Mark Twain

Come to Genoa for an "Evening of Chautauqua: with Mark Twain, Snowshoe Thompson and Pony Express Rider - Warren Upson" Friday, March 2nd 6-8pm at the Genoa Town Hall. $10 at the door, first come-first seated. What fun to see our historical heroes come to life in 1860s Genoa. Great venue for the whole family. Event features McAvoy Layne as Mark Twain, Steve Hale as Snowshoe Thompson and Kim Copel as Warren Upson. Proceeds to benefit Friends of Snowshoe Thompson and Town of Genoa Concert on the Greens. For more information call (775) 315-7777 or (775) 220-0605.

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.

DAYTON, NV – Pack 100 of Dayton Nevada collected several hundred pounds of food for the Dayton Food Pantry during their annual “Scouting for Food” event this last week.
The boys of Pack 100 spent two weeks canvassing the Dayton and Mark Twain neighborhoods going door to door seeking donations with incredible success.

Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong will be recognized by public relations specialists next month for his availability and openness during the IHOP shooting. Furlong will receive the Mark Twain Communi...

A new book, " Fairest Picture – Mark Twain at Lake Tahoe," by David C. Antonucci describes Mark Twain’s experiences and travels at Lake Tahoe. Fairest Picture is the first and only book to describe Lake Tahoe as it was in Mark Twain’s time and reveal in detail the locations where he traveled, camped and stayed at luxury hotels.

CARSON CITY – Residents of this capital city, hit with tragedy earlier in the week with the shooting deaths of four people at a local restaurant, gathered at two somber ceremonies today to mark the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.
About 300 people gathered at Mills Park for the Patriot’s Day – 9-11 Remembrance sponsored by the Capital Baptist Church.

To paraphrase Mark Twain, the rumors of the Carson City Ghost Walk's death have been greatly exaggerated.Despite political infighting over who would produce the popular annual event this year, o...

To paraphrase Mark Twain, the rumors of the Carson City Ghost Walk's death have been greatly exaggerated.Despite political infighting over who would produce the popular annual event this year, o...

By Sean Sever
With shrinking budgets and rising energy costs, many of Nevada’s school districts have turned to renewable energy and energy conservation measures to save money. The Carson City School District, for example, has used the Nevada State Office of Energy’s (NSOE) Schools Program to install new LED and Super T-8 fluorescent lighting at three schools that will save them almost $80,000 in energy costs annually.

Follow friendly spirits on a two-hour stroll through the eerie historic district of Carson City. Fact and spooky legend combine for colorful tales, told by pale apparitions. Discover the secrets of those who lived (and died) in the 1800s Victorian-style homes along our Kit Carson Trail.

Tours depart from 3rd and Carson St. next to the circa 1900 St. Charles Hotel. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the walk. To get yours before they vanish, stop by the Visitors Center, 1900 S. Carson St., or call (775) 687-7410 or 800-NEVADA-1.

By Andrew Barbano
VIRGINIA CITY, Nev. — Just as Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny formed a winning box office team in "Space Jam," the competition will be hot and hilarious for Pet Jam on the Comstock this weekend.
A Pet Jamboree has been added to the annual Virginia City Pet Parade.

The Pet Jam will be held on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Silverland Arena, directly behind the Silverland Inn & Suites, the same area used for the annual Virginia City Camel Races.

A 3-1/2-acre field fire reported at about 9:20 a.m. Saturday initially threatened homes in the Mark Twain area of Storey County, but was quickly contained about and hour and a half later, according...

A 3-1/2-acre field fire reported at about 9:20 a.m. today initially threatened homes in the Mark Twain area of Storey County, but was quickly contained about and hour and a half later, according to...

RENO - Mark Twain will have to wait to get recognition in the state where he assumed his pen name nearly 150 years ago.The U.S. Board on Geographic Names has rejected a bid by its Nevada counterpar...

With anniversaries of two historic events occurring in April and two memorabilia collectors to share their treasures, the Carson City Library is offering two exhibits which will be on display throu...

A 41-year-old Carson City man was arrested Wednesday afternoon at Mark Twain Elementary School after allegedly having a disagreement with his son's teacher and saying "this is going to be another Columbine."

According to the arrest report, the teacher told deputies that the boy's recess privileges were suspended for the week after he was caught picking on a Hispanic student, taking that student's coat and using it like a bullfighter's cape, yelling "Torro, Torro!"

PINE NUTS by McAvoy Layne

About a month or so ago I received a call from Gary Cain of the Carson City Historical Society, asking if I might be interested in presenting "Christmas with Mark Twain" at the Bliss Mansion.

The Carson City Historical Society presents "Christmas with Mark Twain" on Sunday, Dec. 5, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Bliss Mansion in Carson City. Deadline for reservations is Nov. 30.
The event includes an evening with Mark Twain, played by McAvoy Lane, dinner and a tour of the Bliss Mansion. Guy Rocha, David Bugli and Mark Twain will present a piano-and-narrator version of "Becoming Mark Twain."

DAYTON, NV – Pack 100 of Dayton Nevada collected several hundred pounds of food for the Dayton Food Pantry during their annual Scouting for Food event this week.

The boys of Pack 100 spent two weeks canvassing the Dayton and Mark Twain neighborhoods door to door seeking donations.

Friendly ghosts will lead tours along Carson City’s historic Kit Carson Trail offering tales of the city’s haunted Victorian homes and buildings along two different routes. The “Friends in Low Places” guided cemetery tour is a new addition to the annual festivities, Oct. 22 - 23.

Saturday, Oct. 16 is Carson City Community Flu Vaccination Day, with vaccines offered to the community at no cost.
It is the seventh year for the program. Last year, there were 8,000 seasonal flu shots given and 21,000 H1N1 shots administered, health officials said.
Approximately 5,000 of the doses have been ordered and will be ready to administer on Oct. 16, said Susan Pintar, county health officer.
There will be three locations for the free community vaccination day, which will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. They are:
— Walk-through at the Carson City Senior Center, 911 Beverly Drive

Saturday, Oct. 16 has been designated Carson City Community Flu Vaccination Day, with vaccines offered to the community at no cost.

It is the seventh year for the program, and by all measures it keeps on growing and has been tremendously successful, health officials said at a press conference this morning.

Last year, there were 8,000 seasonal flu shots given and 21,000 H1N1 shots administered, health officials said.

LAKE TAHOE — Get ready for jazz, Celtic, mystery, comedy, bluegrass, percussion and a whole lot more at the Lake Tahoe Valhalla Arts, Music and Theatre Festival. The Festival takes place at the historic Tahoe Tallac site, a 74-acre setting currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a 1800’s favorite getaway for Northern California’s elite members of society.  But you don’t have to be an elite member of society to enjoy the variety of affordable and sometimes even free events at the Valhalla Festival.

LAKE TAHOE — The “South Shore Summer Series” launches the season with a weekend of live music, culinary delights, sternwheeler race, concerts and competitions stretching across the shore from Camp Richardson Resort on the west to Zephyr Cove on the east. Recognized for its combination of scenic beauty and outdoor recreation with value-added vacations, entertainment and dining options, Lake Tahoe dives into summer as the recently designated No. 2 Destination and No. 8 place in the U.S.

As every schoolchild knows, Sam Clemens first used the byline Mark Twain on February 3, 1863, while a reporter for the Territorial Enterprise in Virginia City.

What's not so well known is that he took the name, not as a tribute to the river pilot Captain Sellers (as he wrote in "Life on the Mississippi") but from his facetious way of calling out additions to his bar tab.

Media release: updated April 3, 2010
Contact: Elinor Bugli 775-883-4154

Carson City Symphony Concert "Spirit of Exploration" April 24 and 25
Features World Famous Horn Soloist Gail Williams
and McAvoy Layne, the Ghost of Mark Twain

by Scott Schrantz

Media release: prepared March 5, 2010
Contact: Elinor Bugli 775-883-4154