Mesquite Welcome Back BBQ and Volunteer Opportunity Fair on Wednesday, Oct. 6

Thursday, September 30, 2010

All citizens are invited to the City of Mesquite’s Welcome Back BBQ on Wednesday, Oct. 6, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Recreation Center West Fields.

The inaugural Volunteer Opportunity Fair, held in conjunction with the hamburger/hotdog lunch, will introduce hundreds of service opportunities for local residents. Booths for more than 20 local non-profit organizations and community events will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“In the process of welcoming our snowbirds and year-round residents, we wanted to highlight our wonderful non-profit organizations and community events and introduce them to the many volunteer opportunities available,” said Mayor Susan Holecheck. “We are appreciative of the Mesquite Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Mesquite Arts Foundation in partnering with the City to produce this annual event.”

The Desert Tortoise

Like many desert creatures, desert tortoises spend most of their lives "holed up." In spring and summer, they roam grazing on grasses and wildflowers, then head for their burrows when it gets too hot. In fall and winter, when it is cold and there is not much to eat, they stay burrowed in for six months or more at a time.

If you see a desert tortoise, you are seeing an endangered species. Please watch out for them on the roads. Tortoises live in washes and valleys where the soil is soft enough for them to burrow into, yet stable enough so they do not collapse. Remember, desert tortoises are protected under the Endangered Species Act and may not be handled or removed.

Golf in the Desert

The city of Mesquite combines calm, small-town flavour with big-city attractions and championship golf. The Palms and the Oasis Golf Clubs are only two of the half-dozen challenging courses in the area.

Golf Highlights in Mesquite

Golf built on the dramatic Virgin Foothills of Nevada makes for a unique landscape and golf setting.
Enjoy a spa treatment at the Spa at Casablanca or the Spa at the Oasis.
Mesquite serves as a gateway to the national parks of Southern Utah and Zion National Park, which is less than two hours away.

View more information about golf courses in Mesquite

The Speedy RoadRunner

Called paisano in Mexico, the roadrunner is a well-known desert resident that only superficially resembles its popular cartoon portrayal. The greater roadrunner has adapted to life on the run. Though it can fly well, it prefers to use its strong legs and X- shaped toes to run rapidly over the desert landscape. Active predators, roadrunners aggressively chase insects, lizards, snakes, small birds and mammals.

Tolerant of humans, they sometimes nest in protected eaves and garages when they are not building large stick nests in desert trees. Their vocalizations include bill clicking noises and a mournful cooing made during breeding seasons. They do not meep-meep.