Three winners in Comstock pool for year's first snowplow

Many saloons hold betting pools for football games or the World Series or March Madness, where you buy in by choosing a square and can win money, depending on the score of the game.

In Virginia City, workers at the Delta Saloon held a Snowplow Pool, where they bet on what date the snowplows would first have to clear C Street.

The pool began in early October and no one expected it to last out the month. Virginia City often has snow by Halloween. But it almost lasted two months, as the Comstock's first measurable snow came on Nov. 28.

And the winners are (drum roll) Terri Darby, bartender at the Delta; Dee White, an employee of Yandre and Teague Ltd. in Virginia City; and John Valney, a Nextel salesman.

"It was fun," said Darby. "We each won $28."

No one said it was lucrative.

More than 1,000 cooks around the country are participating in the first ever public recipe tested cookbook.

Collectors Press has embarked on a landmark new cookbook called "The Good Home Cookbook: More than 1000 Classic American Recipes," and they want feedback from home cooks, students and food lovers across the country.

Participants will be asked to test specific recipes from the book, offer comments, questions, and evaluation. Their feedback will be incorporated in the finished book, and all participants will be eligible for discounts and prize drawings.

Compiling classic family recipes from shelves of well-worn cookbooks and pamphlets, The Good Home Cookbook is a collection of the favorite foods that became American standards during the postwar era. A collectible cookbook for a new generation of cooks, traditional recipes for everything from weeknight dinners to holiday spreads are included.

Details:

• To be a tester, send an e-mail to: recipetester@collectorspress.com

• Participants will be contacted shortly afterward with details

The Boys & Girls Club of Western Nevada applied for grants from the United States Tennis Association in 2005. The club was awarded $5,000 to repair/resurface their courts. They received $2,500 from USTA Norcal and $2,500 USTA National on Thursday.

The USTA Adopt-A-Court program was initiated in 1999 to financially assist public tennis facilities in repairing and upgrading existing tennis courts. In 2005 the USTA increased public facility funding by $1.5 million to help strengthen the tennis infrastructure across the United States.

Christy Funk, USTA Tahoe/Reno Community Tennis Coordinator presented the grant to Hal Hansen, chief professional officer of the club and Bob Phelps, tennis director.