Historical society offers annual 'Spring Afternoon with the Authors'

GARDNERVILLE - Three Carson City authors will be among the more than a dozen attending the Carson Valley Historical Society's annual "Spring Afternoon with the Authors," at the Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center in Gardnerville.

In all, 14 authors of books are expected to attend the free 2 p.m. Sunday event.

Food and refreshments featured in the historical society cookbook, "Cherished Recipes," prepared by the docents.

Carson City authors Dixie Westergard, George Williams III and Charles Convis are expected to attend.

All of the authors' books will be on sale in the museum gift shop for guests to purchase and then have signed.

"This is a great way for the people of the community to meet and talk to these very talented local authors," said Donna Allgeier, gift shop manager for the historical society.

There will be a drawing for books, including Grace Dangberg's "Carson Valley," Ray Smith's "Nevada Northwest Corner" and JoAnn Peden's "Happy Life," a video, a signed glass Mountain Bluebird, a framed poem by Alora Knight and the historical society's cookbook.

The authors participating in this year's event include:

- Westergard, whose book "Dat So La Lee" was published in 1999. Written primarily for children, it is a factual account of the life of the renowned Washoe basketmaker.

- Williams, who has written many books about the West, including "Mark Twain and the Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" and "Mark Twain, His Life in Virginia City."

- Convis, who has written a series of 16 books entitled, "True Tales of the Old West," and recently published three new books on scouts, lawmen and gamblers.

- Wynne Maule of Minden. His book, "Minden, A Story of a Unique Town," is now in its third printing.

- Jane Lehrman from Jacks Valley. A well-known radio personality, she wrote "Around Douglas," "Around Dayton" and "Around Douglas and Beyond."

- Dennis Cassinelli of Dayton. His book, "Gathering Traces of the Great Basin Indians," is the result of over 40 years' research into Great Basin Indians.

- Alora Knight of Gardnerville. Knight is an award-winning poet and has published six volumes, "Poems for All Seasons and Reasons," and three new volumes of children's poems.

- Dave Pearson of Genoa. Pearson wrote "This was Mining in the West."

- Nancy Miluck of Genoa. She has written "Genoa, Carson Valley Book, Nevada This is our Land" and three coloring books.

- Don Cox, Jean Dixon and Ron Oden work for the Reno Gazette-Journal. They published "Stories from the Sagebrush," a pictorial history of Nevada, featured in a series of articles last year to celebrate the millennium.

- Michael Makley of Woodfords, Calif. Makley wrote "The Apprentice Twain" and "The Hanging of Lucky Bill."

- Janine and Jerry Sprout of Markleeville. This adventuring couple wrote "Alpine Trailblazer," a revised and updated second edition of a guide to hundreds of Sierra adventures.

- Robert W. Ellison of Minden. Ellison wrote "The Territorial Lawmen of Nevada, Volume I." This is a very extensive and well researched work published on Nevada's territorial period.

- Raymond Smith of Minden. This prolific writer has published the "Untold Tales" series of books, "Travels of the Nevada Outback," "Ten Overnight Trips in Nevada"and "Nevada's Northwest Corner."

If you go

What: "Spring Afternoon with the Authors"

Where: 1477 Highway 395 in Gardnerville

When 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday