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CARSON CITY – They have names like “A Better Nevada PAC”, “A Bolder Nevada” and “The Nevada Hispanic Legislative Caucus”.

They are all political action committees formed or renewed by state lawmakers this year to help promote their parties, push their candidates and protect their ranks in an effort to maintain and/or win control of the Assembly and Senate.

Parkway Manor Apartments is having their Free Annual Pancake Breakfast, prepared by Carson City Kiwanis Club, this Saturday from 8 - 11 a.m.

They are collecting canned food, dry goods and monetary donations to benefit the hungry kids in our community.

There are enough nuggets buried inside the Nevada Appeal's follow-up story today on the Carson City Center Project — aka Nugget Project — to keep heads in this town spinning for a week.

Rehabilitated through Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, a total of six orphaned bear cubs have been returned to the wild this spring, ending the California Department of Fish and Game's 2012 yearling bear release program.
The cubs were found in various locations around the state in the summer months of 2011 and were rehabilitated at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care prior to being judged ready to return to the wild. The state program is ongoing and will continue as new cubs come into the facility.

The Carson City Emblem Club #507 is sponsoring their annual Second Hand Lil sale on Saturday, April 21, 2012 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Carson City Elks Lodge.

Come by and purchase a prom dress, evening wear, business attire, shoes, jewelry and more. These items are gently used, high quality clothing. The proceeds will be added to our Charitable Funds to help our community. Recently we have donated to Douglas and Carson City High Schools Safe Grad Nites and Camp TLC for hearing impaired children. There will be a light lunch of tea sandwiches available for $5.

Strings in the Schools, Carson City Symphony's after-school program, presents its 2012 Spring Concert, on Tuesday, April 3, 6:30 p.m. at the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St., Carson City. About 80 string players, including public-, private-, and home-schooled students from the Carson City area, will perform several pieces, from classics to folk and fiddle tunes. Admission is free.

The Carson Tahoe Regional Healthcare Auxiliary will hold a Rummage Sale on Friday, April 13, from 8:00AM to 4:00PM and Saturday, April 14th from 8:00AM to 12:00PM. The Sale will be conducted at the Eagles Lodge, 1380 E. 5th Street (Between Roop St. and Saliman) in Carson City.
If you wish to donate items for the Rummage Sale, they may be taken to the Eagles Lodge, Wednesday, April 11 and Thursday, April 12th from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Auxiliary members will be there to accept your donations. NO LARGE APPLIANCES, COMPUTERS, OR EXERCISE EQUIPMENT PLEASE!

Prior to the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau board voting last Monday to continue running the V&T Railway for an additional three years, Project Coordinator Kevin Ray said this:

***Please feel free to download a copy of the press release below.***

The Carson City Emblem Club #507 and the Carson City Elks Lodge #2177 are sponsoring St. Patrick's Day Dinner and Elks State President Jim Smolenski's Homecoming on Saturday, March 17, 2012 at the Elks Lodge. Tickets on sale $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Corned Beef & Cabbage with all the trimmings. Cocktails 5:00 pm and Dinner at 6:30 pm.

The Heavenly Ski and Snowboard Foundation is proud to announce that two of our Foundation athletes have received invitations to attend the Junior Worlds to be held in Valmalenco, Italy March 20-24, 2012.

The good news is that the V&T Railway is expected to make a profit of $164,132 on their popular Polar Express event for the coming year.

The bad news is the railway's main runs between Eastgate Siding and Virginia City is projected to lose $108,192, even with an expected $67,250 in donations.

The resulting $56,000 in projected profit is almost enough to pay for the $60,000 shortfall in the previous season's sales tax revenue that pays for the bonds that helped rebuild the historic railway. That is a shortfall that is expected to continue and grow larger.

A vocal minority’s intermittent cheerleading promotes the massive City Center project. Their objective: replace the city library with a +$75 million, three-times-the-size library complex just east of the Nugget Casino. (The ‘official’ $49 million cost curiously excludes 30 years of interest payments.)

Absent from this well-intentioned, but ill-conceived project are viability, necessity and prudence.

For bad luck Friday the 13th news, let's start with the hundreds of down-on-their-luck kids who are enrolling in the Carson City School District's Students in Transition program for children without permanent homes. The director of the program, Peggy Sweetland, estimates there will be 650 kids who qualify this year. To quote the "newspaper": "That number is nearly triple the 333 students enrolled at the end of last year." (Don't be too hard on the reporter who wrote this. If journalists like us were any good at math, we would be working in jobs that paid a lot better than journalism.) The program runs on federal grants and donations. Those interested in contributing can call Sweetland at (775) 283-1537.

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The city's long-planned multi-use athletic center is scheduled to be completed by fall 2013, according to Parks and Rec Director Roger Moellendorf. The $5.8 million that will be used to build the 42,000 square foot facility behind the Western Nevada Boys and Girls Club on Russell Way comes from voter-approved Question 18 funds.

Have a fun Friday the 13th. Don't walk under any ladders.

The Heavenly Ski and Snowboard Foundation will kick-off the 12th Annual Kinder Kup Race Series at Heavenly Mountain Resort, South Shore Lake Tahoe, on Sunday, January 22, from 8am to 2pm. Open to all skiers and snowboarders age six and under, the Kinder Kup series is designed to introduce young athletes to competition in a friendly environment. No previous race experience necessary and all abilities are welcome. Entry is $20 and includes a World Cup only competitor lift ticket if needed.

CARSON CITY – More than 2,300 Nevada nonprofit groups have had their tax exempt status revoked by the Internal Revenue Service.

The revocations run the gamut, from the Edgewood Tahoe Mens Club to the Lovelock Alfalfa Seed Growers. Most of the revocations occurred in 2010 but were just posted by the agency last year.

In the three months since the Carson City Board of Supervisors approved the Carson City Center Project (aka Nugget Project), proponents of the project's Knowledge and Discovery Center have been gearing up their fundraising efforts to meet the $21.5 million commitment.

Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto is warning Nevadans who may be participating in last minute holiday shopping to be aware of identity theft, charitable donation scams, and text message scams.

Forget the partridge in a pear tree, Tahoe South has 13 days of Christmas at Heavenly Village spanning Dec. 19 to Dec. 31 with live music, ice sculpting, fire dancers, professional ice skaters, interactive games, dining, shopping, photo opportunities inside a giant snow globe and a fireworks display.

Question: What do Santa, a clown, a platoon of police officers, and coffee have in common?

Answer: They were all at the Wal-Mart service center Friday morning.

The second day of the seventh-annual Holiday With a Hero shopping spree event kicked off at 9 a.m., with the volunteers being fed donuts and coffee. Santa and his Wal-Mart helpers stood prepped to welcome less-fortunate children and help pair them off with volunteers, who would help them spend their complimentary Wal-Mart gift cards.

As the Toys for Tots Coordinator ....
I have never seen demand so high and donations so low.

We have had a 35% increase on requests from families this year.
Ron Wood Family Resource Center has been the Toys for Tots coordinating agency for 8 years and I have been Coordinator for 5 years.

We have been low on toys before ... but never like this.

As we round the corner into the new year, Divine 9 courses in Carson City and Carson Valley have a number of deals and events lined up for the holidays and beyond. Go here to learn what's on tap. Also here's a reminder: Silver Oak Golf and Event Center is holding its holiday food drive. Bring three or more cans of food or non-perishable food items and get a free bucket of driving range golf balls. Bring five or more and get a bucket of balls, a hot dog and a soft drink. All food donations will be sent to Friends in Service Helping Need (FISH).

Live re-enactment with actors and animals, Saturday and Sunday, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Division and Musser Streets. Feel the Christmas story unfold as you drive or walk the path. From Carson St. turn west on 5th street, then north on Division Street to King Street.

The Nativity is the church’s gift to the community and there’s no cost to experience it. donations of non-perishable food will be accepted to help us feed the community’s out of work citizens.

Seven months ago, my spouse walked into my place of employment and told me that one of our best friends had been shot and killed.

It's been seven months and we've all begun to move on - all of Steve Gale's friends and family are slowly teaching themselves to exist in a world without Steve in it. We're all achieving this with varying degrees of success.

Help make a child smile at Christmas by attending the second annual “Cookies with Santa,” a benefit for The Ron Wood Family Resource Center, Saturday, Dec. 10, at Adele’s Restaurant and Lounge.

The Ron Wood Family Resource Center helps individuals, families and the community locate assistance and provides an array of support services.

The fun takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and includes a visit and photograph with Santa Claus, cookies, cocoa and cider, as well as acoustic Christmas music performed in the lounge by The Dowell Boyz.

Carson City Little League will be accepting registrations for the 2012 season on Saturday, January 28th from 8 am to noon and Saturday, February 4th from 8 am to noon. We will be at the indoor facility located in the Northeast corner of Governors field (500 East Evalyn Drive).

The league is for boys and girls ages 4 1/2 (By April 30th) to 16.

We are extending our ages from last year to allow 13-16 year olds to play in our leage. We have also added our new 50/70 program to allow for a transition from the smaller little league fields to the larger Senior league fields.

Downtown Carson City celebrated the start of the holiday season with the annual Silver and Snowflakes Festival of Lights.

Streets were closed off as throngs of people gathered in front of the state capitol to watch as the lights for the two giant Christmas trees were turned on.

Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived on the back of an antique fire truck, with Mayor Bob Crowell riding shotgun. After the state's trees were turned on, the crowd headed over to the First Presbyterian Church where the city's Christmas tree was turned on.

The Carson City Board of Supervisors yesterday approved new boundary maps for the city's four wards, with slight changes from the previous boundaries. One change involved moving residents living south of King Street and north of West Fifth Street between Carson and Thompson streets from Ward 4 to Ward 1. The board also gave final approval to allow advertising on bus shelters, and made changes to water applications to allow better distribution of water between Carson, Lyon and Douglas counties. It was also announced that two donations totaling $71,773 has been given to Animal Services for the construction and operation of a new animal shelter.

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The Carson Senators win their season opener against South Tahoe 59-50 in the first round of the 35th annual Carson Lions/Capital City Classic boys basketball tournament.

Donations are lagging for this year's Holiday with a Hero shopping spree for children in need, and organizers are urgently seeking help. Even though the number of homeless kids has doubled, donations are falling short of where they have been in years past.

There is a bank account set up for donations at Bank of the West, 2976 N. Carson St. Carson City, Account #025761072, Tax ID #80-0763632. Make checks payable to Holiday with a Hero. You can also mail donations to Holiday with a Hero, P.O. Box 2790, Carson City, NV 89702. Donations can also be brought to the Carson City Sheriff's Office, 911 E. Musser St. by Dec. 9.

For more information, contact Carson City Sheriff's Detective Daniel Gonzales at dgonzales@carson.org or Detective Dena Lacy at dlacy@carson.org .

It's a Holiday Treat for all - seasonal and holiday music in many styles! The Carson City Symphony presents the 28th annual Holiday Treat concert on Sunday, December 11, 2011, 4:00 p.m., at the Bob Boldrick Theater in the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William Street.