Lectures

Happy Thursday, Carson City. If you need a reason to get out of the house, look no further. Learn something new at one of the lectures tonight: Nicholas Clapp, author of ‘Dancing with the Devil: Virginia City’ at the Gold Hill Hotel or head to the Nevada State Museum to learn about the first fabricator of Levi’s jeans, Nevada’s own J.W. Davis. Take in some amazing views with Muscle Powered as they hike the Pine Nut Mountains. The talented band students from throughout the district come together tonight at Band-o-Rama in the Carson High School Gym. Read the whole list and find your fun.

Race. Family. Gender. The American Dream. These themes still resonate decades after black playwright Lorraine Hansberry first wrote “A Raisin in the Sun.” Hansberry defied convention by writing the breakthrough composition, the first play written by an African-American woman to be produced on Broadway.

The University of Nevada, Reno Department of Theatre and Dance will also be breaking new ground as it presents “A Raisin in the Sun” in March with its first predominantly African-American cast. It will be the premier of the production in Reno, as well.

VIRGINIA CITY — Local celebrity and cowboy music performer John Tyson will bring his “American Cowboy” show back to the Gold Hill Hotel on Thursday, Feb. 18, as part of the Gold Hill Hotel’s Thursday Night Presentation Series.

Tyson, a Vietnam veteran, has worked as a law enforcement officer, range manager, working cowboy, train engineer, entertainer and journalist. He is best known regionally as a former reporter for KOLO-TV Channel 8.

But he is also well known for his cowboy songs and poetry, and stories about cowboys of the Old West.

This week's It's Your City with Cortney Bloomer features guest Deborah Stevenson, education curator at the Nevada State Museum in Carson City.

Popular cowboy poet Tony Argento will perform “Tuned Up And Twisted Cowboy Poetry At Its Best” and “Echoes o’ Abraham Lincoln” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11 at the Gold Hill Hotel, 1540 Main St., Gold Hill.
The event is part of the Gold Hill’s Thursday Night Presentations at the historic hotel, 1540 Main St., Gold Hill.

Fun and friendships start at the Nevada State Museum’s volunteer tour guide training set for Feb. 16-17 and 23-24 in Carson City. Volunteers are needed now and invited to join the free event that includes lectures, enrichment activities and all materials. Volunteers train to give tours of Nevada State Museum and the State Capitol for school-aged children and adults.

Greg Hess, a retired miner, surveyor and Storey County Commissioner will discuss “The Virginia City Water System - An Engineering Marvel” at the Gold Hill Thursday Night Presentation Series at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4 at the Gold Hill Hotel, 1540 Main St., Gold Hill, just one mile south of Virginia City on SR 342.

Hess is a fifth-generation Comstocker, who has been involved in mining, surveying and construction for many years.

It’s a living history kind of day with presentations all around. Head up to the Gold Hill Hotel for their weekly lecture series, but don’t forget to make a reservation. The Historical Society of Douglas County discusses the facts and fiction behind Lucky Bill at the Cultural Center and Museum in Gardnerville. The Nevada Division of the Pony Express Association keeps history alive and you are welcome to attend their monthly meeting at Grandma Hattie’s tonight. Pay homage to your favorite singers of yesteryear with karaoke at Living the Good Life or Jimmy G’s Cigar Bar.

THURSDAY:

• Last Day to RSVP for the Jan. 20 Leisure Hour Club Dinner Meeting with speaker Rick Gunn (If you would like to attend this event, please call Dorothy Link at 775-885-2542)

Western Nevada College’s Carson City and Douglas campuses are offering new driver’s education courses for teens 15 and older this winter and spring.

There are enrollment openings for the Feb. 6-March 5, March 28-31 and April 16-May 7 sessions on the Carson City campus. Classes are planned March 28-31 and April 9-30 on the Douglas campus.

Western Nevada College’s Carson City and Douglas campuses are offering new driver’s education courses for teens 15 and older this winter and spring.

Actress Kristin Hamlet will explain “How Brothels Work – From An Insider – Then and Now” at the Gold Hill Hotel’s Thursday Night Lecture Series on Dec. 17.

Hamlet, a local actress and Old West historian, has performed since she was a child in the late 1950s. In addition to her role in "Calico," a musical written by David John and the Comstock Cowboys, she has performed with the former Gold Hill Theater Troupe and in "Annie Get Your Gun" at Piper's Opera House. Dinner is from 4-8 p.m. at the Crown Point Restaurant at the Gold Hill Hotel with several menu options offered.

May the force be with you while attending a “Star Wars Retrospective” lecture on Saturday, Dec. 12 at Western Nevada College’s Jack C. Davis Observatory on the Carson City campus.

The public is invited to Mike Thomas’ free lecture that will summarize the previous six films and provide attendees with a better understanding of the storyline in advance of the release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

Jerry Aaron will talk about Nevada’s Trucking history at the Dec. 3 Gold Hill Lecture Series. “Teamsters & Trucking In Nevada” will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Gold Hill Hotel, 1540 Main St., Gold Hill. Aaron is the author of two books on trucking including "Nevada's Teamster's Trucking and Truck Stops."

No need to wait for black Friday or Small Business Saturday to get a jump on your holiday shopping. Western Nevada College’s annual Craft Fair is today, as is Santa’s Village at the Carson City Senior Center. Support local artists and crafters while finding a one of a kind gift for your loved ones. If you have a book-lover on your list, a book signed by local author Ken Beaton is easy to acquire. Browser’s Corner is holding a meet and greet with him this evening.

THURSDAY:

VIRGINIA CITY — Local celebrity and cowboy music performer John Tyson will bring his “American Cowboy” show back to the Gold Hill Hotel on Thursday, Nov. 12.

Tyson, a Vietnam veteran, has worked as a law enforcement officer, range manager, working cowboy, train engineer, entertainer and journalist. He is best known regionally as a former reporter for KOLO-TV Channel 8. But he is also well known for his cowboy songs and poetry, and stories about cowboys of the Old West.

Virginia City resident James Clark will speak on “History of Trains in the Movies” at the Gold Hill Hotel’s Thursday Night Lecture Series on Nov. 5.

Clark is the owner of James Clark & Company, at www.jamesclarkandcompany.com, which offers railroad services to the motion picture industry.

Comstock Mining Inc. CEO Corrado De Gasperis will speak on “Comstock Bonanzas and an Overview of the Global Gold Industry on Thursday, Oct. 29 at the Thursday Night Gold Hill Lecture Series. The series features local historians and performers to present the topic of their choice.

Steve Hale returns to present a Chautauqua performance of Comstock Characters at the next Thursday night lecture at the Gold Hill Hotel, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22 at the hotel, 1540 Main St., Gold Hill. Dinner begins at 6 p.m.

Join the Carson City based Paranoral Investigative team (since 2005), Thin Veil Investigators, at the historic Genoa, Dake House/Antiques Plus for a "Spirit Tour." The event is Saturday, Oct 24, 2015, 7:00 p.m. to ? at 2232 Main St. Genoa, Nev.

The weekend is still two days away, but there is plenty of fun to distract you from the wait. Learn the finer points of Improv tonight at the Brewery Arts Center. Chat with ‘The Ghost Lady,’ author Arlene Jenkins at Browsers Corner Book Store. Indulge in some live music at Living the Good Life or Glen Eagles. Singers should check out Jimmy G’s Cigar Bar or the Feisty Goat Pub for karaoke. Dance your blues away with spicy salsa at El Charro Avita or country line dancing at Beercade.

The Comstock Foundation for History and Culture is launching the Comstock History Lecture Series, which includes seven themed lectures that focus on Comstock History. The location of the lectures will rotate around the communities of the Comstock: Dayton, Silver City, Gold Hill and Virginia City. Tickets to attend the lectures vary between $5 and $10, and light refreshments will be provided for a donation.

Top experts in aquatic invasive species from throughout the West will be at Lake Tahoe this week attending the the Western Regional Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species conference.

The kids are finishing their first week of school, but the summer hasn’t quit just yet. The annual Jazz and Beyond Festival is heading into its final weekend, and as always, going out in style. Tonight, celebrate Count Basie’s 111th birthday with the Mile High Jazz Band downtown on Third Street. Carson Tahoe Medical Center is holding its 5th annual HopeFest concert headlined by the Young Dubliners. Carson's own, Molly Seals, will be performing, as well.

FRIDAY: Jazz and Beyond

I love August in Carson City and it’s because of Jazz and Beyond. Music everywhere. The Tahoe Ridge Winery is hosting Jazz Van Gogh, a guitar and flute duo. You’ll enjoy some time in the evening sun at the Comma Coffee Courtyard with Brent Johnson and The Call Up listening to some bluesy roots rock. You won’t want to miss Carl Sonny Leland at the Performance Hall of the Brewery Arts Center. The boogie-woogie hall of famer will show you what fun can be had with a piano. That’s not all you’ll find going on in Carson today; check out the list for the whole scoop.

THURSDAY: Jazz and Beyond

• Back to School at Carson Hot Springs (Free 17 and younger admission per paid adult; outdoor pools only; 7am-10pm)
• ‘Wally’s World: The Loneliest Art Collection in Nevada’ in the OXS Gallery at the Nevada Arts Council: 716 N. Carson St. (8am-5pm)
• CCAI Exhibit: BRIC Art 5 at the BRIC: 108 E. Proctor St. (8am-12pm and 1pm-5pm)

Dealers, collectors, admirers and amateurs will find fun at the 2015 Carson City Mint Coin Show and Fair. Professionals will buy, sell and trade money and offer expertise in a lecture series during the two-day event Aug. 21-22.

Historian and author Frank X. Mullen will present his program “Westward Ho, Nevada” in a free presentation at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park on Saturday, August 29, at 10:00 am.

Western Nevada College is offering New Driver Education Classes this summer and fall that will help young drivers fulfill Nevada law requirements and strengthen skill areas that are usually lacking.

The four-session courses are available to those age 15 and older at the WNC Carson City, Fallon and Minden campuses, as well as in Fernley. They are offered on Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., plus one session Monday through Thursday, Aug. 3-6, in Carson City. The course cost is $100.

Looking for something different? Check out Foodies Bystro for their Thursday Curry Tasting. Or head to the Nevada Railroad Museum tonight for a photographic tour of the Bay Area by rail. Browsers Corner Book Store is hosting Shirley Oxoby, author of 'Silent Warrior: A Journey of Hope' for a meet and greet. You can always brush up on your dance moves at Living the Good Life’s Salsa Night, or learn how to line dance at Beercade. Exercise your funny bone at the Brewery Arts Center: tonight’s improv workshop will get you ready for the stage.

THURSDAY:

• One Putt Jr. Academy at Silver Oak Golf Course (7:45am sign in, 8am-10am; $40 per class or $200 for six classes: includes Green Fees, Pull Cart, Golf Clubs, Gatorade; space limited, ages 7-12)
• Industrial Art at the CCAI Gallery in the Courthouse: 885 E. Musser (8am-5pm)

The weekend is getting an early start. Carson Valley Days in Gardnerville kicks off with their Lampe Park carnival, and Dangberg Historic Ranch Home off Highway 88 hosts the first of their Twilight Concerts with Ciana. You can meet Author Laura Lea White at the Browser’s Corner Book Shop tonight; copies of her book ‘Generational Gifts: The Legacy of Evelyn Marie’ will be available. Silver Dollar Cruise Night is at Dunkin' Donuts; every Thursday through summer you'll find hot rods, street racers, and cool old cars at a different location.

THURSDAY:

• One Putt Jr. Academy at Silver Oak Golf Course (sign in 7:45am, 8am-10am; $40 per class or $200 for six classes classes includes Green Fees, Pull Cart, Golf Clubs, Gatorade; space limited, ages 7-12)
• Industrial Art at the CCAI Gallery in the Courthouse: 885 E. Musser (8am-5pm)

Courtney Warner has been selected as Carson City’s new Senior Center Director. A panel consisting of Senior Center Advisory Board members, and City Staff recently conducted interviews for the position. Mrs. Warner was selected after careful review of the applicants’ work experience and education.