Washoe Libraries closed, BMP workshop, Radon Month briefs

Washoe County libraries will be closed Jan. 29 to Jan. 30 for upgrade.

Washoe County libraries will soon be moving to a new library management system. The new system will be faster and more efficient, making it easier for patrons to get the items they need. It's a long-awaited, much needed upgrade to the library catalog.

All libraries will be closed for two days as the transition takes place and staff receives final training. Here are some important dates to note:

• Items cannot be placed on hold from Jan. 15 to 30.

• All Washoe County libraries will be closed Jan. 29, and Wednesday, Jan. 30.

• All libraries will reopen at the usual time on Jan. 31.



BMP workshop to be held Jan. 26

The North Lake Tahoe Demonstration Garden, Incline Village General Improvement District's Waste Not and the Nevada Tahoe Conservation District are hosting a free, half-day workshop, designed to provide practical, hands on-methods for property owners on completing required Best Management Practices. The workshop will also highlight general landscaping techniques to improve the monetary and aesthetic value of a home. Experts in the field of BMPs, defensible space and invasive species will be present to provide information and answer questions. The four-hour class will be held on Saturday, Jan. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences at 291 Country Club Drive on the Sierra Nevada College campus.

The classes will review what the BMPs are, explain Tahoe Regional Planning Agency guidelines, offer methods to conduct in-the-field evaluations, and present design BMPs that will meet TRPA standards. The class will also explain how to select native plants and avoid unwanted invasive species, as well as provide ideas on how to incorporate defensible space on a property to protect homes.

Homeowners are encouraged to attend. Class size is limited to 20. Please RSVP by calling the WasteNot Hotline at (775) 832-1284.

For specific class information, please contact the instructor, Gretchen Huie at the Nevada Tahoe Conservation District at (775) 586-1610, ext. 25.



Observe National Radon Action Month with free test kits

The Air Quality Management Division of the Washoe County District Health Department is celebrating January as National Radon Action Month. AQMD along with the Nevada State Health Division Radiological Office and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are urging people to test their homes.

They are offering free classes as part of the celebration and will tell you what radon is, what the health effects are and how to take care of it.

In Incline Village, the class will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23, at the Incline Village Library.

Each year, nearly 20,000 people die from lung cancer caused by exposure to radon, making it the second leading cause of lung cancer. A common source of exposure that can be avoided is exposure in the home, yet only one in five homeowners (20 percent nationwide) has actually tested for radon.

Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible radioactive gas that seeps into a home from underground, and can reach harmful levels if trapped indoors. The only way to know if a home contains high radon levels is to test for it.

If someone is unable to attend one of the classes, free kits are available for pick-up at the Air Quality Management Division Office located at 401 Ryland Street, Suite 331, in Reno.