along the Carson River

Why do rabbits have large ears? What animal can live without ever taking a drink of water? Get to know Nevada’s wildlife during this fun family program at Dayton State Park. Rangers will display pelts from wildlife living along the Carson River and go for a short walk to look for wildlife in the park.

A Carson City family chartered a private helicopter Wednesday to search for two shaggy white dogs missing since Friday night. The owners of the Spinoni Italiano dogs are Stacey and Lorne Belt. The dogs, Mara and Adele, escaped while the couple were walking.

The annual Eagles and Agriculture event kicks off this week in the Carson Valley, a wildlife viewing exhibition that attracts hundreds of visitors to the area to see birds of prey feeding and nesting below the eastern slopes of the Carson Range.

But Carson City residents don't have to leave the Eagle Valley to catch glimpses of raptors. We've got them in our own backyards.

Happy Tuesday, Carson City. Enjoy the nice weather with an easy walk along the Carson River. Give a helping hand to the Jazz and Beyond planning committee: weeks of free music return to Carson City in August. Take a spin around the dance floor at El Charro Avita or at Carson Lanes. Swing dance lessons and country dance lessons are available every Tuesday.

TUESDAY:

• Kit Carson Toastmasters Weekly Meeting at Grandma Hattie’s (6:30am; for info call Frank 775-885-7579 or KitCarsonToastmasters@gmail.com)

Happy Tuesday, Carson City. Enjoy the nice weather with an easy walk along the Carson River. This evening, take your sweetheart to Comma Coffee for some warm drinks and cool jazz. Learn about smart cities at the Brewery Arts Center; the Sierra Nevada Forums have a great line-up of speakers. Take a spin around the dance floor at El Charro Avita or at Carson Lanes. Swing dance lessons and country dance lessons are available each Tuesday.

TUESDAY: Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday

Join park staff for a guided nature walk along the Carson River at Dayton State Park. We will discuss park wildlife and look for signs that these animals have been nearby. Please wear warm clothing and good shoes for this ½ mile walk along the river.

Two people were found late Thursday morning after they had became stranded off Brunswick Canyon Road in east Carson City late Wednesday night when their vehicle slid off the road, according to Sgt. Mike Cullen of the Carson City Sheriff's Office.

You are invited to be our guest at the first ever RW Round-Up as we Showcase and Celebrate our work in the Carson River Watershed. We'll be at Dayton State Park on Sunday, Sept. 27 from 1-4 pm.

Nevada State Park staff invite the public to enjoy days full of fun, relaxation and nature at Lahontan. Canoe trips will launch from just below the Lahontan Dam and travel along the Carson River about five miles down to the Irrigation Diversion Dam.

This trip is relatively flat; a great opportunity for beginners to learn the basics of canoeing. Canoes, paddles and life jackets will be provided by Nevada State Parks, but participants will need to bring sun block and drinking water. Space is limited, so please make reservations by calling 775-867-3500.

WHAT: Canoe Trips

Enjoy a day full of fun, relaxation and nature with a canoe trip that starts just below the Lahontan Dam and runs along the Carson River to the Irrigation Diversion Dam. This event is a great opportunity for beginners to learn the basics of canoeing.

Canoes, paddles and life jackets will be provided, however participants will need to bring sunscreen and drinking water; a sack lunch is optional. Space is limited, so please call 775-867-3500 for reservations.

WHEN: Saturday, May 23, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Alta Alpina cycling club is hosting two weekend fun rides this weekend in the Carson Valley and Alpine County to help promote cycling and casual fun rides in and around the Carson Valley. All cyclists are welcome to join the group.

Just south of Silver Springs is Buckland’s Station, an old two story house built in 1870 by Samuel Buckland from the dismantled materials from Fort Churchill. This site was once a Pony Express stop, supply center for early pioneers and nearby Fort Churchill, and a former hotel. Today it’s a quiet old building in a park setting under the cottonwoods along the Carson River. I had a free afternoon recently, and decided to make the station my trailhead for an exploration loop around the mountains.

Each year, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection works in partnership with other public agencies, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations to provide students with a unique opportunity to learn about local water quality issues, water quality protection, and to participate in watershed research.

These field studies provide a unique hands-on opportunity to learn about the Carson River watershed and the natural environment.

The presence of West Nile Virus has been confirmed in Carson City, the Nevada Department of Agriculture announced Monday. Officials tested wetlands, ditches and other small bodies of water during the first week of September and of the samples collected so far the virus is present in one of the test sites.

The site was in a rural, eastern area of Carson City, along the Carson River, said Dustin Boothe, division manager and epidemiologist for the Carson City Health and Human Services.

Residents interested in open space and parks along the Carson River, including Silver Saddle Ranch and the Prison Hill Recreation Area, may want to attend an Aug. 18 open house hosted through the Carson City Parks and Recreation Department.

The event will be in Bonanza Room of the Carson City Community Center, 851 East William Street from 3 to 5:45 p.m. and will include information, maps and draft recommendations from the Management Plan. Written comments are also encouraged.

It is full steam ahead aboard Nevada's premiere window seat into the Wild West with the 2014 season of the historic Virginia & Truckee Railroad taking to the rails beginning Memorial Day weekend.

Steam train rides from Carson City to the 1860s boom-era mining town of Virginia City will begin May 24 and extend weekends through Oct. 19. Friday diesel train tours will begin June 20.
 

Empire Ranch Golf Course in Carson City is celebrating its 17th season with a birthday bash special that runs from April 27 to May 13.

Golfers can pay $17 for an 18-hole round of golf with cart. Or they can pay $25 and receive an additional free round of golf in June or July and a $5 value coupon to use for food or beverage at Mallards. (Some restrictions apply.)
Enter the hole-in-one contest daily for a chance to win a car sponsored by Carson Dodge Chrysler Jeep.

There is a lot of misinformation circulating regarding Carson City’s possible future involvement with the Empire Ranch Golf Course. I have heard and read many inaccurate statements regarding what actions, if any, the city might take in regards to the course. I want to help clear that up, and address the facts as I understand them.

One suspect is in custody today and faces a charge of felony eluding in Monday's residential burglary on Roundup Road in Carson City that resulted in a vehicle chase and search for the suspect, said Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong.

Brandon Peart, 32, of Carson City was booked into jail with bail at $25,000. The resident of the address had reported walking into the home and discovering the burglary in progress. According to the initial report, the suspect threatened the resident with bodily harm before fleeing the area and taking guns with him.

Two people accused in the murder of Nevada Insurance Examiner William McCune — Michael Paul Evans and Makayla Blackmore — were sentenced to prison Monday.

McCune, 62, was beaten to death in his Carson City apartment April 2. His body was dumped along the Carson River two days later.

Events come and go but public land, when properly named and designated points highlighted, usually lasts forever.

Two areas of property along the Carson River, acquired by the Carson City Open Space Program, are deserving of names. That's why the city is asking for citizens to chime in with their ideas about what to call them. The property is located near Deer Run Road on the east side of Carson City.

Date night takes a trip back in time Saturdays on the historic Virginia & Truckee Railroad “Toast of the Canyon” route. Wine and appetizers are served aboard the round trip historic steam engine excursion through the Carson River Canyon, Sept. 7 and Oct. 5.

Glide through the waters of Lahontan, enjoying the serenity and wildlife of the Carson River. Free public canoe trips in July and August guided by Lahontan State Recreation Area will start just below the Lahontan Dam along the Carson River and go down to the Irrigation Diversion Dam.

The route is relatively flat and is ideal for beginners learning the basics of canoeing. Canoes, paddles and life jackets will be provided, but participants will need to bring sun block and drinking water. Space is limited. Reserve your canoe ride by calling (775) 577-2226.

The banks of the Carson River through Carson City are up for a good scrubbing on Saturday, Sept. 15. As part of the 19th annual National Public Lands Day, the Carson River Cleanup, hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Carson City and the Bureau of Land Management, will focus on areas around Brunswick Canyon and Prison Hill Recreation area.
To get in on the cleanup, meet at the BLM-Carson City District Office's west parking lot, located at 5665 Morgan Mill Road at Deer Run Road, three blocks south of U.S. Highway 50 on the east side of Carson City along the Carson River, at 8 a.m.

CARSON CITY — It’s not a typical summer road trip filled with beach visits and tourist traps. Instead it’s a community service road trip filled with good deeds.

Twenty‐two students from Portland, Oregon area High Schools will visit Carson City as part of a community service road trip called the Pay It Forward (PIF) Tour. The tour allows students the opportunity to serve, lead and learn. In just five days, these students will travel to and serve in four different communities; Carson City is their last stop.

About 3.5 miles of frontage that amounts to 419 acres along the Carson River corridor was sealed into protection thanks to the voter-approved Question 1 initiative and Carson City's own Question 18 Quality of Life Initiative.

A partnership for the purchase, appraised at $3.1 million, was created between Carson City, the Nevada Land Conservancy, the Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway and private landowner John Serpa.

If you're interested in getting away from home to spend some quality leisure time for an overnighter, a weekend or even longer, look no further than a neat hideaway that is open year round and close to Carson City. Click here to read the story by CarsonSports.com Outdoor Editor Don Quilici and click here for Don's weekly fall fishing report.

Conservation-minded residents, students, family and friends are encouraged to join the annual cleanup along the banks of the Carson River, Brunswick Canyon and Prison Hill Recreation Area on Saturday as part of the 17th National Public Lands Day.

While much-needed attention is being paid to Lake Tahoe regarding invasive species such as the quagga mussel and Asian clams, there is growing concern among local wildlife biologists and water scientists of similar threats along the Carson River watershed.

After a number of years of drier than normal winters, it appears that Carson City may be in for a more normal summer water season in 2010.