Crescent Valley board plans busy year

With Chair Diana Kersey, Vice Chair Jeremy Rice and Member Laura Shivers and Secretary Christina Tucker in attendance, the Crescent Valley Town Advisory Board convened at 5 p.m., Jan. 22.

Public Works Director Jeb Rowley said Olcese Trash had an equipment malfunction, so town trash pick-up that was to have happened that day would take place on Friday.

Looking to the upcoming year, the board nailed down dates for the Crescent Valley Fun Days and the Christmas event, with Fun Days proposed for June 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the Christmas event to be scheduled Dec. 13 with dinner at 6 p.m. and the Parade of Lights at 5:30. 

The Christmas house decorating contest will be scheduled for Dec. 11. People must register to be judged for the contest, which allows people from Beowawe to get in on the competition as well. 

The Easter celebration will be April 19 at 10 a.m.

The advisory board is working on an event calendar. “The more we can get it out there to people, the better it will be,” said Vice Chair Rice.

The emergency fund barbecue will take place Aug. 3 at 3 p.m. and the Golden Oldies event will be the first Saturday in October, Oct. 4.  Board member Shivers related that bingo takes place at the senior center the second and fourth Saturdays of the month through May and children are welcome. “You can play for as little as $5,” she said.

Also to be included on the calendar is the library’s story time, which happens every Friday at 3:30, as well as Tressa’s Closet and Pantry, which is open Thursdays from 12:30 to 2 p.m. 

Rice reported the fire department is having a fundraising pancake breakfast March 22 from 9 to 11 a.m. but there will be no Fourth of July event due to a lack of volunteers. 

The Halloween event will be October 25 at 6 p.m. 

The dates for the annual Cops ’n Kids and National Night Out sponsored by the sheriff’s office are yet to be determined. 

The board passed a motion to put together a community calendar to mail to the community.

All three board members wish to attend the 2025 Nevada Association of Counties Conference Sept. 23-25 in Reno, and the issue will be placed on the County Commission Agenda to ensure funding.

Considering budget issues for 2025, the board ratified a requested raise in the North End Activity Fund from $12,000 to $20,000, with the additional funding to accommodate events and activities not yet scheduled. The request will be considered by the Eureka County Commissioners during the upcoming budget hearings.

In setting the budget for this year’s Crescent Valley Fun Days, it was agreed to keep the funding for the event at $3,650. Funding for the Christmas event was budgeted at $4,200 for 2024 and raised to $4,500 for 2025.

The board also agreed to request $3,000 donations for Fun Days and Christmas from Nevada Gold Mines. The budget items will be considered Feb. 18 by the county commissioners.

Speaking during public comment, Dale Kersey shared the news of the recent death of Devon Barton, 30, while riding a snow bike Dec. 28 in an avalanche in Lamoille Canyon.

Kersey said, “Everybody knows about Barton getting covered up in the snow. We are putting a rescue basket together to keep at the top of Lamoille and pullable stokes. So if anybody wants to make donations to put medical stuff, we’ve donated blankets, wool and thermal blankets. Jerry’s [Barton, Devon’s father] putting together the canopy deal to put in it. And anybody who donates will have a placard, a marker on it, saying who did.” Kersey added, “So anybody who lives around here a while, they all have people who go play at the snow area. There was nothing up there for them to get to help that kid. And it took Elko County an hour and a half to get to them. The Forest Service has given their blessing to put it up there. It’s basically a shed with a winch system in it to pull the stokes up out of the weather. Somebody can get in there with a hand winch, let it down, hook it to the snow sled machine and go wherever the incident is.”

They need an AED to keep in it and will keep supplies in a mummy bag so it can be hooked to a sled to take to the site. Kersey said, “We sent medical bags up with tourniquets in it, the basic stuff; we sent two of those, thermal blankets and wool blankets, but they were short a few things.” 

Those interested in donating can reach out to Secretary Christina Tucker. 

Asked how they would ensure the gear wouldn’t be stolen, Kersey said, “We don’t care. Because you can’t get to it with a vehicle when it snows. So, when the first snow gets to it, they’ll load it. You can’t get to it with a car, and normally most of the people that go up there know what it’s for and we’re pretty certain it won’t be messed with.” 

The gear will be put out at first snow and stowed for the summer.