Awards

Sunday through Tuesday, April 22-24, are the 2012 dates for the highly-popular John Riordan Invitational Fishing Derby. John is the Assistant General Manager for the Carson Station Hotel and Casino in Carson City, and this will be the 15th version of his annual, fun-filled, fishing event at Topaz Lake.
His derby is traditionally co-headquartered at the Topaz Lake Marina and the Topaz Lake Lodge at Topaz Lake, which lies along the Nevada-California state line about 40 miles south of Carson City.
Here is some information about that derby:

Derby Rules:

Driving home the future of visitors and spending to the Silver State, the Nevada Commission on Tourism's annual Rural Roundup at Lake Tahoe April 18-20 will headline the acclaimed author of "The Experience Economy and Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want."

James H. Gilmore's book, whom he co-authored with Joe Pine, was recognized by Time magazine as one of the “Ten Ideas That Are Changing the World." In it he asserts that consumers want authentic products and experiences — something rural Nevada is singularly positioned to offer with its historic destinations and attractions.

Local marketing communications expert, Diane Hansen, was featured in PRWeek for her work on GlitzyLips - an international cosmetics brand. Hansen specializes in quick-hit campaigns that deliver fast results. The article is below.

Lip service from Katy Perry puts product on the map

Tanya Lewis
March 30, 2012

Client: GlitzyLips (Houston, TX)
Agency: Hansen Marketing Communications (Carson City, NV)
Campaign: Operation Glitzy Grammy
Duration: February 11 – February 14 2012
Budget: $1,500

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s Office of the Military figured it would be money ahead after entering into a contract with a firm to build solar panels on three of its sites around the state to supply it with electricity.

But today officials with the office won approval from the state Board of Examiners to seek $46,284 from a legislative contingency fund to pay excess utility costs. The reason is because the solar energy being provided under the contract is costing the agency more than if it purchased electricity directly from NV Energy.

Travel and ski journalists from national magazines, newspapers, websites, blogs and social media outlets will arrive at South Lake Tahoe next week and be greeted with several feet of fresh snow during the North American Snowsports Journalist Association National Conference.

Recognized for stewardship and care taken in the building and construction of developments around Lake Tahoe, the 22nd annual Best in the Basin awards were announced Tuesday by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
The TRPA, which sets policy for development around Lake Tahoe, will recognize the winners, listed below, during the 2011 Best in the Basin awards presentation during the meeting of its Governing Board on Wednesday, Feb. 22 in Stateline. Go here for the agenda.

Tahoe Regional Planning Agency employee Jeff Cowen was honored as the recipient of the North Lake Tahoe Chamber and Resort Association’s Employee of the Year Award for his outstanding work as TRPA’s Community Liaison.

“I was shocked and truly honored to receive this recognition,” Cowen said about the award. “I am lucky in my job because I get to inform the community about all the great work being done by TRPA staff. I know I share this award with them,” he said.

Friends In Service Helping (F.I.S.H.) will honor local churches and pastors who played a critical role in the founding and development of the organization at their annual Community Awards Dinner on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. at the Carson Nugget. There will be silent and live auction items, including a 2011 Harley-Davidson 1200 Customer Sportster Cost valued at $10,000.

Admission is $50 per person. Call 882-3474, ext. 0 for tickets.

February 09, marks a special day in the life of yours truly.

It is my one-year anniversary writing about the Great Outdoors at Internet website Carson Now.

Time certainly flies when you are having fun, and it has been both a totally enjoyable and a totally memorable year of writing about all kinds of activities in the Great Outdoors, both near and far away.

I know most movie goers don't care about three-year-old movies, but if they have a chance to see "Rachel Getting Married" and pass it up they are making a mistake. This film by Jonathan Demme is perhaps the ultimate tribute to American originality with its jazz-like, free-moving cameras and background music made up as the film was shot.

It's the way the film was made and the way it comes to life that is important. It's like real life in accented syllables that lift it out of the ordinary.

A recent report commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Mayors awards Carson City the dubious distinction of being the only metropolitan area studied that is predicted to not recover any jobs this year.

Add to that this morning's unemployment report showing the rate for Carson City climbed to 12.2 percent in December, and one can't help worrying about the economic outlook for our area.

Each year, as my last article for that year, I present my Annual Don Q Awards for a number of different reasons: Outstanding, good, not so good, bad, serious, funny, dumb, head-scratching, are-you-kidding, etc.
Those annual awards are presented to all kinds of people or places or things for what has occurred throughout the year. It’s an interesting way to end the year, so here are my 2011 winners:

Some Nevadans are trying to start a new political party called the "DuoFreedomists" which they claim would serve moderates put off by the Republicans and Democrats. The group's policy goals to “freeze, shrink and shift” taxation and spending is very similar to those of the Tea Party.

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Artist Brent Sommerhauser will be showing his work "Brushing the Firmament" at the Nevada Arts Council's OXS Gallery, 716 N. Carson St., through Feb. 10.

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Carson High School teacher Erin Been's passion for fitness has made her a Healthy Schools Program Champion, a recognition awarded by Alliance for a Healthier Generation. She has worked to make CHS students and teachers make fitness more fun with programs like morning yoga classes, incorporating dance into phys-ed classes and offering after-school programs to promote nutrition and healthy cooking.

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Carson High football coach Blair Roman recognized the seniors on his team at the season-ending awards banquet Monday night. The team has won a share of the league title three straight years, including this season's 10-2 record.

This is a final reminder to set aside the evening of this Saturday, Dec. 3 for the Ormsby Sportsmen’s Association (OSA) big, annual banquet at the Carson Nugget Convention Center.

For the second consecutive year Carson City has been listed by e.Republic's Center for Digital Government and the Digital Community Program as being among the top U.S. metro areas to effectively use the internet and technology.

If you hunt and/or fish, you might want to set aside the evening of Saturday, December 03 for a “Ton of Fun” with a whole bunch of your counterparts.

That is the date of the Ormsby Sportsmen’s Association (OSA) of Carson City big, end-of-the-year, annual banquet.

Ormsby Sportsmen’s Association:
OSA is a local sportsmen’s club, which was founded way back in 1945; and with a 2011 paid-up membership of more than 220 members, it is one of the oldest and largest sportsmen’s group in the State of Nevada.

The Foundation for the Betterment of Carson City Parks and Recreation has announced the 2011 recipients of its Special Recognition Awards:Organization of the Year, Kiwanis Clubs of Carson City: Kiw...

CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval has appointed Claudia Vecchio as the first director of the new Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. She will begin her job Nov. 14.
The newly constituted department is comprised of the Nevada Commission on Tourism, Division of Museums and History, Nevada Arts Council and the Nevada Indian Commission.

NEWS RELEASE – Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has appointed Claudia Vecchio as the first director of the new Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. The Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs is comprised of the Nevada Commission on Tourism, Division of Museums and History, Nevada Arts Council, and the Nevada Indian Commission.

By Kristi Boosman
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency announced the winners of the Lake Spirit Awards honoring "real people making real progress protecting Lake Tahoe" at their first-ever Community Appreciation Day event held on September 29 at TRPA's office.

U.S. Army Spc. Garrett Fant, 21, a 2008 graduate of South Tahoe High School, died on Sept. 26 in Afghanistan.

The U.S. Army has not sent an official notice of his death but it has been confirmed through the news organization KSAL out of Kansas. Fant's mother is Julia Towle Farell of South Lake Tahoe.

The 18th annual Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe Golf Tournament, an annual favorite of locals and visitors, is set for Monday, Oct. 17 at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. The entire $195 entry fee goes directly to the Boys & Girls Club to continue its work with local children. Last year the BGCLT raised over $35,000 with this year’s goal to break $45,000.

CARSON CITY – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced Affordable Care Act grant awards of $3.96 million to Nevada to help fight what she calls unreasonable premium increases.

Care to sample the life of a golf travel writer? Glamour, fun, laughs. GolfChannel.com and The Divine 9, a co-op of nine courses in the Carson City/Carson Valley area, are offering a $500 paid assignment for national publication and a Wild West trip to an aspiring golf correspondent.

Names of those killed in yesterday's IHOP shooting are:

• Major Heath Kelly, 35, Reno, decorated field artillery officer, husband and father, commander of Joint Force Headquarters in Carson City, served in Iraq 2004-2005. Avid student of military history, known for his dry sense of humor. See story
• Sgt. 1st Class Christian Riege, 38, Carson City, father of three, served in Afghanistan 2009-2010, also served in U.S Navy for two years before joining the Guard
• Sgt. 1st Class Miranda McElhiney, 31, Reno, owner of a small baking company, well known in the company for providing cupcakes for guard functions. See story
• Florence Donovan-Gunderson, 67, South Lake Tahoe. See story

According to Sheriff Kenny Furlong, the names of those wounded are not going to be released at this time.

One of those wounded is Wally Gunderson, husband of Florence Donovan-Gunderson, who died in the attack.

See all stories on IHOP Shooting

High Desert Horsemen will be conducting their 4th annual trail trial. This is a fun event that gives horses and riders a challenge. They must complete 10 obstacles over a course set up at Fort Churchill State Park (Scout Camp). They may also purchase poker hands and have a chance at winning both simultaneously. The winners of each category (Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced) will win a beautiful engraved belt buckle. Prizes are awarded 1st to 6th place. After the competition all participants are invited to a great lunch and the awards ceremony.

Lake Tahoe's Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course & Restaurant management announced this week that its Edgewood Restaurant has been named a winner of OpenTable Diners’ Choice Awards for Most Scenic Restaurant in the United States, according to a press release.

There’s no better moment than Lake Tahoe in the fall to showcase our world class climbing and bouldering by creating the first ever Lake Tahoe Climbing Festival & Bouldering Competition in Meyers on Sept. 17, 2011.

Kelly Clark and Chris Wahle were the Capital Nevada Toastmasters Club winners in the Club's annual Humorous Speech and Table Topics, respectively. Clark's speech, "Violating the Interstate Comme...

CARSON CITY – Gov. Brian Sandoval has appointed Las Vegas financial adviser Ken Wiles to the Economic Forum, a panel of mostly private citizen fiscal experts charged with making tax revenue projections for the state.