features

Carson City sound system DJ Justin Thistle is now featuring a new interactive mobile event called “The Incredible Game Show” that he hopes will become all the rage at events and parties for his clients.

Thistle owns and operates the mobile company Justincredible DJ Entertainment covering Carson City, Lake Tahoe and Northern Nevada. His new technology follows the authentic stylings of popular television game shows such as “Jeopardy,” “Family Feud,” “Minute to Win It,” and “Who wants to be a Millionaire?”

This week's edition of Women to Women features Donna Elliott and Irma Wilson. They operate a support group and clinic for people with depression. The women discuss how the group came about and why they started the program here in the Carson City region.

You can follow Women to Women Nevada on its Facebook page by going here.

Nevada comes to life through vibrant photographs of cherished state lands in the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology’s 2015 calendar. For the first time, it highlights photographic work submitted by individuals around the community.

Describing Abe Curry as the “father of Carson City” only hints at the many roles the pioneer played in the establishment of Nevada’s capital. On Friday, Dec. 12, the Nevada State Prison Preservation Society will host a presentation by Glen Whorton on the life of Curry, the man who shaped much of what Carson City has become today.

Since joining the Brewery Arts Center a month ago, I've had the pleasure of enjoying some memorable performances at the Maize Harris Jesse Black Box Theater. It left me wondering what took me so long to get on the BAC bandwagon.

First there were the haunting Celtic airs of kilted bagpipe player Sean Cummings, accompanied by harpist Anne Roos.

A new South Lake Tahoe couple brought along a little something special on their recent home search — a camera crew, an HGTV House Hunters crew, to be exact.

Travis and Morgan Fields were working with Chase International’s Angie Clark last spring when the Oakland couple decided to contact the popular show. Angie, already a huge fan, was immediately on board. The trio completed questionnaires and sent in audition tapes.

By suspension vote, the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday passed the Nevada Native Nations Lands Act, legislation sponsored by Congressman Mark Amodei of Nevada's second district.

The legislation includes six tribal land measures, as well as a smaller conveyance to the City of Elko. The bill was amended to match the Senate version, which was reported out of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in August.

Strings in the Schools, Carson City Symphony's after-school program, presents its fifth annual "This is Not a Christmas Concert" on Tuesday, December 2, 6:30 p.m. at the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St., Carson City.

Nearly 100 string players, including Carson City public, private, and home-schooled students, and students from surrounding areas, will perform several pieces, from classics to folk and fiddle tunes, from Baroque music by Arcangelo Corelli to jazz tunes by Duke Ellington. Admission is free.

The Carson Chamber Singers, directed by Michael Langham, continues its 30th season with a pair of Christmas concerts in Reno and Sacramento. The first concert will be on Friday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m., at Trinity Episcopal Church, 200 Island Ave. in Reno.

The program will be repeated in Sacramento on Sunday, December 7, at 7 p.m., at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 2391 St. Marks Way. For the Sunday concert, the St. Mark's Chancel Choir and the St. Mark's Singers will join in performance with the Carson Chamber Singers.

Get in the holiday spirit with the Reno Philharmonic’s classic holiday celebration, Spirit of the Season, Dec. 6 and 7 at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. An annual audience favorite for the whole family, Spirit of the Season features the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, northern Nevada’s largest performing arts organization, and special guests to create a variety show-style concert like no other.

Family Fun Saturday at the Nevada State Museum on Dec. 13 features a special holiday program, Pines are Fine. All ages welcome to the event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Make a pine needle angel to decorate your holiday tree and craft a holiday wreath out of cones; choose easy crafts for younger audiences. Learn how to tell a pine from a fir or spruce by looking at their cones and needles. Discover one of our state trees, the Pinyon Pine, a plant collected during John C. Frémont’s 2nd expedition.

Whether it’s interacting with storeowners and customers or finding a one-of-a kind gift, there are many reasons to do your shopping in Carson City.

Jason Brown spent a recent afternoon shopping at Rocking and Rolling in downtown Carson City. He bought an old-spoon necklace and some blue-lace agate and smoky quartz for his children’s rock collection. “She has all the cool ones, and she polishes them herself,” he said.

After months of anticipation, the Douglas County Community and Senior Center will host its grand opening with an open house on Dec. 6, 2014 at 1 p.m. The center is at 1329 Waterloo Lane in Gardnerville. The celebration will allow the public to finally step inside the 83,000-square-foot building that features a wide variety of new state-of-the-art amenities.

Perennial holiday favorite “The Nutcracker” returns to Carson City by the Pinkerton Ballet Theatre Thanksgiving weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 28-30. Featuring Erica Chipp of the Smuin Ballet in San Francisco as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Maykel Solas as Cavalier, this 26th year of performances is not to be missed.

Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of Nov. 24-30, 2014. Beginning Monday through Wednesday there will be lane closures on Calaveras Drive just east of Bulette Drive due to utility work. Flagger-controlled traffic will be in effect.

There will be work primarily in the shoulder E. Fifth Street from Roop Street to Saliman Road from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from Monday through Wednesday. Elaine Street will remain closed to through traffic from Monday through Sunday. Please follow marked detour.

The second and final “active assailant response” exercise this year will be staged Sunday at the Carson City Courthouse. The training event will focus on response to an active assailant incident using a unified approach, said Stacey Belt, deputy emergency manager for Carson City. The first exercise was Nov. 15.

With snow expected through Saturday to help boost mountains of machine made snow, skiers and riders can count on making turns at Lake Tahoe this weekend as Heavenly Mountain Resort and Northstar California Resort officially open for the 2014-2015 season on Friday, Nov. 21.

Only 660 tickets remain for the family favorite trip to the North Pole aboard the 2014 Polar Express train, Nov. 20 to Dec. 22, 2014. Select coach seats aboard the all-ages holiday train into a winter wonderland and the world of imagination.

Because of the demand, more trips and passenger cars were added to the month-long event, which has consistently sold out since debuting four years ago and is expected to draw record numbers again this holiday season. Last year more than 16,000 passengers rode the train.

Never before has such a grand combination of iconic ranch, lakefront and forestland been offered for sale at once in Lake Tahoe’s rich history. This rare offering includes: historic Shakespeare Ranch with 133 acres of lakefront ranchland; Squaw Valley Homestead, arguably the most coveted landholding in Squaw Valley; and High Canyon Ranch, encompassing 321 acres of one of the last remaining privately owned large acreage parcels in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

This week's It's Your City features Mike Hautekeet, owner of Mike's Pharmacy, and Mike's daughter, Monique. They discuss the 16th Annual Turkey Round-Up that will be held this Wednesday, Nov. 19 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Carson City.

Turkeys collected will go to help food banks in Carson City, Douglas and Lyon counties. Bring turkeys and non-perishabe food to Mike's Pharmacy, 1007 North Curry Street. The turkeys and other food collected will be distributed by the Carson City Salvation Army. Last year the roundup helped more than 3,000 families. Watch the video for details.

Carson High’s 20th annual Holiday Craft Fair is Friday, Nov. 21 from 5 to 8p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 22 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will be the best one yet with lots of new vendors as well as all your favorites. Come spend some time – great food, entertainment, a raffle, Santa, book sale, and of course, amazing and unique gifts for everyone. Admission for adults on Friday evening is only $2 and includes a raffle ticket as well as re-entry privileges on Saturday.

The first of two “active assailant response” exercises was staged Saturday at the Carson City Courthouse. The scenario involved two shooters in camouflage who walked through the three story courthouse, shooting city employees and members of the public in their path as they went courtroom to courtroom.

The shooters were taken out with gunfire by Department of Alternative Sentencing officers and Carson City Sheriff's Office deputies within two minutes of the scenario, but not after leaving a bloody path of fatally and critically injured victims.

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval officially honored “Always Lost: A Meditation on War,” Tuesday in a Veterans Day proclamation. The humanities exhibit, touring nationally, was created by Western Nevada College faculty and students in Carson City.

The proclamation notes 2014 is the “Year of the Veteran” in Nevada as it entered the Union during the Civil War and henceforth is called “Battle Born.”

The Roots Music Series presents ACOUSTIC SOLUTION, Nov. 15, 7pm, in the Brewery Arts Center's Maizie Harris Jesse Black Box Theater, 449 W. King St. Tickets are $15 at the door, $8 for BAC members and $10 in advance here.

Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of Nov. 10-16, 2014. The Nevada Department of Transportation will be completing road work on Highway 50 from Arrowhead Drive in Carson City to Baldwine Lane in Mound House. Work will be limited to shoulder work.

The Comstock Foundation for History and Culture is pleased to announce receiving the 2014 Business of the Year for Storey County from the Northern Nevada Development Authority.

Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of Nov. 3-9: Beginning Monday, Nov. 3, through Thursday, Nov. 6, there will be maintenance work along S. Edmonds Drive between Fairview Drive and Clearview Drive. There will be flagger controlled traffic with minor delays expected.

Beginning Monday, Nov. 3, through Wednesday, Nov. 5, Telegraph Street will be closed between Carson Street and Curry Street due to utility work. Detours will be signed.

Western Nevada College student veterans Aaron Endel (Active Army, Operation Iraqi Freedom) and Blaine Inman (Active Army, Operation Enduring Freedom) carry a banner for the nationally touring arts and humanities exhibition "Always Lost: A Meditation on War" which features the faces and names of U.S. military war dead in Iraq and Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001. Go here to learn more about the touring exhibit.

Hundreds of hungry Nevada Day parade revelers lined up early Saturday morning at Red's Old 395 Grill in Carson City for the 15th annual Nevada Day Pancake Breakfast hosted by Builders Alliance of Western Nevada, also known as BAWN.

The event runs through 10 a.m. and features a full line pancake breakfast, sausage and bacon. The annual breakfast benefits the BAWN Women’s Council and their philanthropic endeavors.

Art doll maker Christine Shively-Benjamin of Carson City will be among the 30 artists from Northern Nevada featured at the 20th annual Artisan Show and Sale in Reno Nov. 7 and 8 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Sixteen pieces of original art will also be given away.

According to Judy Carlson, one of the show coordinators, the juried show features returning artists and new artists displaying a variety of techniques and media.