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After back to back three-day weekends, this one may feel a little short. Grab onto the hours allotted and have a good time. The monthly downtown wine walk is a great way to catch up with friends after the bustle of the holiday season. The annual Be Bold, Run in the Cold Winter Trail Series offers the Winter Round-up 5 or 10K. If staying active is a resolution, then a brisk run in our hills fits the bill. For something less strenuous, you can join our Parks and Recreation Department for a Winter Wonderland Walk along the Carson River.

I used to be the resolution girl. I would set no more than three resolutions each year. I’d break the first the same month, the second in February, and the third by March. I always felt a little bad about breaking my resolutions. But everyone was breaking theirs. So, there was sort of a permission to it. A few years ago, I started a new tradition. I threw resolutions out the window and instead starting using a focus word.

Eclectic is a word often overused when describing small businesses. A to Zen in Carson City, however, has earned the moniker.

It’s finally here, the last weekend of 2017. It’s fairly quiet around town, until Sunday night, that is. Today, Muscle Powered is leading a five-mile half-day hike along Prison Hill. Take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather, and join them. The Carson Nugget is hosting three nights of comedy this weekend: catch Myles Weber on the stage tonight. Head’s up. Galaxy Theater usually plays a movie from the past on Sundays and Wednesdays. This week, we get treated to the Christmas Classic, Die Hard. You won’t want to miss that.

SATURDAY:

In Africa during World War I, a gin-swilling riverboat captain is persuaded by a strait-laced missionary to use his boat to attack an enemy warship. The Carson City Classic Cinema Club presents "African Queen" on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

Mark your calendar as Jan. 9, 2018 promises to be wild. Sierra Nevada Forums is pleased to present "Western Nevada Wildlife Through the Seasons." From raptors to mountain lions guests will share information you may not have known about wildlife and the region we live in.

Before you break into the cookies, you might want to consider a morning bike ride with Muscle Powered; it won’t do anything for the calories, but it may assuage some guilt. If you’re over 21, then test your luck at the Senior Citizen’s Center. BINGO today raises money for the Meals on Wheels program that feeds home-bound seniors. You’ve got one last chance to see Santa Claus. Find him at the Carson Mall until 5 p.m. and then he’s off for his midnight ride.

If you’re anything like me, there are still plenty of last-minute preparations for the holiday. Luckily the shops and businesses around Carson City are there with open arms. Find something one of a kind at the Carson Mall Craft Fair, drop it off at the Rainbow Girls Assembly #7 gift wrapping booth, and grab lunch while you wait. Breakfast with Santa at the Fox Brewpub serves as a toy drive for area kids and as no-fuss way to get start the day with a full belly. Read on for a weekend full of holiday happenings.

SATURDAY:

Come out and join us for free hikes each week to enjoy Nevada outdoors around Carson City! Thursday's hike is to Long Ranch Estates Trail. Meet at Long Ranch Park, corner of Longview way and Bristol Place on the westside.

Come out and join us for free hikes each week to enjoy Nevada outdoors around Carson City! Thursday's hike is to Centennial Park-East. Meet at the back of Centennial park, across from the baseball fields on Heritage Way.

Come out and join us for free hikes each week to enjoy Nevada outdoors around Carson City! Thursday's hike is to Linear Ditch-Central. Meet on Cardinal Way off of Saliman Road near Fremont Elementary School.

Come out and join us for free hikes each week to enjoy Nevada outdoors around Carson City! Thursday's hike is to Prison Hill-Kootnz. Meet at the parking area located off of the east end of Kootnz Lane.

The Carson City Library welcomes the community as it launches the inaugural nationwide Winter Reading Challenge beginning today, Friday, Dec. 22, through Jan. 5, 2018.

The Read-A-Thon kick-off event will be held Friday from 4-6 p.m. at the Bob Boldrick Theater at the Carson City Community Center, 850 E William St, Carson City. The presentation will include songs, stories, puppets, and activities. Also, you will be able to register for the Winter Read-A-Thon.

As I write this last column before Christmas, I know I’m supposed to be full of holiday spirit but I’m going to get personal. The last two weeks have been challenging. It’s making me struggle to find the meaning of this season. So I ask for your help despite the fact you may need to break out the tissues.

In anticipation of the Carson City Off Road 2018 mountain bike event in June, the promoting agency Epic Rides will hold a community signup and discount night Jan. 3 at The Fox Brewpub.

Catmandu rescues homeless and abandoned cats in the Carson City area; spays and neuters them; and provides TLC, sanctuary, food and medical care until a forever home can be found.

It’s beginning to look, and sound, a lot like Christmas. Let the Tintabulations Handbell Ensemble entertain you with the in the warmth and magic of the holiday season during their free Winter Wandering concerts. ‘Elf’ is a modern holiday classic, and you’ll find it on the big screen today and Wednesday at the Galaxy Theater. Track down Santa at the Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada; a family membership to the museum makes a great gift for anyone with little ones. Keep reading for even more Sunday fun day activities.

Santa comes in all shapes, sizes, and apparently, vehicles. Hop aboard the Santa Train at the Nevada Railroad Museum. It’s an out-of-this-world Alien Santa at the annual Zen Christmas at A to Zen. A cookie-loving Santa can be found at Adele’s during their annual toy drive for the Ron Wood Resource Center. If your ‘kids’ are the four-legged kind, then head over to PetSmart or Paws to Pur-fection Dog Grooming for your holiday photos. In addition to the Santa-mania, you’ll find a downtown Carson Beer Crawl, two plays at the Brewery Arts Center, and plenty of music.

Santa and his usual suspects gather for the annual Cookies with Santa, Saturday Dec. 16, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Café at Adele’s, in what has become one of the season’s most anticipated events and part of the fabric of family traditions and community.

You are in for a Holiday Treat today; the annual Carson City Symphony Winter Concert with Victorian Dancers in beautiful costumes takes to the stage. Take in a play at the Brewery Arts Center or play BINGO at the Senior Center. The Santa Train, the Living Nativity at the Methodist Church, and a remembrance ceremony at Walton’s Chapel are on the list, too. Sunday’s aren’t sleepy this time of year, so read on and take a look at your options.

The Carson City area is awash in entertainment, shopping, and family-friendly options this weekend. Santa Claus is popping up all over, including at Benson Feed for the annual CASI Pet Photos with St. Nick and aboard the train at our Railroad Museum’s Santa Train. The musical ‘Honk, Jr’ for the young ones and Love/Sick for the older crowd are on the stage at the Brewery Arts Center. Spend the day at the Silver Saddle Ranch: their annual Holiday Open House is the perfect time to explore their trails and learn more about the working ranch’s preservation.

The Carson City community held its third annual Holiday Crawl Benefit 2017 on Saturday to raise money for the Holiday with a Hero campaign that gives local homeless children a chance to shop for themselves and family for Christmas. The downtown Carson City event was attended by more than 400 people, up about 100 from last year, organizers say.

Even Santa Claus enjoys his time aboard Carson City's famed trains. With appearances at the Brewery Arts Center, Santa can be found throughout the area, including the Nevada Railroad Museum. Elsewhere, let the arrows fly during the Clearcreek Bowmen’s Holiday with a Hero fundraising 3-D shoot. Enjoy a Small Town Christmas in Dayton this evening. The festivities take place in ‘Our Park,’ at the western edge of town. An ugly sweater contest, hot chocolate, caroling, tree lighting and home-town fun are on the menu. Keep reading, there’s even more in store for today.

Carson City Sheriff's Office Sgt. Daniel Gonzales sits down with It's Your City host Cortney Bloomer to talk about the annual Holiday with a Hero project and Saturday night's Holiday Crawl.

The rumors of Santa Claus coming to town are true. The jolly old man is making several appearances today, and is feeling photogenic. Take a ride with him at the Nevada State Railroad Museum, join him on the ‘Elf Crawl’ from the Capitol to the Carson Mall, or tell him your wish list at Debug Computers. Adults have a hard choice to make: the monthly downtown wine walk and the Holiday with a Hero Pub Crawl both take place today, and I’m not sure I’d recommend attempting both.

Carson City Library staff will soon begin packing up materials in anticipation of closing for up to eight weeks during a project to refresh the interior.

The Carson Mall is pleased to invite all of you to a series of “events within an event.” During the Carson Mall Christmas Craft Fair, running through December 24th, there will be several limited-time events.

UPDATE WEDNESDAY: A celebration of life funeral service for Timothy Jones will be Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, 11 a.m. in Carson City at Calvary Chapel church, 1635 Clearview Drive.
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UPDATE 3:08PM: The following is a statement from Carson City School District Superintendent Richard Stokes regarding the passing of Timothy Jones.
“Our hearts ache for all the families and individuals involved in the car accident in Kings Canyon. We learned yesterday from law enforcement that one of our students passed away. Throughout the day today, the administration at Carson High School has provided and will continue to provide, as needed this week, grief counseling and support for students and staff. As more is learned about a memorial service, we will pass that information along.”
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Family members confirmed via social media Sunday that 16-year-old Carson High School student Timothy Jones, one of seven students involved in a Nov. 9 crash on Kings Canyon, has died.

Hoping to at least double the proceeds from last year's annual Pets of the Homeless fundraising campaign, a pair of Carson City businesses have teamed up for a third consecutive year in an effort to help the pets of homeless people across the United States.

CARSON CITY, Nev. – The Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Nevada is participating in the 6th annual #GivingTuesday, a global day of online giving, on Tuesday, Nov. 28.