A new name refelects a growing program

With all the growth, expansion and changes in county-owned facilities, a new name has emerged to encompass the former Parks & Recreation Department as it has grown far beyond recreation.

The Community Activities department, as it is becoming to be known, now has four divisions: Parks & Recreation, the 3C Event Complex, Facilities & Grounds and the Cemetery. Let’s break it down by each of those divisions.

Parks & Recreation

This division has responsibility for recreation activities and programs that promote health and wellness, foster human development and provide recreational opportunities for the community. Find any currently offered programs and classes at www.churchillcountyrecreation.org. Sign up for an account and register and pay for classes or programs that interest you.

The after-school CARE program and SUMFUN camps, housed at the Cottage Schools on Stillwater Avenue in Fallon, provide enriching and fun activities, led by teenaged staff, for the community’s youth.

Aquatic Center

Also known as the county’s indoor swimming pool, the Aquatic Center serves as the training center for the Fallon Barracudas and Churchill County High School aquatic teams. In addition, exercise classes, lifeguard training and fun activities are available. The Aquatic Center is located on Sheckler Road.

Oser Regional Park

To the west of the Rafter 3C Arena is Oser Regional Park with its multi-use ball fields that play host to youth sports leagues and tournaments that draw teams and spectators in from nearby states year-round. Fallon Pop Warner Football, AYSO, Fallon Youth Baseball/Babe Ruth, and Oasis lacrosse and baseball teams, all call Oser Regional Park their home field. The Lion’s Youth Girls softball fields, home to Churchill County Youth Softball Associations, also compete at Oser Regional Park.

Liberty Pond

Located off highway 95 just south of Sheckler Road, Liberty Pond offers fishing, a disc golf course, and a dog park for area residents to use.

Soda Lake

Situated just northwest of the City of Fallon, Soda Lake provides hiking and non-motorized boating opportunities.

3C Event Complex

Commonly referred to as the fairgrounds, the 3C Event Complex encompasses the RV park, the Rafter 3C Arena and the festival grounds. The county is focusing much of its economic development energies into bringing events into the complex to highlight the region’s agricultural heritage.

Whether its live music, rodeos, livestock shows, craft shows, the Cantaloupe Festival or wrestling tournaments, the 3C Event Complex can accommodate all these activities and more.

The crown jewel of the complex is the Rafter 3C Arena. Opened in 2022, this indoor event space hosts everything from rodeos to wrestling tournaments to concerts. The Buckland Room provides for meeting space separate from the arena and a concession area is available.

The Fairview Arena is the main outdoor event space and has bleacher seating for 3,000. Cutting arenas, a livestock pavilion, and the Barrel House and Dry Gulch buildings add a variety of useable event space to the mix. Horse stalls are available just south of Miners Road.

Cemetery

The Churchill County Cemetery is a 28-acre facility located at the base of Rattlesnake Hill. The cemetery staff of two offers grave spaces and funeral services, grave location services, levels sunken graves and plots, maintains cemetery records, sets up equipment for funeral services and trimming and levels headstones and copings.

The cemetery is open for visitation weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Funerals may be held on Saturdays or holidays excluding Thanksgiving, Christmas and Memorial Day. Funerals are not held on Sundays.

Facilities & Grounds

This division is responsible for all maintenance and construction projects on existing facilities and providing custodian services to county buildings. Personnel in this division complete many projects in-house to keep costs down, but when the project is larger, contractors are hired to complete the work.

Maintenance, upkeep and repair to existing buildings, equipment and grounds; research and development into proposals for improvements to facilities; performing minor and major repair and upgrades to county facilities and maintaining hand and power tools and powered equipment are just some of the tasks of Facilities & Grounds.

The casual observer will see staff from Facilities & Grounds mowing grass and weeding, cleaning office spaces and occasionally running heavy equipment to complete those tasks.

Community Activities is one of the largest county departments with a staff of 61 among its divisions. Jorge Guerrero, who has been with the county for more than 20 years, heads up the department. The main Community Activities office is located at 325 Sheckler Road and the phone number is 775-423-7733.

Questions?

Have questions about the Community Activities department? Here are some of the most frequently asked questions and the answers:

• How do I find out what recreation programs are offered and then sign up for a program? All currently offered programs are listed at www.churchillcountyrecreation.org. Sign up for an account and pay for your program at that site. You may also call the main office at 775-423-7733.

• How do I find out what is offered at the Aquatic Center and their hours of operation? Call the Aquatic Center at 775-423-7091 to inquire about programming and pricing.

• Is camping available at the fairgrounds/3C Event Complex? Throughout the year, the campground will be rented out for various events. During these events, no spaces will be available to visitors outside those events. Call 775-423-7733 weekdays during normal business hours to check on camping availability. You are welcome to camp at the 3C Event Complex for a maximum of 14 days. Costs vary for "dry camping" and RV camping with water and/or electric hookups depending on the time of the year. Tent and vehicle camping are not allowed and camping is allowed only in designated areas.

• Can I rent a building at the 3C Event Complex for an event? Arenas, the Barrel House, Dry Gulch building, and the covered pavilion are available for event rental. Call 775-423-7733 to inquire about availability and pricing.

• Can I house my horse overnight at the 3C Event Complex? Horse stalls are also available for overnight and short-term rental by calling 775-423-7733 to ask about pricing and availability.

Anne McMillin is the public information officer for Churchill County.