Chamber leadership class needs help refashioning amphitheater

The former firefighters memorial and amphitheater on the east end of Mills Park in Carson City looked desolate Feb. 28 due to plaques removed from the concrete walls for the new firefighters memorial at the Capitol Complex. But members of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Class of 2024 have been imagining ways to reinvigorate the space.

“We recognize the sentimental value of it as a former memorial, and we’re trying to transform that space a little bit,” said leadership member Jenn Stoffer.

Stoffer, other classmates and leaders from the city’s Parks and Recreation Department were at the former memorial discussing plans to add a mosaic mural made of painted tiles where the firefighter plaques used to shine. The team plans to stain the concrete amphitheater, add new color, update surrounding landscaping with native vegetation and build capacity for lighting, theater equipment and future art installations.

The goal is to create a community amphitheater that is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis. The class has envisioned weddings, picnics, theater performances, concerts and other gatherings along with interpretive talks from city rangers, birdwatching and educational programs for the city’s youth groups.

The space is small, quiet, reflective.

“We thought it was important to have a place where the community can gather, especially at our biggest park,” said leadership student Elizabeth Medina.

“We reviewed several projects, and this one brought the most value to the community,” added classmate James Hardiman.

The existing amphitheater was constructed in the mid 1990s, according to city staff. The firefighters memorial was decommissioned and moved for the new memorial in the Capitol Complex that opened in April 2023.

The Leadership Class hopes a transformation will take place by June, which means work must commence this spring. Help is needed. The budget is around $24,000.

“We’re doing lots of fundraising in the community, so it’s really connecting with our community partners, and Carson City has all those connections,” said leadership student Juan De Alba Villegas. “Everyone loves Carson City, so we’re really sticking to Carson, reaching out, doing a lot of networking and getting all of the different resources from different businesses.”

Individuals and businesses can donate monetarily. Those interested can mail a check or visit the Chamber of Commerce at 1900 S. Carson St., Carson City, NV 89701. “2024 Leadership Class Project” should be in the memo line, according to the chamber.

A page has also been set up for online donations: https://carsoncitychamber.com/spotlight/details/2024_leadership_project.

And those wanting to donate materials or labor can contact leadership student Nigel Harrison at nigel.harrison@wnc.edu.

People can contribute their artistic sensibilities by painting tiles for the mosaic mural. The mural will be dedicated to Stan Jones, a former Carson City supervisor and community champion who died in December. The mural design is expected to go to the Cultural Commission for review March 11, and community painting sessions are set for March 16, 23 and 30. Register online at www.carson.org/CCPR.

Leadership students said the idea is for people to contribute their individual talents to the greater fabric of the community: Step close to see detail, back to see the big picture. The project also dovetails with the Mills Park Master Plan, approved last year by the Board of Supervisors.

“There was a lot of community outreach, a community survey where people provided us their input on what it should look like, so we kind of feel like this is the launch of that. This is going to be the first piece that gets redone,” said Stephanie Hicks, leadership student and deputy manager of Carson City.