Gallery of Trees winners announced, January events begin

Happy New Year everybody and welcome to what promises to be an eventful 2008.

To officially close out 2007, the Douglas County Historical Society is pleased to announce that the winner of the 11th annual Gallery of Trees is Trinity Lutheran Preschool's Legend of the Candy Cane Tree. Coming in a close second was the tree decorated by the Red Hat Scarlet Sippers. Congratulations to all who participated in this year's trees. Thank-you from DCHS. You helped us raise over $250 for our museums.

Coming up this month we have lots of events for you to attend. Saturday is Student Day where all students get into the museum free when accompanied by an adult. Our guest will be Ralph Chizek, who will speak on the ancient pictograph Hebrew language at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Mr. Chizek is also offering an art class in oil and watercolors for adults. If interested, please call DCHS at 782-2555.

Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. is the kick-off meeting for the 2008 Young Chautauqua program. This informational meeting will take place at the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center in Gardnerville in the downstairs meeting room. All students from grades 4 through 12 are welcome in the program including those in private, public and home schools. Students will learn about the character they portray as well as other historical persons. This program is funded in part by Nevada Humanities.

Thursday, January 10, is the next in the lecture series. Chris Bayer will speak about his book, "Profits, Plots and Lynching." Mr. Bayer was Carson City Citizen of the Year 2007 for his work with CASA and is a well-known entertainer.

Rehearsals for the upcoming melodrama, "Whistlestop III," continue when we can stop laughing long enough to rehearse. Tickets for Friday night, Jan. 25, and Saturday night, Jan. 26, are $20 per person and include a lasagna dinner with the show. Tickets for the Sunday, Jan. 27, matinee are $15 and include a hot dog lunch with all the trimmings. This event will sell out. Get your tickets soon so you can find out if Douglas High gets the girl, Esmeralda Street, or if villain Seth Poole gets his.

The Douglas County Historical Society will be celebrating National Women in History Month by honoring six Douglas County women at a reception on Sunday, March 2. The theme for the ninth annual Women in History Remembering Project is "Douglas County Women: Petticoats, Jeans and Boots."

Nomination packets will be available at the Carson Valley Museum in Gardnerville beginning Monday, Jan. 7. DCHS is asking you to nominate a woman that you feel has made a significant historical contribution to the quality to life in Douglas County. The nominee, living or deceased, must live or have lived in Douglas County.

The deadline for submitting nominations is 4 p.m. Feb. 11. Nominating packets may be picked up at the museum or can be mailed upon request by calling the DCHS office at 782-2555 or Marlena Hellwinkel at 782-2010.

If you have any questions about anything mentioned here, please call the Douglas County Historical Society at the Carson Valley Museum in Gardnerville at 782-2555. Visit our Web site at www.historicnevada.org. And if you have the time, the museum is always looking for interested volunteers.

-- Contact Ellen Caywood at in2my2cats@yahoo.com or at 790-1565.