City’s latest Christmas ornament available

Cookie Bible got off work early on Friday and drove to the Purple Avocado to buy five of the city’s newest Christmas ornaments, which feature historical Carson City buildings.“They’re wonderful,” she said. “They’re the perfect Christmas presents for family and friends who are old Nevadans.”The 11th annual ornament features the First United Methodist Church.“People look forward to it every year,” said Stan Jones, co-owner with his wife, Sue, of the Purple Avocado, which is among the merchants to carry the ornament. “People will come in here asking, ‘Have you got the ornament yet?’.”Bible — daughter-in-law of Alan Bible, former Nevada Attorney General and U.S. Senator — has a collection of all 11 ornaments. “I encourage everyone to buy one,” she said. “Every year, I buy one for us, too.”The Downtown Redevelopment Citizens Committee created the ornament program to highlight Carson City buildings that have historic and architectural character.“It’s just a nice way to commemorate our beautiful historic buildings,” Sue Jones said. “We really have some nice ones in Carson City.”Ornaments are $15 and only 1,000 are available.The Joneses said they have a list of about 400 people who return yearly for the Christmas keepsake. “It’s been very successful,” Stan Jones said. “It’s very popular.”This year’s ornament features the First United Methodist Church, built in 1865, and known then as the Methodist Episcopalian Church. Residents may not recognize the building the ornament, modeled after an 1865 photo of the church before various remodels. “It looks different in the ornament because the south side of the building was bumped out in 1909,” said local history buff Jed Block. Sue Jones said the ornaments, which are three-dimensional and made of aluminum, have become collector’s items. Although snow fell much of the day Friday, Bible was not deterred from buying hers. “It just made it seem more like Christmas today,” she said.Ornaments from previous years are:2002: Laxalt Building2003: Nevada State Mint2004: St. Peter's Church2005: Bliss Mansion2006: Capitol2007: St. Teresa of Avila Church2008: Governor's Mansion2009: St. Charles Hotel2010: V&T Depot2011: First Presbyterian Church The ornaments can be purchased at the Purple Avocado, 904 N. Curry St.; Legislative Counsel Bureau Gift Shop, 401 S. Carson St.; Nevada State Museum Gift Shop, 600 N. Carson St.; Carson City Convention & Visitors Bureau Gift Shop, 1900 S. Carson St.; and Nevada Railroad Museum Gift Shop, 2180 S. Carson St.Past years’ ornaments are available through the city’s Office of Business Development as well as the Purple Avocado.