Holiday closures Most businesses are closed on Thursday, and state, county and city government offices are closed on both Thursday and Friday. Federal government offices are closed Thursday. Both post offices resume their regular hours on Friday and Saturday. Naval Air Station Fallon operates on its holiday schedule. The city of Fallon will have no garbage pickup on Thanksgiving. Those affected will have their garbage picked up on Friday. Financial institutions are closed on Thanksgiving but check with your bank or credit union for any closures on Friday. Churchill County schools are closed as is Oasis Academy. No classes are scheduled at Western Nevada College. City of Fallon events Dec. 3 — Open house at the Fallon City Hall and the Douglass House from 4-7 p.m. Christmas tree lighting, Main Street, 6 p.m. Dec. 4 — City Hall courtyard, 1-3 p.m. Santa’s Wonderland with cookie decorating, ornament making, letters to Santa station, free photos with Santa and more. Dec. 12 — David John and the Comstock Cowboys, 6 p.m. at Barkley Theatre/Oats Park Art Center. Tickets $5. Available at Fallon City Hall from Dec. 3-10. Craft Fair A craft fair will be held at the William N. Pennington Life Center, 952 S. Maine St., on Dec. 4 from 9 a.m.to 3 p.m. Admission is $1. Children under 10 are free. First responders The first responders of Churchill County are having their Holiday Food Competition on Sunday, Dec. 5, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in front of the Fallon Walmart. During this competition, people are encouraged to give any food item to the agency of your choice. The agency that receives the most food in weight wins. Agencies competing are the Fallon Police Dept., Churchill County Sheriff’s Office, Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribal police, Fallon-Churchill Volunteer Fire Dept., Nevada Highway Patrol and Banner Churchill Community Hospital EMS. American Legion meals American Legion Post 16, its auxiliary, other military organizations and volunteers will deliver Meals on Wheels dinners on Thanksgiving since the William N. Pennington Life Center (senior center) will be closed. Sailors, current and retired military personnel and community members wishing to deliver meals or prepare meals for delivery should arrive at the hall, 90 N. Ada St., between 8:30-9 a.m. Once volunteers arrive at the hall, they will pack food into containers and then drive different routes within the city limits and in the county to deliver hot meals to the area senior citizens. The American Legion normally seeks about 30 volunteers to help with the preparation and/or delivery. The American Legion post also provides the volunteers and donations to buy turkeys and all the fixings. Their annual Thanksgiving dinner for the community is from 11 a.m-1 p.m. Wishing Tree Last year, Wishing Tree was short of gifts for the area’s children. The community performed its own miracle, though, by finding a way to ensure 108 children received gifts. Co-organizer Dawn Ballard said CC Communications Independent Telecommunications Pioneer Association (ITPA) and Churchill County Social Services work together each year, and with cash donations, she said volunteers buy toys and clothes. To contact Ballard, call 775-217-8773. Send monetary donations to ITPA, P.O. Box 1390, Fallon, NV 89407.
Homebound seniors The Fallon Rotary Club’s annual Christmas drive helps our community’s seniors. Bring items for our local homebound seniors to Kent’s Supply Center, 290 N. Maine Street. Please drop off unwrapped gifts by Dec. 14. Needed times include toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, lotions, toothpaste, toothbrushes, laundry soap, shampoo, conditioner, crossword puzzles, word searches (large print), magnifying glasses, wet wipes, dish soap, disposable undergarments, canned food, throw blankets, small laundry baskets and anything else you think our seniors may need.
Christmas Convoy of Lights “Ten four, Rubber Ducky … the Convoy is on the way!” By popular demand, the High Desert Grange and Toys for Tots are partnering once again to bring to Churchill County the second annual Christmas Convoy of Lights. These two organizations are joining forces for the purpose of creating a fun opportunity to donate to the Toys for Tots program and to bring the spirit of Christmas to our community. Mark your calendars for Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. as the night the convoy makes its way from the Churchill County Museum north up Maine Street and east on Center Street to end just past Leah’s. Entry fee is a donation of toys or money to support the Toys for Tots program. Entry deadline is Dec. 2. Entry forms are available at V Titans 143 S. Maine St., 775-294-6569. Or you may request an entry form from the High Desert Grange at highdesertgrange22@gmail.com. V Titans is accepting all completed entry forms and donations. Prizes will be awarded for Best Display of Toys, Best Display of Lights, and Biggest Donation. Staging begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Churchill County Fairgrounds parking lot. A Convoy route map will be provided. For more information, contact Gloria Montero at 775-427-8210. Information courtesy of Suzann Gilliland Peterson.
Toys for Tots Members of the U.S. Marine Corps reserves and retirees are gathering both gifts and monetary donations for the annual Toys for Tots. Toys for Tots boxes will be displayed at a number of local businesses and also at the Navy Exchange at Naval Air Station Fallon. Once an order comes in and filled, then the Marines will have the family pick up the toys. The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year and to distribute those toys to the less fortunate children in the communities the campaign is being conducted. The Marines and their volunteers will also collect toys for distribution for children in Fernley, Silver Springs, Gabbs and Lovelock. The Carson City Marine Corps reservists collect and distribute toys in western Nevada. Toys for Tots trucks will be stationed at Walmart on the weekends from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. collecting toys. To bring more awareness for program, the second annual Convoy of Lights will roll through Fallon along Taylor and Maine streets on Dec. 4, the day after the annual tree lighting. The High Desert Grange and V Titans will also be involved with the Convoy of Lights. For information contact, 775-666-5211.
Wreaths Across America Wreaths Across America, one of the largest veterans events in Northern Nevada, will be conducted nationwide on Dec. 18. Locally, the event draws thousands of friends and family members who place wreaths at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley, hundreds more at city or regional cemeteries. The Nevada Veterans Coalition seeks donations to buy wreaths for more than 8,500 veterans who are interred at the cemetery. At the Fallon cemetery, more than 1,300 wreaths are needed for veterans’ graves. The wreath ceremony at the NNVMC begins at 9 a.m. During previous ceremonies, Naval Air Station Fallon, the Nevada National Guard, U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps and the Civil Air Patrol have assisted the coalition during the 30-minute ceremony and with the placement of wreaths. To order a wreath for the NNVMC event, go to nnvc.org and click on Wreaths Across America for the pdf form, or mail your donation to the following: Nevada Veterans Coalition; P.O. Box 415; Fernley, NV 89408. The Fallon remembrance is also short of wreaths. By staggering the time to noon, guests and volunteers can also attend the Fernley remembrance. She said Fallon’s event will be conducted between the two white buildings located at the northern end of the Churchill County Cemetery. Sponsorship levels are individual or $15 for one wreath; family, four wreaths, $60; small business, 10 wreaths, $150; and corporate, 100 wreaths for $1,500. To order, go to www.wreathsacrossamerica.com. The group ID is NV0063, and the location ID is NVCHCC. Devall said the group and location IDs must be entered so the wreaths are earmarked for Fallon. If you have a community event for the holidays, please email news@lahontanvalleynews.com.
