Charitable

This year, AARP Foundation is again providing free tax assistance and preparation for taxpayers with low to moderate income through the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, in its 48th year, is the nation’s largest free tax assistance and preparation service, giving special attention the older population. You do not need to be a member of AARP or a retiree to use this service.

A study released last month by the Pew Charitable Trusts shows how immigration has changed Clark County's population growth compared to other comparable areas ......

Warmer weather may still be months away, but Nevada Humane Society wants you to Beat the Heat by spaying your cat in advance of her heat cycle and preventing unwanted litters from being born this spring.

Nevada Humane Society has teamed up with another local business in support of helping homeless pets find loving homes — this time partnering with a pet store that, as of October, stopped selling puppies.

Pets R Us, a retail pet store located in the Meadowood Mall, will be hosting its first ever adoption event this Friday, January 16 from 12 Noon to 5pm. This event is the first of its kind since the business made the decision to end the sale of puppies in October.

Every year at this time, my heart beats a little lighter. All the negativity, bad news, etc. of recent is now “last year’s old news.” I’m looking at a blank slate. No baggage! (Well, maybe I picked up a pound or two with all the Christmas goodies.)
So what are the good things to look forward to on the horizon?

CASI would like to thank the employees at Southwest Gas for their incredible $6,486 dollar donation, made through the "Fuel for Life" charitable giving program. This generous gift will assist Carson Animal Services Initiative in its efforts to ensure that homeless and neglected pets have a safe and humane shelter in which to wait for a loving family.
A special thank you to Randy Spiker, Rosie Elizarraras and Brad Harris for the check presentation. We are extremely grateful to you and all of the Southwest Gas employees who made this possible.

The Brewery Arts Center's annual fundraiser, Winter, Wine, Spirits, and All That Jazz, is kicking it up a notch this year with more than 25 distilleries and wineries, music, performances and more and is seeking community support through sponsorships. Tickets are available now for the Jan. 17, 2015 event for $40 in advance and $50 at the door. You can access tickets through the Brewery Arts website at www.breweryarts.org. Pre-purchase is recommended, as tickets are limited.

When recession struck the Silver State, it was Nevadans who pulled together and were the most charitable, according to IRS statistics compiled by a national nonprofit consulting agency.

From around December of 2007 to June of 2009, the recession kicked off by the subprime mortgage crisis, affected the entire nation and especially Nevada, among the hardest hit. The states that experienced some of the biggest decreases in median income actually increased their charitable giving the most, according to PlentyConsulting.com.

This is the season for giving. Our students and staff at CHS have big hearts. Many Carson High School clubs and teams adopted families from the Empire School District for the Christmas holiday. Thank you to HOSA, FBLA, Boys’ basketball, boy’s baseball, Key Club, Link Crew, and Leadership classes for providing gifts and essentials to these families.

Members of The Capital City Circles Initiative pose with Recycled Rides Award recipient Miriam Silis and her restored 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt after a celebration event in Western Nevada College’s E.L. Cord Automotive Technology Center on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014.

The restoration work was done by Western Nevada College automotive instructor Dennis Marshall, his students, and several other contributors. The charitable project was created through a partnership between the National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides program, the Capital City Circles Initiative and WNC.

Good vibrations and excitations will be bountiful at Lake Tahoe this spring when legendary endless summer surf rockers the Beach Boys catch a wave at MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa for a one-night-only performance March 27, 2015.

Having sold millions of records with songs that are forever associated with sunny California, sandy beaches, long boards and hot rods, Beach Boys classics such as “I Get Around,” “Help Me Rhonda,” “Wouldn’t it Be Nice,” “Little Deuce Coupe” “California Girls” “Barbara Ann,” are among dozens considered timeless pop rock masterpieces.

Time is running and you still can’t figure out what to get that special angler, hunter or outdoor enthusiast for the holidays? If you are still searching for the perfect gift for your sportsman, the Nevada Department of Wildlife has some ideas that might help.

The Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation has granted the League to Save Lake Tahoe $35,000 to support its land-use planning program, which ensures strong environmental regulation surrounding development at Lake Tahoe. The foundation has also bolstered its named endowment at the League with a $200,000 donation.

Delicious, nourishing soup for the soul served steaming hot for the price of a handmade artisan bowl was the early warm-up Friday favorite at the second annual Empty Bowls Project held at Telegraph Square in downtown Carson City. The feast kicked off the annual Silver and Snowflake Festival of Lights at the Nevada State Capitol.

One of the favorite Itemized Deductions to claim on form 1040, Schedule A is the gifts to church and charity. Here are some of the IRS rules on the law provisions and general substantiation requirements to keep in mind.

Clothing and household items donated to charity must be in good used condition or better. Donors must get a written acknowledgment from the charity for all gifts worth $250 or more, including a description of the items donated. In practice we find the receipt from the charity do not usually list the items in detail and certainly do not give values of each item.

NJA Cares, the community outreach and charitable arm of the Nevada Justice Association, a statewide non-profit organization of independent lawyers, has partnered with Toys for Tots to ensure families in need have a warm and happy holiday with their children. New, unwrapped toys are being collected through Dec. 12, 2014, and the public is encouraged to participate.

Toys may be dropped off at the following locations:

- Nevada Justice Association, 406 N. Nevada St., Carson City
— Law Firm of Herb Santos, Jr., 225 S. Arlington Ave., Reno

Duncan Golf Management has named Joe Kelly to the position of director of golf operations. Kelly comes to the job with 40 years of experience as a PGA golf professional in southern Nevada along with an impressive list of credentials including being a 2015 inductee into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame.

Kelly has been with Walters Golf, a division of the Walters Group, in Las Vegas for the past 16 years. He was responsible for golf operations at all Walters owned and operated courses including Bali Hai Golf Club, Desert Pines Golf Course and Royal Links Golf Club.

RENO, Nev. (November 13, 2014) – Renowned celebrities Santa Claus, from the North Pole, and Ronald McDonald, of McDonald’s notoriety, will be at The Grove, Saturday, Dec. 13, for the annual Breakfast with Santa, presented by Alice 96.5 and 106.9 MORE FM of the Reno Media Group, The Grove, McDonald’s and Model Dairy. The third annual Breakfast with Santa benefits Ronald McDonald House Charities® Northern Nevada (RMHC® Northern Nevada), a non-profit that houses families whose children are receiving medical treatment in local hospitals.

Individual income taxpayers have a choice. They can claim the Itemized Deductions (medical, taxes, interest, contributions, other expenses) on form 1040, Schedule A. Or they can choose the “standard deduction” allowed by the tax law.

Sometimes the total of Itemized Deductions is just a little more than the standard deduction (or just a little less).

Leslie Cain, of RE/MAX Realty Affiliates Carson City, has been named to her second term as the Carson City Director for the Sierra Nevada Association of Realtors.

In this role, she represents the Carson City community at the Association's monthly board of directors meetings. She also actively participates in important decisions regarding disbursement of charitable funds to non-profit organizations, scholarships to local high school students, as well as many other key topics affecting the Association and its members.

Professional Saleswomen of Nevada, also known as PSN, was founded in 1985. We are a not-for-profit networking organization. Our mission is to attract the finest professional saleswomen, for the purpose of enhancing the profession of sales, furthering self-development and building a network of success-minded women who share our commitment to charitable and educational service to the community.

Over the last three quarters Professional Saleswomen of Nevada has raised more than $860 for local charities.

Is nothing sacred? The institution of Marriage comes into question at the upcoming Mystery Dinner Show: The Wedding from Hell!

This Mystery Dinner Show is sponsored by the Carson Tahoe Health Auxiliary and presented by the Proscenium Players, Inc.!

STATELINE — Rocker, reality star, philanthropist and front man for the enduring rock ’n’ roll band Poison, Bret Michaels, will bring all the roses and a generous supply of power ballads to Lake Tahoe’s MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa stage in a one-night-only, solo show, Saturday, Nov. 29.

Welcome back to the first edition of the 2014-2015 Senator Square column: all news about Carson High School. Hope the summer was great for all of our staff and students. Staff returned last week and have been busy preparing for the students to arrive tomorrow.

The bell schedule for Monday will be an all period day, which means students will go to every one of their classes. The A-B Day rotation of classes will start on Tuesday when students will go to their A Day classes and Wednesday to their B Day classes. Classes begin at 7:40 a.m. and conclude at 2:05 p.m. each day.

Giving your church or favorite charity is a wonderful thing to do. Getting income tax savings helps, but that is not really why you give them your time and treasure.

The stock market has been very good, most stocks moving up in price. If you have some stocks or mutual funds that have increased in value since you purchased them, maybe you could consider using some of them to make charitable gifts?

The NV 150 Fair at the Fuji Park Fairgrounds is just three weeks away. Those who shop in that area will have noticed that Fuji Park is undergoing quite the change with additional parking, grading, electrical upgrades and more to get ready for Carson City’s first fair.

Many celebrations are scheduled statewide in the month of July. These Nevada 150 events help celebrate all things Nevada and bring awareness to the state’s 150th Anniversary of Statehood. The following events are held July 1 through July 12.

It started out as one of those lazy days in Carson City, where it’s not too hot, but it’s not too cold!

It’s just right!

But, when the mercury begins to creep into the triple digits, I am glad I take advantage of the cooler temperatures early in the summer season, because I hate to cook on my patio when it is 100 degrees in the shade!

This is the reason I go straight to my favorite BBQ restaurant for my semi-annual feasting of pork ribs, with corn bread, cole slaw and beans, coupled with my favorite adult libation.

Some high earning individuals were surprised when they got their 2013 Individual Income Tax Return. They paid more taxes in 2013 than they did on the same income in 2012. Several different tax laws caused the higher federal income taxes.

The Itemized Deductions on Schedule A of form 1040 were reduced if single individuals had more than $250,000 of total income. Even their home mortgage interest and charitable deductions were reduced to less than they paid. Married couples saw the “phase down” of Itemized Deductions if their total income was $300,000 or more.

There is something for everyone at a Friends of NRA banquet. From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere is brimming with excitement. Whether you’re keeping an eye on that unique item in the silent auction, trying your luck at the game tables, or just dining on some delicious food, you’ll be sure to have a good time. It’s a family-friendly event chock-full of everything from exclusive, limited edition merchandise, firearms, knives, art, jewelry, and more. Not to mention all the great people you’ll meet in the process!