Local briefly Nov. 4

Club to help home-bound seniors

The Carson City Raiders Booster Club is seeking donations for its annual Christmas commitment to homebound seniors. The club plans to adopt as many seniors as possible this year. Their elves will be shopping at Walmart on Dec. 10, and delivering the wrapped gifts to the homebound seniors the next day.

To make a donation or purchase a gift card, contact Joyce Cabello at JKCabello@sbcglobal.net or 246-4662.

Holiday program helps Carson City Seniors

Home Instead Senior Care is teaming up with nonprofit agencies and area retailers to sponsor Be a Santa to a Senior, a program that collects, wraps and delivers gifts to lonely and needy seniors in Carson City, Reno and Sparks.

The program runs from Nov. 6 - Dec. 10. Trees go up in area stores and businesses Sunday, and a gift-wrapping party will be Dec. 10. For information, go to www.beasantatoasenior.com or call Joni Williams at 888-296-2411, Ext. 8.

Homes to be tested for radon

The Nevada Radon Education Program is offering short-term, two- to four-day radon test kits to Nevada residents. Kits include the test device, instructions, a postage-paid return mailer and the laboratory analysis report.

Short-term radon test kits are available for $5 from the Carson City/Storey County Cooperative Extension Office, 2621 Northgate Lane, Suite 15, until March 31.

Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive, invisible, odorless and tasteless gas that is dispersed in outdoor air but can reach harmful levels when trapped in buildings. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that radon causes more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year. Testing is easy and should only take a few minutes. A certified professional radon tester also can do it. Contact Susan Howe for more information at 784-4848.

Cultural Commission applicants sought

The Carson City Board of Supervisors is seeking applications to serve on the Carson City Cultural Commission in the citizen-at-large category. The position open is for a three-year term that expires January 2015.

The commission advises the Carson City Board of Supervisors on the cultural life of the community. The organization fosters an environment that encourages excellence by area artists and cultural organizations, strengthens public awareness and involvement in the community's cultural life, and establishes priorities.

The Commission meetings are held at least quarterly, lasting up to three hours. Additional time may be spent on special projects and subcommittee work. Applicants should be prepared for a minimum commitment of up to 10 hours a month. The position is voluntary.

Volunteer applications may be obtained from and returned to Carson City Executive Offices, 201 N. Carson Street #2. Applications will be accepted until Dec. 30. For information, call 775-887-2100.

Douglas RCC to meet

The Douglas County Republican Central Committee's Nov. 10 meeting will be held at the headquarters location, 1615 Highway 395, Suite B, Minden. The social starts at 7 p.m. and the meeting convenes at 7:30 p.m. Parking is available in the overflow parking lot just south of Buckeye.

The guest speaker will be Ron Knecht, who will discuss Saul Alinsky's Rules of Radicals. The executive board meets before the membership meeting. The headquarters is open from noon until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. For information, call 775-782-5078 or 775-782-4467.

Natives & Newcomers provide help

Carson City Natives & Newcomers is an organization to help the community and the visually impaired across the nation. Its biggest project involves punching and making boxes for Braille cards to be sent free to individuals by request, schools, senior centers and disabled veterans. It has sent more than 4,000 decks of cards in three years. The club also provides scholarships for nursing and high school seniors, as well as many local charities.

The club meets at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 10 at the Carson Nugget, with speakers from various services in the area. For information, call Esther Rector at 775-721-8265.

Items needed for gift bags

The Young at Heart Senior Citizens Club in Gardnerville is preparing Christmas gift bags for homebound seniors and the recipients of Meals-on-Wheels. Many seniors live alone, and in some cases, it is the only Christmas gift they may receive.

The club needs need donations of small presents such as sample size shampoo, conditioner and hand lotion, soap, candy, nuts, wash cloths, hand towels, socks and gloves. Deliver gifts to the Douglas County Senior Center, 2300 Meadow Lane, Gardnerville, or call 783-6455 to have donations picked up. With cash donations, the group will buy the presents. Donations can be mailed to the Young at Heart Senior Citizens Club, P.O. Box 1042, Gardnerville, NV 89410-1042.

Ladies' Night at Deana's: Make your own mandala ornament

A night at Deana Hoover's working art studio, from 5:30-7:30 Nov. 18 at 108 A W. Fourth St. in Carson City gives women a chance to make a mandala ornament.

The cost for the evening is $40 and includes wine, light refreshments, and everything needed to complete a project.

Artist and instructor, Deana Hoover, has opened her working art studio for a series of workshops along with popular local instructor, Kym Maehl.

This month's project is creating a personal mandala ornament which will be a piece of art for the home, a beautiful and meaningful treasured gift, or an ornament to adorn the Christmas tree.

"A mandala is a meaningful design that is beautiful, and it can be used to help focus attention in meditation or for creative inspiration," Hoover said. "This is a wonderful and fun project for anyone who simply wants to create something beautiful, or someone who wants to dig deeper. The ladies in our groups are really bonding and having so much fun."

According to Maehl, "Mandalas are, quite simply, art in a circle. They represent the continuity of life and can help us to get in touch with our own sacred symbols based on universal archetypal imagery. Add a group of wonderous women to the creative process and the possibilities are limitless."

Hoover is a professional artist who teaches drawing and painting at the Brewery Arts Center, her studio, and other various locations throughout town. Her work can be seen at Artsy Fartsy Art Gallery on Telegraph Street. Visit her website at DeanaHoover.com.

Maehl is a clinical hypnotherapist, jewelry artist and potter. She teaches at the Brewery Arts Center and Western Nevada College. Visit her website at SpiritCounseling.org.

For details contact Hoover at 721-4453 or deanasarts@yahoo.com or Maehl at kymaehl@gmail.com or 841-0589.

Applicants sought for RTC

The Carson City Board of Supervisors is seeking applications from persons interested in serving on the Regional Transportation Commission.

The RTC is the policy making body on transportation issues within Carson City. Its purpose is to establish priorities and recommend appropriate funding for transportation improvement projects. The members of the Regional Transportation Committee also serve on the Carson Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Board to discuss and take action on federal money spent on transportation and transit projects within the Carson Metropolitan Planning Area.

The Commission meets at 4:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month. Applicants should be prepared for a minimum commitment of up to 10 hours a month. The position is without compensation.

There are two positions open with terms which expire in December 2013.

Applications will be accepted until Dec. 1. Volunteer applications may be obtained from the Carson City Executive Offices, 201 N. Carson Street #2, or on their website at www.carson.org.

For more information, call 775-887-2100.

Applicants sought for audit committee

The Carson City Board of Supervisors is seeking applications from individuals who may be interested in serving on the Audit Committee in the citizen at large category.

This person should have experience in financial services, public accounting, and/or governmental auditing, and current knowledge of public laws and regulations governing an audit committee.

Applicants should be aware this committee requires a minimum commitment of up to three hours a month. All members serve without compensation.

Members must be residents and registered voters of Carson City. There are two vacancies for terms that expire in December 2013.

Volunteer applications may be obtained from the Carson City Executive Offices, 201 N. Carson Street #2. Applications will be accepted until Dec. 1.

For more information, call 775-887-2100 or go to www.carson.org.

Douglas Historical Society hosts November lecture

The Douglas County Historical Society lecture will be at 7 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center, 1477 Highway 395 in Gardnerville.

The lecture will be on Basque culture, history of aspen tree carving and sheep-herding.

Richard Potashin and Nancy Hadlock have been researching Basque culture for many years. Hadlock has been a park ranger for 30 years, and is employed at Lava Beds National Monument. Potashin worked as a park ranger at Manzanar National Historic Site.

Admission is $3 or free to members. For more information call 782-2555.

Bingo Nite at St. Galls

The Knights of Columbus have set the date of Nov. 11 for the Douglas County Historical Society to participate in their Bingo Nite.

The doors open at 6 p.m. Games go from 7-9:30 p.m.. The $21 includes three warmup games, 10 regular games and a black game. Extra packets are $5.

This is a fundraiser for the historical society. Hot dogs and hamburgers with all the fixings, wine, beer, coffee and soft drinks will be available.

For more information, call 782-8555.

CTRH Auxiliary to host luncheon

The Carson Tahoe Regional Healthcare Auxiliary will host an elegant holiday event at 11 a.m. Dec. 10 at the Gold Dust West Hotel and Casino, 2171 E. William St.

The Black and White Holiday Luncheon kicks off with a bake sale and social hour, followed at noon with a special plated lunch. Participants can enjoy lunch accompanied by Victorian Christmas carolers, a fashion show by "White House/Black Market from the Summit, and a surprise visitor. There also will be a silent auction and raffle drawing.

The event is open to the public, and is a family event.

Tickets are $40, and are available for sale at the Auxiliary Gift Shop located at the Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center; or call Delsye Mills, 775-883-1532.

Friends of Library to host holiday book sale

The Friends of the Carson City Library Holiday Book Sale will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 18-19.

The sale will feature thousands of hardcover and paperback, fiction and nonfiction books and videos, as well as a large assortment of children's books. A special feature of this sale will be many items for holiday gift giving, including gift baskets made by Phyllis Patton.

A preview sale for members of the Friends is scheduled from 5:30-7 p.m. Nov. 17. Those interested can join the Friends at the preview sale.

The sale will be held at the Carson City Library, 900 N. Roop St.

For more information, call 882-5458.

Mile High Jazz Band presents 'November Jazz'

The Mile High Jazz Band will perform "November Jazz," a program of big-band jazz from 8-10 p.m. Tuesday at Comma Coffee, 312 S. Carson St., across the street from the state Legislature Building in Carson City.

General admission is $5 at the door; free for age 18 and under. Dance instruction, 6:00-7:15 p.m. is $5 additional.

The program, three days before Veterans Day, will include "American Patrol" as a tribute to veterans. The band will play tunes in the style of Basie, Ellington and more contemporary composers. Mile High Jazz Band features four trumpets, four trombones, five saxophones, keyboard, guitar, bass, drums and vocalist.

Mile High Jazz Band is funded, in part, by a grant from the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency, the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, and Carson City.

For information about November Jazz and other live music at Comma Coffee, call June Joplin at 775-883-2662.

For information about the Mile High Jazz Band, call 775-883-4154, or visit their web site: MileHighJazz.com.