thanksgiving

After months of planning and preparation, Faith Hope Love of Northern Nevada is about to launch its first-ever Northern Nevada Family Fun Day this Saturday at Mills Park in Carson City.

From its beginning, The Salvation Army has relied heavily on volunteers who support its programs. Often referred to as “the army behind The Army," volunteers play a crucial role in The Salvation Army's ability to provide quality services for those in need throughout Carson City, Douglas County and the surrounding areas.

This year, when they fell short of volunteers, Supervisor Lori Bagwell stepped up and helped recruit a small army to work in their Christmas Warehouse.

When you think of Thanksgiving break, you typically think of family, turkey dinner, and football. But Heather Kois’ students at Sierra Lutheran High School were thinking of something entirely different: word count. For her creative writing class, November was National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short).

Seems like just yesterday it was Thanksgiving, and now we’ve arrived at Christmas Eve. Last minute shopping trips, cooking baking, and non-stop holiday movies are all on the menu for today. And keep the hot chocolate close; it’s going to be chilly. Please drive safely. The last minute crunch can be stressful, but icy roads are a force to be reckoned with.

THURSDAY: Christmas Eve

• Carson City School District Winter Break

Supporters of action on climate change took to public venues and social media throughout Thanksgiving weekend about the need for bold global action at the Paris Climate Talks.

Activists from organizations including the Sierra Club, Peoples Climate Movement, Avaaz and others took part in public Sunday strolls and rallies at two key venues, the Reno-Tahoe International Airport and public sidewalks near Meadowood Mall, as part of global climate actions coordinated by 350.org.

Each year, Nevada Humane Society sets aside time to pay tribute to the pets in our lives, past and present. The holiday season is a time to show our animal companions how much they mean to us, and our annual Lights of Love is a touching way to do just that.

Last month in Carson City the Nevada Humane Society lent a hand to help save a number of animals and is an example of what Lights of Love is about.

Lured by the recent snow and cold temperatures, I got out for some exploration in Washoe Valley over the Thanksgiving holiday. While snow and cold might not sound ideal for riding a bicycle, it was my hope that the sand and mud would be firm for easy riding. Here’s a look at what I found.

Nevada Humane Society will join the ASPCA, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Subaru of America, Inc. for the annual year-end Subaru Share the Love event and celebration. As part of this national effort, Nevada Humane Society and Michael Hohl Subaru have teamed up to create offsite adoptions at the Carson City dealership on Saturday, Dec. 5 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

After the wintry start to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, dry weather will prevail for the remainder of the weekend around Carson City, resulting in minimal weather-related travel impacts on major highways, according to the National Weather Service.

Perennial holiday favorite “The Nutcracker” as performed by the Pinkerton Ballet Theatre returns to Carson City Thanksgiving weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 27-29. Featuring Erica Chipp of the Smuin Ballet in San Francisco as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Maykel Solas as Cavalier, this 27th year of performances is not to be missed.

A 46-year-old Carson City man was arrested Thursday in the 1800 block of North Edmonds Drive on a felony charge of battery with a deadly weapon and misdemeanor domestic battery after allegedly hitting his brother with a board during a fight, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy said.

By the time many of you read this, Thanksgiving will have come and gone, but the feeling of giving back is most definitely still in the air. With everything happening across the country and the world, it’s important to take the time to be thankful for what you have as well as to give back to those in need.

Not surprisingly, most everything in town is closed today to celebrate a day of thanks with family and friends. Turkeys with all the trimmings, football games, and after-dinner naps will be served up across town. For those who would rather skip the fuss of a day spent in the kitchen, head on over to the Carson Nugget. The annual Community Feast fills up hearts and bellies. This evening, head downtown to celebrate at the Blue Bull, Westside Pour House, or Jimmy G's Cigar Bar.

THURSDAY:

Looking for a great way to get away after Thanksgiving, have some fun and create some fabulous Christmas gifts? Well, come join us in this three hour jewelry making class where we'll be making "Bold and Funky" wire wrapped necklaces that are eye catching AND as fun to wear as they are to make.

The Polar Express on the historic Virginia & Truckee Railroad has sold out for the fifth consecutive year, with more than 15,000 passengers securing rides to the North Pole.

A wait list sign-up is available online here that could offer a last chance to ride the Polar Express in 2015. Tickets for next year’s holiday train go on sale in August 2016.

Heritage trains at the Nevada State Railroad Museum, a capital tradition, are all set for the holiday season.

Trains operate during the weekends of December 5-6, December 12-13, and December 19-20. To order your tickets now click the "Get Tickets" tab on the NSRM Facebook page here.

While not much in the way of snow happened overnight in Carson City, forecasters say a few snow showers may make their way off the lake. A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect until 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Scattered snow showers are expected to continue on and off through the morning from Reno to Carson Valley. The snow showers are likely to become more numerous by mid day, potentially producing 1-2 inches of powdery snow, according to the National Weather Service.

It’s hard to believe that Christmas morning is just one month away. First things first, however, is Thanksgiving. This weekend is shaping up to be a great time for hitting the slopes, but not so great for the holiday travelers with more snow expected for today and tomorrow. Enjoy a pre-turkey day evening at Living the Good Life: DJ Bobby G will keep you on the dance floor. Sassafras is your bet for live music with a blues/funk trio: the Wesley Orsolic Band.

WEDNESDAY:

The Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving food baskets will benefit from the third annual Battle of the Bars Turkey Drive. Carson City area bars and taverns have been collecting turkeys since October. On Saturday, Lt. Mark Cyr took several soldiers and volunteers from The Salvation Army out “bar hopping” collecting turkeys to help out needy families.

The Carson Nugget will hold its annual free Thanksgiving dinner Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The community is invited to attend this annual event. Each Thanksgiving for more than 50 years, the Carson Nugget has cooked up dozens of turkeys, mountains of mashed potatoes, stuffing, gallons of gravy and hundreds of dinner rolls and pie for anyone who wants a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

A winter storm has begun to move into the region, bringing gusty winds to Carson City this Tuesday morning that will be followed by snow in the Sierra and down to the valley floor.

The annual Turkey Trot is a fun 5 or 8K run around the west side of town Thanksgiving morning. Costumes, silliness, and good times had for all. Sign up this afternoon at St. Teresa school. Living the Good Life is a good go-to for Tuesday night fun with bar games and trivia. Pizza lovers should head to Brugo’s for their weekly beer specials and a special tasting with High Sierra Brewery.

TUESDAY:

• ’Divergence’ by artist Katie Lewis at the CCAI Gallery in the Courthouse: 885 E. Musser (8am-5pm)

Global Climate Event (Sunday Strolls At Reno-Tahoe Int'l. Airport & sidewalks across from Meadowood Mall)

See complete details at: http://act.350.org/event/global-climate-march_attend/11266

This is a local event to raise public awareness and support for the crucial Paris Climate Talks to take place Nov. 30 - Dec. 11. Global climate events will be happening worldwide on Thanksgiving weekend before the talks begin.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, Nov. 28 & 29: Social Media Action:

Carson City Harley Davidson was closed last week with employees not receiving their paychecks Friday and told they could file for unemployment insurance, Carson Now has learned. When contacted Monday, the owner of the motorcycle facility on Research Way said the business will open Tuesday and that all the employees will be paid.

Multiple phone calls to the Carson City Harley-Davidson facility went unanswered this weekend. A sign in the window said: “Due to a system-wide outage we are currently closed. We will be extending the contest an additional week. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

Thanksgiving is on its way, and soon many of you will take to the roads to share this day with family. Memories are shared and made during this special time, and it gives us a chance to connect with loved ones that we may not see too often throughout the year.

It’s Monday, but this week should fly by. Thanksgiving will be here before you know it, so you probably want to start thawing your bird. There are still many organizations collecting food for families, so consider dropping off a frozen turkey at Salvation Army, or something non-perishable in one of the many bins around town. If helping kids is a passion, you’ll want to attend the informational meeting at the office of the Court Appointed Special Advocates this evening. CASA is always looking for people who’d like to make a difference to a child.

MONDAY:

A winter storm will arrive in the Sierra and Carson City region beginning Tuesday, bringing wind, snow and very cold temperatures that could make travel difficult, according to the National Weather Service.

The countdown to Turkey Day has begun, and living in Carson City gives us plenty to be thankful for: Beautiful views, our own deer herd, great shops, yummy restaurants, talented actors, artists, and craftsmen, and wonderful people. Get in the spirit of giving with a new tattoo from Hooligan’s Ink to benefit the Austin House. For something less permanent, drop off a turkey at one of the contenders in the Salvation Army’s Battle of the Bars. Giving your time is valuable, too. The Muscle Powered Trash Mob meets once a month to help keep Carson’s trails clean and litter-free.

The Salvation Army serving Carson City and Douglas County is seeking gifts for boys and girls ages 13 to 17 during their annual holiday toy drive.

Even with 82 locations around Carson City and Douglas County, including 27 of the Salvation Army’s ubiquitous red-kettle bell-ringers, Lt. Mark Cyr of the Salvation Army said teenagers are the most often overlooked population during holiday gift giving.