summer

Carl Kuhl, a state Parole and Probation employee of six years, has created a plan that he claims will eliminate Nevada's budget deficit within two years.

In a news release issued on Tuesday, Kuhl said his plan not only will reduce the budget deficit but also help repair Nevada's economy at the same time. It is a pretty big claim, he admits, coming from an Accounting Assistant I, an entry level position.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Las Vegas, has delayed announcing whether or not she will seek Republican Sen. John Ensign’s seat when he is up for re-election during 2012.
Earlier, she had said she’d make a decision by Valentine’s Day. This evening, however, she said that her decision would come during “late spring, early summer,” on the television program Face to Face with Jon Ralston.

By Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Gov.-elect Brian Sandoval today announced he will appoint Lucas Foletta as his general counsel.
As a former assistant U.S. attorney for the district of Nevada, Foletta has prosecuted mortgage fraud and identity theft matters on behalf of the U.S. government. A graduate of Wake Forest University School of Law, Foletta is also a former law clerk to Sandoval when he served previously as a federal judge.

The liberal blogs are all in a tizzy about how President Barack Obama "caved" to Republicans, agreeing to extend the Bush tax cuts for everyone, not just those making under $250,000 a year as he said he wanted.

Some are saying that Obama has been seriously damaged by this episode, looking weak and handing the narrative and momentum to the GOP, and that he might have a tough time getting reelected in 2012.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – The chairman of a panel created by the Legislature to assess Nevada’s long-term future had some bleak words today for lawmakers unless action is taken to develop a skilled workforce and improve public education.

Healthy Communities has scheduled their winter and spring line up of special speakers on the 2nd Thursday of each month during their public meetings.

Each meeting also includes resource sharing, updates and discussion on issues of regional importance such as health and wellness, substance abuse prevention and recovery, education, job training, etc.

Looks like there’s finally an opening date set for Roop Street. They’ve been rebuilding the stretch of Roop between Washington Street and the Lone Mountain Cemetery ever since the early summer. This has caused big headaches for traffic around town, since that is one of the major north-south routes through that part of town. Although, they wisely waited until the Stewart Street extension was done, so at least there was an easy detour to get around all the construction. But it will still be good to get all the cones and detour signs down and be able to sail through.

Carson City officials will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 16, to reopen N. Roop Street following the completion of the reconstruction/widening project.

The ceremony will take place on N. Roop Street between William Street and Corbett Street. City officials will be joined by representatives of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce and representatives of the private sector firms which participated in the design and construction of the road. Following the ceremony, the traffic control barriers will be removed, and the road will be opened to public travel.

When I was at the Nugget Advisory Committee meeting last week, a PR person working for P3 Development and the Carson Nugget handed me a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the project.

One thing a complex project like this could really use is an FAQ list. Of course, this list came from those developing the project, so a little spin was to be expected. But I was surprised at how much spin there was.

With the big distribution day for the holidays on Thursday, Dec. 16, the Dayton Food Pantry will operate that day only from the Dayton Community Center at 170 Pike Street from noon to 5 p.m.

With unemployment in Lyon County at nearly 20 percent, donations are especially welcome this holiday season, explained Freida Carbery, director for the Pantry.

On the other days of December, the Food Pantry will be open for emergency food needs as usual, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 4 Enterprise Way and Highway 50 (east of Smith’s Grocery) Monday through Friday.

With 300 jobs added to the labor force, the unemployment rate in Carson City fell to 12.5 percent in October from 13.3 percent in September, according to a report released today by the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

Carson City area employers added 300 jobs in October, and are down just 500 or 1.7 percent from the same month a year ago, the report states.

"We are delighted. It is always a good sign when new businesses come in such as Kohl's and Big Lots and hire people," said Ronni Hannaman, executive director of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce. "The retail community has pulled us out of some of the hiring doldrums."

Joe McCarthy, director of the Carson City Office of Business Development and a key player in city's redevelopment efforts, will be "transitioning out" of his job by June 30, according to City Manager Larry Werner.

McCarthy has been on leave for the past two weeks, following a disagreement over the presentation of a redevelopment project at Southgate Center to the Board of Supervisors.

Werner said that while they like each other personally, there is a difference in styles between the two that caused problems.

The Dayton Food Pantry is truly a community-owned project. So many Dayton area individuals and groups from every part of the town contribute to keep the Dayton Food Pantry going. Among those pitching in to help is the local theatre group, The Misfits.

Misfits Theatre Performance Raises Over $800 for Pantry

CARSON CITY – Assemblyman-elect Pat Hickey, R-Reno, today has called for a return to “electioneering sanity� by moving Nevada’s primary election date back to September.
Hickey is requesting a bill draft to make the change from the much earlier June primary date used for the first time this election cycle.

Read the full story at aroundcarson.com.

Northstar-at-Tahoe can now be added to the Vail Resorts ownership roster.

Company officials announced today that a $63 million deal was struck between the Colorado-based ski giant Vail Resorts and Booth Creek Resorts, owners of Northstar-at-Tahoe.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – U.S. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., is defending his decision to seek stimulus money on behalf of constituents and Nevada government entities despite voting against the massive funding measure in February 2009.

Construction on the new Aaron’s store in south Carson has gone vertical. You may remember this as the site where the old Carpet Barn used to sit.

Yep, there’s a new guy sitting in the corner office of Heavenly admin building on Kingsbury Grade — Pete Sonntag, one-time ski bum turned management of the giant resort at Lake Tahoe.

So maybe the era of ski bums isn’t over. They may not wear suits but they often are the people doing the suits’ job.

With a new boss at Heavenly, onetime ski bum Pete Sonntag, things are humming there as they prepare for the upcoming season. I taught skiing there for several years and with all the new stuff and improvements going on I sometimes wish I were back on the hill there  — even if they never improve the ski school facilities are Boulder Base.

Sonntag is a real skier (and boarder) who was on the Vail demo team, so you can be sure he’ll be out on the hill checking things out himself. 

RENO — What happens when you take some mixed-up lovers, a mischievous sprite, a fairy queen and a fool, then shake them all up with a good dose of Lady Gaga and drop them into an apocalyptic modern-day Athens? You end up with a contemporary production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” that just goes to show how much of a timeless classic this Shakespeare play really is.

After a summer that netted 15,000 marijuana plants on public lands that extended over four Nevada counties, the state's Department of Public Safety urges caution as hunters head for the woods and secluded places this fall.

Marijuana grows and other illegal enterprises are being encountered on public lands with increasing frequency, according to the department.

LAKE TAHOE — The 2011 Amgen Tour of California, the largest cycling event in America, will start at Lake Tahoe, officials announced today.

Lake Tahoe’s first-ever involvement in the race will feature more than a lap and a half around the Lake beginning at the California/Nevada border in South Lake Tahoe with the Stage 1 finish at Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort in North Lake Tahoe. North Lake Tahoe also hosts the Stage 2 start at Squaw Valley USA, home of the 1960 Winter Olympics.

There’s usually a point in the year when summer clicks over to winter. I think we hit it this weekend. Last week we had temperatures in the 90s, this week there’s snow in the mountains.
I’ve also learned never to give October the benefit of the doubt, so I’d say we’re in for at least one more heat wave before Nevada Day. But I think we can officially say summer is over.

Here are more photos of Saturday's Boys and Girls Club of Western Nevada's annual summer barbecue and auction fundraiser.

Dayton Valley Days on September 18 and 19 will be more than a fun family event. The annual street fair will also benefit several local nonprofits that add to the quality of life in the Dayton Valley.

One of those nonprofits is Central Lyon Youth Connections (CLYC), an organization that offers a number of free programs to enhance positive youth development. Director Michele Watkins explained that CLYC includes Project Success, Volunteer Connections, Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws and service learning projects.

Improving School Success:

Lake Tahoe’s annual Valhalla Arts, Music and Theatre Festival has some of the most unique entertainment choices around-the-lake with its solid line-up of performing arts and cultural events running through the month of September. For tickets call (530) 541-4975 or click here.

Here’s the upcoming line-up:

Tahoe Dance Band performs at the Grand Hall on Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m. The 17-piece band plays big band and swing with fox trots, waltzes, tangos, and polkas. Tickets are $15/$12/$5.

by Scott Schrantz Source: http://aroundcarson.com/2010/08/29/vt_railroad_expands_schedule_adds_canyon_run

As summer winds down, Carson City road construction crews continue on with local projects. Here are the ongoing improvements planned for Monday through Sept. 5. As always, expect minor delays and give crews a wave and a "brake" in construction zones.

With work continuing on the Carson City freeway project, the Nevada Department of Transportation will continue to keep Koontz Lane closed between Raglan Circle and Edmonds Drive until January 2011. There will be lane closures on Carson Street during daytime hours near the intersection of Silver Oak Drive as improvements will be made to