated 100 years of service to the Reno community. There was no fanfare; no big cake lit with candles, no large bouquets of flowers, no celebration dinner, no fireworks. Instead, the day passed quietly with the unveiling of a statue of Saint Dominic at the Hospital.

Saint Dominic was the founder of the order in which the sisters of Saint Mary's serve.

They say God works in mysterious ways and this must be the case with the Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center. A group of sisters were traveling from their convent in California to fulfill a need in Kentucky when one of them became ill.

The group stopped in Reno to allow the nun to recover. The bishop came to the sisters and asked them to stay and fill the need in the Reno area by starting a Catholic School. Needless to say the nuns agreed.

Over 160 of these dedicated souls have blessed the Reno area with their service for one hundred years.

The nuns opened the school; the bishop told them was so needed, in 1877. Mount Saint Mary's Academy provided boarding school and day school to the children of Greater Reno area. In 1897 the convent began a novitiate program.

The sisters transformed their convent and school into a hospital in 1908 when a terrible flu epidemic hit the area. In those early days the hospital was known simply as the Sister's Hospital. In 1910 the sisters began a nursing school. IN 1923 the American College of Surgeons honored the hospital with accreditation.

The nursing school has since integrated and became a part of the nursing program at Reno's University of Nevada, the Orvis School of Nursing.

Today, seven sisters still reside at the convent and serve the community. Four of the sisters serve at the medical center which employs over 2,000 and serves nearly 200,000 people yearly. The remaining three sisters work in the community.

Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center continues to offer quality medical care through its main site, clinics, health centers, and mobile outreach vans.

In the words of Sister Maureen McInerney, "From the earliest days, some things have not changed... the main theme, the main emphasis, is that we are here for people in need."

The Reno community is thankful for all the years of dedication and service provided by the Dominican Sisters and Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center.

It will get real hot here in Reno beginning Thursday night (August 1) and remain hot for a full 10 days. I am not talking about the weather. I'm talking about one of the biggest events to be held in Reno each year.

The annual Hot August Nights event began 22 years ago in celebration of the rock-n-roll era (the 50's and 60's) and has developed into one of the biggest classic car shows in the world. It is estimated that over 800,000 will attend the 10 day event with over 5,000 cars registered as official participants. Another 5,000 classic cars will be seen in town, although not as official participants. Profits from many of the Hot August Nights events are donated to local charities.

Hot August Nights is a "sold out" event each year. Almost every hotel and motel in the Reno-Sparks area (anywhere within driving distance) is sold-out months in advance.

Rock-n-Roll music will resound throughout the streets. Music, food and events will be centered around the 50's and 60's theme. Included in the events are a Sock Hop, a Prom, Swap Meet and several Show-n-Shine car shows. The biggest event is the Hot August Nights Parade with over 2,000 cars riding two abreast through Downtown Reno (August 10 at 10 a.m.).

This week and next, Hot August Nights, Route 66, classic cars, hot rods, and rock-n-roll will be the subject of many newspaper, TV and radio features; it will be the talk of the town.

Hot August Nights is like the Fourth of July. It is something that must be experienced and always leaves you wanting just a little bit more and full of anticipation for next year.

The Reno City Council recently approved funding for improvements in the city's currently existing recreational facilities. This includes improvements in tennis courts, public pools, recreation centers, parks and public golf courses that will take place over the next two years. Most of this money will go towards repairing or replacing roofs, updating plumbing and electrical and upgrading the fire safety systems. Some of the money in this $7.5 million package is earmarked for making more noticeable improvements to users, such as improving the exterior as well as making the interiors more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. The council is still working toward a longer-range plan of constructing additional recreational facilities to accommodate the growing Reno community by working with the University of Nevada and Washoe County as well as other non-profit organizations to acquire funding for more ball fields, tennis facilities, acquatic centers and other facilities over the next 5 to 20 years. For more information on what's happening with this new funding package, please contact the City of Reno.

Even if fuel prices would reverse tomorrow, they are not likely to decline to what they were even a year ago.

The buzz in the various Real Estate news communities is what I am calling the "Next Factor". Real Estate forecasters, economist, analysts, and home builders are all talking about fuel efficiency and it's impact on all aspects of our lives. These experts believe that fuel economy will be the next factor influencing decision making in terms of home buying. Buyers are going to be very conscious of where their home is located in terms of their work location, shopping and entertainment. Homes that are within walking distance of work may become more attractive than a home with more square footage, bedrooms or baths.

Fuel economy will also be a factor in the decision making process in terms of what a home offers the buyer. Buyers will no longer be looking for the spa-tub master bath but instead will be looking for homes with dual-pane windows.

Reno is a city that offers easy commutes, affordable housing and recreational opportunities abound. I believe the Biggest Little City in the World is the Best Little City for living in the "Next Factor" world.

Our housing market is priced right

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Commuting in Reno is easy, with less commute time

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Just a few weeks ago, while traveling up North Virginia Street , I saw a sign at the gas station:
$3.86 - Unleaded
Premium - An Arm
Diesel - A Leg

I had to laugh at the honesty of that sign. Now that gas has broken the $4 mark, I am wondering if the gas station owner will be changing that sign to include other body parts.

The reason I am talking about gas prices is not to complain about them, even though I don't like them any more than you do. I am mentioning them because short commute times and miles can result in saving a lot of money these days.

If you are driving longer than 10 miles to work or if your driving time exceeds 15 minutes, moving to the Greater Reno-Tahoe area might be something you want to consider. The average drive from home to work in Reno, Nevada is 10 miles and the average commute time is 15 minutes!

According to CityTownInfo.com Reno gets a "trophy" for being in the top 5% for commute times when compared to cities of similar size. CNN Money.com finds Reno is one of the best places to live for the same reason.

If you live in the Reno and Sparks area, you can be very thankful you are not living in Chicago, Los Angeles or other major metro areas where commute times are an hour or longer.

If you are not fortunate enough to live in our area, I would suggest giving it some thought.

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